The Little Nightingale

The Emperor and His Palace

Long ago, in China, there was an Emperor who lived in a beautiful palace. The palace was surrounded by a vast garden that stretched so far that even the gardeners had no idea where it ended. The palace was crafted from precious porcelain, and the garden was adorned with lakes, woods, and rare flowers. It bordered the sea, where a nightingale resided in the branches of a large tree. Its singing was so beautiful that even a poor fisherman, busy with his nets at night, would pause to listen.

The Nightingale’s Fame

From every corner of the world, travellers came to marvel at the Emperor’s palace and garden. As soon as they heard the nightingale, everyone exclaimed, “Oh, but that is the best of all!” When the travellers returned home, they wrote books about the palace, the gardens, and the nightingale’s sweet song.

The Emperor’s Curiosity

One day, the Chinese Emperor sat in his golden chair, reading a book sent to him by the Japanese Emperor. He felt joyful as the book contained splendid descriptions of his palace and garden. “The nightingale is the best of all,” the book claimed. This prompted the Emperor to command that the nightingale be brought to him, saying, “The whole world knows what I possess, yet I know nothing about this bird. I have never even heard it.”

The Search for the Nightingale

The important people in the court began searching for the nightingale. They were unsuccessful but eventually met a poor kitchen maid. “I know the nightingale well,” she said. “Sometimes, when I am in the woods, I hear it singing. I will take you to it.” Half the court joined the search, but they did not know what the nightingale looked like and had never heard its voice. On their way, they mistook many creatures for the nightingale; some thought they found it in a cow, while others confused it with a frog. Ultimately, the little kitchen-maid led the courtiers to the right place.

The Nightingale’s Song

Once they reached the tree, the little girl pointed to a tiny grey bird perched on the branches. Everyone was surprised to see such an ordinary-looking bird. She asked the nightingale to sing, and when the courtiers heard the song, they could think of no praise high enough for the little bird. The most important courtier invited the nightingale to the palace to sing for the Emperor.

A Nightingale in the Palace

That very night, the nightingale sang for the Emperor in his magnificent palace. Its voice was so lovely that it brought tears to the Emperor’s eyes. Later, he offered the nightingale any reward it wished, but the little bird refused, saying, “I’ve seen tears in the Emperor’s eyes. That is my richest reward.” It sang again, captivating everyone from the Emperor to the lowliest stable lad. It was decided that the bird would remain at court, enjoying its cage, with permission for two walks during the day and one at night. Twelve attendants tightly held thin silken ribbons tied around its legs, making the walks less enjoyable.

The Clockwork Nightingale

One day, a parcel arrived for the Emperor. It was a clockwork nightingale, embellished with precious stones. When wound up, it sang one of the real nightingale’s songs. The two birds sang together, but it was not very successful; the real nightingale sang in its own unique way, while the artificial one could only repeat the same tune. Although everyone initially listened to the clockwork bird, it soon exhausted its song, while the real nightingale flew out of an open window. When the Emperor realized the nightingale was missing, he felt sad. His courtiers, asserting that he should feel angry with such an ungrateful bird, made the Emperor furious and led him to banish the little nightingale from his empire.

Regret and Recovery

The artificial bird received a silken cushion close to the Emperor’s bed, singing to the court every day. This continued for an entire year, during which everyone in China memorized the clockwork nightingale’s every note. One day, as the Emperor listened, there was a whirr, a click, and then grinding noises, which led to silence. Unable to help, the doctor suggested consulting a watchmaker instead. The watchmaker managed to mend it but warned that it could only sing once a year due to nearly worn-out mechanisms.

A Time of Sadness

After five years, the whole country mourned as the Emperor fell gravely ill. Cold and pale, he lay in his magnificent bed, and everyone feared he was dead. Though not yet deceased, the Emperor was close enough to hear death’s whisper calling him. Terrified, he ordered drummers to beat the land’s biggest drum to drown out the voice, but it proved ineffective.

The Return of the Nightingale

Suddenly, through a high window, the real nightingale flew in. Having heard of the Emperor’s illness, it wanted to help. Perching on his pillow, it began to sing so sweetly that the Emperor started to feel better, and the voice of death began to fade. With each note, death’s voice grew fainter until it finally vanished. The Emperor opened his eyes and said, “How can I ever thank you?” However, feeling weak, he soon fell asleep.

A New Promise

When the Emperor woke up, he asked the nightingale to never leave him again. “I can’t make my home in the palace,” replied the little bird, “but let me come whenever I wish to sing for you. I will tell you about happy things and sad things. There is only one thing I ask—you must not tell anyone about me.” And with that, it flew out of the window.

The Lesson Learned

At that moment, all the courtiers entered, expecting to find their Emperor dead. To their astonishment, he sat up and greeted them with, “Good morning,” and asked for tea. He never shared the tale of the little nightingale, having learned a valuable lesson: that wild creatures must be allowed to live freely as they desire.