THE ADVENTURES OF WHITE TAIL THE DEER - with Bumper the Rabbit and Friends E-Book

George Ethelbert Walsh

• Herausgeber: Abela Publishing
• Kategorie: Für Kinder und Jugendliche
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2018

Beschreibung

Herein are 16 illustrated stories and adventures about “White Tail the Dear” who lives in the woods and who is a friend to “Bumper the White Rabbit.” This is a companion volume to “Bumper the White Rabbit” which also contains 16 illustrated stories of Bumper and his friends.

All boys and girls who love reading and who love animals should become acquainted with Bumper the white rabbit, with Bobby Gray Squirrel, with Buster the Bear, and, of course, with White Tail the deer, for they are all brave and fearless in danger, and so lovable that you won’t lay down any one of the books without saying wistfully, “I almost wish I had them really and truly as friends and not just storybook acquaintances.”
That, of course, is a splendid wish; but none of us could afford to have a big menagerie of wild animals, for that’s just what you would have to do if you brought the books to life.

White Tail and Bumper have many friends, such as Mr. Blind Rabbit, Fuzzy Wuzz and Goggle Eyes, his country cousins; and Bobby Gray Squirrel had his near cousins, Stripe the chipmunk and Webb the flying squirrel; while Buster was favoured with an endless number of friends and relatives. If we turned them all loose from the books, and put them in a ten-acre lot—but no, ten acres wouldn’t be big enough to accommodate them, perhaps not even a hundred acres.

The 16 stories and adventures of Bumper in this volume are:
I White Tail Jumps Stepping Stone Brook
II Father Buck’s Failure
III Young Black Buck’s Challenge
IV Father Buck’s Decision
V Young Black Buck’s Challenge To A Race
VI Downy The Woodpecker Brings Startling News
VII A Race With Puma And Timber
VIII Mrs. Puma And Timber Fight
IX Young Black Buck Has An Accident
X White Tail’s Magnanimous Act
XI White Tail’s Adventure In The Camp
XII White Tail Escapes
XIII White Tail Hears Unpleasant News
XIV Choosing A New Leader
XV The Great Combat
XVI White Tail Made Leader Of The Herd

So come out into the woods with me, and let us listen and watch, and I promise you it will be worthwhile.
This volume is sure to keep you and your young ones enchanted for hours, if not because of the quantity, then the quality of the stories. They will have you and your loved ones coming back for more, time and again.
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KEYWORDS/TAGS: White Tail the Deer, bumper the White Rabbit, Puma, Owl, Stepping Stone Brook, Jump, Father Buck, Failure, Young Black Buck, Challenge, Decision, Race, Downy The Woodpecker, Startling News, Puma, Timber, Fight, Accident, Magnanimous Act, Kindness, selfless, Adventure, In The Camp, Escape, freedom, Unpleasant News, Choose, New Leader, Great Combat, Leader Of The Herd, Alpha Male, Washer, Raccoon, Buster, Brown Bear, Mother Wolf

Leseprobe

The Adventures of White Tail the Deer

By

George Ethelbert Walsh

Illustrations By

EDWIN J. PRETTIE

Originally Published by

The John C. Winston Company

CHICAGOPHILADELPHIATORONTO

[1922]

Resurrected ByAbela Publishing, London[2018]

The Adventures of White Tail the Deer

Typographical arrangement of this edition

© Abela Publishing

This book may not be reproduced in its current format in any manner in any media, or transmitted by any means whatsoever, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, or mechanical ( including photocopy, file or video recording, internet web sites, blogs, wikis, or any other information storage and retrieval system)

except as permitted by law without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Abela Publishing

London

United Kingdom

[2018]

ISBN-: -X-XXXXXX-XX-X

Email:

[email protected]

Website:

AbelaPublishing

With all the speed and power he could summon, he delivered a crushing blow

Introduction To The Twilight Animal Stories

By the Author

All little boys and girls who love animals should become acquainted with Bumper the white rabbit, with Bobby Gray Squirrel, with Buster the bear, and with White Tail the deer, for they are all a jolly lot, brave and fearless in danger, and so lovable that you won’t lay down any one of the books without saying wistfully, “I almost wish I had them really and truly as friends and not just storybook acquaintances.” That, of course, is a splendid wish; but none of us could afford to have a big menagerie of wild animals, and that’s just what you would have to do if you went outside of the books. Bumper had many friends, such as Mr. Blind Rabbit, Fuzzy Wuzz and Goggle Eyes, his country cousins; and Bobby Gray Squirrel had his near cousins, Stripe the chipmunk and Webb the flying squirrel; while Buster and White Tail were favored with an endless number of friends and relatives. If we turned them all loose from the books, and put them in a ten-acre lot—but no, ten acres wouldn’t be big enough to accommodate them, perhaps not a hundred acres.

So we will leave them just where they are—in the books—and read about them, and let our imaginations take us to them where we can see them playing, skipping, singing, and sometimes fighting, and if we read very carefully, and think as we go along, we may come to know them even better than if we went out hunting for them.

Another thing we should remember. By leaving them in the books, hundreds and thousands of other boys and girls can enjoy them, too, sharing with us the pleasures of the imagination, which after all is one of the greatest things in the world. In gathering them together in a real menagerie, we would be selfish both to Bumper, Bobby, Buster, White Tail and their friends as well as to thousands of other little readers who could not share them with us. So these books of Twilight Animal Stories are dedicated to all little boys and girls who love wild animals. All others are forbidden to read them! They wouldn’t understand them if they did.

So come out into the woods with me, and let us listen and watch, and I promise you it will be worthwhile.

Acknowledgements

Abela Publishing

acknowledges the work that

George Ethelbert Walsh

and

Edwin John Prittie

did in illustrating and publishing this volume

in a time well before electronic media

was in use

10% of the profit from the sale of this book

will be donated to charities.

Contents

IWhite Tail Jumps Stepping Stone Brook

IIFather Buck’s Failure

IIIYoung Black Buck’s Challenge

IVFather Buck’s Decision

VYoung Black Buck’s Challenge to a Race

VIDowny the Woodpecker Brings Startling News

VIIA Race With Puma and Timber

VIIIMrs. Puma and Timber Fight

IXYoung Black Buck Has An Accident

XWhite Tail’s Magnanimous Act

XIWhite Tail’s Adventure in the Camp

XIIWhite Tail Escapes

XIIIWhite Tail Hears Unpleasant News

XIVChoosing a New Leader

XVThe Great Combat

XVIWhite Tail Made Leader of the Herd

The Adventures of White Tail the Deer

STORY IWhite Tail Jumps Stepping Stone Brook

White Tail grew rapidly in size and strength, his long, clean limbs showing taut muscles and great springing power; and his neck grew thick and short, which is well for a buck, who must use it in savage thrusts when the head is a battering ram. His horns were short and bony, but they protruded in front like knobs against which it would be unpleasant to fall.

But his antlers were his pride. They spread out fan-shape on his head, crowning it with a glory that made Mother Deer supremely happy. At times it seemed as if the antlers were too heavy for the head and neck, but White Tail carried them easily, and when he shook them in sport or anger any one could see they were just fitted to him.

In time he stood as high as Father Buck, and a head taller than Mother Deer. The day the tip of his antlers reached an inch above Father Buck’s, he felt a little thrill of pride. To be as big and tall as his father had always been his ambition. But while it pleased Father Buck that his son was growing so big, it made him a little sad.

“You will soon be ready to take my place, White Tail,” he said. “You’re growing taller and stronger every day.”

“That may be, Father Buck,” he replied, “but it will be many a season before I can run as fast and far as you, or show the same strength in a fight. Oh, no, there’s little chance of my equaling you for many, many seasons.”

Father Buck merely smiled and nodded his head. “I want you to run out with me to Stepping Stone brook,” he said simply. “There is something I want to show you.”

White Tail was always eager for a run with Father Buck. Nearly every day they went off together to hunt and explore. Father Buck had been teaching him all the ways and tricks of the woods so that his education would be complete.

It was a cool, crisp day, and they ran through the woods, side by side, in long, gentle lopes until they came to Stepping Stone brook. This was a small stream confined between two ledges of rocks, with stones placed in it for stepping across when one didn’t want to wet the feet. Frequently the whole herd crossed it, using the stones so that not a foot touched the water.

When they reached the brook, White Tail immediately took a long drink of the cooling water, for their run had made him hot and thirsty. Father Buck watched him in silence, a very sad expression in his beautiful eyes. There was admiration also, but a little sadness.

“White Tail,” he said suddenly, “I have brought you here to tell you something. Stepping Stone brook has always been the test for our leaders. Here it is that many a youngster has first earned his right to lead the herd, and, alas! many an older leader has broken his heart here.”

White Tail looked up in surprise, and glanced from the speaker to the trickling waters. He was clearly puzzled by the words he had heard.

“No buck can be leader of the herd unless he can jump across Stepping Stone brook, clearing it from bank to bank without faltering or stumbling. If he fails he must wait until he can make the leap. Many, many have tried and failed, and others—”

White Tail’s eyes gleamed with anticipation. He liked to take risks and attempt difficult tasks.

“I see,” he said, laughing joyfully, “you brought me here to see if I could make the leap. Well, I can do it! I’ll show you. I won’t disappoint you, Father Buck.”

“I know you won’t, White Tail,” was the reply. “I shouldn’t have brought you here so soon if I thought you would fail. But I had another purpose, too.”

“What is it?” asked White Tail.

“I will tell you later. Now I want to see you take the leap. Years ago, many, many seasons ago, I came here, and took it. There on the rocks you can see the marks of my leap. It was one of the longest ever made by any of our people. I was naturally proud of it. I shall never forget that day. I think it was the happiest of my life—except one.”

“Which other one?” asked White Tail.

“The day I defeated Black Buck in the final struggle for leadership,” was the reply. “It was a battle that lasted for hours, and all the herd watched us. We were down, and up again and again, struggling, fighting and bucking until it seemed as if both of us would die from exhaustion. But I finally won. I got him down on his knees, and then rolled him over, and stood there until he acknowledged my leadership. That of course was the happiest day of my life.”

White Tail thrilled at this story, and for a moment forgot the thing he was going to do until his father spoke again.

“Now let me see you take the brook in a jump.”

White Tail trotted back on the embankment, but he discovered there was little room for a start. It was almost a standing leap. That was why it was so hard. Across on the other side the embankment shelved down gradually to the shore, with grass and moss covering the bold face of the rock.

“Take your time,” Father Buck cautioned. “Measure the distance well, and do not spring unless you’re sure of yourself. Many a buck that failed the first time never got his courage up to repeat it. It is the first leap that counts.”

Reflecting long and earnestly on his father’s words, White Tail measured the distance with his eyes, and then drew back as far as he could. He gathered his powerful hind legs together, squatted down on them, pawed the rock with his front ones, and stood a moment in trembling anticipation. His nostrils dilated, his eyes flashed. Then with a sudden forward spring he darted toward the edge of the rock, and when he reached it his hind hoofs dug on the rock for a secure purchase. There was a momentary hesitation, as if he had decided not to make the attempt. Then his body shot upward and outward across the brook in the prettiest jump that any deer had ever taken.

He cleared the brook, with its stepping stones, passed the opposite edge, and landed all four hoofs firmly planted on the upper part of the slope. He had made the jump successfully.

Father Buck crossed the stream on the stones, and glanced down at his old mark. A spirit of exultation seized him.

“You have passed my old mark, White Tail, beaten it by a foot,” he said. “You will some day be leader, I know.”

White Tail was as much interested as his father in his triumph. He examined the marks, and then wanted to repeat the jump to see if he could better it.

“No,” cautioned Father Buck, “once is sufficient. The second time may not be so good. You have established your mark. We will scratch it here with our hoofs as a challenge to all others. Let Young Black Buck beat it if he can. Until he does that is your mark.”

White Tail accepted this order, and made no further attempt to jump the brook. If Young Black Buck beats it some day then he would have a chance to try it again, and, if possible, score a longer jump.

“What was your other purpose in bringing me here today?” he asked remembering his father’s words.

“Ah! That is the sad part of it,” sighed Father Buck. “But you must know. I will show you.”

Just what he meant will appear in the next story.

STORY II Father Buck’s Failure

Father Buck walked across the brook again, and took his place on the rock from which the jump was made. White Tail immediately concluded he was going to show him how much farther he could jump when he was a young buck.

“I know you will beat me,” White Tail said. “But if you do, won’t you give me another chance?”

“Yes, if such a miracle should happen,” was the reply.

White Tail stood eagerly watching, while his father crouched as he had for the spring. How noble he looked with his big antlered head, with streaks of gray and white hair curling around the roots! White Tail was proud of him.

Suddenly Father Buck rushed forward, hesitated at the brink to get a good purchase with his hoofs, and then up in the air and straight across his body shot. White Tail watched him with gleaming eyes.

Then something happened which startled him. The spring had not been as powerful as he thought, for instead of beating White Tail’s mark, or reaching his own, Father Buck missed the shore by a foot. His hind legs actually splashed in the water.

“What happened?” exclaime [...]