nd good evening to your ladyship," answered Bunny, "and good evening
to you, my pretty dear. Ah! you'm his lordship's son sure enough. I
mind the time----"

But the Hind had moved on out of hearing, for when once an old
Doe-Rabbit begins to talk she never stops. Then presently the Calf
said: "Mother, who is his lordship?" And she answered: "He is your
father, my darling. For the Red-Deer are lords of this forest, and he
is the lord of them all. And brow, bay, trey is the coronet that every
good Stag wears, and which you too shall wear in due time, when you
grow up." And he said no more, for to his mind there was nothing on
earth half so beautiful as she was, and he asked no better than to
grow up to be such another.

CHAPTER II

Now the very next day the Hind led her Calf away from the combe where
they lay; and after travelling some little way, they met the most
beautiful bird that the Calf had ever seen. His plumage was all of
glossy black, which shone blue and green and purple in the sun, while
to set it off he had a patch of pure white on each wing, and a spot of
red above each eye; his tail was forked and bent outwards in two
graceful curves, and his legs were feathered to the very heel. He flew
towards them some little way, with an easy noiseless flight, and
lighted just in front of them, as handsome a fellow as you will see in
a summer's day.

"Well, good Master Blackcock," said the Hind, "has my lord not moved?"

"Not a step, my lady," said the bird; "he lieth so quiet as my wife
when she's sitting, though the flies do worrit mun terrible."

"Then come along, son," she said. And she led him on and presently
stopped and whispered, "Look." And there he saw such a sight as he had
never dreamed of; a great Stag nearly twice the size of his mother,
with horns half grown and the velvet black with flies, lying down
motionless but for constant twitching of his head. The Calf could not
see how big he was, till presently he rose on to his feet, and
stretched himself, throwing his horns right back, with a mighty yawn.
Then he stood for a minute or two blinking rather sleepily, but always
shaking his head and wincing under the torment of the flies. His back
was as broad as a bullock's and his coat shone with good living; and
the little Calf, looked with all his eyes, for he had made up his mind
then and there to stand just like that and to stretch himself just
like that, when he had grown to be such a fine sta