town,
who were astonished at the Palace and the garden. But when they heard
the Nightingale they all said, 'This is the finest thing after all!'

The travellers told all about it when they went home, and learned
scholars wrote many books upon the town, the Palace, and the garden.
But they did not forget the Nightingale; she was praised the most, and
all the poets composed splendid verses on the Nightingale in the
forest by the deep sea.

The books were circulated throughout the world, and some of them
reached the Emperor. He sat in his golden chair, and read and read. He
nodded his head every moment, for he liked reading the brilliant
accounts of the town, the Palace, and the garden. 'But the Nightingale
is better than all,' he saw written.

'What is that?' said the Emperor. 'I don't know anything about the
Nightingale! Is there such a bird in my empire, and so near as in my
garden? I have never heard it! Fancy reading for the first time about
it in a book!'

And he called his First Lord to him. He was so proud that if anyone of
lower rank than his own ventured to speak to him or ask him anything,
he would say nothing but 'P!' and that does not mean anything.

'Here is a most remarkable bird which is called a Nightingale!' said
the Emperor. 'They say it is the most glorious thing in my kingdom.
Why has no one ever said anything to me about it?'

'I have never before heard it mentioned!' said the First Lord. 'I will
look for it and find it!'

But where was it to be found? The First Lord ran up and down stairs,
through the halls and corridors; but none of those he met had ever
heard of the Nightingale. And the First Lord ran again to the Emperor,
and told him that it must be an invention on the part of those who had
written the books.

'Your Imperial Majesty cannot really believe all that is written!
There are some inventions called the Black Art!'

'But the book in which I read this,' said the Emperor, 'is sent me by
His Great Majesty the Emperor of Japan; so it cannot be untrue, and I
will hear the Nightingale! She must be here this evening! She has my
gracious permission to appear, and if she does not, the whole Court
shall be trampled under foot after supper!'

'Tsing pe!' said the First Lord; and he ran up and down stairs,
through the halls and corridors, and half the Court ran with him, for
they did not want to be trampled under foot. Everyone was asking after
the wonderful Nightingale which all the wo