Jeanette's POV
As the days went by, Bambi was growing a little older as he began speaking some more; before long, he knew my name, and knew that Willow was his mother.
I, on the other hand, was growing more and more accustomed to living as a fox alongside most of the animals in the forest. I ate whatever berries I could find, beetles and worms (some of them tasted like shrimp tails, while others were slimy but satisfying), occasional bird and reptile eggs (if I was desperate), and – once in a blue moon – a freshly caught fish in the babbling brook a hundred feet away from Bambi's thicket. Fish are rather difficult to catch with your paws and teeth compared to using a fishing line. But all in all, I stayed less hungry and I remained flexible.
One summer day, Bambi, Willow, and I were walking a little way in the forest, and Bambi asked us, "Mother! Jeanette! What we gonna do today?"
Willow answered him, "I'm going to take you and Jeanette to the meadow."
"The meadow?" Bambi asked as he practiced jumping around a bit, "What's the meadow?"
"It's a very wonderful place," the mother doe answered.
"Yeah!" I added as I walked along, "It's full of flowers, and grasses, and all kinds of friendly animals!"
"Then why haven't we been there before?" asked Bambi.
"You weren't big enough," said Willow.
Bambi ran up to me and his mother as we passed a little waterfall and asked, "Mother? Jeanette? You know what?"
"What?" asked Willow.
"We're not the only deer in the forest!" the fawn said with a grin.
"Where did you hear that?" asked Willow.
"Thumper told me!" answered Bambi.
"Well, he's right," said Willow as she walked past some bushes, "There are many deer in the forest besides us."
"Then why haven't I ever seen them?" Bambi asked as he followed her.
"Oh, they come and they go as they please," I said to him.
"Yes, and you will, sometime," said Willow.
"On the meadow?" asked Bambi.
"Perhaps," said his mother. She walked slower and slower as she advised me and Bambi, "Hush now. We're almost there."
"Be very quiet," I whispered to Bambi.
Third Person POV
A few minutes later, Willow, Bambi, and Jeanette were leaving the forest as the trees grew fewer and fewer. Willow and Jeanette looked around cautiously as they saw a green meadow full of tall grass. Bambi saw the clearing and ran off as he cried excitedly, "THE MEADOW!"
"Wait!" Willow cried as she ran after her son, "Bambi, wait!"
"Come back!" Jeanette cried as she followed him.
Willow soon jumped in front of the fox and the fawn, stopping them. She looked at Bambi sternly and softly scolded, "You must NEVER rush out on the meadow! There might be danger. Out there, we are unprotected. The meadow is wide and open, and there are no trees or bushes to hide us, so we have to be very careful." She looked at Jeanette and warned, "The meadow isn't a safe place for foxes, either. That's why I want you to keep a close on Bambi today."
Jeanette nervously nodded, "Yes, Willow."
Willow looked at them and whispered, "You two wait here. I'll go out first. And if the meadow is safe, I'll call you."
Jeanette nodded as she sat by Bambi, and let Willow walk away into the grass.
The mother doe very cautiously and very slowly stepped into the meadow's grasses, stopping once in a while to look around for danger. As she looked around, Willow stopped to glance back at Bambi and Jeanette, making sure they both stayed hidden and safe.
Soon, a flock of birds flew by, and then landed in the grass to feast on insects. Willow knew that the meadow was safe, so she called to the fawn and the fox, "Come on, Bambi! Jeanette! It's alright!" Jeanette slowly wandered through the tall grass, while Bambi stayed a little apprehensive. "Come on!" Willow repeated.
"Well, Bambi, what are you waiting for?" Jeanette asked with a smile, "Come on!"
So, the fox and the fawn both ran off towards the meadow to join the doe.
Bambi's POV
I had a fun time running and jumping in the meadow with my mother and Jeanette! The meadow was a really big place where birds sang song, and there were all kinds of grasses to eat! Soon, I came over to a little creek where Mrs. Duck and her ducklings were getting ready to take a swim. Jeanette watched as I ran to make a little splash in the water, and then I ran back a little bit before jumping into the creek and making more splashes! It was fun! But one of the ducklings wasn't very happy after I accidentally got some water on him.
A while later, my mother and I were eating grass, while Jeanette was snacking on some bugs and berries close by. I decided to run around some more, and then I saw Thumper and his family, so I decided to visit them.
"Good morning, Prince Bambi!" all the cream-colored bunnies greeted me.
"Good morning, young prince!" Mrs. Rabbit greeted.
"Hello," I smiled to them. I saw that they were eating, too, so I asked, "What'cha eatin'?"
"Flowers!" the bunnies answered, "It's awfully good!"
Thumper poked his head out of some green stuff and said, "It's delicious! Why don't you try some?"
I smiled, and then I decided to eat some of the greens.
"No, no, not that green stuff!" Thumper said to me, "Just eat the blossoms! That's the good stuff!"
But as he was going to eat a pink blossom, his mother said, "Thumper!"
"Yes, Mama?" Thumper asked as he turned to face his mother.
"What did your father tell you?" Mrs. Rabbit asked.
"About what?" asked Thumper.
"About eating the blossoms and leaving the greens!" his mother said.
"Oh, that one!" said Thumper. He cleared his throat and said, "Eating greens is a special treat. They make long ears and great big feet!" Then he said to me in a tone of disgust and slyness, "But it sure is awful stuff to eat!" He whispered in my ear, "I made that last part up myself!"
As I turned my head, I saw a little green frog croaking, "Watch out! Watch out!" He then hopped away, and then jumped into this strange, blue stuff.
I was curious as to what that was, so I looked down at it and saw another fawn inside it! I decided to sniff the new fawn, but when I touched him with my nose, I felt this strange feeling on me – it was cold and wet! Then, I realized that this was water, and I could see my reflection in it. As I looked down again, I saw myself, and another fawn with blue eyes!
I looked at the other fawn, and then at my reflection; I did that a few times until the other fawn giggled. Then, I looked up and saw her – standing beside me on the other side of the pond!
Third Person POV
The other fawn giggled and fluttered her eyelashes at Bambi, and the brown-eyed fawn backed away with surprise. The blue-eyed fawn followed him with curiosity. Bambi backed away until he felt a big tree behind him, so then he ran off from the blue-eyed fawn.
The female fawn followed him as he ran to his mother and Jeanette, who were socializing with another doe. Bambi hid under Willow's abdomen as the other doe caught up, and Jeanette looked at the fawn with a grin. "I think she likes you!" the fox said.
"That's little Faline," Willow said to Bambi.
Faline, the other fawn, turned to Willow's friend and commented, "He's kinda bashful, isn't me, Mama?"
"Well, maybe he wouldn't be if you'd say hello," Faline's mother told her.
Faline giggled and said, "Hello, Bambi!"
Bambi just backed away behind his mother as Faline said to him, "I said, 'hello'!"
"Don't be shy, Bambi!" Jeanette smiled to the brown-eyed fawn.
"Well, aren't you going to answer her?" Willow asked her son.
Bambi nervously shook his head.
"You're not afraid, are you?" Willow asked she stepped away.
Bambi frowned and shook his head again.
"Well, then, go ahead!" Willow coaxed as she gave her son a few gentle nudges.
"You've got this, Bambi!" Jeanette whispered to him from a little distance.
Bambi faced Faline in a nervous way, and then he turned to his mother. Willow just gently coaxed him, "Go on. Say, 'hello'."
Bambi then hung his head low and mumbled reluctantly, "Hello."
Jeanette did a face-paw, while Faline giggled and ran about; she then ran so much that she made Bambi stumble backward and fall behind some cattails!
Bambi, who had fallen into a little pond, felt ever so humiliated, while Faline poked her head through the cattails and giggled at him. Bambi turned his head, but Faline had disappeared! Then, Faline giggled before she poked her head out from a different spot, making Bambi turn his head again. Again, Faline disappeared before Bambi could face her. The female fawn poked her head out of a different spot again, but she disappeared before Bambi could confront her. The next time she poked her head out, Faline licked Bambi on the cheek, making him disgusted!
The male fawn wiped his cheek with his leg, and promised himself he wouldn't miss this time. And sure enough, as soon as he heard Faline giggling, Bambi turned around and faced her with a glare. Faline gasped and fluttered her eyelashes before Bambi jumped out of the water and yelled, "YOU!"
Faline ran over to her mother, but Bambi followed her and chased her around before Faline ran over to Willow and Jeanette. Jeanette jumped to her feet and cried, "Yikes! What are you guys doing?! Go on, you silly fawns!"
"Oh, Jeanette!" Willow smiled to the girl-turned fox, "They're just having a little fun!"
Bambi and Faline, meanwhile, ran off from their mothers and chased each other until they reached the top of a big rock sticking up in the meadow. Faline climbed the rock on one side, and then Bambi cornered her as he jumped onto the other side, making her giggle. But then, something else caught their attention…
