Trafika Europe 14 - Italian Piazza

The Animal Gazer

stood right outside. As soon as the parrots saw the soldiers inside their cage they started to shriek wi ldly, f lapping their wings, jumping from one perch to another. The two peacocks, beaks extended, pounced on the chasseurs, who had probably never expected a simi lar reaction from animals with such a regal bearing, such a harmonious gait. The doves and turtledoves instead conserved, even at that moment, their natural elegance and l ightness in f l ight. The soldiers cocked their ri f les and started to shoot. Their comrades in arms who did not enter the aviaries remained on the avenue, in formation, waiting for the others to complete their assignment. The bul lets pierced the metal netting of the aviary, and the birds took advantage to escape. But for every breach, every opening that they found, they also encountered the ri f le of the soldier posted outside. “I don’t want to hear any shouts,” said the captain to his men. “I don’t want to hear any cries of enthusiasm. And I don’t want to hear any cursing.” In fact the only sound that could be heard were the gunshots, the cries of the birds, and the beating of their beaks against the metal netting, as wel l as the noise of the occasional bowl or feeder rol l ing over or shattering. When not a single bird was left al ive in the aviary, the soldiers who had done the shooting rejoined their comrades who had remained standing, ri f les on their shoulders, l ined up along the avenue. The captain gave the order to

17