’Ihaveneverbeforehearditmentioned！’saidtheFirstLord。
’Iwilllookforitandfindit！’
Butwherewasittobefound？TheFirstLordranupanddownstairs，throughthehallsandcorridors；butnoneofthosehemethadeverheardoftheNightingale。AndtheFirstLordranagaintotheEmperor，andtoldhimthatitmustbeaninventiononthepartofthosewhohadwrittenthebooks。
’YourIrmperialMajestycannotreallybelieveallthatiswritten！TherearesomeinventionscalledtheBlackArt！’
’ButthebookinwhichIreadthis，’saidtheEmperor，’issentmebyHisGreatMajestytheEmperorofJapan；soitcannotbeuntrue，andIwillheartheNightingale！Shemustbeherethisevening！Shehasmygraciouspermissiontoappear，andifshedoesnot，thewholeCourtshallbetrampledunderfootaftersupper！’
’Tsingpe！’saidtheFirstLord；andheranupanddownstairs，throughthehallsandcorridors，andhalftheCourtranwithhim，fortheydidnotwanttobetrampledunderfoot。EveryonewasaskingafterthewonderfulNightingalewhichalltheworldknewof，exceptthoseatCourt。
Atlasttheymetapoorlittlegirlinthekitchen，whosaid，’Oh！IknowtheNightingalewell。Howshesings！IhavepermissiontocarrythescrapsoverfromtheCourtmealstomypoorsickmother，andwhenIamgoinghomeatnight，tiredandweary，andrestforalittleinthewood，thenIheartheNightingalesinging！Itbringstearstomyeyes，andIfeelasifmymotherwerekissingme！’
’Littlekitchenmaid！’saidtheFirstLord，’Iwillgiveyouaplaceinthekitchen，andyoushallhaveleavetoseetheEmperoratdinner，ifyoucanleadustotheNightingale，forsheisinvitedtocometoCourtthisevening。’
AndsotheyallwentintothewoodwheretheNightingalewaswonttosing，andhalftheCourtwenttoo。
Whentheywereonthewaytheretheyheardacowmooing。
’Oh！’saidtheCourtiers，’nowwehavefoundher！Whatawonderfulpowerforsuchasmallbeasttohave！Iamsurewehaveheardherbefore！’
’No；thatisacowmooing！’saidthelittlekitchenmaid。’Wearestillalongwayoff！’
Thenthefrogsbegantocroakinthemarsh。’Splendid！’saidtheChinesechaplain。’Nowwehearher；itsoundslikealittlechurch-bell！’
’No，no；thosearefrogs！’saidthelittlekitchenmaid。’ButI
thinkweshallsoonhearhernow！’
ThentheNightingalebegantosing。
’Theresheis！’criedthelittlegirl。’Listen！Sheissittingthere！’Andshepointedtoalittledark-greybirdupinthebranches。
’Isitpossible！’saidtheFirstLord。’Ishouldneverhavethoughtit！Howordinaryshelooks！Shemustsurelyhavelostherfeathersbecausesheseessomanydistinguishedmenroundher！’
’LittleNightingale，’calledoutthelittlekitchenmaid，’ourGraciousEmperorwantsyoutosingbeforehim！’
’Withthegreatestofpleasure！’saidtheNightingale；andshesangsogloriouslythatitwasapleasuretolisten。
’Itsoundslikeglassbells！’saidtheFirstLord。’Andlookhowherlittlethroatworks！Itiswonderfulthatwehaveneverheardherbefore！ShewillbeagreatsuccessatCourt。’
’ShallIsingoncemorefortheEmperor？’askedtheNightingale，thinkingthattheEmperorwasthere。
’MyesteemedlittleNightingale，’saidtheFirstLord，’IhavethegreatpleasuretoinviteyoutoCourtthisevening，whereHisGraciousImperialHighnesswillbeenchantedwithyourcharmingsong！’
’Itsoundsbestinthegreenwood，’saidtheNightingale；butstill，shecamegladlywhensheheardthattheEmperorwishedit。
AtthePalaceeverythingwassplendidlyprepared。Theporcelainwallsandfloorsglitteredinthelightofmanythousandgoldlamps；themostgorgeousflowerswhichtinkledoutwellwereplacedinthecorridors。Therewassuchahurryinganddraughtthatallthebellsjingledsomuchthatonecouldnothearoneselfspeak。InthecentreofthegreathallwheretheEmperorsatwasagoldenperch，onwhichtheNightingalesat。ThewholeCourtwasthere，andthelittlekitchenmaidwasallowedtostandbehindthedoor，nowthatshewasaCourt-cook。Everyonewasdressedinhisbest，andeveryonewaslookingtowardsthelittlegreybirdtowhomtheEmperornodded。
TheNightingalesangsogloriouslythatthetearscameintotheEmperor’seyesandrandownhischeeks。ThentheNightingalesangevenmorebeautifully；itwentstraighttoallhearts。TheEmperorwassodelightedthathesaidsheshouldwearhisgoldslipperroundherneck。ButtheNightingalethankedhim，andsaidshehadhadenoughrewardalready。’IhaveseentearsintheEmperor’seyes——thatisagreatreward。AnEmperor’stearshavesuchpower！’Thenshesangagainwithhergloriouslysweetvoice。
’ThatisthemostcharmingcoquetryIhaveeverseen！’saidalltheladiesround。Andtheyalltooktoholdingwaterintheirmouthsthattheymightgurglewheneveranyonespoketothem。
Thentheythoughtthemselvesnightingales。Yes，thelackeysandchambermaidsannouncedthattheywerepleased；whichmeansagreatdeal，fortheyarethemostdifficultpeopleofalltosatisfy。Inshort，theNightingalewasarealsuccess。
ShehadtostayatCourtnow；shehadherowncage，andpermissiontowalkouttwiceinthedayandonceatnight。
Shewasgiventwelveservants，whoeachheldasilkenstringwhichwasfastenedroundherleg。Therewaslittlepleasureinflyingaboutlikethis。
Thewholetownwastalkingaboutthewonderfulbird，andwhentwopeoplemeteachotheronewouldsay’Nightin，’andtheother’Gale，’andthentheywouldbothsighandunderstandoneanother。
Yes，andelevengrocer’schildrenwerecalledafterher，butnotoneofthemcouldsinganote。
OnedaytheEmperorreceivedalargeparcelonwhichwaswritten’TheNightingale。’
’Hereisanothernewbookaboutourfamousbird！’saidtheEmperor。
Butitwasnotabook，butalittlemechanicaltoy，whichlayinabox——anartificialnightingalewhichwasliketherealone，onlythatitwassetalloverwithdiamonds，rubies，andsapphires。Whenitwaswoundup，itcouldsingthepiecetherealbirdsang，andmoveditstailupanddown，andglitteredwithsilverandgold。Rounditsneckwasalittlecollaronwhichwaswritten，’TheNightingaleoftheEmperorofJapanisnothingcomparedtothatoftheEmperorofChina。’
’Thisismagnificent！’theyallsaid，andthemanwhohadbroughttheclockworkbirdreceivedonthespotthetitleof’BringeroftheImperialFirstNightingale。’
’Nowtheymustsingtogether；whataduetweshallhave！’
Andsotheysangtogether，buttheirvoicesdidnotblend，fortherealNightingalesanginherwayandtheclockworkbirdsangwaltzes。
’Itisnotitsfault！’saidthebandmaster；’itkeepsverygoodtimeandisquiteaftermystyle！’
Thentheartificialbirdhadtosingalone。Itgavejustasmuchpleasureastherealone，andthenitwassomuchprettiertolookat；itsparkledlikebraceletsandnecklaces。
Three-and-thirtytimesitsangthesamepiecewithoutbeingtired。Peoplewouldliketohavehearditagain，buttheEmperorthoughtthatthelivingNightingaleshouldsingnow——butwherewasshe？Noonehadnoticedthatshehadflownoutoftheopenwindowawaytohergreenwoods。
’WhatSHALLwedo！’saidtheEmperor。
AndalltheCourtscolded，andsaidthattheNightingalewasveryungrateful。’Butwehavestillthebestbird！’theysaidandtheartificialbirdhadtosingagain，andthatwasthethirty-fourthtimetheyhadheardthesamepiece。Buttheydidnotyetknowitbyheart；itwasmuchtoodifficult。Andthebandmasterpraisedthebirdtremendously；yes，heassuredthemitwasbetterthanarealnightingale，notonlybecauseofitsbeautifulplumageanddiamonds，butinsideaswell。’Forsee，myLordsandLadiesandyourImperialMajesty，withtherealNightingaleonecannevertellwhatwillcomeout，butallisknownabouttheartificialbird！Youcanexplainit，youcanopenitandshowpeoplewherethewaltzeslie，howtheygo，andhowonefollowstheother！’
’That’sjustwhatwethink！’saideveryone；andthebandmasterreceivedpermissiontoshowthebirdtothepeoplethenextSunday。Theyshouldhearitsing，commandedtheEmperor。Andtheyheardit，andtheywereaspleasedasiftheyhadbeenintoxicatedwithtea，aftertheChinesefashion，andtheyallsaid’Oh！’andhelduptheirforefingersandnoddedtime。ButthepoorfishermenwhohadheardtherealNightingalesaid:’Thisonesingswellenough，thetunesglideout；butthereissomethingwanting——Idon’tknowwhat！’
TherealNightingalewasbanishedfromthekingdom。
TheartificialbirdwasputonsilkencushionsbytheEmperor’sbed，allthepresentswhichitreceived，goldandpreciousstones，layroundit，anditwasgiventhetitleofImperialNight-singer，Firstfromtheleft。FortheEmperorcountedthatsideasthemoredistinguished，beingthesideonwhichtheheartis；theEmperor’sheartisalsoontheleft。
Andthebandmasterwroteaworkoftwenty-fivevolumesabouttheartificialbird。Itwassolearned，long，andsofullofthehardestChinesewordsthateveryonesaidtheyhadreaditandunderstoodit；foroncetheyhadbeenverystupidaboutabook，andhadbeentrampledunderfootinconsequence。Soawholeyearpassed。TheEmperor，theCourt，andalltheChinesekneweverynoteoftheartificialbird’ssongbyheart。Battheylikeditallthebetterforthis；theycouldevensingwithit，andtheydid。Thestreetboyssang’Tra-la-la-la-la，andtheEmperorsangtoosometimes。Itwasindeeddelightful。