Vegan (Have Space Suit—Will Travel)

Vegans are an advanced race from Robert A. Heinlein's young adult novel Have Spacesuit - Will Travel. A Vegan, which the earthlings call "Mother Thing", is captured along with the daughter of an Earth scientist and rescues the earthlings from an alien kidnapper. The Vegans take the earthlings to their home planet, Vega 5, heal their injuries, and take evidence to an intergalactic tribunal which punishes the kidnappers, before returning the children to Earth. The Vegans are able to communicate with Humans by a form of telepathy: their language is described as sounding like a birdsong, and only the intended listeners will understand the meaning of what the Vegan is saying.