HAUKAN VIHA KEVÄTYHDISTYSTÄ KOHTAAN
by Zacharias Topelius · from Lukemisia lapsille 6
Adapted Version
Hello, I am a hawk. I want to tell you something.
I do not understand the children. They want to help the little birds. Why do they do that? It is a mystery to me.
Those little birds are only good for food. Their songs are very loud and noisy. I do not like their songs.
I like other birds. They are strong and quiet. They are not noisy.
It is silly not to chase birds. It is strange to help them. Why help them?
I am a strong hunter. I fly fast like an arrow. I catch birds to eat. This is what I do.
This is what strong birds do. We hunt for food. We are hunters.
But I am scared of big eagles. I am scared of people. They are bigger than me.
I am good at staying safe. I think about myself first. I am very careful.
When safe, I can be mean to others.
Is kindness just being soft?
Boys should be strong. They should not care about being kind. Being strong is important.
Being mean can make you popular. Some birds like that.
You do not need to care about birds. You do not need to help them. It is not important.
I do not like this talk. Goodbye. I go to find food. I must hunt now.
Remember, being kind and helping others makes you strong. Don't be like the hawk.
Original Story
HAUKAN VIHA KEVÄTYHDISTYSTÄ KOHTAAN.
(Toukokuussa 1870.)
Tuhmuutta moista en ymmärrä,
Min lapset saivat nyt päähänsä.
Mit' auttaa itkuhun vääntää suuta,
Jos jotkut pienoset linnut huutaa?
Lorua! Minne ne kelpajais,
Jos niitä ei edes syödä sais?
En viitsi oksalla istuvaisen
Säveltä kuulla ma kehnokaisen;
Sen pytlipyt ja sen titterloi,
Sairaaksi moisesta tulla voi.
Ma puolestan' olen syöjä lihan;
Kas varis on sävelniekka ihan.
Ja korpin ääni se miellyttää
Ja täynn' on tietoja pöllön pää.
Eläint' ei sallita piinattavan!
Ei häkkiin varpusta suljettavan!
Vaan tuo on sortoa luonnon tavan.
Mä moinen raukka en olekkaan;
Uljaasti halkasen ilmaa vaan,
Kuin nuoli itseni maahan viskaan,
Otusta iskien suoraan niskaan.
Sen kuikutuksista huolin viis;
Nokallain sen veren ahmaan siis.
Mi muu ois tehtävä täällä kellä.
Kuin huvikseen yhä hävitellä?
Kas oivaa on se ja miehevää,
Miestyöksi mielin sen nimittää.
Käy niinkin, kotka kun syöksyy siivin,
Mä pensaasen kuni raukka hiivin,
Niin pyssymiestäki lymyilen,
Vain heikot rosvoan hymyillen;
Kas, parhain taito on, muista sitä,
Ett' oma nahkansa säästää pitää.
On itseään kukin lähinnä,
Se oikein, ett' anon turvaa mä,
Vaan kunhan turvassa itse olen
Niin muita julmasti haaskaan, polen.
No, mitäs nyt sanot, vetelys?
Eiks lellityst' ole lempeys?
Jos viisahasti ei haasta haukka,
Niin tuskin mieltä on sulla, raukka.
Mä toivon joukossa poikien
On monta, jotk' yhä muistaa sen
Ja viskaa vanhaan tapahansa
Vain maahan murskaksi heikompansa.
Sen vasta mainitsen mieheksi,
Ken julma on sekä pelkuri,
Ja siitä myös tytöt parhain pitää,
Ken parhain kerskuvi, muista sitä.
Siis tapaa maailman noudata!
Kyll' elää lintusen laulutta.
Vaan kevätyhdistys yksistänsä
Tyhmyyttä on ihan tykkänänsä.
Yh kurjaa leikkiä kuitenki!
Saaliille käyn minä; hyvästi!
Story DNA
Moral
True strength and manliness do not lie in cruelty, cowardice, or preying on the weak, but in empathy and protecting the vulnerable.
Plot Summary
A hawk delivers a cynical monologue, expressing its contempt for the 'Spring Association' and its efforts to protect small birds. It justifies its predatory lifestyle, boasting about its cruelty while admitting to cowardice when facing stronger foes. The hawk advocates for a philosophy of self-interest, preying on the weak, and encourages young boys to adopt this cruel and hypocritical worldview, claiming it makes them 'men'. It dismisses empathy as foolishness before departing to hunt.
Themes
Emotional Arc
arrogance to implicit warning
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Zacharias Topelius was a prominent Finnish author and poet, known for his children's literature and his role in shaping Finnish national identity. This poem reflects a didactic approach common in 19th-century children's literature, using animal characters to convey moral lessons, often through satire or allegory.
Plot Beats (14)
- The hawk begins by expressing its incomprehension and disdain for children's efforts to protect small birds.
- It questions the value of small birds, stating they are only good for eating and their songs are annoying.
- The hawk contrasts its preference for meat-eaters like crows and ravens, and the wise owl, with the 'sickening' songs of small birds.
- It mocks the idea of not tormenting animals or caging sparrows, calling it a perversion of nature.
- The hawk proudly describes its hunting technique: diving like an arrow to strike prey in the neck and drink its blood.
- It justifies its actions by asking what else there is to do but 'destroy for fun', calling it 'manly work'.
- The hawk admits to hiding from eagles and gunmen, revealing its cowardice when faced with stronger foes.
- It states its best skill is saving its own skin and that everyone is closest to themselves.
- The hawk declares that once it is safe, it will cruelly exploit and trample others.
- It challenges the listener, asking if kindness is merely pampering.
- The hawk hopes that many boys will remember its words and continue to crush the weaker, calling such a person 'manly'.
- It claims that girls prefer those who are cruel, cowardly, and boastful.
- The hawk advises following the ways of the world, asserting that life can be lived without birdsong and the Spring Association is utter foolishness.
- It dismisses the 'wretched game' and departs to hunt, bidding farewell.
Characters
The Hawk
A powerful, medium-sized bird of prey, with a robust body built for swift flight and hunting. Its talons are sharp and strong, capable of striking prey with lethal force. Its beak is hooked and pointed, designed for tearing flesh.
Attire: Natural plumage of a hawk, likely mottled browns, greys, and whites, providing camouflage against the sky and trees. Its feathers are well-maintained and sleek, indicating a healthy and active predator.
Wants: To satisfy its hunger by preying on smaller, weaker birds, and to assert its dominance and perceived superiority over others. It is driven by a cynical view of the world where only the strong survive and exploit the weak.
Flaw: Its cowardice and self-preservation instinct make it avoid confrontation with stronger predators like eagles or human hunters, revealing a fundamental hypocrisy in its 'might makes right' philosophy.
The Hawk does not change. It remains steadfast in its cruel philosophy, departing at the end to continue its predatory ways, dismissing the 'Spring Association' as foolishness.
Cruel, arrogant, self-serving, cowardly (when facing stronger opponents), and boastful. It delights in its own power and the suffering of weaker creatures.
Locations
Open Sky
A vast, expansive sky, likely over a Nordic landscape, where a hawk can soar freely and 'cleave the air like an arrow'. The air is clear, allowing for swift, unimpeded flight and dives.
Mood: Dominant, predatory, free, vast.
The hawk's primary domain for hunting and asserting its dominance, where it describes its method of attack.
Dense Bush/Thicket
A thick, concealing bush or dense thicket, likely composed of common Nordic shrubs and undergrowth, where the hawk can hide from larger predators like eagles or human hunters. The ground is covered with leaves and twigs.
Mood: Hidden, cautious, vulnerable (for the hawk), secretive.
Where the hawk admits to hiding when a larger eagle or a hunter with a gun approaches, revealing its own cowardice despite its bravado.
Tree Branch
A sturdy branch of a deciduous tree, likely common in Nordic forests (e.g., birch, pine, spruce), where smaller birds might perch and sing. The branch is strong enough to support a bird, with bark texture and possibly some moss or lichen.
Mood: Observation point, potential hunting ground, ordinary.
The hawk dismisses the 'pitiful' songs of small birds from such a perch, contrasting their 'weak' existence with its own predatory nature.