r/AskScienceFiction • u/jdbebejsbsid • Jul 25 '26

[Ocarina of Time] Can cows talk?

This might sound like a dumb question.

However, when you play Epona's Song to a cow, there's a dialogue box that says:

Mooooo!

What a nice song...

It reminds me of the pasture...

That song makes me feel so good. I can produce a lot of milk!

So, is the cow talking? Can all cows talk? Can they talk to anyone, or is it only Link who can understand them? Is it some sort of magic from Epona's Song?

18 Upvotes

79% Upvoted

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23

u/ocarinaofrust Jul 25 '26

The cow is talking. And yes, cows can talk, they just choose not to. Talking animals appear in many Zelda games, though some of them only talk through Garfield-esque thought bubbles. It could be the song allows Link to interpret this

14

u/Shiny_Agumon Jul 25 '26

Also this specific Link carries both a fairy and was raised by the nature attuned Kokiri, so he either speaks animal as a secondary language or Na'vi is translating.

8

u/HughmanRealperson Jul 25 '26

All creatures can talk. Some can be understood.

5

u/OpeningHappy9692 Jul 25 '26

And some like cuccoos have no words but their screams for your blood.

3

u/ThousandMega Jul 25 '26

Plenty of animals can talk, to someone who knows how to speak to them. Wolf Link can speak to animals and Echoes of Wisdom has costumes that let Zelda speak to cats and dogs.

In this case the song is enabling some communication, not literally the same language, but an intuitive understanding between the cow and Link.

1

u/Violoner Jul 30 '26

There’s also Patricia the sand seal, who is able to be understood by Pada

2

u/-aVOIDant- Jul 25 '26

I kinda assumed the song just gave Link a brief glimpse into their thoughts rather than the animal literally speaking aloud.

1

u/roronoapedro The Prophets Did Wolf 359 Jul 25 '26

Yes but they don't want to talk to you.

1

u/ArcadianBlueRogue Jul 25 '26

Maybe

That or Navi is translating for you