Alice and the Fawn

Alice and the Fawn by Sir John Tennial

Just then a Fawn came wandering by: it looked at Alice with its large gentle eyes, but didn't seem at all frightened. `Here then! Here then!' Alice said, as he held out her hand and tried to stroke it; but it only started back a little, and then stood looking at her again. 

`What do you call yourself?' the Fawn said at last. Such a soft sweet voice it had! 

`I wish I knew!' thought poor Alice. She answered, rather sadly, `Nothing, just now.' 

`Think again,' it said: `that won't do.' 

Alice thought, but nothing came of it. `Please, would you tell me what you call yourself?' she said timidly. `I think that might help a little.' 

`I'll tell you, of you'll move a little further on,' the Fawn said. `I can't remember here.' 

So they walked on together though the wood, Alice with her arms clasped lovingly round the soft neck of the Fawn, till they came out into another open field, and here the Fawn gave a sudden bound into the air, and shook itself free from Alice's arms.

`I'm a Fawn!' it cried out in a voice of delight, `and, dear me! You're a human child!' A sudden look of alarm came into its beautiful brown eyes, and in another moment it had darted away a full speed. 

-Lewis Carroll