I was not happy to see two men sitting in their device that makes them float on the water. My first instinct was to flee, but then I remembered that men floating on water usually weren't trying to kill us with their sticks that growled like thunder and shot fire like lightning. Besides, it was my duty as Prince to find out what evil they were planning, so taking care that they didn't see me, I crept closer to the water's edge, keeping my eyes and ears open for any signs of other men.
"Whoo!" one yelled, yanking a slender pole upwards. "I done caught a big one, Bubba!" He continued to pull on the pole until a fish helplessly flopped around in his floating device.
"You done real good!" This Bubba man laughed and lifted a cylinder to his lips, pouring something from it into his mouth.
(This is apparently how man drinks. I find it simpler to put my lips to the pond to quench my thirst, but man has many strange ways.)
"This'll look real good on the wall!" the first man exclaimed, holding up the poor fish on some sort of string. "Right next to that deer head!"
Surely I hadn't heard him right! Did man really kill us just to put our heads on the sides of his den?!
"That venison sure tasted mighty good!" Bubba agreed.
I wasn't sure what "venison" was, but I had the feeling I didn't want to know.
This had to stop! I was determined to end man's visits to my forest! Having no idea how to begin the process of freeing the woods from man, I decided to ask Friend Owl for advice.
"I'm afraid there are some problems you just can't solve, Prince Bambi," he replied. "Man has been killing since before the first saplings grew in this forest."
I talked it over with my friends. Thumper's back foot tapped the ground several times, a sign that he was deep in thought. After a while, the thumping stopped.
"I know exactly what we can do!" he declared. "We'll get help from the mountains!"
Flower frowned. "Aren't the mountains dangerous?"
"Less dangerous than man! Besides, when we explain that our mission is to get rid of a mutual threat, everyone will be happy to help us!"
At first the journey was easy. With light hearts and high spirits, the three of us began our quest to save the forest. However, when we reached the mountains, we were unable to shake the feeling that something evil lurked in the shadows. There was a strong smell, similar to that of a dog. I shuddered when I noticed glowing eyes approaching rapidly.
"You can spray, right?" Thumper asked.
Flower shook his head. "After we flowers give our scents a few times, as I had to do a few days ago to escape man's dogs, we have no fragrance left for a while."
"Are yous lost?" a voice asked.
I turned to see a large wolf standing far too close for comfort.
"Yous better be lost 'cause this is our forest," he continued. "I suggest yous go back to where yous came from."
"We need help to drive man from the woods once and for all," I explained. "We thought the creatures of the mountain would be willing to help us."
Before any of the wolves could reply, a silent shadow leaped from the sturdiest limbs of the nearest oak. After a few seconds came a voice:
"Strange tidings these creatures bring
Let them answer to our king"
From the way the wolves nodded as they continued to glare at us, we had no choice but to follow this newcomer, a mountain lion through the woods. At the base of a hollow tree sat the largest bear I'd ever seen.
"Um…what's all this?" he asked, seeming confused.
The mountain lion replied:
"Be not amazed I should seem wise;
Behold, even the trees have eyes!
Prince Bambi reigns from sylvan throne;
Alas! He does not reign alone!
Another realm invades again
From kingdoms ruled by tyrant men
Who murder all in every glade,
Destroying what nature made,
And here is Bambi, woodland brother,
This same fawn who has lost his mother,
Determined to end their reign since
After all, he is our prince,
And so, to end man's tyranny,
He comes to ask Your Majesty."
The bear rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "Oh, I don't know. Do you think we should help him?"
I was beginning to think coming to the mountains had been a mistake. So far, all these creatures seemed a bit slow of wit.
The bear turned to me. "I am Lord of the Mountain. This rhyming creature is called Shadow of the Valley, and the wolves are known as the Souls of the Wilderness."
"How ya doin'? Yous can call me Big Boss," the lead wolf replied. "It ain't smart to ice man flat out. Man's gang could give us all granite paws!"
The Lord of the Mountain turned to Shadow of the Valley. "Do you think we can get rid of man? Should we even bother?"
Shadow of the Valley whispered with Big Boss and the other Souls of the Wilderness for several minutes before replying:
"The Wilderness shall tell the prince
The best plan is one's own defense
To creep to man's den under stars
And ruin these beasts called 'cars,'
To scatter all valued by man
By tipping a stump called 'garbage can.'
Alas! These ideas for defenses
Shall bring forth cruel consequences!
If he senses we are danger,
Tyrant man, this reckless stranger,
Shall never our deeds ignore
And thus shall hunt us all the more,
Yet all is not out of control
The message from Wilderness Souls
Is they shall do this craftily;
However, there is nothing free.
For this work, they demand a price:
Bring forth a fawn as sacrifice!"
They had to be out of their minds! I wasn't going to let them have an innocent fawn for their next meal, especially not just so they could find ways to upset man without fully driving him from our forest!
"I shall consider the situation and let you know when I have an answer," I replied.
With that, I returned to my part of the forest with Flower and Thumper. I still didn't have a solution for what to do about man.
A few days later, I saw a different kind of man. This kind had longer hair. From what I had heard from older animals, I guessed this to be woman, the female of the man species.
The woman was with two others: one was a man; the other was another woman. One woman stood behind the special kind of tree man has. It has no branches or leaves, and it makes small lights like fireflies.
"Camera ready," said the woman behind the special tree.
The first woman stood in front of the camera tree and smiled. When she was given a special signal from the man, she began talking.
"In other news," the woman began, "wildlife biologists have discovered a flock of rare yellow-crested liltcrowns…."
My father, the Great Prince before me, had explained that when man finds an animal that isn't common, then man is no longer allowed to hunt in the forest where that animal lives.
Dare I hope?