Butoneevening，whentheartificialbirdwassingingitsbest，andtheEmperorlayinbedlisteningtoit，somethinginthebirdwentcrack。Somethingsnapped！Whir-r-r！allthewheelsrandownandthenthemusicceased。TheEmperorsprangup，andhadhisphysiciansummoned，butwhatcouldHEdo！Thentheclockmakercame，and，afteragreatdealoftalkingandexamining，heputthebirdsomewhatinorder，buthesaidthatitmustbeveryseldomusedastheworkswerenearlywornout，anditwasimpossibletoputinnewones。Herewasacalamity！Onlyonceayearwastheartificialbirdallowedtosing，andeventhatwasalmosttoomuchforit。Butthenthebandmastermadealittlespeechfullofhardwords，sayingthatitwasjustasgoodasbefore。Andso，ofcourse，itWASjustasgoodasbefore。Sofiveyearspassed，andthenagreatsorrowcametothenation。
TheChineselookupontheirEmperoraseverything，andnowhewasill，andnotlikelytoliveitwassaid。
AlreadyanewEmperorhadbeenchosen，andthepeoplestoodoutsideinthestreetandaskedtheFirstLordhowtheoldEmperorwas。’P！’saidhe，andshookhishead。
ColdandpalelaytheEmperorinhissplendidgreatbed；thewholeCourtbelievedhimdead，andoneaftertheotherlefthimtopaytheirrespectstothenewEmperor。Everywhereinthehallsandcorridorsclothwaslaiddownsothatnofootstepcouldbeheard，andeverythingwasstill——very，verystill。Andnothingcametobreakthesilence。
TheEmperorlongedforsomethingtocomeandrelievethemonotonyofthisdeathlikestillness。Ifonlysomeonewouldspeaktohim！
Ifonlysomeonewouldsingtohim。Musicwouldcarryhisthoughtsaway，andwouldbreakthespelllyingonhim。Themoonwasstreaminginattheopenwindow；butthat，too，wassilent，quitesilent。
’Music！music！’criedtheEmperor。’Youlittlebrightgoldenbird，sing！dosing！Igaveyougoldandjewels；Ihavehungmygoldslipperroundyourneckwithmyownhand——sing！dosing！’
Butthebirdwassilent。Therewasnoonetowinditup，andsoitcouldnotsing。Andallwassilent，soterriblysilent！
Allatoncetherecameinatthewindowthemostgloriousburstofsong。ItwasthelittlelivingNightingale，who，sittingoutsideonabough，hadheardtheneedofherEmperorandhadcometosingtohimofcomfortandhope。AndasshesangthebloodflowedquickerandquickerintheEmperor’sweaklimbs，andlifebegantoreturn。
’Thankyou，thankyou！’saidtheEmperor。’Youdivinelittlebird！Iknowyou。Ichasedyoufrommykingdom，andyouhavegivenmelifeagain！HowcanIrewardyou？’
’Youhavedonethatalready！’saidtheNightingale。’IbroughttearstoyoureyesthefirsttimeIsang。Ishallneverforgetthat。Theyarejewelsthatrejoiceasinger’sheart。Butnowsleepandgetstrongagain；Iwillsingyoualullaby。’AndtheEmperorfellintoadeep，calmsleepasshesang。
Thesunwasshiningthroughthewindowwhenheawoke，strongandwell。Noneofhisservantshadcomebackyet，fortheythoughthewasdead。ButtheNightingalesatandsangtohim。
’Youmustalwaysstaywithme！’saidtheEmperor。’Youshallsingwheneveryoulike，andIwillbreaktheartificialbirdintoathousandpieces。’
’Don’tdothat！’saidtheNightingale。’Hedidhisworkaslongashecould。Keephimasyouhavedone！IcannotbuildmynestinthePalaceandlivehere；butletmecomewheneverIlike。I
willsitintheeveningontheboughoutsidethewindow，andI
willsingyousomethingthatwillmakeyoufeelhappyandgrateful。Iwillsingofjoy，andofsorrow；Iwillsingoftheevilandthegoodwhichlieshiddenfromyou。Thelittlesinging-birdfliesallaround，tothepoorfisherman’shut，tothefarmer’scottage，toallthosewhoarefarawayfromyouandyourCourt。Iloveyourheartmorethanyourcrown，thoughthathasaboutitabrightnessasofsomethingholy。NowIwillsingtoyouagain；butyoumustpromisemeonething——’
’Anything！’saidtheEmperor，standingupinhisImperialrobes，whichhehadhimselfputon，andfasteningonhisswordrichlyembossedwithgold。
’OnethingIbegofyou！Don’ttellanyonethatyouhavealittlebirdwhotellsyoueverything。Itwillbemuchbetternotto！’ThentheNightingaleflewaway。
TheservantscameintolookattheirdeadEmperor。
TheEmperorsaid，’Good-morning！’
FromtheIcelandic。
OnceuponatimetherewereaKingandaQueenwhohadanonlydaughter，calledHadvor，whowasfairandbeautiful，andbeinganonlychild，washeirtothekingdom。TheKingandQueenhadalsoafosterson，namedHermod，whowasjustaboutthesameageasHadvor，andwasgood-looking，aswellascleveratmostthings。
HermodandHadvoroftenplayedtogetherwhiletheywerechildren，andlikedeachothersomuchthatwhiletheywerestillyoungtheysecretlyplightedtheirtrothtoeachother。
AstimewentontheQueenfellsick，andsuspectingthatitwasherlastillness，sentfortheKingtocometoher。Whenhecameshetoldhimthatshehadnolongtimetolive，andthereforewishedtoaskonethingofhim，whichwas，thatifhemarriedanotherwifeheshouldpromisetotakenootheronethantheQueenofHetlandtheGood。TheKinggavethepromise，andthereaftertheQueendied。
Timewentpast，andtheKing，growingtiredoflivingalone，fittedouthisshipandsailedouttosea。Ashesailedtherecameuponhimsothickamistthathealtogetherlosthisbearings，butafterlongtroublehefoundland。Therehelaidhisshipto，andwentonshoreallalone。Afterwalkingforsometimehecametoaforest，intowhichhewentalittlewayandstopped。Thenheheardsweetmusicfromaharp，andwentinthedirectionofthesounduntilhecametoaclearing，andtherehesawthreewomen，oneofwhomsatonagoldenchair，andwasbeautifullyandgrandlydressed；sheheldaharpinherhands，andwasverysorrowful。Thesecondwasalsofinelydressed，butyoungerinappearance，andalsosatonachair，butitwasnotsograndasthefirstone’s。Thethirdstoodbesidethem，andwasveryprettytolookat；shehadagreencloakoverherotherclothes，anditwaseasytoseethatshewasmaidtotheothertwo。
AftertheKinghadlookedatthemforalittlehewentforwardandsalutedthem。Theonethatsatonthegoldenchairaskedhimwhohewasandwherehewasgoing；andhetoldherallthestory——howhewasaking，andhadlosthisqueen，andwasnowonhiswaytoHetlandtheGood，toasktheQueenofthatcountryinmarriage。Sheansweredthatfortunehadcontrivedthiswonderfully，forpirateshadplunderedHetlandandkilledtheKing，andshehadfledfromthelandinterror，andhadcomehitheraftergreattrouble，andshewastheverypersonhewaslookingfor，andtheotherswereherdaughterandmaid。TheKingimmediatelyaskedherhand；shegladlyreceivedhisproposalandacceptedhimatonce。Thereaftertheyallsetout，andmadetheirwaytotheship；andafterthatnothingistoldoftheirvoyageuntiltheKingreachedhisowncountry。Therehemadeagreatfeast，andcelebratedhismarriagewiththiswoman；andafterthatthingsarequietforatime。
HermodandHadvortookbutlittlenoticeoftheQueenandherdaughter，but，ontheotherhand，HadvorandtheQueen’smaid，whosenamewasOlof，wereveryfriendly，andOlofcameoftentovisitHadvorinhercastle。BeforelongtheKingwentouttowar，andnosoonerwasheawaythantheQueencametotalkwithHermod，andsaidthatshewantedhimtomarryherdaughter。
Hermodtoldherstraightandplainthathewouldnotdoso，atwhichtheQueengrewterriblyangry，andsaidthatinthatcaseneithershouldhehaveHadvor，forshewouldnowlaythisspellonhim，thatheshouldgotoadesertislandandtherebealionbydayandamanbynight。HeshouldalsothinkalwaysofHadvor，whichwouldcausehimallthemoresorrow，andfromthisspellheshouldneverbefreeduntilHadvorburnedthelion’sskin，andthatwouldnothappenverysoon。
AssoonastheQueenhadfinishedherspeechHermodrepliedthathealsolaidaspellonher，andthatwas，thatassoonashewasfreedfromherenchantmentssheshouldbecomearatandherdaughteramouse，andfightwitheachotherinthehalluntilhekilledthemwithhissword。
AfterthisHermoddisappeared，andnooneknewwhathadbecomeofhim；theQueencausedsearchtobemadeforhim，buthecouldnowherebefound。Onetime，whenOlofwasinthecastlebesideHadvor，sheaskedthePrincessifsheknewwhereHermodhadgoneto。AtthisHadvorbecameverysad，andsaidthatshedidnot。
’Ishalltellyouthen，’saidOlof，’forIknowallaboutit。
HermodhasdisappearedthroughthewickeddevicesoftheQueen，forsheisawitch，andsoisherdaughter，thoughtheyhaveputonthesebeautifulforms。BecauseHermodwouldnotfallinwiththeQueen’splans，andmarryherdaughter，shehaslaidaspellonhim，togoonanislandandbealionbydayandamanbynight，andneverbefreedfromthisuntilyouburnthelion’sskin。Besides，’saidOlof，’shehaslookedoutamatchforyou；
shehasabrotherintheUnderworld，athree-headedGiant，whomshemeanstoturnintoabeautifulprinceandgethimmarriedtoyou。ThisisnonewthingfortheQueen；shetookmeawayfrommyparents’houseandcompelledmetoserveher；butshehasneverdonemeanyharm，forthegreencloakIwearprotectsmeagainstallmischief。
Hadvornowbecamestillsadderthanbeforeatthethoughtofthemarriagedestinedforher，andentreatedOloftothinkofsomeplantosaveher。
’Ithink，’saidOlof，’thatyourwooerwillcomeupthroughthefloorofthecastletoyou，andsoyoumustbepreparedwhenyouhearthenoiseofhiscomingandthefloorbeginstoopen，andhaveathandblazingpitch，andpourplentyofitintotheopening。Thatwillprovetoomuchforhim。’
AboutthistimetheKingcamehomefromhisexpedition，andthoughtitagreatblowthatnooneknewwhathadbecomeofHermod；buttheQueenconsoledhimasbestshecould，andafteratimetheKingthoughtlessabouthisdisappearance。