wn
and say her prayers, and then lay her delicate head on the fawn's back,
which was a soft warm pillow, on which she could sleep peacefully. Had
this dear brother only kept his own proper form, how happy they would
have been together! After they had been alone in the forest for some
time, and the little sister had grown a lovely maiden, and the fawn a
large stag, a numerous hunting party came to the forest, and amongst
them the king of the country.

The sounding horn, the barking of the dogs, the holloa of the huntsmen,
resounded through the forest, and were heard by the stag, who became
eager to join his companions.

"Oh dear," he said, "do let me go and see the hunt; I cannot restrain
myself." And he begged so hard that at last she reluctantly consented.

"But remember," she said, "I must lock the cottage door against those
huntsmen, so when you come back in the evening, and knock, I shall not
admit you, unless you say, 'Dear little sister let me in.'"

He bounded off as she spoke, scarcely stopping to listen, for it was so
delightful for him to breathe the fresh air and be free again.

He had not run far when the king's chief hunter caught sight of the
beautiful animal, and started off in chase of him; but it was no easy
matter to overtake such rapid footsteps. Once, when he thought he had
him safe, the fawn sprang over the bushes and disappeared.

As it was now nearly dark, he ran up to the little cottage, knocked at
the door, and cried, "Dear little sister, let me in." The door was
instantly opened, and oh, how glad his sister was to see him safely
resting on his soft pleasant bed!

A few days after this, the huntsmen were again in the forest; and when
the fawn heard the holloa, he could not rest in peace, but begged his
sister again to let him go.

She opened the door, and said, "I will let you go this time; but pray do
not forget to say what I told you, when you return this evening."

The chief hunter very soon espied the beautiful fawn with the golden
collar, pointed it out to the king, and they determined to hunt it.

They chased him with all their skill till the evening; but he was too
light and nimble for them to catch, till a shot wounded him slightly in
the foot, so that he was obliged to hide himself in the bushes, and,
after the huntsmen were gone, limp slowly home.

One of them, however, determined to follow him at a distance, and
discover where he went. What was his surprise at seeing him g