“Tsing-pe!” cried the lord-in-waiting, and again he ran up and down
stairs, through all the halls and corridors; and half the court ran with him,
for they did not like the idea of being trampled upon. There was a great
inquiry about this wonderful nightingale, whom all the world knew, but
who was unknown to the court.
At last they met with a poor little girl in the kitchen, who said, “Oh, yes, I
know the nightingale quite well; indeed, she can sing. Every evening I have
permission to take home to my poor sick mother the scraps from the table;
she lives down by the sea-shore, and as I come back I feel tired, and I sit
down in the wood to rest, and listen to the nightingale’s song. Then the tears
come into my eyes, and it is just as if my mother kissed me.”
“Little maiden,” said the lord-in-waiting, “I will obtain for you constant
employment in the kitchen, and you shall have permission to see the
emperor dine, if you will lead us to the nightingale; for she is invited for
this evening to the palace.” So she went into the wood where the
nightingale sang, and half the court followed her. As they went along, a cow
began lowing.
“Oh,” said a young courtier, “now we have found her; what wonderful
power for such a small creature; I have certainly heard it before.”
