Singers sing. Why are Songbirds different?

Esste looked at him narrowly. Why do you want to be a Songbird?

Because they're the perfect ones.

You're only a Groan, Ansset. You have years ahead of you. The statement was wasted, she knew. He could sing, he could hear song, but he was still almost an infant, and years were too long to grasp.

Why do you love me? Ansset asked her, this time in front of the class.

I love all of you, Esste sang, and all the children smiled at the love in her voice.

Why do you sing to me more than to the others, then? Ansset demanded, and Esste heard in his song another message: The others are not my friends because you set me apart.

I don't sing to anyone more than to anyone else, Esste answered, and in songtalk she said, I will be more careful. Did he understand? At least he seemed satisfied with her answer, and did not ask again.

Ansset became one of the great legends, however, when he was promoted from Groan to Belch earlier than the rest of his class-and instead of Esste remaining with the class, she moved with Ansset. It was then that Ansset realized that not only was it unusual for a Songmaster to be doing a teacher's job, but also Esste was teaching, not the class, but him. Ansset. Esste was teaching Ansset.

The other children noticed this at least as quickly as Ansset did, and he found that while all of them were nice to him, and all of them praised him, and all of them sought to be near him and eat with him and talk to him, none of them sang the love song to him. And none of them was his friend, for they were afraid.

5

A lesson.

Esste took her class of Bells out of the Songhouse. They rode in a flesket, so that all of them could see outside. It was always a wonder to them, leaving the cold stone walls of the Songhouse. Groans were never taken out; Breezes often were; and Bells knew that the trips in the flesket were only a taste of things to come.