AT THE SOUND OF the flute’s sweet song, the cows raised their heads from feeding and stared appreciatively up at the boy on the hill. Gaurika, the cow who had once been the calf he had blessed, mooed softly with pleasure and swished her tail. She loved Drishya’s flute songs; every cow in Harvanya did. At the close of each day, all he had to do was play a certain tune, and they would return obediently to their pens.
The cow dogs, who had once grumbled at the loss of their livelihood, now wagged their tails in delight too when they heard his flute; they loved his songs as much as Gaurika and responded just as readily. Birds came from near and far to listen as well, cocking their heads and paying close attention. Later, they would try to imitate some of his notes, but that was all they could manage; Drishya, on the other hand, could imitate the sound of every bird in the sky, every creature in the wild, and speak to them as eloquently as they did to one another.
When the flute broke off in midsong, sounding one startled misblown note, Gaurika looked up curiously. She lowed in complaint, urging Drishya to play on. She was surprised to see the boy engaged in conversation with another human, a young female of his species. She swished her tail disapprovingly; who was this meddling female? Drishya was Gaurika’s boy!
Get lost, young woman. Let him play his song.
It was a while before Drishya did that.