'ee dumphead. Now then, dumphead, dumphead, dumphead!"

And with that they flew at each other, and pecked and scratched and
ruffled, and beat each other with their wings, till all the ground was
covered with their feathers. And all the time the Greyhens kept
whispering to each other, "He's down--no, he's up--no, he's down
again. He's too strong for mun. Dear, dear, but the old bird's
sarving mun bad!" And so he was, for after a hard fight the old Cock
came back breathless and crowed with triumph, screaming, "Now, then,
who's the better bird?"

And the Greyhens answered in chorus: "Why, you be, my dear. Ah! you'm
a rare bird, sure enough. Get your breath, my dear, for 'tis sweetly
pretty to see 'ee dance."

So the Deer left them dancing and fighting, and making their way over
the moor again to Dunkery, went down into Horner Wood. And they found
the wood quiet and peaceful as if no hound had ever been near it; and
above their heads the oak-buds were swelled and ripe almost to
bursting, while under their feet was a carpet of glossy green and
blue, picked out with stars of pale yellow, for the bluebells and
primroses had thrust their heads through the dead leaves to welcome
the spring. The gorse, too, was flaming with yellow blossom, the
thorns were gay in their new green leaves, and the bracken was
thrusting up its green coils, impatient to uncurl and make a shelter
for the deer.

They rarely saw an old stag, though they met a young one or two, and
they did not even see many hinds, though they frequently met and
talked to Ruddy. And the Calf now became better friends than ever with
Ruddy's daughter, for, having both of them seen a great deal of the
world after a life of one whole year, they had plenty to talk about.
One day she told him, as a great secret, that her mother had promised
her a little brother before many months should be past; but all that
he did was to make her promise that she would still like him best. And
the truth is that he began to think himself rather too fine a fellow
to be interested in calves when there were older male deer to
associate with. For as soon as the ash began to sprout, all the male
deer in Horner formed clubs to go and eat the young shoots, for there
is nothing that they love so much to eat; and he of course went among
them and nibbled away as greedily as any, though not being the biggest
deer he did not of course get the biggest share.

Besides, not long after the ash was in lea