The Fawn and His Mother

Summary

This short story presents a dialogue between a young fawn and his mother, where the fawn expresses curiosity about his mother’s fear of dogs, despite her possessing several physical advantages such as size, speed, and horns for protection. The mother's response reveals that although she understands her strength and advantages, an irrational fear takes over whenever she hears the bark of a dog, compelling her to flee. The story highlights a theme of instinctual fear, suggesting that sometimes, even when equipped with the means to defend oneself, fear can dominate and dictate behavior, underlining the complexity of emotions and instincts in animals and, by extension, humans. This could be a valuable lesson on understanding fear and recognizing that physical capabilities don't always equate to emotional bravery or resilience.

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A young fawn once said to his Mother, “You are larger than a dog, and swifter, and more used to running, and you have your horns as a defense; why, then, O Mother! do the hounds frighten you so?” She smiled, and said: “I know full well, my son, that all you say is true. I have the advantages you mention, but when I hear even the bark of a single dog I feel ready to faint, and fly away as fast as I can.”