The Fawn Who Forgot His Mother’s Words

The Fawn Who Forgot His Mother’s Words

BY:Ubaid

In the heart of a dense forest, surrounded by towering trees and thick shrubs, there lived a graceful doe with her delicate, beloved fawn. The little one was so small that he could barely stand on his wobbly legs when his mother had already begun teaching him the ways of the wild. She knew the forest was full of dangers, and she could not be certain how long she would remain by his side. Hunters roamed the woods with guns and traps, while lions, leopards, and wolves prowled in search of prey.

The doe’s heart was always restless. At the faintest sound, she would leap in fright, for her little fawn could not yet run fast enough to follow her. In those moments of danger, she would signal her baby to hide in tall grass or thick bushes while she bolted far away to distract predators or hunters. What she longed for most was the day her child would be strong enough to roam freely with her along the riverbank, to graze in the open meadows, and to escape swiftly from danger.

Time passed, and slowly the fawn grew. He began following his mother into the forest, learning how to stay still in the shadows, how to leap gracefully, and how to vanish into the grass when threatened. The doe taught him every trick of survival she knew.

One evening, as she lovingly nuzzled him, she said with a heavy heart,
“My child, I do not know how long I will be with you. One day, when you are grown, you will go your own way, and my duty to protect you will be over. But it could happen that danger separates us before that day arrives. So remember my words carefully. Your heart will always warn you when danger is near—listen to it. Keep your ears sharp, and when you must run, always choose wide open paths, not narrow ones. Never pause on high ground, for there you are most visible and easily targeted. And above all, my son, never forget this truth: you are a deer, fragile and gentle. From wolves to lions, every beast stronger than you is your enemy. Stay with your own kind. Do not befriend the powerful, for that will only bring harm.”

The little fawn listened with wide, innocent eyes, absorbing her wisdom.

But one day, curiosity led him astray. His mother had gone off with the herd, and left alone, he wandered through the woods. There, in a sunny clearing, he found three lion cubs tumbling and wrestling in a pile of dry grass. At first, he stood at a distance, enchanted by their play. The cubs chased each other, climbed on one another’s backs, and rolled about in joy. The sight was so delightful that soon the fawn forgot his fear. Slowly, he stepped closer, and before long, he was leaping and running with them as though they were old friends.

The cubs welcomed him with playful innocence. They tugged at his ears, jumped over his back, and treated him as one of their own. Time passed swiftly until the fawn suddenly remembered his mother and rushed home.

When he arrived, the doe was waiting anxiously. He told her everything. Her heart sank with dread. She scolded him sternly:
“Foolish child! Lions are not your friends. Their cubs may play with you today, but when they grow, they will tear you apart. And if their mother catches you with them, she will kill you instantly.”

The fawn, still intoxicated by his new adventure, refused to believe her. “But Mother,” he insisted, “the cubs like me. They would never hurt me. We are friends now.”

The very next morning, fate struck. Hunters captured the doe as she grazed with the herd. She never returned.

The young deer was left alone. For days, he survived on grass, feeling lonely and lost. At first, he kept his promise to his mother and avoided the cubs. But loneliness gnawed at his heart, and soon he returned to the clearing.

The lion cubs were there, larger and stronger than before, but they greeted him eagerly. They played together as they had before—until the cubs’ mother appeared.

The lioness froze at the sight of a deer among her children. Her instincts flared, and with a powerful bound she struck. Her paw landed on the fawn with crushing force, hurling him into the air. He crashed to the ground, bleeding and broken.

The cubs circled, eager to pounce, but the fawn—though wounded—gathered all his strength and fled. Somehow, he slipped away into the safety of the forest.

Gasping and trembling, he collapsed far from the danger. His mother’s voice echoed in his mind: “Stay with your own kind. Do not befriend the strong, or you will suffer harm.”

The fawn healed slowly, but the scars remained—not only on his body but in his heart. From that day onward, he lived by his mother’s words. He never again sought friendship from those stronger than himself, for he had learned that wisdom comes at a heavy price when ignored.

And so, the young deer grew wise, carrying his mother’s lesson with him always: to know who he was, to stay with his own, and to never forget the warnings of love.