the Nightingale sing. And then the tears come into
my eyes, and it is just as if my mother kissed me!"

"Little Kitchen-girl," said the Cavalier, "I will get you a fixed place
in the kitchen, with leave to see the Emperor dine, if you will lead us
to the Nightingale, for it is promised for this evening."

So they all went out into the wood where the Nightingale was wont to
sing; half the court went out. When they were on the way, a cow began
to low.

"Oh!" cried the court pages, "now we have it! That shows a great power
in so small a creature! We have certainly heard it before."

"No, those are cows mooing!" said the little Kitchen-girl. "We are a
long way from the place yet."

Now the frogs began to croak in the marsh.

"Glorious!" said the Chinese Court Preacher. "Now I hear it--it sounds
just like little church bells."

"No, those are frogs!" said the little Kitchen-maid. "But now I think we
shall soon hear it."

And then the Nightingale began to sing.

"That is it!" exclaimed the little Girl. "Listen, listen! and yonder it
sits."

And she pointed to a little gray bird up in the boughs.

"Is it possible?" cried the Cavalier. "I should never have thought it
looked like that! How simple it looks! It must certainly have lost its
color at seeing so many famous people around."

"Little Nightingale!" called the little Kitchen-maid, quite loudly, "our
gracious Emperor wishes you to sing before him."

"With the greatest pleasure!" replied the Nightingale, and sang so that
it was a joy to hear it.

"It sounds just like glass bells!" said the Cavalier. "And look at its
little throat, how it's working! It's wonderful that we should never
have heard it before. That bird will be a great success at court."

"Shall I sing once more before the Emperor?" asked the Nightingale, for
it thought the Emperor was present.

"My excellent little Nightingale," said the Cavalier, "I have great
pleasure in inviting you to a court festival this evening, when you
shall charm his Imperial Majesty with your beautiful singing."

"My song sounds best in the greenwood!" replied the Nightingale; still
it came willingly when it heard what the Emperor wished.

In the palace there was a great brushing up. The walls and the floor,
which were of porcelain, shone with many thousand golden lamps. The most
glorious flowers, which could ring clearly, had been placed in the
halls. There was a running to and fro, and a draught of air, but a