Grouse Thicket Take it in stride

At a distance from where the birds idly plucked at the forest floor, the yearling watched them. He was lazily leaned against the trunk of a tree. His eyes were half-lidded.
For a moment he thought to chase the birds down. Perhaps he would be lucky enough to actually catch one. Comical, he thought with a sigh. He could hardly catch a beetle.
His ears twitched when he heard the sound of someone approach. Yellow eyes were led beyond the birds and towards a wandering young boy. He’d stopped to stare at the birds as well, only to move on with a snort.
Just as the boy turned his back, he too decided to leave. Only his exit wasn’t as quiet. The sound of his body scraping up against bark startled the birds and sent them fleeing towards him. He stumbled over them as they rushed past his paws.
If the boy hadn’t noticed him before he certainly would now.