Once upon a time in China, there lived an Emperor. The Emperor lived in a beautiful palace made of porcelain. The palace was so expensive, delicate and fragile, that people who visited and touched it had to be very careful.

The palace grounds had a garden that was as beautiful as it was huge. So extensive was the garden that no one knew where the palace grounds ended. Beyond the grounds were dense forests that stopped at a deep blue sea. In one of the trees in the forest lived a nightingale. It sang so beautifully that everyone passing through would listen with tears in their eyes.

People fishing in the sea would stop their work no matter how busy and listen to the bird. “How beautiful the song is? We never want it to stop,” they would say.

Tourists from far and wide came to view the palace and gardens. They were in awe of the beauty and never failed to praise it.

But when they heard the nightingale’s song, they would all agree unanimously, “The palace and the gardens are nothing in front of the nightingale. The King is truly blessed to have such a bird in his kingdom.”

Stories about the nightingale were passed on from one traveller to another. Soon, poets composed poems and authors wrote books about the bird. One of the books reached the Emperor.
As he was sitting on his golden throne reading the book, he was pleased. There were pages about the beauty of his palace and his gardens. Then finally, he read a passage describing the beautiful nightingale and its music.

Addressing his courtiers, he asked, “What bird is this nightingale that sings so beautifully? It lives in my kingdom, and I never knew. How can travellers know about a bird of which I have never heard? They say that the nightingale is the best thing in my kingdom.”

The chief minister replied, “I think the books lie, your majesty. If there were such a bird, we would have known for sure.”

The Emperor replied, “This book was sent to me by the Emperor of Japan. He would never send me such lies. I want the bird in my court before tonight. Let me also see and hear what the fuss is about.”

The courtiers searched for this beautiful bird, but they could not find any clue about the said bird, for none knew how the bird looked. Finally, they came across a girl who worked in the palace kitchen.

“Sirs, I know about the bird that you search. I have often listened to its song as I pass through the forest. It is the most moving piece of music I have ever heard.”

“Take us to the bird,” said the chief minister.

The girl took them to the edge of the forest. Finally, after walking for some time, she pointed at a bird on top of a tree.

“That is the nightingale, Sir,” she said.

“Are you sure? I thought it was a beautiful bird, and all I see is a tiny brown bird,” said the chief minister.

“Begging your pardon, Sir. But do you not know never to judge anything by the outward appearance?” said the girl.

The girl’s insolence angered the minister. Just as he opened his mouth to reprimand her, he stopped. For, the nightingale had begun to sing.

“What sweet music,” said the Chief minister.

The girl addressed the nightingale. “Sweet nightingale, our Emperor, wants to hear your delightful music. Will you sing for him?”

“With pleasure. Is our Emperor here?” asked the nightingale.

The minister said, “No, but our Emperor invites you to his court this evening to hear you sing.”

The nightingale responded, “My song sounds the best in the forest and not in a palace.”

“This invite is a huge compliment to you. It is not something that our Emperor gives to everyone,” said the minister.

Though not fully willing, the nightingale agreed to go to the court to sing.

The palace was grandly decorated that evening. People crowded the court eager to see and hear the nightingale. When the nightingale sang, there was not one dry eye in the court.

Deeply moved, the Emperor told the nightingale, “Take these golden slippers as a gift for your song. You can wear it around your neck.”

The nightingale replied, “Thank you for the honour, your majesty, but I must decline. I saw tears in your eyes after listening to my music, and there is no greater reward than that.”

Pleased, the Emperor said, “From this day on, you will stay in this court and sing whenever I want you to.”

The nightingale had to remain in the palace in a golden cage made for her. She could go out in the open twice in the day and once in the night. She had many servants taking care of her needs. But she lost her freedom. They tried a string to one of her legs as she flew in the palace garden. She was not happy.

One day, the Emperor got a gift. The gift was a fake nightingale made of diamonds, rubies and gold. It looked exactly like the nightingale but more beautiful. It was so beautiful that everyone was spellbound. On top of it, the golden nightingale was a wind-up toy. It had a key that one could wind up to make it sing like the real nightingale.

They placed both the birds next to each other and made them sing. But both the birds sang different tunes.

“Let both the birds sing one after the other, and we can decide who is the best,” said the Emperor.

First, it was the turn of the artificial bird. It sang beautifully the same tune over and over again. Everyone admired the new bird greatly. As the people in the court admired the artificial bird, the real nightingale flew out of the window.

“What an ungrateful bird,” they said. “The Emperor provided her with so much, and still, she flew away. But it is good we have a better bird to sing whenever we want. “

The Emperor banished the real nightingale from the empire. People would listen to the artificial nightingale and praise it.

But when the fishermen heard it, they felt, “The song is beautiful, but it is not the same as the real nightingale. It lacks something.”

Soon a year passed, and one day the artificial nightingale started making some weird sounds and eventually stopped singing.

“What happened?” asked the Emperor as he brought in a person to fix the toy.

“Your majesty, the bearings have worn out,” said the person who had come to service it.

“Can you repair it?” asked the Emperor.

“I can fix it, but only temporarily. I can repair it to make it last for a few more year. But only if you hear the music only once every year.”

The Emperor was unhappy. But what could he do? So he began playing the music once every year.

Five years passed, and the Emperor became very ill. The courtiers knew the Emperor was dying, and they flocked to his successor to get in his good books.

As the Emperor lay on his bed lonely, he said to the artificial bird feebly, “Sing one last time.”

But the toy remained quiet, for there was no one to wind it.

Suddenly, the Emperor could hear sweet music. It was the real nightingale that had heard about the Emperor’s condition. She sang of hope and trust, hoping to cheer the dying Emperor. The song moved Death himself, who had come to collect the Emperor.

Listening to the nightingale rejuvenated the Emperor. He began to feel warmer, and his body grew stronger. The nightingale defeated death with her song, and the Emperor was healthy again.

“You have brought me back to life, sweet nightingale. Ask me any gift, and it is yours,” said the Emperor.

“You had already given me my gift, your majesty. Your tears when you heard my song is my reward,” replied the nightingale.

The Emperor then said, “Please stay back in the palace and sing for me.”

To this, the nightingale replied, “Your majesty. I feel happier in the forest with my freedom intact. I will frequently come to sing to you. Please do not put me in a cage.”

Knowing the mistake that he had made the first time, the Emperor agreed.

As for the Emperor’s subjects, they were in for a pleasant surprise when they saw the Emperor hale and hearty. The Emperor continued ruling his empire for a long time. He would eagerly await the nightingale who would come when he was alone and sing only for him.