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And some hours later his mother said to him, "Are you ready?" He was. So together they passed silently along the old runway which led, as his mother knew, to the pasture fence. The woods were inky black, for the moon had not yet risen. But Nimble's mother remarked that she thought they would see it when they reached the open hillside. Just before they came to the fence somebody spoke.
"Oh, I had spots enough when I was young," she explained. "You see, all our family lose our spots as we grow up." "I'm glad to say," Mr. Grouse said with a flirt of his tail, "that all our family keep their spots, every one of them." "We get to be so swift-footed that we don't need spots," said Nimble's mother. That speech seemed to displease Mr. Grouse.
When Nimble's second summer rolled around he was big enough and old enough to prowl through the woods and fields much as he pleased. He was a Spike Horn. And he felt fit to go to the carrot patch without waiting for anybody to show him the way. So one night he stole down the hillside pasture, across the meadow, and jumped the fence into Farmer Green's garden.
But this time Nimble's mother ran on and on without pausing. "Haven't you forgotten something?" her son gasped after a while. "Forgotten something? What do you mean?" she asked. "Haven't you forgotten to stop?" Nimble inquired. A queer look came over her face. "I declare," she said, "I do believe I'd Have run all night if you hadn't reminded me." She fell into a walk.
Since I'm to help Jimmy Rabbit I'll have to be where the people are." "Oh!" said Billy Woodchuck. He had been a bit worried, for he didn't want Nimble Deer to step on him at the party. Even though it might be an accident, being stepped on by so big a chap as Nimble would be no joke. Everybody knew that Nimble's hoofs were sharp. But now Billy had learned something that set his fears at rest.
Nimble's mother jumped when somebody cried, "Good evening!" But she knew at once that it was only Jimmy Rabbit. "I see you're on time," he said. "I haven't been waiting long." "Waiting?" Nimble's mother exclaimed. "Waiting for what?" "For you!" he answered. "I heard you were going down to the garden patch to-night; and I'm to be one of the party." The good lady thought it queer.
And to Nimble's amazement they reached up to do as they were told. But Nimble's antlers were too high for them. It was a bad moment for Jimmy Rabbit. Billy Woodchuck and Fatty Coon had come early to Jimmy Rabbit's party. And Jimmy had told them to hang their hats and coats upon his new hat-rack meaning Nimble Deer's antlers.
Yes!" said his mother. "Now listen to what I say: A Fox is red. And his tail has no rings at all. And Foxes don't climb trees." "Yes, Mother!" was Nimble's meek answer. He was glad to learn all that. And he was glad, too, that his mother hadn't asked him how he happened to stray off alone into the woods. While he was only a fawn Nimble became very fond of water lilies.
"I'll never help at another party!" he promised himself. He couldn't believe that midnight and the end of the party would ever come. At last, however, he took heart. For old Uncle Jerry Chuck came hurrying up and began taking hats and coats off Nimble's antlers. And Nimble knew then that the party must be almost over. "This is a good hat!" Uncle Jerry muttered to himself. "I'll take it."
"I must be flapping along," he said. And off he went. Jasper Jay grinned and winked at Nimble and Dodger behind Mr. Crow's back. And then with a loud squall which might have meant almost anything he too flew away. "That was the liveliest mock battle we ever had," Nimble remarked to his friend Dodger. Dodger agreed with what he said. Nimble's mother gasped when she saw her son a little later.
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