The Chinese Nightingale

PART ONE

Many years ago a kind emperor lived in Ancient China. He had the most beautiful palace in the world. High walls surrounded the palace. And beautiful gardens were tended by the emperor's servents.

In a forest that surrounded the gardens lived a nightingale who made beautiful music. The gardeners often talked about the bird's sweet songs.

Word got back to the emperor who wanted to heat the bird. So he assigned the lord chamberlain, the emperor's chirf advisor, to bring him the nightingale. The chamberlain walked to the woods.

"Dear nightingale," said the lord chamberlain, "the emperor wishes to hear your beautiful music.''

"Please tell him that when he comes to the forest, I will prepare a special concert for him, " said the nightingale.

"The emperor does not leave the palace," said the lord chamberlain. "He asks that you sing for him there.''

"But I am happy in my woods," said the nightinggale.

"You would make the emperor happy if you would come and sing for him."

PART TWO

At this, the nightingale agreed. The emperor and his court were all charmed by the beautiful concert. At the end of his concert, the nightingale said, "Now I must go home."

"You may not go," said the emperor. "You mast stay here and be my court singer." 

So, the lord chamberlain caught the nightingale and put him into a cage. The nightingale refused to sing or eat. He laid down on the bottom of the cage pretending to be dead.

When a servant opened the cage to check on him, he flew out of the cage. He continued flying all the way back to the woods.

The emperor missed the singing and demanded a replacement. So craftsmen made a toy bird, but it wasn't the same. It had to be wound up, and the sound was loud and shrill.

The emperor became so sad that he became ill and couldn't get out of bed. When he heard about the emperor, the nightingale knew he had to go back to the palace.

PART THREE