October 31, 2025 • 29 mins
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
The Nightingale by Hans Christian Andersen in China, As you know,
the emperor is a Chinaman, and all the people around
him are Chinamen too. It is many years since the
story I am going to tell you happened, but that
is all the more reason for telling it, lest it
(00:21):
should be forgotten. The Emperor's palace was the most beautiful
thing in the world. It was made entirely of the
finest porcelain, very costly, but at the same time so
fragile that it could only be touched with the very
greatest care. There were the most extraordinary flowers to be
(00:45):
seen in the garden. The most beautiful ones had little
silver bells tied to them, which tinkled perpetually, so that
one should not pass the flowers without looking at them.
Every little detail in the garden had been most carefully
thought out, and it was so big that even the
(01:06):
gardener himself did not know where it ended. If one
went on walking, one came to beautiful woods with lofty
trees and deep lakes. The wood extended to the sea,
which was deep and blue, deep enough for large ships
to sail right up under the branches of the trees.
(01:29):
Among these trees lived a nightingale, which sang so deliciously
that even the poor fisherman, who had plenty of other
things to do, lay still to listen to it when
he was out at night drawing in his nets. Heavens,
how beautiful it is, he said, But then he had
(01:52):
to attend to his business and forgot it. The next night,
when he heard it again, he would again exclaim, Heavens,
how beautiful it is. Travelers came to the Emperor's capital
from every country in the world. They admired everything very much,
(02:14):
especially the palace and the gardens, but when they heard
the nightingale, they all said, this is better than anything.
When they got home, they described it and learned. Ones
wrote many books about the town, the palace, and the garden,
(02:36):
but nobody forgot the nightingale. It was always put above
everything else. Those among them who were poets wrote the
most beautiful poems all about the nightingale in the woods
by the deep blue sea. These books went all over
(02:57):
the world, and in course of time some of them
reached the Emperor. He sat in his golden chair, reading
and reading, and nodding his head, well pleased to hear
such beautiful descriptions of the town, the palace, and the garden.
(03:17):
But the nightingale is best of all he read. What
is this, said the Emperor, the nightingale? Why I know
nothing about it? Is there such a bird in my
kingdom and in my own garden into the bargain, and
I have never heard of it? Imagine my having to
(03:39):
discover this from a book. Then he called his gentleman
in waiting, who was so grand that when any one
of a lower rank dared to speak to him or
ask him a question, he would only answer pH which
meant nothing at all. There is said to be a
(03:59):
very wonderful bird called a nightingale here, said the Emperor.
They say it is better than anything else in all
my great kingdom. Why have I never been told anything
about it? I've never heard it mentioned, said the gentleman
in waiting. It has never been presented at court. I
(04:21):
wish it to appear here this evening to sing to me,
said the Emperor. The whole world knows what I am
possessed of, and I know nothing about it. I have
never heard it mentioned before, said the gentleman in waiting.
I will seek it and I will find it. But
where was it to be found. The gentleman in waiting
(04:44):
ran upstairs and downstairs, and in and out of all
the rooms and corridors. No one of all those he
met had ever heard anything about the nightingale. So the
gentleman in waiting and back to the Emperor and said
that it must be a myth invented by the writers
(05:05):
of the books. Your Imperial Majesty must not believe everything
that is written. Books are often mere inventions, even if
they do not belong to what we call the Black Art.
But the book in which I read it is sent
to me by the powerful Emperor of Japan, so it
(05:25):
can't be untrue. I will hear this nightingale. I insist
upon it being here tonight. I extend my most gracious
protection to it. And if it is not forthcoming, I
will have the whole court trampled upon. After supper, sing pay,
(05:46):
said the gentleman in waiting, and away he ran again,
up and down all the stairs, in and out of
all the rooms and corridors. Half the court ran with him,
for they, none of them wished to be trampled on.
There was much questioning about this nightingale, which was known
(06:10):
to all the outside world, but to no one at court.
At last they found a poor little maid in the kitchen.
She said, Oh, heavens the nightingale. I know it very well. Yes,
indeed it can sing every evening. I am allowed to
(06:30):
take broken meat to my poor sick mother. She lives
down by the shore on my way back. When I
am tired, I rest awhile in the wood, and then
I hear the nightingale. Its song brings the tears into
my eyes. I feel as if my mother were kissing me.
(06:53):
Little kitchen maid, said the gentleman in waiting. I will
procure you a permanent position in the kitchen and permission
to see the emperor dining, if you will take us
to the nightingale. It is commanded to appear at court tonight.
They all went out into the wood where the nightingale
(07:16):
usually sang. Half the court was there. As they were
going along at their best pace, a cow began to bellow. Oh,
said a young courtier. There we have it. What wonderful
paper for such a little creature. I have certainly heard
(07:36):
it before. No, those are the cows bellowing. We are
a long way yet from the place. Then the frogs
began to croak in the marsh. Beautiful, said the Chinese chaplain.
It is just like the tinkling of church bells. No,
(07:57):
those are frogs, said the little kitchen maid. But I
think we shall soon hear it now. Then the nightingale
began to sing. There it is, said the little girl. Listen, listen,
there it sits, and she pointed to a little gray
(08:20):
bird up among the branches. Is it possible, said the
gentleman in waiting. I should never have thought it was
like that. How common it looks seeing so many grand
people must have frightened all its colors. Away, little nightingale,
(08:42):
called the kitchen maid quite loud. Our gracious Emperor wishes
you to sing to him with the greatest of pleasure,
said the nightingale, warbling away in the most beautiful fashion.
It is just like crystals, said the gentleman in waiting.
(09:03):
Look at its little throat, How active it is. It
is extraordinary that we have never heard it before. I
am sure it will be a great success at court.
Shall I sing again to the Emperor, said the nightingale,
who thought he was present. My precious little nightingale, said
(09:24):
the gentleman in waiting, I have the honor to command
your attendance at a court festival tonight, where you will
charm His gracious Majesty, the Emperor with your fascinating singing.
It sounds best among the trees, said the nightingale, But
(09:44):
it went with them willingly when it heard that the
Emperor wished it. The palace had been brightened up for
the occasion, the walls and the floors, which were all
made of china, own by the light of many thousand
golden lamps. The most beautiful flowers, all of the tinkling kind,
(10:10):
were arranged in the corridors. There was hurrying to and fro,
and a great draft, but this was just what made
the bells ring. One's ears were full of the tinkling.
In the middle of the large reception room, where the
Emperor sat, a golden rod had been fixed on which
(10:33):
the nightingale was to perch. The whole court was assembled,
and the little kitchen maid had been permitted to stand
behind the door, as she now had the actual title
of cook. They were all dressed in their best everybody's
eyes were turned towards the little gray bird, at which
(10:58):
the Emperor was nodding. The nightingale sang delightfully, and tears
came into the emperor's eyes. Nay, they rolled down his cheeks.
And then the nightingale sang more beautifully than ever. Its
(11:18):
notes touched all hearts. The Emperor was charmed and said
the nightingale should have his gold slipper to wear round
its neck. But the nightingale declined with thanks it had
already been sufficiently rewarded. I have seen the tears in
(11:38):
the eyes of the Emperor. That is my richest reward.
The tears of an emperor have a wonderful power. God knows.
I am sufficiently recompensed. And then it again burst into
its sweet, heavenly song. That is the most beautiful coquetting
(12:01):
I have ever seen, said the ladies, And they took
some water into their mouths to try and make the
same gurgling. When anyone spoke to them, thinking so to
equal the nightingale, Even the lackeys and the chambermaids announced
that they were satisfied. And that's saying a great deal.
(12:24):
They are always the most difficult people to please. Yes, indeed,
the nightingale had made a sensation. It was to stay
at court now and to have its own cage as
well as liberty to walk out twice a day and
once in the night. It always had twelve footmen, with
(12:48):
each one holding a ribbon which was tied round its leg.
There was not much pleasure in an outing of that sort.
The whole town talked about the marvelous bird, and if
two people met, one said to the other night, and
the other answered, gale, and then they sighed perfectly, understanding
(13:15):
each other. Eleven cheesemongerers children were called after it, but
they had not got a voice among them. One day
a large parcel came for the emperor. Outside was written
the word nightingale. Here we have another book about this
(13:36):
celebrated bird, said the emperor. But it was no book.
It was a little work of art in a box,
an artificial nightingale, exactly like the living one, but it
was studded all over with diamonds, rubies and sapphires. When
(14:02):
the bird was wound up, it could sing one of
the songs the real one sang, and it wagged its tail,
which glittered with silver and gold. A ribbon was tied
round its neck, on which was written the Emperor of
Japan's nightingale is very poor compared to the Emperor of China's.
(14:28):
Everybody said, oh, how beautiful, And the person who brought
the artificial bird immediately received the title of Imperial Nightingale
Carrier in chief. Now they must sing together. What a
duet that will be. Then they had to sing together,
(14:52):
but they did not get on very well, for the
real nightingale sang in its own way, and the artific
racial one could only sing waltzes. There is no fault
in that, said the music master. It is perfectly in
time and correct in every way. Then the artificial bird
(15:15):
had to sing alone. It was just as great a
success as the real one. And then it was so
much prettier to look at. It glittered like bracelets and breastpins.
That is the most delightful coquetting I have ever seen,
(15:36):
said the ladies. And they took some water into their
mouths to try and make the same gurgling, thinking so
to equal the nightingale. It sang the same tune three
and thirty times over, and yet it was not tired.
(15:57):
People would willingly have heard it from the beginning again.
But the Emperor said that the real one must have
a turn. Now, But where was it. No one had
noticed that it had flown out of the open window
back to its own green woods. But what is the
(16:20):
meaning of this, said the emperor. All the courtiers railed
at it and said it was a most ungrateful bird.
We have got the best bird, though, they said, And
then the artificial bird had to sing again, And this
was the thirty fourth time that they heard the same tune.
(16:42):
But they did not know it thoroughly even yet, because
it was so difficult. The music master praised the bird
tremendously and insisted that it was much better than the
real nightingale, not only as regarded to the outside with
all the diamonds, but the inside too, because you see,
(17:06):
my ladies and gentlemen, and the Emperor before all. In
the real nightingale, you never know what you will hear.
But in the artificial one, everything is decided beforehand. So
it is, and so it must remain. It can't be otherwise.
(17:28):
You can account for things. You can open it and
show the human ingenuity in arranging the waltzes, how they
go and how one note follows upon another. Those are
exactly my opinions, they all said, And the music master
(17:48):
got leave to show the bird to the public next Sunday,
they were also to hear it sing, said the Emperor.
So they heard it, and all became as enthusiastic over
it as if they had drunk themselves merry on tea,
because that is a thoroughly Chinese habit. Then they all
(18:11):
said oh, and struck their forefingers in the air and
nodded their heads. But the poor fishermen who had heard
the real nightingale said, it sounds very nice and is
very like the real one, but there is something wanting.
(18:33):
We don't know what. The real nightingale was banished from
the kingdom. The artificial bird had its place on a
silken cushion close to the Emperor's bed. All the presents
it had received of gold and precious jewels were scattered
(18:53):
round it. Its title had risen to be Chief Imperial
Singer of the Bedchamber in rank number one on the
left side for the Emperor reckoned that side, the important
one where the heart was seated, and even an emperor's
(19:15):
heart is on the left side. The music master wrote
five and twenty volumes about the artificial bird. The treatise
was very long and written in all the most difficult
Chinese characters. Everyone said they had read and understood it,
(19:36):
for otherwise they would have been reckoned stupid, and then
their bodies would have been trampled upon. Things went on
this way for a whole year. The Emperor, the court,
and all the other Chinamen knew every little gurgle in
the song of the Artificial Bird by heart. But they
(19:59):
liked it all the better for this, and they could
all join in the song themselves. Even the street boys
sang zizizi and cluck cluck, cluck, and the Emperor sang
it too. But one evening, when the bird was singing
its best and the Emperor was lying in bed listening
(20:21):
to it, something gave way inside the bird with a whiz,
and then a spring burst bird went all the wheels
and the music stopped. The Emperor jumped out of bed
and sent for his private physicians, but what good could
they do. Then they sent for the watchmaker, and after
(20:46):
a good deal of talk and examination, he got the
works to go again somehow, But he said it would
have to be saved as much as possible, because it
was so worn out, and he could not renew the
works so as to be sure of the tune. This
was a great blow. They only dared to let the
(21:09):
artificial birds sing once a year, and hardly that. But
then the music master made a little speech, using all
the most difficult words. He said, it was just as
good as ever, and his seeing it made it so.
Five years now passed, and then a great grief came
(21:34):
upon the nation, for they were all very fond of
their emperor, and he was ill and could not live.
It was said a new emperor was already chosen, and
people stood about in the street and asked the gentlemen
in waiting how their emperor was going on, answered he
(21:57):
shaking his head. The emperor lay pale and cold in
his gorgeous bed. The courtiers thought he was dead, and
they all went off to pay their respects to their
new emperor. The lackeys ran off to talk matters over,
(22:18):
and the chambermaids gave a great coffee party. Cloth had
been laid down in all the rooms and corridors so
as to deaden the sound of footsteps, so it was
very very quiet. But the emperor was not dead yet.
(22:39):
He lay stiff and pale in the gorgeous bed with
its velvet hangings and golden tassels. There was an open
window high above him, and the moon streamed in upon
the Emperor, and the artificial bird beside him. The poor
(23:02):
Emperor could hardly breathe. He seemed to have a weight
on his chest. He opened his eyes, and then he
saw that it was Death sitting upon his chest, wearing
his golden crown. In one hand, he held the Emperor's
(23:22):
golden sword, and in the other his imperial banner. Round about,
from among the folds of the velvet hangings peered many
curious faces. Some were hideous, others gentle and pleasant. They
were all the Emperor's good and bad deeds, which now
(23:47):
looked him in the face when Death was weighing him down.
Do you remember that? Whispered one after the other. Do
you remember this? And they told him so many things
that perspiration poured down his face. I never knew that,
(24:10):
said the emperor. Music, music, sound, the great Chinese drums.
He cried that I may not hear what they are saying.
But they went on and on, and Death sat nodding
his head just like a chinaman at everything that was said. Music. Music,
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shrieked the Emperor. You precious little golden birds, sing sing.
I have loaded you with precious stones. And even hung
my own golden slipper round your neck, sing, I tell
you sing. But the bird stood silent. There was nobody
(24:55):
to wind it up, so of course it could not go.
Death continued to fix the great empty sockets of his
eyes upon him, and all was silent, so terribly silent. Suddenly,
(25:15):
close to the window there was a burst of lovely song.
It was the living nightingale, perched on a branch outside.
It had heard of the emperor's need and had come
to bring comfort and hope to him. As it sang,
(25:36):
the faces round became fainter and fainter, and the blood
coursed with fresh vigor in the Emperor's veins and threw
his feeble limbs. Even Death himself listened to the song
and said, go on, little nightingale, go on, Yes, if
(26:01):
you give me the gorgeous golden sword, Yes, if you
give me the imperial banner, Yes, if you give me
the Emperor's crown. And Death gave back each of these
treasures for a song, and the nightingale went on singing.
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It sang about the quiet church yard, when the roses bloom,
where the elder flower scents the air, and where the
fresh grass is ever moistened anew by the tears of
the mourner. This song brought to death a longing for
his own garden, and like a cold gray mist, he
(26:47):
passed out of the window. Thanks, thanks, said the Emperor, you,
heavenly little bird. I know you. I'd banished you from
my kingdom, and yet you have charmed the evil visions
away from my bed by your song, and even death
(27:08):
away from my heart. How can I ever repay you.
You have rewarded me, said the nightingale. I brought the
tears to your eyes the very first time I ever
sang to you, and I shall never forget it. Those
are the jewels which gladden the heart of a singer.
(27:31):
But sleep now, and wake up, fresh and strong. I
will sing to you. Then it sang again, and the
Emperor fell into a sweet, refreshing sleep. The sun shone
at his window when he woke, refreshed and well. None
(27:51):
of his attendants had come back to him, for they
thought he was dead, But the Nightingale still sat there singing.
You must always stay with me, said the Emperor. You
shall only sing when you like, and I will break
the artificial bird into a thousand pieces don't do that,
(28:12):
said the nightingale. It did all the good it could
keep it as you always have. I can't build my
nest and live in this palace, but let me come
whenever I like. Then I will sit on the branch
in the evening and sing to you. I will sing
(28:32):
to cheer you and to make you thoughtful too. I
will sing to you of the happy ones and of
those that suffer too. I will sing about the good
and the evil which are kept hidden from you. The
little singing bird flies far and wide to the poor
fishermen and the peasants, home to numbers who are far
(28:56):
from you and your court. I love you your heart
more than your crown, and yet there's an odor of
sanctity round the crown too. I will come, and I
will sing to you, but you must promise me one
thing everything, said the emperor, who stood there in his
(29:21):
imperial robes, which he had just put on, and he
held the sword heavy with gold upon his heart. One
thing I ask you. Tell no one that you have
a little bird who tells you everything. It will be better.
So then the nightingale flew away. The attendants came in
(29:45):
to see after their dead emperor, and there he stood,
bidding them good morning. The End of the Nightingale by
Hans Christian Andersen
The Nightingale by Hans Christian Andersen in China, As you know,
the emperor is a Chinaman, and all the people around
him are Chinamen too. It is many years since the
story I am going to tell you happened, but that
is all the more reason for telling it, lest it
(00:21):
should be forgotten. The Emperor's palace was the most beautiful
thing in the world. It was made entirely of the
finest porcelain, very costly, but at the same time so
fragile that it could only be touched with the very
greatest care. There were the most extraordinary flowers to be
(00:45):
seen in the garden. The most beautiful ones had little
silver bells tied to them, which tinkled perpetually, so that
one should not pass the flowers without looking at them.
Every little detail in the garden had been most carefully
thought out, and it was so big that even the
(01:06):
gardener himself did not know where it ended. If one
went on walking, one came to beautiful woods with lofty
trees and deep lakes. The wood extended to the sea,
which was deep and blue, deep enough for large ships
to sail right up under the branches of the trees.
(01:29):
Among these trees lived a nightingale, which sang so deliciously
that even the poor fisherman, who had plenty of other
things to do, lay still to listen to it when
he was out at night drawing in his nets. Heavens,
how beautiful it is, he said, But then he had
(01:52):
to attend to his business and forgot it. The next night,
when he heard it again, he would again exclaim, Heavens,
how beautiful it is. Travelers came to the Emperor's capital
from every country in the world. They admired everything very much,
(02:14):
especially the palace and the gardens, but when they heard
the nightingale, they all said, this is better than anything.
When they got home, they described it and learned. Ones
wrote many books about the town, the palace, and the garden,
(02:36):
but nobody forgot the nightingale. It was always put above
everything else. Those among them who were poets wrote the
most beautiful poems all about the nightingale in the woods
by the deep blue sea. These books went all over
(02:57):
the world, and in course of time some of them
reached the Emperor. He sat in his golden chair, reading
and reading, and nodding his head, well pleased to hear
such beautiful descriptions of the town, the palace, and the garden.
(03:17):
But the nightingale is best of all he read. What
is this, said the Emperor, the nightingale? Why I know
nothing about it? Is there such a bird in my
kingdom and in my own garden into the bargain, and
I have never heard of it? Imagine my having to
(03:39):
discover this from a book. Then he called his gentleman
in waiting, who was so grand that when any one
of a lower rank dared to speak to him or
ask him a question, he would only answer pH which
meant nothing at all. There is said to be a
(03:59):
very wonderful bird called a nightingale here, said the Emperor.
They say it is better than anything else in all
my great kingdom. Why have I never been told anything
about it? I've never heard it mentioned, said the gentleman
in waiting. It has never been presented at court. I
(04:21):
wish it to appear here this evening to sing to me,
said the Emperor. The whole world knows what I am
possessed of, and I know nothing about it. I have
never heard it mentioned before, said the gentleman in waiting.
I will seek it and I will find it. But
where was it to be found. The gentleman in waiting
(04:44):
ran upstairs and downstairs, and in and out of all
the rooms and corridors. No one of all those he
met had ever heard anything about the nightingale. So the
gentleman in waiting and back to the Emperor and said
that it must be a myth invented by the writers
(05:05):
of the books. Your Imperial Majesty must not believe everything
that is written. Books are often mere inventions, even if
they do not belong to what we call the Black Art.
But the book in which I read it is sent
to me by the powerful Emperor of Japan, so it
(05:25):
can't be untrue. I will hear this nightingale. I insist
upon it being here tonight. I extend my most gracious
protection to it. And if it is not forthcoming, I
will have the whole court trampled upon. After supper, sing pay,
(05:46):
said the gentleman in waiting, and away he ran again,
up and down all the stairs, in and out of
all the rooms and corridors. Half the court ran with him,
for they, none of them wished to be trampled on.
There was much questioning about this nightingale, which was known
(06:10):
to all the outside world, but to no one at court.
At last they found a poor little maid in the kitchen.
She said, Oh, heavens the nightingale. I know it very well. Yes,
indeed it can sing every evening. I am allowed to
(06:30):
take broken meat to my poor sick mother. She lives
down by the shore on my way back. When I
am tired, I rest awhile in the wood, and then
I hear the nightingale. Its song brings the tears into
my eyes. I feel as if my mother were kissing me.
(06:53):
Little kitchen maid, said the gentleman in waiting. I will
procure you a permanent position in the kitchen and permission
to see the emperor dining, if you will take us
to the nightingale. It is commanded to appear at court tonight.
They all went out into the wood where the nightingale
(07:16):
usually sang. Half the court was there. As they were
going along at their best pace, a cow began to bellow. Oh,
said a young courtier. There we have it. What wonderful
paper for such a little creature. I have certainly heard
(07:36):
it before. No, those are the cows bellowing. We are
a long way yet from the place. Then the frogs
began to croak in the marsh. Beautiful, said the Chinese chaplain.
It is just like the tinkling of church bells. No,
(07:57):
those are frogs, said the little kitchen maid. But I
think we shall soon hear it now. Then the nightingale
began to sing. There it is, said the little girl. Listen, listen,
there it sits, and she pointed to a little gray
(08:20):
bird up among the branches. Is it possible, said the
gentleman in waiting. I should never have thought it was
like that. How common it looks seeing so many grand
people must have frightened all its colors. Away, little nightingale,
(08:42):
called the kitchen maid quite loud. Our gracious Emperor wishes
you to sing to him with the greatest of pleasure,
said the nightingale, warbling away in the most beautiful fashion.
It is just like crystals, said the gentleman in waiting.
(09:03):
Look at its little throat, How active it is. It
is extraordinary that we have never heard it before. I
am sure it will be a great success at court.
Shall I sing again to the Emperor, said the nightingale,
who thought he was present. My precious little nightingale, said
(09:24):
the gentleman in waiting, I have the honor to command
your attendance at a court festival tonight, where you will
charm His gracious Majesty, the Emperor with your fascinating singing.
It sounds best among the trees, said the nightingale, But
(09:44):
it went with them willingly when it heard that the
Emperor wished it. The palace had been brightened up for
the occasion, the walls and the floors, which were all
made of china, own by the light of many thousand
golden lamps. The most beautiful flowers, all of the tinkling kind,
(10:10):
were arranged in the corridors. There was hurrying to and fro,
and a great draft, but this was just what made
the bells ring. One's ears were full of the tinkling.
In the middle of the large reception room, where the
Emperor sat, a golden rod had been fixed on which
(10:33):
the nightingale was to perch. The whole court was assembled,
and the little kitchen maid had been permitted to stand
behind the door, as she now had the actual title
of cook. They were all dressed in their best everybody's
eyes were turned towards the little gray bird, at which
(10:58):
the Emperor was nodding. The nightingale sang delightfully, and tears
came into the emperor's eyes. Nay, they rolled down his cheeks.
And then the nightingale sang more beautifully than ever. Its
(11:18):
notes touched all hearts. The Emperor was charmed and said
the nightingale should have his gold slipper to wear round
its neck. But the nightingale declined with thanks it had
already been sufficiently rewarded. I have seen the tears in
(11:38):
the eyes of the Emperor. That is my richest reward.
The tears of an emperor have a wonderful power. God knows.
I am sufficiently recompensed. And then it again burst into
its sweet, heavenly song. That is the most beautiful coquetting
(12:01):
I have ever seen, said the ladies, And they took
some water into their mouths to try and make the
same gurgling. When anyone spoke to them, thinking so to
equal the nightingale, Even the lackeys and the chambermaids announced
that they were satisfied. And that's saying a great deal.
(12:24):
They are always the most difficult people to please. Yes, indeed,
the nightingale had made a sensation. It was to stay
at court now and to have its own cage as
well as liberty to walk out twice a day and
once in the night. It always had twelve footmen, with
(12:48):
each one holding a ribbon which was tied round its leg.
There was not much pleasure in an outing of that sort.
The whole town talked about the marvelous bird, and if
two people met, one said to the other night, and
the other answered, gale, and then they sighed perfectly, understanding
(13:15):
each other. Eleven cheesemongerers children were called after it, but
they had not got a voice among them. One day
a large parcel came for the emperor. Outside was written
the word nightingale. Here we have another book about this
(13:36):
celebrated bird, said the emperor. But it was no book.
It was a little work of art in a box,
an artificial nightingale, exactly like the living one, but it
was studded all over with diamonds, rubies and sapphires. When
(14:02):
the bird was wound up, it could sing one of
the songs the real one sang, and it wagged its tail,
which glittered with silver and gold. A ribbon was tied
round its neck, on which was written the Emperor of
Japan's nightingale is very poor compared to the Emperor of China's.
(14:28):
Everybody said, oh, how beautiful, And the person who brought
the artificial bird immediately received the title of Imperial Nightingale
Carrier in chief. Now they must sing together. What a
duet that will be. Then they had to sing together,
(14:52):
but they did not get on very well, for the
real nightingale sang in its own way, and the artific
racial one could only sing waltzes. There is no fault
in that, said the music master. It is perfectly in
time and correct in every way. Then the artificial bird
(15:15):
had to sing alone. It was just as great a
success as the real one. And then it was so
much prettier to look at. It glittered like bracelets and breastpins.
That is the most delightful coquetting I have ever seen,
(15:36):
said the ladies. And they took some water into their
mouths to try and make the same gurgling, thinking so
to equal the nightingale. It sang the same tune three
and thirty times over, and yet it was not tired.
(15:57):
People would willingly have heard it from the beginning again.
But the Emperor said that the real one must have
a turn. Now, But where was it. No one had
noticed that it had flown out of the open window
back to its own green woods. But what is the
(16:20):
meaning of this, said the emperor. All the courtiers railed
at it and said it was a most ungrateful bird.
We have got the best bird, though, they said, And
then the artificial bird had to sing again, And this
was the thirty fourth time that they heard the same tune.
(16:42):
But they did not know it thoroughly even yet, because
it was so difficult. The music master praised the bird
tremendously and insisted that it was much better than the
real nightingale, not only as regarded to the outside with
all the diamonds, but the inside too, because you see,
(17:06):
my ladies and gentlemen, and the Emperor before all. In
the real nightingale, you never know what you will hear.
But in the artificial one, everything is decided beforehand. So
it is, and so it must remain. It can't be otherwise.
(17:28):
You can account for things. You can open it and
show the human ingenuity in arranging the waltzes, how they
go and how one note follows upon another. Those are
exactly my opinions, they all said, And the music master
(17:48):
got leave to show the bird to the public next Sunday,
they were also to hear it sing, said the Emperor.
So they heard it, and all became as enthusiastic over
it as if they had drunk themselves merry on tea,
because that is a thoroughly Chinese habit. Then they all
(18:11):
said oh, and struck their forefingers in the air and
nodded their heads. But the poor fishermen who had heard
the real nightingale said, it sounds very nice and is
very like the real one, but there is something wanting.
(18:33):
We don't know what. The real nightingale was banished from
the kingdom. The artificial bird had its place on a
silken cushion close to the Emperor's bed. All the presents
it had received of gold and precious jewels were scattered
(18:53):
round it. Its title had risen to be Chief Imperial
Singer of the Bedchamber in rank number one on the
left side for the Emperor reckoned that side, the important
one where the heart was seated, and even an emperor's
(19:15):
heart is on the left side. The music master wrote
five and twenty volumes about the artificial bird. The treatise
was very long and written in all the most difficult
Chinese characters. Everyone said they had read and understood it,
(19:36):
for otherwise they would have been reckoned stupid, and then
their bodies would have been trampled upon. Things went on
this way for a whole year. The Emperor, the court,
and all the other Chinamen knew every little gurgle in
the song of the Artificial Bird by heart. But they
(19:59):
liked it all the better for this, and they could
all join in the song themselves. Even the street boys
sang zizizi and cluck cluck, cluck, and the Emperor sang
it too. But one evening, when the bird was singing
its best and the Emperor was lying in bed listening
(20:21):
to it, something gave way inside the bird with a whiz,
and then a spring burst bird went all the wheels
and the music stopped. The Emperor jumped out of bed
and sent for his private physicians, but what good could
they do. Then they sent for the watchmaker, and after
(20:46):
a good deal of talk and examination, he got the
works to go again somehow, But he said it would
have to be saved as much as possible, because it
was so worn out, and he could not renew the
works so as to be sure of the tune. This
was a great blow. They only dared to let the
(21:09):
artificial birds sing once a year, and hardly that. But
then the music master made a little speech, using all
the most difficult words. He said, it was just as
good as ever, and his seeing it made it so.
Five years now passed, and then a great grief came
(21:34):
upon the nation, for they were all very fond of
their emperor, and he was ill and could not live.
It was said a new emperor was already chosen, and
people stood about in the street and asked the gentlemen
in waiting how their emperor was going on, answered he
(21:57):
shaking his head. The emperor lay pale and cold in
his gorgeous bed. The courtiers thought he was dead, and
they all went off to pay their respects to their
new emperor. The lackeys ran off to talk matters over,
(22:18):
and the chambermaids gave a great coffee party. Cloth had
been laid down in all the rooms and corridors so
as to deaden the sound of footsteps, so it was
very very quiet. But the emperor was not dead yet.
(22:39):
He lay stiff and pale in the gorgeous bed with
its velvet hangings and golden tassels. There was an open
window high above him, and the moon streamed in upon
the Emperor, and the artificial bird beside him. The poor
(23:02):
Emperor could hardly breathe. He seemed to have a weight
on his chest. He opened his eyes, and then he
saw that it was Death sitting upon his chest, wearing
his golden crown. In one hand, he held the Emperor's
(23:22):
golden sword, and in the other his imperial banner. Round about,
from among the folds of the velvet hangings peered many
curious faces. Some were hideous, others gentle and pleasant. They
were all the Emperor's good and bad deeds, which now
(23:47):
looked him in the face when Death was weighing him down.
Do you remember that? Whispered one after the other. Do
you remember this? And they told him so many things
that perspiration poured down his face. I never knew that,
(24:10):
said the emperor. Music, music, sound, the great Chinese drums.
He cried that I may not hear what they are saying.
But they went on and on, and Death sat nodding
his head just like a chinaman at everything that was said. Music. Music,
(24:35):
shrieked the Emperor. You precious little golden birds, sing sing.
I have loaded you with precious stones. And even hung
my own golden slipper round your neck, sing, I tell
you sing. But the bird stood silent. There was nobody
(24:55):
to wind it up, so of course it could not go.
Death continued to fix the great empty sockets of his
eyes upon him, and all was silent, so terribly silent. Suddenly,
(25:15):
close to the window there was a burst of lovely song.
It was the living nightingale, perched on a branch outside.
It had heard of the emperor's need and had come
to bring comfort and hope to him. As it sang,
(25:36):
the faces round became fainter and fainter, and the blood
coursed with fresh vigor in the Emperor's veins and threw
his feeble limbs. Even Death himself listened to the song
and said, go on, little nightingale, go on, Yes, if
(26:01):
you give me the gorgeous golden sword, Yes, if you
give me the imperial banner, Yes, if you give me
the Emperor's crown. And Death gave back each of these
treasures for a song, and the nightingale went on singing.
(26:23):
It sang about the quiet church yard, when the roses bloom,
where the elder flower scents the air, and where the
fresh grass is ever moistened anew by the tears of
the mourner. This song brought to death a longing for
his own garden, and like a cold gray mist, he
(26:47):
passed out of the window. Thanks, thanks, said the Emperor, you,
heavenly little bird. I know you. I'd banished you from
my kingdom, and yet you have charmed the evil visions
away from my bed by your song, and even death
(27:08):
away from my heart. How can I ever repay you.
You have rewarded me, said the nightingale. I brought the
tears to your eyes the very first time I ever
sang to you, and I shall never forget it. Those
are the jewels which gladden the heart of a singer.
(27:31):
But sleep now, and wake up, fresh and strong. I
will sing to you. Then it sang again, and the
Emperor fell into a sweet, refreshing sleep. The sun shone
at his window when he woke, refreshed and well. None
(27:51):
of his attendants had come back to him, for they
thought he was dead, But the Nightingale still sat there singing.
You must always stay with me, said the Emperor. You
shall only sing when you like, and I will break
the artificial bird into a thousand pieces don't do that,
(28:12):
said the nightingale. It did all the good it could
keep it as you always have. I can't build my
nest and live in this palace, but let me come
whenever I like. Then I will sit on the branch
in the evening and sing to you. I will sing
(28:32):
to cheer you and to make you thoughtful too. I
will sing to you of the happy ones and of
those that suffer too. I will sing about the good
and the evil which are kept hidden from you. The
little singing bird flies far and wide to the poor
fishermen and the peasants, home to numbers who are far
(28:56):
from you and your court. I love you your heart
more than your crown, and yet there's an odor of
sanctity round the crown too. I will come, and I
will sing to you, but you must promise me one
thing everything, said the emperor, who stood there in his
(29:21):
imperial robes, which he had just put on, and he
held the sword heavy with gold upon his heart. One
thing I ask you. Tell no one that you have
a little bird who tells you everything. It will be better.
So then the nightingale flew away. The attendants came in
(29:45):
to see after their dead emperor, and there he stood,
bidding them good morning. The End of the Nightingale by
Hans Christian Andersen
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