how to tell stories to children-第22章

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gone　a　little　way；　they　heard　a　cow　moo。

〃Ah！〃　said　the　lords　and　ladies；　〃that　must　be　the　Nightingale；　what　a　large　voice　for　so　small　a　creature！〃

〃Oh；　no；〃　said　the　little　girl；　〃that　is　just　a　cow；　mooing。〃

A　little　farther　on　they　heard　some　bull…　frogs；　in　a　swamp。　　〃Surely　that　is　the　Nightingale；〃　said　the　courtiers；　〃it　really　sounds　like　church…bells！〃

〃Oh；　no；〃　said　the　little　girl；　〃those　are　bullfrogs；　croaking。〃

At　last　they　came　to　the　wood　where　the　Nightingale　was。　　〃Hush！〃　said　the　little　girl；　〃she　is　going　to　sing。〃　　And；　sure　enough；　the　little　Nightingale　began　to　sing。　　She　sang　so　beautifully　that　you　have　never　in　all　your　life　heard　anything　like　it。

〃Dear；　dear；〃　said　the　courtiers；　〃that　is　very　pleasant；　does　that　little　gray　bird　really　make　all　that　noise？　　She　is　so　pale　that　I　think　she　has　lost　her　color　for　fear　of　us。〃

The　Chamberlain　asked　the　little　Nightingale　to　come　and　sing　for　the　Emperor。　The　little　Nightingale　said　she　could　sing　better　in　her　own　greenwood；　but　she　was　so　sweet　and　kind　that　she　came　with　them。

That　evening　the　palace　was　all　trimmed　with　the　most　beautiful　flowers　you　can　imagine；　and　rows　and　rows　of　little　silver　bells；　that　tinkled　when　the　wind　blew　in；　and　hundreds　and　hundreds　and　hundreds　of　wax　candles；　that　shone　like　tiny　stars。　　In　the　great　hall　there　was　a　gold　perch　for　the　Nightingale；　beside　the　Emperor's　throne。

When　all　the　people　were　there；　the　Emperor　asked　the　Nightingale　to　sing。　　Then　the　little　gray　Nightingale　filled　her　throat　full；　and　sang。　　And；　my　dears；　she　sang　so　beautifully　that　the　Emperor's　eyes　filled　up　with　tears！　　And；　you　know；　emperors　do　not　cry　at　all　easily。　　So　he　asked　her　to　sing　again；　and　this　time　she　sang　　so　marvelously　that　the　tears　came　out　of　his　eyes　and　ran　down　his　cheeks。　　That　was　a　great　success。　　They　asked　the　little　Nightingale　to　sing；　over　and　over　again；　and　when　they　had　listened　enough　the　Emperor　said　that　she　should　be　made　〃Singer　in　Chief　to　the　Court。〃　　She　was　to　have　a　golden　perch　near　the　Emperor's　bed；　and　a　little　gold　cage；　and　was　to　be　allowed　to　go　out　twice　every　day。　But　there　were　twelve　servants　appointed　to　wait　on　her；　and　those　twelve　servants　went　with　her　every　time　she　went　out；　and　each　of　the　twelve　had　hold　of　the　end　of　a　silken　string　which　was　tied　to　the　little　Nightingale's　leg！　　It　was　not　so　very　much　fun　to　go　out　that　way！

For　a　long；　long　time　the　Nightingale　sang　every　evening　to　the　Emperor　and　his　court；　and　they　liked　her　so　much　that　the　ladies　all　tried　to　sound　like　her；　they　used　to　put　water　in　their　mouths　and　then　make　little　sounds　like　this：　glu…glu…glug。　And　when　the　courtiers　met　each　other　in　the　halls；　one　would　say　〃Night；〃　and　the　other　would　say　〃ingale；〃　and　that　was　conversation。

At　last；　one　day；　there　came　a　little　package　to　the　Emperor；　on　the　outside　of　which　was　written；　〃The　Nightingale。〃　　Inside　was　an　artificial　bird；　something　like　a　Nightingale；　only　it　was　made　of　gold；　and　silver；　and　rubies；　and　emeralds；　and　diamonds。　　When　it　was　wound　up　it　played　a　waltz　tune；　and　as　it　played　it　moved　its　little　tail　up　and　down。　　Everybody　in　the　court　was　filled　with　delight　at　the　music　of　the　new　nightingale。　　They　made　it　sing　that　same　tune　thirty…three　times；　and　still　they　had　not　had　enough。　　They　would　have　made　it　sing　the　tune　thirty…four　times；　but　the　Emperor　said；　〃I　should　like　to　hear　the　real　Nightingale　sing；　now。〃

But　when　they　looked　about　for　the　real　little　Nightingale；　they　could　not　find　her　anywhere！　　She　had　taken　the　chance；　while　everybody　was　listening　to　the　waltz　tunes；　to　fly　away　through　the　window　to　her　own　greenwood。

〃What　a　very　ungrateful　bird！〃　said　the　lords　and　ladies。　　〃But　it　does　not　matter；　the　new　nightingale　is　just　as　good。〃

So　the　artificial　nightingale　was　given　the　real　Nightingale's　little　gold　perch；　and　every　night　the　Emperor　wound　her　up；　and　she　sang　waltz　tunes　to　him。　　The　people　in　the　court　liked　her　even　better　than　the　old　Nightingale；　because　they　could　all　whistle　her　tunes；which　you　can't　do　with　real　nightingales。

About　a　year　after　the　artificial　nightingale　came；　the　Emperor　was　listening　to　her　waltz…tune；　when　there　was　a　SNAP　and　WHIR…R…R　inside　the　bird；　and　the　music　stopped。　　The　Emperor　ran　to　his　doctor　but　he　could　not　do　anything。　　Then　he　ran　to　his　clock…maker；　but　he　could　not　do　much。　　Nobody　could　do　much。　　The　best　they　could　do　was　to　patch　the　gold　nightingale　up　so　that　it　could　sing　once　a　year；　even　that　was　almost　too　much；　and　the　tune　was　pretty　shaky。　　Still；　the　Emperor　kept　the　gold　nightingale　on　the　perch　in　his　own　room。

A　long　time　went　by；　and　then；　at　last；　the　Emperor　grew　very　ill；　and　was　about　to　die。　　When　it　was　sure　that　he　could　not　live　much　longer；　the　people　chose　a　new　emperor　and　waited　for　the　old　one　to　die。　　The　poor　Emperor　lay；　quite　cold　and　pale；　in　his　great　big　bed；　with　velvet　　curtains；　and　tall　candlesticks　all　about。　He　was　quite　alone；　for　all　the　courtiers　had　gone　to　congratulate　the　new　emperor；　and　all　the　servants　had　gone　to　talk　it　over。

When　the　Emperor　woke　up；　he　felt　a　terrible　weight　on　his　chest。　　He　opened　his　eyes；　and　there　was　Death；　sitting　on　his　heart。　　Death　had　put　on　the　Emperor's　gold　crown；　and　he　had　the　gold　sceptre　in　one　hand；　and　the　silken　banner　in　the　other；　and　he　looked　at　the　Emperor　with　his　great　hollow　eyes。　　The　room　was　full　of　shadows；　and　the　shadows　were　full　of　faces。　　Everywhere　the　Emperor　looked；　there　were　faces。　　Some　were　very；　very　ugly；　and　some　were　sweet　and　lovely；　they　were　all　the　things　the　Emperor　had　done　in　his　life；　good　and　bad。　　And　as　he　looked　at　them　they　began　to　whisper。　They　whispered；　〃DO　YOU　REMEMBER　THIS？〃　〃DO　YOU　REMEMBER　THAT？〃　　The　Emperor　remembered　so　much　that　he　cried　out　loud；　〃Oh；　bring　the　great　drum！　　Make　music；　so　that　I　may　not　hear　these　dreadful　whispers！〃　　But　there　was　nobody　there　to　bring　the　drum。

Then　the　Emperor　cried；　〃You　little　gold　nightingale；　can　you　not　sing　something　for　me？　　I　have　given　you　gifts　of　gold　and　jewels；　and　kept　you　always　by　my　side；　will　you　not　help　me　now？〃　　But　there　was　nobody　to　wind　the　little　gold　nightingale　up；　and　of　course　it　could　not　sing。

The　Emperor's　heart　grew　colder　and　colder　where　Death　crouched　upon　it；　and　the　dreadful　whispers　grew　louder　and　louder；　and　the　Emperor's　life　was　almost　gone。　　Suddenly；　through　the　open　window；　there　came　a　most　lovely　song。　　It　was　so　sweet　and　so　loud　that　the　whispers　died　quite　away。　　Presently　the　Emperor　felt　his　heart　grow　warm；　then　he　felt　the　blood　flow　through　his　limbs　again；　he　listened　to　the　song　until　the　tears　ran　down　his　cheeks；　he　knew　that　it　was　the　little　real　Nightingale　who　had　flown　away　from　him　when　the　gold　nightingale　came。

Death　was　listening　to　the　song；　too；　and　when　it　was　done　and　the　Emperor　begged　for　more；　Death；　too；　said；　〃Please　sing　again；　little　Nightingale！〃

〃Will　you　give　me　the　Emperor's　gold　crown　for　a　song？〃　said　the　little　Nightingale。

〃Yes；〃　said　Death；　and　the　little　Nightingale　bought　the　Emperor's　crown　for　a　song。

〃Oh；　sing　again；　little　Nightingale；〃　begged　Death。

〃Will　you　give　me　the　Emperor's　sceptre　for　another　song？〃　said　the　little　gray　Nightingale。

〃Yes；〃　said　Death；　and　the　little　Nightingale　bought　the　Emperor's　sceptre　for　another　song。

Once　more　Death　begged　for　a　song；　and　this　time　the　little　Nightingale　got　the　banner　for　her　singing。　　Then　she　sang　one　more　song；　so　sweet　and　so　sad　that　it　made　Death　think　of　his　garden　in　the　churchyard；　where　he　always　liked　best　to　be。　　And　he　rose　from　the　Emperor's　heart　and　floated　away　through　the　window。

When　Death　was　gone；　the　Emperor　said　to　the　little　Nightingale；　〃Oh；　dear　little　Nightingale；　you　have　saved　me　from　Death！　　Do　not　leave　me　again。　　Stay　with　me　on　this　little　gold　perch；　and　sing　to　me　always！〃


〃No；　dear　Emperor；〃　said　the　little　Nightingale；　〃I　sing　best　when　I　am　free；　I　cannot　live　in　a　palace。　　But　every　night　when　you　are　quite　alone；　I　will　come　and　sit　in　the　window　and　sing　to　you；　and　tell　you　everything　that　goes