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206
Gaüqavaho
541. The body of a dead buffalo is pounced upon by vultures and swarms of crows. The jackals also want a bite at the carrion and, therefore, they approach through the thinning (faza) ranks of frightened ( vultures, while the crows move away in fear, only to collect in groups (afer) elsewhere. Very keen and subtle observation of the Poet.
551. The birds resting in the thick groves of trees and now wanting to fly up in the sky, find that the tree-tops up above are covered up and closed by the clusters of creepers, enmeshed in the branches of the trees. Their upward flight is thus blocked. They, therefore, take an oblique (de) turn, come outside the grove in the open and then take to (acuifa) the sky.
555. Ordinarily hurricanes (artist) lift up huge, whirling columns of dust and the whole area gets thickly covered with it. Here in these forests, however, the surface of roads becomes hardened, as the layers of dust, carried every day (afezi), get situated and firmly fixed there. When, therefore, the roads have developed a concrete-like firm surface, even the whirlwinds throw up very little (fazas) dust.
556. The boars, after a plunge in the lake, go up the banks and wend their way by the foot-paths. The trickling drops of water, falling down in the soil, produce tufts of green grass; but later they are bent down or depressed (afc37) by the weight (11779) of mud-lumps, shaken off and falling upon the grasstufts.
557. Tracts of soil are found in some places to develop deep cracks (5765EUTT) in them. The patches, sa separated from one another, heave up (57f3T) and are overgrown with Mustā grass, collected in bunches (#915), discoloured and having long leafy blades (left3). Cf. faeci f ai arteafafan arrafa: Tode | VIT6 II. 6.
559. Tracts of earth, with holes burrowed by rats (37 ), are made uneven with ups and downs (fam), because these holes are broken and shattered (fag), as the ground over them, becoming loose (HTFUTT), caved in under the weight of the heavy heap of earth, thrown over after being dug out ( 3 farafuot) by rats. On these rat-tracts grow a few sun-plants (377) with their barren (36375) branches.
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