It was a quiet afternoon at Mike’s General Store, a cozy little shop nestled in the foothills of Colorado. The scent of fresh coffee and wood polish lingered in the air as Mike, the store owner, stocked the shelves, glancing occasionally at the window to admire the snow-capped peaks in the distance.
Then, the bell above the door chimed.
Mike looked up, expecting a customer—maybe a local hiker or a passing tourist. But instead, a deer stood just inside the doorway, her big brown eyes scanning the store as if she had walked in with a purpose.
Mike froze, unsure of what to do. The deer was calm, almost too comfortable, as if she had been here before.
Chuckling to himself, he grabbed a peanut bar from the counter. “Well, I guess you’ve got good taste,” he muttered, slowly extending his hand. The deer sniffed it curiously, then took the treat gently from his palm before turning and trotting out the door.
Mike shook his head, amazed. “That was wild,” he said aloud, going back to his work.
But about thirty minutes later, the bell chimed again.
Mike turned around—and there she was again. But this time, she wasn’t alone.
Just outside the door, three more deer stood waiting—two young fawns and another adult deer, likely her mate. The mother deer took a few steps inside, looked at Mike expectantly, and then turned toward the door, as if introducing her family.
Mike laughed. “Oh, so you told them about the peanut bar, huh?”
Carefully, he grabbed a few more peanut bars and stepped outside. The fawns stood nervously, their little legs shifting as they waited. Mike tossed the treats gently onto the ground, and the deer happily nibbled away.
For the next few days, the deer kept coming back. And every time, Mike welcomed them with a treat, smiling as he realized something incredible—sometimes, the best customers don’t need words.
From that day forward, Mike’s shop wasn’t just a place for people passing through the mountains. It became a favorite stop for a family of deer, a reminder that in nature, kindness is always remembered—and often shared.
