palace. At last they
met a poor little girl in the kitchen who said,

"Yes, I know the Nightingale well. It can sing gloriously. Every
evening I get leave to carry my mother the scraps from the table. She
lives down by the stream, and when I get back, and am tired, and rest
in the wood, then I hear the Nightingale sing. It is just as if my
mother kissed me."

So the little girl led the way out into the wood. Half the court went,
and the child pointed at last to a little gray bird up in the boughs.

"It can't be possible," they said. "How dull it looks; but it may have
lost its color at seeing such grand people around."

"Little Nightingale," called the kitchen maid, "our gracious Emperor
wishes you to sing before him."

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

The palace was festively adorned for it. The walls and the flooring,
which were of porcelain, gleamed in the rays of thousands of golden
lamps. The most glorious flowers, which could ring clearly, had been
placed in all the passages. In the great hall there had been placed a
golden perch on which the Nightingale sat. The little kitchen girl had
received permission to stand by the door. All the court was in full
dress, and all looked at the little gray bird to which the Emperor
nodded.

Then the Nightingale sang so gloriously that the tears came into the
Emperor's eyes, and the song went straight to his heart.

It was to remain at the palace now, the Emperor decided; to have its
own cage, with liberty to go out twice every day and once at night.
Twelve servants were appointed when the Nightingale went out, each of
whom had a silken string fastened to the bird's leg which he held very
tightly. There was really no pleasure in an excursion of that kind.
The whole city spoke of the wonderful bird. When two people met, one
said "Nightin," and the other said "gale" which was all that was
necessary. Eleven peddlers' children were named after the bird, but
not one of them could sing a note.

One day the Emperor received a large parcel, marked "The Nightingale."

He thought it was a present for the bird but when he opened it, he
found a box. Inside the box was an artificial nightingale, brilliantly
ornamented with diamonds, rubies, and sapphires. As soon as this
artificial bird was wound up, its tail moved up and down, and shone
with silver and gold. It sang very well, too, in