A+Stranger+in+the+Forest

It was Saturday, and I had the day off. I drove my bright yellow jeep out of the small town in central Wisconsin where I worked as a newspaper reporter. I drove far into the forest that surrounded the town, away from the problems of my job. About 10 miles out of town, I turned off the never-ending highway and followed a dirt road for three more miles. I parked my jeep alongside the road and got out into the fresh air. I quietly stood beside the jeep for a moment and listened. I heard the chirping of birds, the tinkling of water in a nearby stream, and the whistling of the wind as it passed above the trees. I heard no people, no cars, no trucks. I started walking straight down the road and followed a deer trail for about 30 minutes. It ended at a small, blue lake. I stood there for a long time and watched a flock of green and brown ducks. Suddenly, I heard something move behind me. I wondered what was there. I turned slowly in order not to frighten anything away. To my delight, I saw eight deer. They were standing in a semicircle looking at me---the stranger in the forest.