Vazha-Pshavela 150

often with silent, bated breath, the waving grass, running and playing together
with the beasts of the forest... But you, oh, man! Nervous, your eyes bloodshot,
you search for me, and a thousand others like me, weak and without protection.
You have weapons, you sneak up on us, kill us treacherously with bullets,
making us say farewell to this earthly life...
II
How can I not be afraid? It's barely a week since I first looked upon this
world, and how much fear and suffering I’ve experienced already! The day
before yesterday was rainy. Beautiful and full of life, my mother stood next to a
beech tree, and was chewing with gusto...and I was standing next to my mother,
taking joy at being with her. Trusting in my mother, I gave no thought to enemies
and death. Raindrops were falling from the dense leaves...I put my head
under them, so these pleasant drops could refresh me.
"Isn't it lovely, my child?" my mother asked me.
I nodded and jumped about, sometimes knocking my head against her teats.
In front of us a woodpecker was inscribing a circle around a dead tree, and
rapping so loudly that I was amazed _ my mother was so large, and she yet
couldn't make the forest as noisy as this small bird! It went around the tree
trunk, scraping with its feet, pecking first at one place, and then another…I
watched the woodpecker's playfulness with joy. Suddenly I heard "Chkhi!
Chkhi! Chkhi!" I looked to the side: a jay was circling above us. “Hide behind
me,” my mother said, “or the jay will pluck out your eyes!” I hid. My mother
shook her head, and chased away this vile bird. The jay flew towards me, made
many attempts, but then left us in peace. Pretending to be innocent, it settled on
the branch of a beech tree, and began to meow. Its voice sounded just like mine.
My mother laughed involuntarily, and said, “It's very sly, that jay. My child, be
careful! It preys on small fawns like you, my child...it moans softly and starts to
meow, and if a foolish and inexperienced fawn like you is near, it calls to you.
And this is just what it wants – to jump out and snatch your eyes away!”
A shudder passed through my body...
I didn't utter a sound, and hid immediately!
31