Bambi, a Life in the Woods facts for kids
First edition cover of the original publication
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| Author | Felix Salten |
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| Original title | Bambi: Eine Lebensgeschichte aus dem Walde |
| Translator | Whittaker Chambers |
| Illustrator | Kurt Wiese |
| Country | Austria |
| Language | German |
| Genre | Fiction |
| Publisher | Ullstein Verlag |
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Publication date
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1923 |
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Published in English
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1928 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover) |
| OCLC | 2866578 |
| Followed by | Bambi's Children |
Bambi, a Life in the Woods is a famous novel from 1923. It was written by Felix Salten from Austria. The book tells the story of a young roe deer named Bambi. It follows his life from birth, through growing up, losing his mother, finding a friend, and learning important lessons from his father. Bambi also learns about the dangers of human hunters in the forest.
The book was first published in German. An English version, translated by Whittaker Chambers, came out in 1928. Since then, it has been translated into over 30 languages. Felix Salten even wrote a second book, Bambi's Children, in 1939.
Bambi is seen as a classic story. Many people also consider it one of the first books to talk about protecting nature. It has been made into a Walt Disney animated movie, Bambi, in 1942. There have also been Russian films, ballets, and stage plays based on the book.
Contents
Bambi's Story: A Journey in the Woods
This section explores the main events in Bambi's life. It shows how he grows and learns about his forest home.
Bambi's Early Life and Discoveries
Bambi is born in a thicket (a dense group of bushes) in the spring. His mother teaches him about the forest and its animals. She shows him how deer live. When he is a bit older, she takes him to the meadow. This open field is exciting but also dangerous. It leaves deer exposed to threats.
Bambi is scared at first, but soon he loves the meadow. He meets his Aunt Ena and her fawns, Faline and Gobo. They quickly become friends. They share what they have learned about the forest. While playing, they see male deer, called princes or stags, for the first time. The fawns learn that these are their fathers. However, fathers usually do not stay with the mothers and young.
Growing Up and Facing Dangers
As Bambi gets older, his mother starts leaving him alone. One day, while looking for her, Bambi meets "He" for the first time. "He" is what the animals call humans. This meeting terrifies Bambi. A man aims a gun at him. Bambi runs away very fast, with his mother joining him.
Later, an older stag scolds Bambi for crying for his mother. Bambi then gets used to being alone sometimes. He learns that the old stag is called the "Old Prince." This stag is the oldest and biggest in the forest. He is known for being smart and keeping to himself.
Winter and Loss
During winter, Bambi meets other deer. These include Marena, a young female, and Nettla, an older female. He also meets two male deer, Ronno and Karus. In the middle of winter, hunters come into the forest. They kill many animals, including Bambi's mother. Gobo also disappears and is thought to be dead.
Bambi as a Young Adult
The story then jumps ahead one year. Bambi is now a young adult. Nettla cared for him after his mother died. When he grew his first antlers, other male deer bothered him. Now it is summer, and Bambi has his second set of antlers. He meets his cousin Faline again.
Bambi battles and defeats Karus, then Ronno. After this, Bambi and Faline fall in love. They spend a lot of time together. The Old Prince saves Bambi's life when he almost runs toward a hunter. The hunter was making a sound like a female deer. This teaches Bambi to be careful and not rush blindly.
Gobo's Return and Fate
During the summer, Gobo returns to the forest. A man found him collapsed in the snow during the hunt where Bambi's mother was killed. The man raised Gobo. Bambi's mother and Marena are happy to see him. They call him a "friend" of man. However, the Old Prince and Bambi feel sorry for him. Marena becomes Gobo's mate. But weeks later, Gobo is killed. He walked up to a hunter in the meadow. He wrongly believed that a halter (a rope around his neck) would keep him safe from all men.
Bambi's Wisdom and Final Lessons
As Bambi gets older, he spends most of his time alone. He even avoids Faline, though he still loves her. He meets the Old Prince several times. The Prince teaches him about snares (traps for animals). He shows Bambi how to free another animal from a snare. The Prince also tells him not to use common trails, to avoid human traps.
Later, Bambi is shot by a hunter. The Prince shows him how to walk in circles. This confuses the hunter and his dogs until the bleeding stops. Then, the Prince takes Bambi to a safe place to heal. They stay together until Bambi is strong enough to leave.
When Bambi is old and his fur has turned gray, the Old Prince shows him something important. He shows Bambi the dead body of a man. This man was shot by another man. The Prince wants Bambi to understand that "He" (humans) are not all-powerful. He tells Bambi that there is "Another" power over all creatures. When Bambi understands this, the Old Prince tells him he has always loved him and calls him "my son" before leaving.
At the end of the story, Bambi meets two young fawns. They are calling for their mother. He scolds them for not being able to stay alone. After leaving them, he thinks that the girl fawn reminded him of Faline. He also thinks the male fawn looks promising. Bambi hopes to meet him again when he is grown.
How Bambi Changed Things
Many experts believe Bambi was one of the first books to focus on environmentalism. This means it helped people think about protecting nature and animals.
Bambi's Journey to Screen and Stage
Animated Films
Disney's Bambi Movie
The book Bambi was bought by Walt Disney Productions in 1937. They wanted to turn it into an animated film. The original book was written for adults. It was thought to be too serious for the young audience Disney wanted. So, Disney changed the story to make it lighter and friendlier.
The movie added two new characters: Thumper the Rabbit and Flower the Skunk. These sweet forest creatures helped make the film feel happier. Bambi was released in theaters on August 8, 1942. It is now considered a classic animated film. It is often called one of Walt Disney's greatest achievements in animation.
Russian Live-Action Films
In 1985, a Russian live-action movie called Detstvo Bembi (Bambi's Childhood) was made. It was filmed in the Soviet Union. This movie used real animals and human actors. A sequel, Yunost Bembi (Bambi's Youth), followed in 1986. These films showed Bambi and Falina (Faline) on a journey. They were filmed in many beautiful places, like Crimea and Latvia.
Ballet Performances
A ballet based on Bambi was created by Estonian composer Lydia Auster in 1986. It first showed in 1987 in Tartu, Estonia.
The Oregon Ballet Theatre also planned a ballet called Bambi: Lord of the Forest. It was meant to be an interpretation of the book, not the Disney movie. The director, James Canfield, said the book was a "classic story about coming of age." However, the premiere was delayed and the ballet has not yet been performed.
Stage Plays
Playwright James DeVita created a stage play version of the novel. It is called Bambi—A Life in the Woods. This play is for young adults and teenagers. It has been performed in many places across the United States. The play uses at least nine actors to play thirteen roles. It won an award for being a "Distinguished Play."
Picture Book Adaptation
In 1999, Janet Schulman adapted the novel into an illustrated children's book. It was published by Simon & Schuster. Schulman tried to keep the beautiful language of the original novel. She used many of Salten's exact words. The pictures in the book were painted to look very realistic. In 2002, this adaptation was also released as an audiobook.
Images for kids
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A 2-3-week-old fawn of the roe deer species to which Bambi belonged
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Author Felix Salten wearing a traditional Austrian hunting outfit with a Janker jacket, hat and Gamsbart
See also
In Spanish: Bambi, una vida en el bosque para niños
