5. The Song of the Calf

The Calf’s Song, meanwhile, tells the story of a calf and her mother. The two animals live as domestic livestock in a valley, and the calf dreams of escaping to freedom in the mountains. The mother discourages the calf, but she nonetheless escapes to the mountains, where she is surrounded by wolves. The mother appears to rescue the calf, who flees and, returning one week later, finds her mother’s remains. She then meditates on death, impermanence, and filial piety before returning to the valley to continue her life there.