Cuckoo Wants To Sing

Cuckoo Wants To Sing Author: Meheruba Nisha Illustrator: Biplob Chakroborty Translator: Alisha Berger

Once there was a black cuckoo. He sung beautiful songs of the seasons in Bangladesh.

Then, in Baishakh, the first month of the year, the cuckoo got very sick. Suddenly, he could not sing anymore! He felt very sad.

In the month of Jaishtha, the mangoes and jackfruits became ripe. Cuckoo wanted to sing of their tastiness! He flew from tree to tree, trying and trying to sing his delicious song. But, not a noise came from his throat.

Summer came. Shimul Tree saw cuckoo was sad. The tree said, "Now the weather is very hot. Surely that is the reason you cannot sing. Just wait for Monsoon! Heavy rain will start then, and the drip-drop song of rain will help you sing, too."

Monsoon came. The rain fell in heavy sheets throughout the months of Ashar and Shrabon. Rivers, canals, lakes and fields all filled with water.

The kadam tree bloomed its round yellow bunches. The cuckoo flew in the rain from tree to tree, searching for his voice. But, he still could not sing.

Monsoon finished. Autumn arrived in the months of Bhadra and Ashwin. White Kash flowers bloomed. The ground was soon covered in petals.

Ripened palm fruits hung heavily from the tree. The cuckoo tried to sing of their beauty. But still, he could not.

Then came the late autumn. Farmers harvested new rice in the months of Kartik and Agryahayan. But, the cuckoo still could not sing of the bountiful harvest for the Nabonno festival. He was near-bursting with frustration!

The winter season arrived in the months of Poush and Magh. The weather turned very cold. People tried to warm themselves in the sun.

Women made jaggery from hot date juice. They made sweet cakes. Leaves fell from the trees. Fields were covered in yellow mustard flowers. The year had almost come to an end. And still, the cuckoo could not sing. He began to cry. What did it mean if his song was forever lost?

At last, the spring came. It was the final two months of the year, Falgun and Chaitra. New leaves sprouted in the trees. New buds grew in the mango trees. Honey-bees started flying and singing.

The honey-bee buzz stayed in cuckoo's ears. Cuckoo tried again to sing, to no avail. But the honey-bees' song did not stop. They buzzed and buzzed. So cuckoo kept trying to sing, too. At last, he found a squeak. Then a squawk!

And finally, the cuckoo sung a short song. His year of effort had not gone in vain! And now, the cuckoo is known as the bird of spring. When the people of Bangladesh hear his melodious song, they know spring has arrived.