Free Forest World by Felix Salten

stallion as usual lost patience first. “Describe this freedom to us.”
    â€œI can’t. To know it and understand it, you must live in freedom from your first day on earth.”
    Devil pawed impatiently. “Why?”
    â€œNone of you can possibly understand. You’re His servants. You’re fond of Him and you obey Him. That’s the difference between you and us. That’s what really makes us strangers to one another.”
    â€œStrangers!” Witch echoed. “I think we’re getting along together very well indeed.”
    â€œOf course we are. And I think I could be quite devoted to all of you. But—but there’s a deep gulf between us just the same. You don’t envy me my way of life and I envy you yours even less. . . . Oh, let’s not talk about it anymore.” She made herself comfortable, closed her eyes and was asleep almost immediately. The two kids slept nearby, exhausted by the excitement of their new adventure.
    Witch bent down and breathed over Genina. “Isn’t she pretty?”
    â€œA little sure of herself, it seems to me,” Devil puffed.
    â€œNot at all,” Manni defended Genina. “She’s an innocent, simple thing.”
    Lisa looked over. “The two little ones are adorable.”
    Now there was deep silence. The horses, the donkey, Lisa and the calf dozed off too. They were all waiting to be fed and watered. Lisa longed to be milked.
    It was almost daylight when Babette entered the stable. Peter came in right behind her. At their heavy steps, the roes leaped up frightened, and fled into the farthest corner where the kids huddled close to their mother.
    â€œLook! Peter, look!” cried Babette. “Roes! From the forest! Oh, how beautiful!” she whispered. She went over to them and caressed one after the other. They trembled under her hand. “Don’t be afraid,” she murmured softly. “I won’t hurt you. Peter, why do you suppose they’ve come to us?”
    â€œIt’s almost a miracle,” Peter answered.
    He and Babette hurried to the house to tell Martin about the surprising visitors.
    Manni mused, “Wouldn’t it be fine if He understood our speech, and we didn’t have to guess at His!”
    â€œWe can guess only vaguely what He says and means,” grumbled the stallion.
    Manni whispered to the roes, “If such understanding were possible, you could tell Him what goes on in the forest.”
    â€œYes, but it’s a vain hope,” sighed Witch.
    â€œA vain hope,” repeated the mother roe. “I never think of hoping anything like that. It makes me tremble to have Him come so close to me, to have Him touch me. Somehow even though I know He will do us no harm, He makes me terribly afraid—and my little ones too.”
    â€œBut that’s foolish.” Manni tried to calm her. “He’s so good and kind.”
    â€œDon’t be afraid, youngsters,” Witch said to the twins.
    *  *  *
    Meanwhile Martin was hearing about the new arrivals. He was amazed. “Why would roes come to the barn?”
    â€œIn flight,” Peter suggested.
    â€œBut from whom? From what?”
    â€œI’m sure they were chased here by something,” Babette said. “Maybe a fox.”
    â€œCome on, I must see them,” said Martin and they all went back to the animals. While Babette busied herself milking Lisa, and Peter fed and watered the others, Martin stood by the roes. He was too puzzled to caress or touch them.
    â€œGive them clover,” he said, “and some oats.”
    In the corner where the roes had fled Peter made a bed for them. He piled clover before them and liberally poured out oats.
    â€œI don’t understand this at all,” Martin said in bewilderment.
    â€œNow that I think about it, it isn’t so hard to figure,” muttered Peter. “Poachers! They might be at it pretty