Character history. Bambi: interesting facts Characters from "Bambi"

The character of the studio's classic feature-length cartoon, based on the novel "Bambi" by the Austrian writer Felix Salten. He also appears in the sequel "Bambi 2", released in 2006, and in two Soviet film adaptations of the same novel called "Bambi's Childhood" and "Bambi's Youth".

History of character creation

All cartoons and films about Bambi are based on Felix Salten’s book “Bambi. Biography from the forest." Critics perceived the author's work not as a children's fairy tale, but as a novel with “dark adult overtones” and anti-fascist allegories.

The forest in the book is depicted as a frightening place, the novel is filled with references to German folklore and is too complex for children, so the Disney studio, having started the film adaptation, noticeably simplified the book and made the script more suitable for a child audience.

Critics have called Felix Salten's work an "environmentalist novel." The main idea of ​​this book, in this interpretation, boils down to a protest against hunting and a call to stop the destruction of the environment by humans. Bambi has become a symbol of the fight for animal rights.

Appearance and character

At the beginning of the cartoon, Bambi appears as a tiny deer who can barely walk. The hero is afraid of everything and shows timidity, but over time he gets used to the world and surroundings and becomes a cheerful child. Viewers see Bambi playing with his bunny friends and meeting other animals.

Then winter comes, and a difficult period begins in the hero’s life, which ends with the first rays of the spring sun.

Bambi and his mother are nibbling the first spring greens in the meadow when a Man appears and kills the fawn's mother with a gun. The hero is left alone. But life goes on, and over time Bambi turns into a young deer, whose antlers are already growing. The hero finds his beloved.

However, Man continues to invade the forest and bring trouble with him. This time the hunters start a fire, due to which all that remains of the forest is ashes. Over time, nature takes its toll, the forest comes to life again, and Bambi and his chosen one give birth to fawns. Following this, the father gives Bambi the title of Prince of the Forest.

Film adaptations

The Soviet film series about Bambi was released in 1985-1986. The role of the adult Bambi in both films - "Bambi's Childhood" and "Bambi's Youth" - was played by the actor, and the actor's son, Vanya, acted as the child Bambi.

In the first film, little Bambi, the son of a leader, meets the inhabitants of the forest and encounters danger for the first time. In the second film, the hero appears as a young and strong deer who meets love and goes on a dangerous journey.

Disney's classic cartoon Bambi was released in 1942. In the Russian translation, Bambi is voiced by actors and Ivan Dakhnenko in different years of the hero’s life.

Bambi the fawn is the main character, a prince, the son of the Grand Duke of the Forest, a wise and sedate deer with massive antlers. Bambi's father rules the inhabitants of the forest and protects them from the troubles that the appearance of a Man in the forest entails.

Man is the main antagonist of the cartoon, who comes into the forest solely as an enemy and brings death and horror to the animals. A man kills Bambi's mother. She tries to protect the fawn from danger, shows caution, but as a result she still dies.

The hero has friends. This is a brave and lively Stomper hare, who received his nickname due to his habit of knocking with his paw. The hare is uncontrollable with his tongue, and because of this he constantly gets flack from his mother hare. Bambi's other friends are a shy skunk nicknamed Flower and a cheerful deer Felina, whom the hero meets in the meadow.

The heroine falls in love with Bambi and constantly encounters things in different places that come as a complete surprise to the hero himself. Because of Felina, the hero has to face the aggressive deer Ronno, another contender for the love of the young roe deer, who is trying to take Bambi’s girlfriend away. However, the characters remain faithful to each other, and at the end of the cartoon, Bambi and Felina have children - little fawns.

The cartoon "Bambi 2", released in 2006, is not a continuation of the classic story about Bambi, but rather a new interpretation of it, which complements the plot of the old cartoon and fills in the gaps in the hero's biography. Here the story begins from the moment when the orphaned Bambi meets his own father.

The Grand Duke is looking for an adoptive mother for the fawn, and until she is found, he looks after the son himself. Bambi often has to deal with the aggressive fawn Ronno, who last appeared in only one episode.

The unattended hero is attacked by Man's hunting dogs, but the Grand Duke comes to the baby's aid. Bambi wants to prove to his father that he is worthy of his attention, and as part of the fight against cowardice, he gets into an argument with an old porcupine, who “rewards” the hero with a portion of sharp needles.

The stabbed Bambi is found by Felina and Ronno. A competitor provokes the hero into a fight, but Bambi runs away from him. However, in the finale, the kind and gentle Bambi still demonstrates unprecedented courage, leading the hunting dogs away from his adopted mother who had fallen into a trap.

• In the cartoon "Bambi" you can see the "hidden Mickey Mouse" - the recognizable silhouette of the head of the famous Disney mouse. These “hidden Mickeys” can be found in many Disney cartoons and even in the film “Pirates of the Caribbean”.

• Bambi's mother appears as a cameo in the fantasy comedy Who Framed Roger Rabbit? and in a number of animated films.
• Bambi as a character is so popular that art and pictures of him are actively used in the production of goods, for example, wallpaper for children's rooms.

• The tale of Bambi was banned in Nazi Germany, a huge number of copies were burned, so that the first editions of “Bambi” are now a bibliographic rarity. And the reason for this attitude was that, according to German censorship, Salten’s book about animals was a political allegory about how Jews are treated in Europe.

Initially, I planned to combine interesting facts and bloopers from the cartoon "Bambi" into one post, but there was so much material that I had to divide it into two. Therefore, we are waiting for a continuation in the coming days.
So:

1. Hollywood director Sidney Franklin wanted to make a live-action film "Bambi" in 1933. Realizing that technology was not yet developed enough for such filming, he, having watched Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, realized that animation could do anything, and turned to Walt Disney with his ideas about the future project, subsequently becoming a consultant at the studio during a long cartoon production. As a result, Disney placed a tribute to the director in the opening credits with the words: "To Sidney A. Franklin, our sincere gratitude for his inspiring collaboration."

2. The cartoon is based on the book by the Austrian writer Felix Salten (real name Sigmund Salzman). As an insurance agent, Salten began writing books out of boredom. In 1920, he visited Italy and was so fascinated by the local word bambino that he decided to name the next character in his book Bambi. The novel of the same name was published in 1923.

3. A test animation of Bambi getting stuck on a fallen tree strengthened Walt Disney's desire to make a cartoon.

4. Production of the cartoon began in 1936. Simultaneously with “Bambi,” the studio was working on the films “Fantasia,” “Dumbo,” “The Uncooperative Dragon” (a live-action film with animated inserts) and “Pinocchio.” Disney's pursuit of perfection and search for realism significantly stretched the process of creating Bambi, which was supposed to be the studio's second full-length creation after Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. However, it was released only in 1942 after the premieres of its animated counterparts.

5. More than four million drawings were completed during the production of Bambi. In addition to the animators, a group of 25 artists worked on it, who were exclusively engaged in creating backgrounds and painted 450 images, not with ordinary watercolors, but with oil paints.

6. Chinese animator Tyrus Wong, with his sketches of the forest, determined the artistic style in which all the drawings for the backgrounds in the cartoon were made. The emphasis was on beautifully drawn animals.

7. This is the second Disney cartoon (after "Dumbo"), the action of which takes place in our days (by the way, it was this fact that prevented the creators of "Beauty and the Beast" from passing off Gaston as the killer of Bambi's mother, because Gaston lived in the 18th century, and Bambi - modern character).

8. Several deer and two fawns, named Bambi and Faylin, were brought in from Maine so that the animators could study the movements and muscle function of these animals. The deer lived in a small Disney zoo that also housed skunks and squirrels. When Bambi and Faline grew up, they were given to Griffith Park, located nearby.

9. Disney animators spent years studying and drawing deer and fawns, but never got the look perfect: the animals' jaws are designed for chewing food, but not for talking, and they do not have a chin as such. In the end, animator Mark Davis solved the problem by giving the fawn the appearance of a child.

10. Disney animators, despite all their experience, could not accurately draw the branched horns of Bambi's father; the perspectives required for the cartoon were too complex. As a result, they made a copy of the original horns from plaster, filmed them from all possible angles, and then transferred the necessary images to the villages using rotoscopy.

11. According to the novel by Felix Salten, Bambi is a European roe deer, while in the Disney cartoon he is a white-tailed deer living in the American forest. In 1950 and 1973, German feature films were released in which baby Bambi was “played” by a baby roe deer, and adult Bambi and his father were played by red deer. Since then, in the German-speaking region, all generations of people who grew up with these films think that they are the same thing. Because of this, the expression "Bambi's confusion" (Bambi-Irrtum) appeared.

American white-tailed deer

European roe deer

Red (noble) deer

12. In Salten's book, Thumper, Bambi's best friend, is not present. Walt Disney created his character to add humor to the script.

13. In an early version of the cartoon, Thumper's name was Bobo.

14. In the source book, in addition to Falin, Bambi has another deer friend - Gobo (Falin's brother). Ronno, who in the original is presented as a young but already adult deer, also had a friend Carus. In addition, after the death of his mother, Bambi was looked after by the deer Nettle and Marena. Faline's mother's name was Ina (Ena, in some translations - Enna).

15. Some scenes with forest animals and fire were borrowed from filmed but unused material for the cartoon "Pinocchio".

16. In 1941, Walt Disney traveled to Argentina in search of beautiful natural areas that could be depicted in some scenes of the cartoon. There he liked the forests in the province of Neuquén in the southwest of the country.

17. Bambi was originally supposed to return to his mother after she was shot and see her in a pool of blood. For ethical reasons, this had to be abandoned.

18. In the first scenario, the hunter was supposed to kill Bambi himself, but Walt Disney thought it was savage to kill the main character at the very beginning of the cartoon, so he suggested shooting his mother.

19. Another “rejected” idea was the death of the hunter who killed Bambi’s mother during a forest fire he started.

20. Initially, this same hunter was supposed to appear in the cartoon, becoming the main villain, instilling fear and horror in young viewers. But Walt Disney did not want to be accused of denigrating the image of hunters in general, so the character was cut and not included in the final version.

21. During the entire 72 minutes, the cartoon characters speak only about 800 words.

22. This is the first and one of the few Disney animated films in which none of the characters sing a song. Musical compositions, performed by a soloist or a whole choir, form only the background in the overall narrative.

23. Walt Disney invited children to voice little Bambi and his friends, which was unusual for that time. 5-year-old Donnie Dunagan, the voice of the main character, also served as the animators' model for Bambi's facial expressions. In the studio, where animators were also present, introducing themselves to the boy as “drawrs,” they did not tell him that his on-screen mother had been killed, but were only asked to shout in fear, “Mom? Mom?” However, the kid did an excellent job, saying that at such a young age it is very easy to portray fear. The baby had no idea what was happening on the screen; he was only told phrases like “play joyfully,” “open your eyes wide in surprise,” etc. As a result, Donnie did not understand at all what should happen in the end.

24. Six-year-old Peter Ben, together with several other children, recorded the replicas of Mother Rabbit's children. When Peter said Thumper's phrase to Bambi, "Has the little prince fallen?", the casting director, sitting in the recording studio, roared: "Get that kid out of here, he can't act!" However, later the animators who listened to the recording liked the sound of the boy’s voice. Peter was returned to the studio, and Thumper was almost completely recast as a small voice actor.

25. The phrase “man in the woods” became code for studio employees to mean Walt Disney was walking down the hallway.

26. Frank Churchill, the composer who wrote the music for the cartoon, before his death asked Walt Disney to dedicate one of the songs, “Love Is a Song,” to his wife Caroline, who worked for Disney as his personal secretary from 1930 to 1934. marriage. Walt refused the request because the song had already gone to the publisher.

27. In the late 30s and early 40s, the Disney studio was on the verge of bankruptcy. An employee strike and a war that cut off distributors' access to the lucrative European market only made matters worse. Disney had to take out another loan from Bank of America, hoping that Fantasia and Pinocchio would save the studio from bankruptcy. When the films failed at the box office, all we could hope for was the successful release of Bambi.

28. The first test preview of the cartoon took place on February 28, 1942 in the Californian town of Pomona several months before the world premiere. During the viewing, the audience remained deathly silent, so that Disney, who was present at the screening along with the animators, did not understand whether they liked the cartoon or not. The audience was shocked by the death of Bambi's mother, but when the fawn began to plaintively call her, one of the guys shouted “I'm here, Bambi!”, which caused an explosion of laughter. Disney left very disappointed. He was offered to cut this scene, but Walt decided to leave everything as it was.

29. Initially, Walt Disney wanted to premiere the cartoon at the tiny Lincoln Theater in Damariscotta, Maine, thereby thanking native animator Maurice Day for bringing Salten's book and bringing the story to the cartoonist's attention. But the state of Maine objected, fearing offending nearly half of its region's hunting population.
(I’ll add my comment: I still don’t understand when Walt Disney first heard about Bambi, when Sidney Franklin came to him with his idea, or when animator Maurice Day brought him Felix Salten’s book? It’s not specified anywhere, however, Disney made a dedication to them both).

30. The world premiere of “Bambi” took place on August 8, 1942 in London (a very bold step in the midst of the war), and a few days later the picture was seen in New York. Despite rave reviews from critics, Bambi did only a pittance at the box office, prompting Disney to re-release Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in theaters in the summer of 1944. Since then, similar tactics have been frequently used by studio management.
By the way, in 1947, “Bambi” was shown in theaters again, and it was then that it brought good profits to the studio and warm reviews from viewers.

31. In 1936, the book “Bambi” was banned by Adolf Hitler, and two years later, after Austria annexed Germany, Salten moved to Zurich, where in 1939 he wrote the sequel to his main literary work, “Bambis Kinder.” . He also wrote the novel Fifteen Rabbits, which tells the story of rabbits in the forest, where Bambi appears briefly.

32. Everyone knows that some scenes from “Bambi” were later used in the production of some other Disney cartoons. But few people know that Bambi’s mother appeared in the following films:
1). in the opening scenes of "Beauty and the Beast";


2). in "The Rescuers" with Bambi;


3). she also almost became the prey of Kai from The Sword in the Stone and Shere Khan from The Jungle Book.

33. On the American Film Institute's list of 100 great villains, The Man ranks 20th.

34. “Bambi” was the last cartoon in the career of actor Otis Harland, who voiced Mr. Mole, as well as Merry in “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” He died in 1940 two years before the premiere.

35. Steven Spielberg himself admitted in an interview with Newsweek magazine that he considers “Bambi” the saddest film of all time. He recalls: “When I was a child, I often got up at night and checked if my parents were okay.”

36. In addition to the popular Disney cartoon and German films, two Soviet films were made based on this book: “Bambi’s Childhood” (1985) and the sequel, “Bambi’s Youth” (1986). The films featured actors and about 60 species of animals.
In the film "Bambi's Childhood", the main character's mother was given the name Agnikh.

37. Due to the specificity of the issues raised and the high emotional contrast, “Bambi” had a powerful influence on world (primarily American) culture and social thought. In American English, the name Bambi is often used as a synonym for baby deer, and terms such as "Bambi effect", "Bambi complex", "Bambi factor" and "Bambi syndrome" - concepts denoting an extreme degree of sympathy for wildlife in general - have come into widespread use. and wild animals in particular, combined with a categorical rejection of hunting. Bambi is one of the most famous, popular and long-established symbols of the fight for animal rights.

38. The plot and artistic techniques of Bambi were largely influenced by another popular Disney cartoon, The Lion King. For example, both cartoons begin with the birth of the main character, in both cartoons the main character loses a parent, both cartoons end with a strong fire and the subsequent degeneration of nature, and one of the symbols of both cartoons is the main character standing on top of a cliff. Even the creators of The Lion King do not deny the significant influence of Bambi on their creation.

39. Deleted Scenes:

1). Bambi's first snow.

2). Rain Song

3). Grass under the snow

Guys, I collected everything I found about this cartoon. Much had to be translated from English. If you have any additions, please share with us!

Felix Salzen and Bambi - Felix Salten (Siegmund Salzmann)

It was necessary to find out how the name of the author of "Bambi" is written in Russian. He already knew German, but it was necessary to clarify who he was written in Russian transcription.

And this is what, to our surprise, turned out. I couldn’t find in Russian who the writer was, what his roots were, who he was friends with, what values ​​he was guided by.

Briefly, comprehensively - “Austrian writer.” On one Russian website it’s actually nice: “due to views close to Nazism and support for the annexation of Austria by Germany, young people turned away from him.” Yeah, it turns out that the Austrian Salzen became a Nazi in his old age.

However, what to expect from the spiritual Internet community, where the word “Bambi” is the first thing to come up with dozens of idiotic resources with naked women.

Any normal person, even someone who doesn’t know Salzen’s biography, will have a question when they see the “fascist Austrian”: how did they release the famous “Bambi” in the USA in 1942, during the most difficult year of the war, to maintain morale and amuse the people? Haven't they really found anything better than a Nazi novel? Well, God bless them, with stupid biographies.

Okay, Austrian, so Austrian. But why is there no mention at all that Salzen was born in Hungary into an old Jewish family, all his life he considered himself (rightfully!) a representative of Jewish culture, and is considered one of the outstanding Jewish writers who wrote in Yiddish and German.

I’m not even talking about the fact that this “old man who supported the Nazis” actually emigrated from Austria immediately after the Anschluss. And he was seventy years old.

Sigmund Salzmann was born in Budapest on September 6, 1869. In infancy he was taken by his family to Austria, which in 1867 granted Jews full civil rights.

As usual, the family is poor, there is no money, the boy studied little at a local school, and began working early in an insurance company (like Einstein, by the way). Well, like all young people of that era, he began to write, sending out his poems, short stories, and essays to all newspapers and magazines. Sometimes they printed, and sometimes they even paid money.

Finally, in 1902, he became famous after the obituary on the death of Emile Zola. We began to print more and more regularly. And in 1910, Salzen published a powerful “anti-obituary” on the death of the mayor of Vienna, Karl Lueger. Salzen accuses Luger of anti-Semitism. By the way, at the same time, a certain Adolf Schilkgruber, also living in Vienna, publicly declares that Luger was the ideal of Austrian youth, an example to follow.

By the age of forty, Salzen had become one of the leading intellectuals of the so-called Café Grienstedl generation. Among the leading representatives of this trend in art and literature are Fran Lehár (the same one as The Merry Widow), Oscar Strauss, Theodor Herzl, the ideologist of Zionism and many other very famous personalities. Salzen is friends with Freud and publishes significant philosophical works.

But, of course, Salzen’s immortality is ensured by a thin novel Bambi, forest fairy tale, written in 1923. I won't talk about the novel. For what? Those who read it in childhood cried and rejoiced. And those who haven’t read it, well, God bless them.

It's interesting that Bambi was conceived and published as an allegory on the life of Jewish society in Europe and as Salzen's opinion on the path of development of Jewry, primarily in the context of world politics of the twenties.

In 1936 in Germany Bambi was banned, and in May 1938, after the annexation of Austria, the book was banned in Austria (and yet, what idiot decided to explain to us that “the Austrian Salzen supported Nazism, therefore progressive humanity turned away from him?). Salzen and his family manage to emigrate to Switzerland. The Nazis, unaware of this, come to arrest him. Late.

In 1939, Toman Mann, living in the USA, also a political emigrant, showed the novel to Walt Disney. He puts the book in line for production in 1944. But the war begins and Disney, among a bunch of military propaganda films (see review of "Kill Hitler") decides to bet and Bambi. This American film premiered in London on August 8, 1942, under bombs. And in the USA - only August 13th.

It should be noted that there were protests after the film: the American Hunters Association strongly condemned the film's comparison of hunters with Nazis and fascists.

IN THE USSR Bambi was shown in 1943. And it was banned at the end of the 1940s. There’s no point in showing Zionist propaganda; we still need to deal with the pest doctors.

Salten F. fairy tale "Bambi"

Genre: literary fairy tale about animals

The main characters of the fairy tale "Bambi" and their characteristics

1. Bambi, a little deer who went through the harsh school of life and became a great, legendary leader. At first small and weak, naive and cowardly. Then strong, fearless, loyal and in love. And finally wise.
2. Bambi's mom. Kind and loving, she raised a good son. Killed by a man.
3. Aunt Enna. Mom of Gobo and Faline.
4. Falina. Bambi's girlfriend, with whom he spent the best years of his life.
5. Gobo. Falina's brother, who was captured by a man and lost his sense of danger. Was killed by a man.
6. Carus, Ronno. Male deer, slightly older than Bambi.
7. Old leader. A wise, experienced male, he knows everything about the secrets of the forest and about man.
8. Aunt Nettle. Bambi's adoptive mother.
9. He. Almighty and ruthless, the ruler of all living things, weak and mortal.

1. When Bambi was born he was very small and had just begun to explore the world.
2. He grew up with other fawns and learned that there is He who can kill with thunder.
3. Bambi grew up and began to live with Falina, he defeated other deer in a fair fight
4. His friend Gobo was taken by the man and spent the winter with the man, but in the summer the man killed Gobo.
5. Bambi was wounded and the old leader came out, hiding him in his cave
6. Bambi and the Chief found the dead poacher and now Bambi has become the old legendary chief.

What does the fairy tale "Bambi" teach?
This fairy tale teaches you to love nature, teaches you to realize yourself as a part of nature. Teaches empathy, pity, and respect for life in any of its manifestations. Teaches justice and the inexorability of fate. Teaches you to be kind and brave. Teaches you to help others and protect the weak.

Review of the fairy tale "Bambi"
This is a very beautiful and sometimes very touching story that simply cannot leave anyone indifferent. I really liked the fawn Bambi, whose growing up the author describes. This is a beautiful deer who is full of love and compassion, who feels injustice and who understands the law of survival. I was very sorry that he broke up with Falin, it was written somehow incorrectly.

Proverbs for the fairy tale "Bambi"
The laws are holy, but the lawyers are adversaries.
There is no price for a true friend.
Water is for fish, air is for birds, and the whole earth is for man.
Know how to hunt, know how to take care of game.
Take care of your native land like your beloved mother.

Read a summary, a brief retelling of the fairy tale "Bambi"
Bambi was born in a deep forest and although he could not yet see, he was already standing on thin legs. The magpie was very surprised by this, but Bambi’s mother did not want to continue the conversation.
She licked the baby and he snuggled up to his mother’s warm side.
Bambi grew up very curious and asked his mother many questions. He learned that there were other deer, that a ferret could kill a mouse, and that hawks quarreled with each other over a nest. He was interested in what anger and meanness were.
Mom brought Bambi to the clearing and warned him to be careful and obedient. And then Bambi saw a lot of sun and was happy. He ran and played with his mother. He talked to the grasshopper and admired the beauty of the butterfly. But the insects did not play with Bambi, they were busy with their own affairs.
At night, Bambi asked his mother to go to the clearing, but his mother replied that this was impossible. She explained that you can go to the clearing early in the morning or late in the evening, the rest of the time it is very dangerous. But it’s safe in the thickets, because last year’s foliage will give away the approach of a stranger.
One day in a clearing, Bambi met a hare. He spoke kindly to him and congratulated Bambi’s mother on such a handsome son.
And then another deer with two daughters appeared in the clearing. It was cousin Enna and her children Gobo and Faline. The kids began jumping around merrily and sharing their first impressions. By the way, Bambi asked about danger and Faline replied that danger is when you have to run away.
And then two men with heads crowned with horns rushed across the clearing.
The mothers answered the children that it was their fathers, but for now they would not talk to them. Maybe later.
***
Bambi grew and felt the forest better and better. He began to enjoy night walks more and more. He became friends with the owl and sometimes teased the owl.
Then Bambi learned what a thunderstorm was. Bambi was afraid of thunder and lightning, but the storm ended and he and his mother went to the clearing to dry themselves. There was a squirrel running around, which was also experiencing the previous thunderstorm, a hare was sitting, and Aunt Enna came with the children. Gobo endured the thunderstorm worst of all - he was generally the weakest.
Bambi grew up and one day his mother left. He ran through the forest and looked for her everywhere, but found only Gobo and Faline, who were also looking for their mother. Falina said that the mothers are probably with the fathers. And then Bambi jumped out into the clearing and saw a strange creature. It stood on two legs and reeked of a pungent odor. The creature raised a long thin leg and Bambi was blown away as if by the wind. He rushed through the forest in a panic and suddenly his mother appeared nearby. She told Bambi that it was Him.
***
Bambi was left alone more and more often and got used to it. But sometimes he felt sad and then he loudly called his mother. At one of these moments, a proud old deer appeared nearby and began to shame Bambi. He said that Bambi was already an adult and he should be ashamed.
Bambi told his friends about the meeting, and then Faline told him that he had met the old leader. The legendary reindeer chief who despises danger.
One day, the mother returned and Bambi was grazing with her when four giants, crowned with huge horns, emerged from the thicket. Bambi's mother was frightened and screamed loudly, Bambi screamed with her. And then the giants left and Bambi’s mother told him that these were their northern relatives who would not do anything bad to them. But she said she always loses her head around them.
Bambi told the owl about this and he complained about his relatives and advised Bambi to pay more attention to his friends.
***
One day, a particularly large number of people gathered in the clearing. Bambi saw a young unfamiliar deer and had already plucked up the courage to talk to him, when a terrible thunder sounded. The deer started to run. Everyone rushed to run from the clearing and Bambi suddenly saw this deer. He was lying on the grass with a huge wound in his shoulder. His mother shouted at him not to stop because it was Him.
When they stopped, the squirrels and birds began to say that they tried to warn the deer, but no one listened to them. They even quarreled among themselves. And the crow said that He killed many in her clan.
Bambi could not understand who it was that everyone was talking about. But then the old leader appeared. He looked kindly at Bambi, because he was no longer afraid of being left without his mother. But he did not answer the question of who it was. He said that Bambi must experience life himself.
***
Autumn has passed, the last leaves have fallen from the oak trees and winter has come. The world has changed again for Bambi. The need came, especially when the snow fell.
Now the deer spent a lot of time together. Bambi met Marena, a very young girl and Aunt Nettle, an excellent storyteller. Princes Ronno and Carus also came, having already thrown off their crowns.
Ronno explained how he became lame. It turns out that one day He threw fire at him and hit him in the leg. The bone cracked, but Ronno ran away on three legs and has been limping ever since.
Most of all, the deer talked about Him. Everyone thought he was evil and disgusting. He walks on two legs, but he has a third arm, which he carries over his shoulder. It is this hand that is the most dangerous and shoots fire. However, Ronno believed that he was throwing his tooth, because it was a tooth that could inflict such a wound as his.
And Marena shyly said that the time would come when He would come and just play with them and the forest would be happy.
***
Bloody deeds were taking place in the frosty forest. The crows pecked the hare's little son, the marten killed the squirrel, the fox tore apart the pheasant. Gobo was completely weak and was constantly trembling - he could not get food from under the snow.
Suddenly Ronno became alarmed. He said that he was uneasy and urged him to listen to the crows cry. He said we had to run. Aunt Enna and the children were the first to leave, as they were the weakest. The rest of the deer were waiting.
The birds darted in different directions. The hare came running and said that there was nowhere to go, that they were surrounded and He was everywhere.
The pheasants rushed about, shouting that they couldn’t get up, but they themselves immediately took off. There was a clap of thunder and the pheasants fell dead. Mom told Bambi it was time to go. They made their way through the thicket, and shots were heard from everywhere.
And then He was nearby and the deer ran. Mom demanded that Bambi run with all his might and he ran. His eyes were covered with a veil, and he saw almost nothing in front of him.
Suddenly someone called out to him. Bambi stopped and saw Gobo. Gobo was sitting in the snow. He said that he was exhausted and his mother and Falin were forced to leave him. He asked Bambi to run away.
But Bambi tried to lift Gobo. Suddenly Carus ran past, shouting that no one should stop if they could. And Bambi ran after him, saying goodbye to Gobo.
Only with the onset of darkness everything became quiet. Bambi could not find his mother and never saw her again. Gobo is also missing.
***
When the meadows bloomed, Bambi wore a crown of horns on her head. He rubbed it furiously against the tree bark. And Squirrel encouraged him. However, the woodpecker believed that Bambi was doing everything wrong. and in that tree he will not find beetles or larvae.
Squirrel told Bambi that she had heard a lot about him from her grandmother, who died. And she told Bambi that his crown was very beautiful.
Bambi barely survived that winter. Aunt Nettle helped him, and when he had his first young crown, all the other males hated him and began to drive him away. And Carus and Ronno treated him the worst.
Bambi did not want to remember that time.
One day Bambi saw someone's horns in the thicket and decided that he would stop running from everyone. He bowed his head and rushed at his opponent. But at the last moment he easily escaped and Bambi flew past. He looked around and recognized the old leader. The leader said that Bambi had become quite an adult and advised him to be brave.
Soon Bambi met Falin and talked with her for a long time, remembering the past. Then he asked if Faline loved him, and she answered that maybe. Then Carus appeared and shouted to Bambi: “Get out!” But Bambi suddenly bent his head and struck Carus with a powerful blow. He sprawled on the ground. Then Carus ran away, reading his sentence to Bambi in silence, but Bambi suddenly stopped the pursuit.
He returned to and saw Ronno chasing after Faline. Bambi shouted at Ronno to leave, but Ronno started laughing. Then Bambi bowed his head and rushed at Ronno. Two deer collided and Bambi survived. Ronno wanted to knock him over, but Bambi contrived and shook his head so hard that Ronno’s horn broke off. Then he hit Ronno in the chest and he began to beg for mercy. Bambi let go of Ronno.
Falina told Bambi that it was wonderful and that she loved him. And they left happy together.

***
One day Bambi and Faline met a northern relative. Falina began to scream loudly, unable to control herself. Bambi was indignant and decided to meet his relative. But an incomprehensible timidity hindered him. His relative's gaze seemed so arrogant to him.
Meanwhile, the northern relative was thinking about how beautiful Bambi was and how strange it was that they did not communicate. But he was afraid to embarrass Bambi and therefore looked into the distance. So they went in different directions.
***
One day, Bambi heard someone calling in his sleep and realized that it was Falin calling. He rushed to the call, but the old leader stopped him and told him not to go. He said that this is not Falin. But Bambi did not believe and rushed forward. Then the leader told him to follow him, step by step.
The leader led him through the forest and Bambi constantly heard Faline’s screams, which drove him crazy. Suddenly a pungent smell hit his nostrils. In front, with his back to them, He stood and called in the voice of Falina. Bambi wanted to run, but the leader's commanding voice pinned him to his place. Then the leader carefully zigzagged away and Bambi realized that he had saved his life.
Having found Falina, Bambi told her never to call him, but only to look for him.
***
After some time, Bambi and Falin noticed a stranger near the oak tree and Bambi decided to approach. And imagine his surprise when it turned out to be Gobo.
Gobo said that He saved him and he was with Him all the time. He asked about his mother and asked to be taken to her. Bambi was surprised that Gobo behaved like a stranger in the forest, he was so clumsy and careless.
Finally, Gobo met Enna and hugged his mother affectionately. Then he began to talk.
That day the dogs found him and wanted to tear him to pieces, but then He appeared and shouted at the dogs. Then he picked up Gobo and carried him like a squirrel carries nuts. Gobo found himself inside, where it was warm and even hot. He fed Gobo potatoes and hay and dry grass. Gobo praised Him and said that he loved him. And that His wife and children were also kind to him.
Gobo did not notice how the old leader appeared and began to listen. Then the leader asked what kind of stripe was on Gobo’s neck and he said that it was a mark from a beautiful bow. The leader called him unfortunate and disappeared.
Marena appeared. Gobo did not understand why the leader called him unhappy, because he saw the world and knew it better. He began to walk with Marena.
One day Bambi decided to find the old leader and asked the owl where to look for him. He flattered the owl and he told Bambi how to find the old leader.
The old leader himself came out to meet Bambi and asked why he was looking for him. Bambi said he wanted to know why the chief said that about Gobo. The chief asked Bambi if he thought he was wrong, but Bambi replied that he agreed with the chief, but he didn’t know why.
Meanwhile, Gobo was not afraid of anything at all, because he was His friend. Although he didn’t know how he could survive the winter, because he was used to having food brought to him.
Gobo complained to Marena that Bambi did not understand him and Marena agreed with Gobo in everything. One day they did not listen to advice and went for a walk during the day. Suddenly the jays began to shout warnings about danger and everyone began to ask Gobo not to go anywhere. But Gobo didn't listen to anyone. He came out to meet Him and there was thunder. Gobo barely reached the oak tree and fell with his side torn apart. He said He didn't recognize him. Marena was the last to leave and saw him find Gobo and lean over him. Gobo's dying cry rang out.
***
Bambi loved to spend time on the river, watching and talking to the ducks. He admired their maneuvers and understood that they were moving so fast for a reason. He saw a gloomy flyer and a red-coated fox. The fox grabbed the duck and ran away.
Bambi again began to look for the old leader. They talked about Gobo and the chief asked Bambi what he heard. Bambi heard some rustling and the leader called him to follow him. They saw a hare struggling near a bird cherry bush with a rope around its neck.
The leader told the hare to be quiet and be patient. Then he bent a tree branch and broke it with his hoof. Then he stuck the tip of the horn under the rope and loosened the noose. The hare was free and ran away.
The chief told Bambi to always be careful and check the branches.
Then Bambi met with Faline and she began to complain that Bambi did not spend enough time with her. Bambi said that the lonely traveler moves on. And when Falina asked if he loved her, he replied that he didn’t know.
Faline ran away.
***
Bambi was standing under an old oak tree when thunder came and something burned his side. He started to run, but the pain became more and more intense. Bambi felt as if his sacrum was broken. He fell and lay motionless. But then the old leader appeared and affectionately called Bambi, calling him his child. Bambi stood up with strength and followed the leader.
The old chief described a circle and Bambi saw that they had returned to the oak tree. They walked behind Him and his dog. Again the leader led Bambi aside and again they found themselves at the oak tree.
Then the leader took Bambi in a different direction and told him to eat some leaves. Their taste was bitter, but Bambi’s consciousness cleared and the bleeding stopped.
The leader brought Bambi into a wide ditch and climbed up to the other side. Bambi was slipping, but the leader said that he could not help him and that Bambi must overcome this climb himself. Bambi gathered all his strength and defeated the steep.
The chief brought Bambi to his lair under the trunk of an old beech tree. And Bambi lay for a long time in a cozy and safe cave. Sometimes he went outside and ate bitter but healing herbs. His wounds were healing.

***
Finally Bambi recovered. He became more experienced and confident. He learned to disappear silently, like an old leader. One day a squirrel jumped down to him, wildly rejoicing at seeing Bambi again. Squirrel said that He knocked over an old oak tree with a sparkling tooth. She said He is omnipotent.
Squirrel said that Bambi began to turn gray, but he remained indifferent to his words and soon left.
One day Bambi and the old chief were lying in a cave and heard barking. Bambi became worried, but the chief said that this did not concern them. The barking was getting closer and soon the deer saw a fox being chased by a dog. The fox's paw was broken, and she began to ask the dog to spare her. But the dog struggled and called Him.
The fox called the dog a traitor and all the animals around echoed her - ferret, jay, weasel, magpies, crows.
The dog snapped angrily, saying that everything around him belonged to him, that he was omnipotent and reigned over everyone. And then the dog rushed at the fox and killed it.
***
One day Bambi saw Faline in the distance, but did not approach her. He just looked at her from afar, admiring her beauty and realizing that he loved her more than anything in the world.
Suddenly he heard thunder three times and returned to the cave. The old leader was waiting for him. He said they should go to where the thunder is, to where He is. The leader said that now he can bring Bambi there without fear and is glad that he will have time to do this before they part forever.
And Bambi saw how the old leader became decrepit. He followed him, although fear squeezed his heart. And then they saw Him. He lay on the loosened snow completely motionless.
Bambi was surprised to see the old leader standing calmly nearby.
Bambi approached and saw that He was lying hairless, facing the sky, and His hat was lying nearby. Bambi decided that His head was split in two, because he did not know what a hat was. There was a small wound on the poacher’s neck from which blood was oozing.
The leader told Bambi that here lay the one who was considered omnipotent. The one who also knows what suffering and death are. But why did everyone bow to him? Because He is a fighter and the deer must be careful and sensitive in order to survive. The leader asked Bambi if he understood the great law of life.
And Bambi replied that life is a struggle.
And then the old leader left him to find his final resting place, forbidding him to follow him.
***
That day, Bambi proudly made his way through the forest and mosquitoes and beetles shouted after him that here he was, the legendary old leader, who was as old as the world. And suddenly Bambi heard a thin cry of “Mom!”
He saw two young fawns, a brother and sister, and shamed the fawn, as the old leader had done in his time.
Bambi left with a smile, thinking that he liked the baby and that he would definitely meet him again.

Drawings and illustrations for the fairy tale "Bambi"