It was spring, and the forest was alive with news. Everyone was excited. "It's happened!" "Have you heard?" "Over in the thicket!" "Come and see!"
A magpie flew by old Owl, who was taking his daily nap. "Wake up, Friend Owl! The young Prince is born! Come on! You'd better hurry!"
Now, Owl preferred to spend the day at home-fast asleep. But when he heard the news, he woke right up and flew over to the thicket. "After all, it isn't every day a young Prince is born."
As the animals quietly approached the shady glen, they saw a newborn baby deer sleeping by his proud mother. She gently nudged the tiny fawn and whispered, "Wake up. You have visitors."
The fawn slowly opened his new eyes. Then he got up, his new legs still shaky and looked around curiously at the creatures who had come to admire him.
A friendly baby rabbit named Hoseok hopped over to the mother deer. "What're you going to call him?"
"I think I'll name him Namjoon."
"Namjoon? Yep, I guess that'll do." The Hoseok and the other visitors hopped and scampered away, leaving the young Prince to nap.
By the time Summer came, Prince Namjoon was strong enough to explore the forest with his mother. "Come along, Namjoon," she said one morning. "It's time you learned your way outside the thicket." The little fawn, his legs steadier now, followed his mother out of the glen.
"Hello, young prince!" The chorus of voices came from above. Namjoon looked up to see a 'possum family, hanging by their tails, as 'possums do. He was puzzled. Who were these upside-down folk? Namjoon turned his head this way and that, trying to get a proper look at them.
Another voice came from nearby. "Hi, Namjoon!" It was Hoseok, who was eating clover with his family. "Let's go have some fun," suggested the little rabbit. That seemed like a fine idea, so Namjoon trotted off after Hoseok.
The two friends came upon some birds perched on a low branch. Namjoon stared at them closely. "Those are birds," explained Hoseok. "Say 'bird.'"
Namjoon took a deep breath. "Bird!"
Hoseok hopped up and down excitedly. "He talked! He talked! The young Prince can talk!"
Then a butterfly landed on Namjoon's tail. "Bird!" he said, feeling very proud of himself.
Hoseok giggled. "That's not a bird. That's a butterfly!"
Namjoon shook his head in confusion. Then he saw some more small, colorful things. Bending down, he sniffed at one. "Butterfly!"
Hoseok smiled. "No, Namjoon. That's a flower. It's pretty."
Just then, out from the flowers popped a black and white face with two bright eyes. "Pretty flower!" said Namjoon.
No one had ever called a skunk that before. Hoseok rocked with laughter. The bashful little skunk just smiled. "Oh, that's all right. My name's Jungkook. Nice to meet you."
Late that Summer, Namjoon's mother took him to the meadow. She moved carefully and sniffed the wind. "You must be very careful on the meadow, Namjoon. Out here we are unprotected. There are no trees to hide us."
When his mother was sure it was safe, she let Namjoon bound out onto the grassy meadow. He was surprised to see a little boy fawn about his age. His name was Jin, and he and Namjoon soon became great friends.
One day in early Fall, as Namjoon and his friends were playing on the meadow, a mighty deer rushed out from the trees. It was Taehyung the Forest King, and he signaled everyone to leave the meadow. In the distance, Namjoon could hear the loud, frightening noise of guns.
Immediately Namjoon and his mother raced for the safety of the thicket. Namjoon was frightened. When it became quiet again, he lifted his head. "I don't understand, Mother. Why did we run?"
Namjoon's mother was still alertly watching the path from the meadow. Then she turned to her son. "MAN…was in the forest."
One chilly morning Namjoon awoke to a startling sight. "Mother! What's all this white stuff?"
"Why it's snow. Winter has come to the forest."
Namjoon stepped out of the thicket carefully and was surprised when his feet sank deep into the soft, white snow.
The fawn was delighted. The snow became a game. He pranced all about in the chilly air, leaving hoofprints in the snow.
From a nearby pond Hoseok called to him. "Hiya, Namjoon! Come on over here/ It's all right. See? The water's stiff!"
Namjoon trotted confidently out onto the frozen pond. But as soon as his tiny hooves touched the ice, his hind legs slipped, and down he crashed.
Hoseok laughed and laughed. "You have to watch both ends at the same time!" Namjoon blinked his large eyes, got up carefully, and slid across the ice to Hoseok. "Some fun, huh, Namjoon?" They had a wonderful time.
The winter months passed slowly. Food became scarce and Namjoon's mother had to strip bark from the trees to eat.
"Winter sure is long, isn't it, Mother?"
"It seems long. But Spring will be here soon."
At last the snow melted and Spring came. Owl awoke from his nap. "My! If it isn't the young Prince. How fine you look! And you've grown a pair of antlers."
Owl wasn't the only one who admired Namjoon's new antlers. His childhood friend Jin also thought they were fine. He had grown up too and was now a graceful and lovely buck. He walked up to Namjoon and touched noses.
Owl had warned the young deer about this very thing. Namjoon fell in love with Jin. "They're twitterpated!" muttered Owl as he watched Jin and Namjoon walking in the moonlight.
Months passed. Again, came a time when MAN entered the forest, bringing with him guns and fire.
Namjoon sensed that something was wrong. He left Jin and went to the edge of a tall cliff. Looking down, he saw a campfire, and as he watched, a spark from that fire started some brush burning. The fire spread quickly.
Namjoon hurried to warn Jin and the other animals. They all raced out of the forest. Down from the trees ran the squirrels, from under the ground scurried the ground hogs, away from their nests flew the birds.
Namjoon and Jin joined the other creatures on a bank across the wide river. They all watched sadly as the flames destroyed their forest homes.
But Spring came again to the forest, and green grass and flowers covered the scars left by the fire.
Once again, the air was alive with excitement. This time it was Friend Owl who spread the great news. "Come quickly, everybody. To the thicket!" And all the forest creatures rushed to see what had happened.
There was Jin, resting quietly with not one but two new fawns. Owl's great yellow eyes widened in surprise. "Look! Twins! And a healthier pair I've never seen. Prince Namjoon must be mighty proud!"
Rabbits and squirrels, raccoons and birds looked on in awe.
One of the fawns, Yoongi, stood up on his wobbly little legs, leaving his brother Jimin. He tottered over to a clear space in the screen of trees and peered through thr brush toward the edge of a great cliff. There stood Namjoon, his father, now King of the Forest. Someday, young Prince Yoongi would grow up and become King, just like his father.