The Emperor's palace was the most beautiful in the world.
In the garden were to be seen wonderful flowers, and to the costliest
of these silver bells were tied, which rang, so that nobody should
pass by without noticing the garden. It extended so far that the
gardener himself did not know where the end was. If one went on and
on, one came to a glorious forest. The wood extended straight down to
the sea, and in the trees lived a Nightingale. It sang so splendidly
that even the poor fisherman, who had many other things to do, stopped
still and listened, when he had gone out at night to throw his nets,
to hear the Nightingale.
From all the countries of the world travellers came to admire the
Emperor's palace and his garden, but when they heard the Nightingale
they said, "That is the best of all!"
At last their words came to the Emperor.
"What's that?" he exclaimed. "I don't know the Nightingale at all. Is
there such a bird in my empire, and even in my garden? I've never
heard of that. I command that he shall appear this evening and sing
before me!"
But where was the Nightingale to be found? The court had not heard of
it either. There was a great inquiry after the wonderful Nightingale
which all the world knew except the people at the palace. At last they
met a poor little girl in the kitchen who said,
"Yes, I know the Nightingale well. It can sing gloriously. Every
evening I get leave to carry my mother the scraps from the table. She
lives down by the stream, and when I get back, and am tired, and rest
in the wood, then I hear the Nightingale sing. It is just as if my
mother kissed me."
So the little girl led the way out into the wood. Half the court went,
and the child pointed at last to a little gray bird up in the boughs.
"It can't be possible," they said. "How dull it looks; but it may have
lost its color at seeing such grand people around."
"Little Nightingale," called the kitchen maid, "our gracious Emperor
wishes you to sing before him."
"My song sounds best in the greenwood," replied the Nightingale; still
it came willingly when it knew what the Emperor wished.
The palace was festively adorned for it. The walls and the flooring,
which were of porcelain, gleamed in the rays of thousands of golden
lamps. The most glorious flowers, which could ring clearly, had been
placed in all the passages. In the great hall there had been placed a
golden perch on which the Nightingale sat. The little kitchen girl had
received permission to stand by the door. All the court was in full
dress, and all looked at the little gray bird to which the Emperor
nodded.
Then the Nightingale sang so gloriously that the tears came into the
Emperor's eyes, and the song went straight to his heart.
It was to remain at the palace now, the Emperor decided; to have its
own cage, with liberty to go out twice every day and once at night.
Twelve servants were appointed when the Nightingale went out, each of
whom had a silken string fastened to the bird's leg which he held very
tightly. There was really no pleasure in an excursion of that kind.
The whole city spoke of the wonderful bird. When two people met, one
said "Nightin," and the other said "gale" which was all that was
necessary. Eleven peddlers' children were named after the bird, but
not one of them could sing a note.