Page:Bambi A Life in the Woods (1928).pdf/101

small white chest, and holding his forepaws protestingly against his body. “I’m beside myself with excitement,” he said.

“I’m quite weak from fright myself,” said the mother. “I don’t understand it. Not one of us saw a thing.”

“Is that so?” the squirrel said pettishly. “I saw Him long before.”

“So did I,” another voice cried. It was the magpie. She flew past and settled on a branch.

“So did I,” came a croak from above. It was the jay who was sitting on an ash.

A couple of crows in the tree-tops cawed harshly, “We saw Him, too.”

They all sat around talking importantly. They were unusually excited and seemed to be full of anger and fear.

“Whom?” Bambi thought. “Whom did they see?”

“I tried my best,” the squirrel was saying, pressing his forepaws protestingly against his heart. “I tried my best to warn the poor Prince.”

“And I,” the jay rasped. “How often did I scream? But he didn’t care to hear me.”

“He didn’t hear me either,” the magpie