Every so often I could hear a sound like ta-ra-ra-ra-ra, ta-ra-ra-ra-ra. Sensei kept a steady pace as he climbed along the path. He wasn’t particularly out of breath. I, on the other hand, was considerably winded. The ta-ra-ra-ra-ra, ta-ra-ra-ra-ra became more insistent. “Is that a cuckoo?” Sensei asked. Toru turned around to reply. “No, actually, that’s a woodpecker. Sensei, you must know a lot about birds to recognize a cuckoo’s call.”
