(1844)
In China, you know, the emperor is a Chinese, and all those about him
are Chinamen also. The story I am going to tell you happened a great many
years ago, so it is well to hear it now before it is forgotten. The emperor’s
palace was the most beautiful in the world. It was built entirely of porcelain,
and very costly, but so delicate and brittle that whoever touched it was
obliged to be careful. In the garden could be seen the most singular flowers,
with pretty silver bells tied to them, which tinkled so that every one who
passed could not help noticing the flowers. Indeed, everything in the
emperor’s garden was remarkable, and it extended so far that the gardener
himself did not know where it ended. Those who travelled beyond its limits
knew that there was a noble forest, with lofty trees, sloping down to the
deep blue sea, and the great ships sailed under the shadow of its branches.
In one of these trees lived a nightingale, who sang so beautifully that even
the poor fishermen, who had so many other things to do, would stop and
listen. Sometimes, when they went at night to spread their nets, they would
hear her sing, and say, “Oh, is not that beautiful?” But when they returned
to their fishing, they forgot the bird until the next night. Then they would
hear it again, and exclaim “Oh, how beautiful is the nightingale’s song!”
Travellers from every country in the world came to the city of the
emperor, which they admired very much, as well as the palace and gardens;
but when they heard the nightingale, they all declared it to be the best of all.
And the travellers, on their return home, related what they had seen; and
learned men wrote books, containing descriptions of the town, the palace,
and the gardens; but they did not forget the nightingale, which was really
the greatest wonder. And those who could write poetry composed beautiful
verses about the nightingale, who lived in a forest near the deep sea. The
books travelled all over the world, and some of them came into the hands of
the emperor; and he sat in his golden chair, and, as he read, he nodded his
