THE EMPEROR'S NIGHTINGALE

THE EMPEROR'S NIGHTINGALE

Hans Christian Anderson

Many years ago, there was an Emperor who lived in the most splendid palace in the most beautiful city in China. Everything in the palace was made of delicate porcelain. Outside, near the palace, the loveliest flowers grew in a very large garden.

Deep in this very large garden was a forest of tall trees and clears, blue lakes. The forest stretched for many miles, and in it lived a nightingale. From its home in the forest, the nightingale sang so sweetly that everyone who heard it would stop what they were doing. They would listen to the song, and all would say the same thing: "what a beautiful song!"

Now the Emperor was very proud of his city, his palace, and his garden, and he was greatly pleased when travelers came from everywhere to admire them. These travelers, when they returned home, wrote many books and poems about the magnificent city, the porcelain palace, the lovely garden, and the nightingale that sang so beautifully.

People from all over the world had read the books and poems, but the emperor had never read any of them. Then one day it happened that one of the books was brought to his attention. He sat down at once to read the lovely descriptions of his city, his palace, and his garden. As he was reading, he came to this statement: "the song of the nightingale is the loveliest of all."

The emperor had never heard of the nightingale until he read that statement. "What nightingale?" he cried. "How could that be a nightingale that sings in my garden when I had never heard it?"

Immediately, the emperor summoned his court attendants. "Why has no one ever told me about this wonderful singing bird?" he asked. "Bring it to me and let the bird sing for me this evening."

But the court attendants had never heard the bird, and not one of them even knew anything about it. They searched every room in the palace, looking for someone who had heard the nightingale.

The search was in vain until at last, in the kitchen, they asked a girl who was busily scrubbing pots and pans. "Of course I know the nightingale!" she exclaimed. "I know it very well."

Gladly, the girl agreed to take the court attendants to the forest. They walk through the lovely flower in the garden, and just they entered the tall trees, the nightingale began to sing. The attendants listened in amazement. Never before had they hear such music.

"Little nightingale," call the kitchen maid, "our most gracious emperor would like very much for you to sing for him."

"With the greatest pleasure," answered the nightingale. "My song sounds best in the forest, but i shall willingly follow you to the palace."

The whole court was present in the great hall of the palace. The emperor nodded, and the nightingale began to sing. it sang so sweetly and beautifully that tears came into the emperor's eyes.

"Stay with us, little nightingale," the emperor cried, "and you shall have everything that you desire."

"I will stay," said the nightingale, "but I am rewarded enough. I have seen tears in the emperor's eyes."

So the nightingale stayed at the palace. It lived in a splendid cage and was given everything it desired. Then, one day, a package marked "the nightingale arrived. When it was opened, it was found to contain a beautifully made mechanical bird, covered with diamonds and precious stones. When it was wound up, the mechanical bird sang one of the songs that the real nightingale sang.

"Oh, this is splendid!" cried the ladies and gentlemen of the court. The emperor was also delighted and called for the mechanical bird to sing again and again. no one noticed the real nightingale as it flew out through an open window and started on its way back to the forest.

Five years passed, and the mechanical bird sang every day. Each time it was wound up, it sang the same song in exactly the same way.

Then suddenly, a great sorrow came to the city. The emperor became seriously ill, and the court doctors said he was close to death. As they leaned over the dying emperor, the doctors heard him wisher, "music! Music! Make the mechanical golden bird sing."

The doctors wound up the bird, but something inside it went "clunk!" something else went "whirr-r-r-r!!" the bird stopped singing, and no one could repair its delicate machinery.

Now, just when it seemed that nothing could be done to save the emperor, there sounded the most delightful song. It was the real nightingale. it had heard the emperor's illness and had come to sing him a song of comfort and hope.

Through the night, the nightingale sang on and on. The songs cheered the emperor, and he felt his strength returning.

"Thank you, little nightingale," said the emperor. "We drove you from the palace with our mechanical bird, but you returned and saved my life. You must stay with me always. You shall sing only when you please, and I shall break the mechanical golden bird into a thousand pieces."

"No," said the nightingale. "Don’t destroy the mechanical bird. It sang the best it could for as long as it could. As for me, I cannot live in the palace, but I will come to visit you every night. I will sit on a bough outside your window and sing.

With that the nightingale flew away, and the emperor fell into a deep sleep.

The next morning the sorrowing servants and the court attendants came to mourn their emperor, for they had accepted him to die during the night. When they opened the door, however, there stood the emperor at a window. He turned around and startled them with a strong cheery "good morning!"

There followed great rejoicing in the land, for the emperor was well and strong again. And every evening, he threw open the windows of his room to hear the lovely songs of the nightingale.