Pigeons and Fawns

There were many Indians in St. Mark's Square, earning tips by providing services to tourists.

Those pigeons generally only opened their eyes for food. If they were not fed, they would not deign to approach tourists, forcing the tourists to chase after them.

At such times, the police patrolling the square would step in to stop them, warning tourists not to feed the pigeons too much. Otherwise, the pigeons would produce more droppings, which would stain the buildings' outer walls.

However, if tourists approached those Indians, or were approached by them, and they offered to take pictures for the tourists, the police no longer cared about the pigeons eating too much and pooping too much. The Indians gave each tourist a handful of pigeon feed, and the pigeons swarmed over. Taking advantage of the moment, they pressed the shutter on a Polaroid camera and froze the scene in a picture. One photo cost eighty euros, with some costing even more, depending entirely on how naïve the tourist was.

Generally, the Indians in the square did not bother lone male tourists. They looked for female tourists, whether they were alone or traveling in groups of girls.

This was different from the deer in Nara. The deer in Nara were bandits who robbed people in the road. They first bowed like people, but if they were not given rice crackers, they became vicious. Who would want to take a photo with such "harsh" deer?

These pigeons did not have the deer's intelligence, but they represented peace and suited churches well. Pigeon feed did not have to cost money; tourists could bring their own. Then the police would step in to stop them. Taking photos cost money. If male tourists said they did not want a photo, the Indians would not force them,