One day the dancing and games carried the girl in the woods. A cold air greeted her entry into the forest but she entered with audacity taking with her just the ribbon tied to a stick. The forest's eyes were unhappy with the man cub, and they surrounded her at a distance.
Finding her courage she went deeper and deeper into the forest. At first she began exploring the pathways but soon after just ignored the twisty paths and wandered among the trees. After a while she fell tired and sat down on a root while continuing to wave her red kerchief like a flag in the green forest.
A pair of eyes approached her. The girl jumped up as burned when she saw a horned figure coming out of the bushes. A roebuck stopped two steps away from her, the girl smiled and waved her ribbon as a sign of hello.
- It's beautiful, said the roebuck.
- Yes it is. I call it "the red flame" ... wanna play with it? and she handed him the stick with the red ribbon. I think I'm lost, she continued.
The roebuck took the stick with the red cloth and suggested she follow him to the edge of the forest. Once they got there the girl gazed at him.
-I can't leave you that, but I'll get you another tomorrow.
- You shouldn't, answered embarrassed the roebuck.
- I'll come tomorrow! determined the girl. I just don't know if I can find you in the forest again.
- Listen to me, do not enter the forest, the forest yearlings are scared of you, looking around the roebuck continued, they don't like people, you are bad, you come with guns and hunt us.
The girl smiled and moved her stick with the red ribbon in the deer's nose.
- This is not a gun. Fine.. then you come to the meadow. Now it's late I have to go, but I'll see you tomorrow, okay?
The roebuck nodded his head and went back into the woods. On a branch a gray-headed woodpecker warned him:
- You shouldn't talk to her.
- I think she was lost, replied the roebuck, you want her parents looking for her in the woods?
The next day the girl came back with two ribbons, one red and one yellow, dancing in the wind on the hilly pasture. The roebuck saw her revolving in the forest breeze, but let her play. When the girl got tired she stretched lazily on the grass and then the roebuck came out of the growth and sat beside her.
- I thought you weren't coming, this is for you, it's a scarf and you can put it around your neck.
- Thank you, I like it, never thought they come in more colors.
- Yeah they do, if you want I can show you. Back home I have them in many more colors and you can pick the one you like most.
The roebuck was saddened.
- It's not a good idea, people would look funny at me.
- Noo, look you can put the scarf on your neck and nobody will recognize you... come on.
The apprehensive roebuck followed the girl up to the outskirts of town. The first man walked past them, no reaction, the second was the same, and so on everyone passed the two ignoring them completely.
- See? what did I tell you, look I live over there.
When they reached the courtyard, her mother came out and spoke to them.
-Anne, you're late for dinner, who's the boy?
The girl looked at the roebuck.
- This is ... Tom... a classmate.
- Did you eat? Anne go help father set the table, come along Tom I'll set a extra plate.
- Let's eat and I'll show you the ribbons later.
The two entered the house. The roebuck shook the father's hand and walked shyly into the living room, where the table was set. He sat down at the table and looked around. It was an old house made of oak from the old forest, and the walls were an exhibition of trophies. It was decorated with stuffed birds, heads of foxes, wild boar and mouflons, old rifles and pictures of fish caught in fishing lines. Some of the animals nailed to the walls were decorated with colorful ribbons. The roebuck looked at the girl in horror.
- Why did you bring me here?
The girl looked at the walls and then at the roebuck.
- I'm sorry, she said, but you knew you shouldn't come.
The roebuck threw the scarf from his neck. Anne's father took it off the ground calmly and spoke:
- You can eat if you want, like as a last meal, there's no hurry.
With black tears in his eyes the roebuck uttered his last words to the girl.
- I would have preferred you shoot me in the woods.
The roebuck got a spot on the wall and on his neck was hung "the red flame". As for the girl, she continues to wander through the woods with her hair in a red ribbon.
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