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“Why?” he asked

“I use that sound to call the horse, this one, the stallion If you whistle like that, I’ him and it will confuse him,” Ayla explained “If you like to whistle, I can teach you other sounds to whistle”

“Like what?”

Ayla looked around and noticed a chickadee perched on the limb of a nearb

y tree, singing the cbick-a-dee-dee-dee sound that gave the bird its name She listened for a moment, then repeated the sound The boy looked startled, and the bird stopped singing for a ain Ayla repeated the sound The black-capped bird sang again, looking around

“How do you do that?” the boy said

“I’ll teach you if you like You could learn, you’re a good whistler,” she said

“Can you whistle like other birds, too?” he asked

“Yes”

“Which ones?”

“Any one you want”

“How about a meadow lark?”

Ayla closed her eyes for a moment, then whistled a series of tones that sounded exactly like a lark that had soared high into the sky and swooped down, lorious melody

“Can you really teachat her onder in his eyes

“If you really want to learn,” Ayla said