India, Aug. 8 -- Birds have long been metaphors for the human desire for freedom. Phrases such as "free bird", "clipped wings" and "caged" indicate our yearning for the unhindered life. To fly is to move in any direction, to escape the mundane. Neha Negi's When Birds Talked describes the primal desire "to be free and untethered, to soar through vast spaces without the weight of gravity." In this collection of 10 folktales about the birds of Uttarakhand, the author also looks at the roles of birds in myths from around the world, from Jatayu in the Ramayana to Vulcan's eagle in Ovid's Metamorphoses, to trace the shared themes of death, resurrection, transformation and freedom. Each story is titled after a bird from the Himalayan state: Verditer Flycatcher, Green-Backed Tit, Spotted Forktail, Fir-Capped Tit, Himalayan Monal, Wedge-Tailed Green Pigeon, Blue Whistling Thrush, Asian Paradise Flycatcher, Black-Throated Tit, Kalij Pheasant. Labelled "imagined fireside tales", each of these parables reads like they are meant to be shared by the hearth, with children and adults alike surrounding the storyteller. Negi keeps her stories simple and straightforward. The characters are in their youth, which makes them the perfect vessels for life lessons on courage and honesty. Elements of magic appear, often in the form of local deities of Uttarakhand such as Chalda Mahasu, Suraai Maatri and Aanchri. Adding to the general sense of wonder are the author's vibrant hand-painted illustrations of village landscapes, forests, human characters and birds. Inspired by folklore, these tales entice readers to suspend disbelief and enter into a curious state where they accept magical elements as an active part of the surroundings. So, Dudhpari descends from the skies and into the forest to be with a human whom she cannot talk to; a princess becomes the woodwife of an old oak tree and lives in its shade; and a forest fairy steals fire to drive early humans out of the forest to maintain its ecological balance. Sometimes, humans turn into birds as a reward for their sacrifice; at other times, a new species of bird comes into being as a reward for a lone bird's determination and hard work. When humans and birds consider themselves too smart to live with their kind, they are taught a lesson that, again, leads to the birth of a new species. Such is the magic that Negi brings into her tales. Good storytelling has the power to introduce readers to specific subjects without being burdened by adherence to fact. Stories may not provide all the data but they show the reader why something matters. Negi draws the reader's attention to the rich diversity of the Himalayas, home to more than 150 endemic bird species. Rampant tourism has led to mounds of plastic litter in the mountains; "development" has led hydroelectric projects to submerge tracts of forest. All this coupled with climate change has led to a steady decline in the bird populations of the region. In this era of the Anthropocene, because the crisis is huge, a sense of helplessness sets in even at the local level, with people often starting to believe that they are insignificant and can do nothing to make a difference. In such a scenario, books such as When Birds Talked rebuild the reader's connection with nature. Even if such stories don't lead to immediate change, there is a chance they will encourage readers to wonder, as WH Davies does in his poem Leisure, why they no longer have the "time to stand and stare." This, in turn, might lead them to join a birding group or pay more attention to the sights and sounds of local avian life. Indeed, Negi's stories encourage all who read them to reflect on humanity's relationship with nature. The world might face a climate crisis, but there is still a chance to preserve the varied life and remaining forests on this blue dot we call home. When Birds Talked is a timely reminder of this possibility....