Instead of the dreadful fear which had filled him in that other game , he was now filled with longing , -- longing to find and make friends with the beautiful stranger of whom he had just once caught a glimpse , but of whom every day he found tracks . At times Lightfoot would lose his temper . Yes , Sir , Lightfoot would lose his temper . That was a foolish thing to do , but it seemed to him that he just could n't help it . He would stamp his feet angrily and thrash the bushes with his great spreading antlers as if they were an enemy with whom he was fighting . More than once when he did this a pair of great , soft , gentle eyes were watching him , though he did n't know it . If he could have seen them and the look of admiration in them , he would have been more eager than ever to find that beautiful stranger . At other times Lightfoot would steal about through the Green Forest as noiselessly as a shadow . He would peer into thickets and behind tangles of fallen trees and brush piles , hoping to surprise the one he sought . He would be very , very patient . Perhaps he would come to the thicket which he knew from the signs the stranger had left only a few moments before . Then his patience would vanish in impatience , and he would dash ahead , eager to catch up with the shy stranger . But always it was in vain . He had thought himself very clever but this stranger was proving herself more clever . Of course it was n't long before all the little people in the Green Forest knew what was going on . They knew all about that game of hide and seek just as they had known all about that other game of hide and seek with the hunters . But now , instead of trying to help Lightfoot as they did then , they gave him no help at all . The fact is , they were enjoying that game . Mischievous Sammy Jay even went so far as to warn the stranger several times when Lightfoot was approaching . Of course Lightfoot knew when Sammy did this , and each time he lost his temper .
For the time being , he quite forgot all that XXXXX had done for him when he was the one that was being hunted .
Forest Jay Lightfoot Sammy Sir antlers day left spreading tangles