Once upon a time there lived a beautiful hart.
The hart was tall, proud, and graceful.
But his most outstanding feature was his antlers.
Every day the hart came to drink from the river.
And every day, the hart would admire his reflection in the water.
"Just look!" the hart exclaimed.
"Look at these magnificent antlers!
No one has such beautiful antlers as I!" he boasted.
The hart stood and admired his antlers for a long time.
No one was allowed to touch his precious antlers.
Not even little birds taking a little break!
"Shoo! Shoo!" he would swing his legs at the bird.
"How dare you sit on my beautiful antlers!" he scolded.
The hart looked to make sure his antlers were okay.
"Oh!" he suddenly cried.
The hart lifted his leg higher.
"What a shame!" he moaned.
"These legs are not worthy to hold my great antlers!" The hart frowned.
"I wish my legs were more beautiful!"
The hart was so distressed that he did not know he was being watched.
"Look at those magnificent antlers!"
the hunter was thinking to himself.
The hunter slowly took out his arrow.
He aimed carefully at the hart.
The arrow flew but missed the hart.
At that moment the hart turned and saw the hunter.
"Oh! Oh!" he cried as he quickly ran away.
The hart nimbly jumped over fallen trees.
His legs gracefully carried him through the forest.
The hunter could not keep up with the hart.
The hart ran as swift as the wind.
No one, not even the birds, were as fast as the hart.
After some time, he turned around to look for the hunter.
The hunter was nowhere to be seen.
The hart laughed with relief and joy.
But not for long! Smash!
The hart was not watching where he was going.
His great antlers got stuck in some branches.
The hart tried to free himself.
But no matter which way he turned, his antlers would not budge.
"Oh, why are you so big and grand?" he shouted at his antlers.
Meanwhile, the hunter was able to catch up with the hart.
The hart looked down at his legs.
"Even though you are not as beautiful as my antlers," he said, "you carried me fast and far!
Oh, how we despise what is most useful to us!" the hart cried with regret.