1.6 Hans Andersen’s Fairy Tales 
They went on, however ; and Death, quite in the Chinese 
fashion, nodded his head to every word. 
« Music, music!” cried the Emperor. “You dear little 
artificial bird! sing, I pray you, sing !—I have given you gold 
and precious stones, I have even hung my golden slippers round 
your neck—sing, I pray you, sing 1” 
But the bird was silent; there was no one there to wind him 
up, and he could not sing without this. Death continued to stare 
at the Emperor with his great hollow eyes! And everywhere it 
was still, fearfully still! 
All at once the sweetest song was heard from the window ; it 
was the little living nightingale who was sitting on a branch 
sutside. She had heard of her Emperor’s severe illness, and was 
come to sing to him of comfort and hope. As she sang, the 
spectral forms became paler and paler, the blood flowed more and 
more quickly through the Emperor's feeble members, and even 
Death listened and said, Go on, little nightingale, go on.” 
« Will you give me the splendid gold scimitar? Will you give 
me the gay banner, and the Emperor’s crown?” 
And Death gave up all these treasures for a song. And the 
nightingale sang on: she sang of the quiet churchyard, where 
white roses blossom, where the lilac sends forth its fragrance, and 
the fresh grass is bedewed with the tears of the sorrowing friends 
of the departed. Then Death was seized with a longing after 
his garden, and, like a cold white shadow, flew out at the 
window. 
“ Thanks, thanks, little bird,” said the Emperor. “I know 
you well. I banished you from my realm, and you have sung 
away those evil faces from my bed, and death from my heart; 
how shall I reward you?” 
“You have already rewarded me,” said the nightingale; “I 
have seen tears in your eyes, as when I sang to you for the first 
time. Those I shall never forget; they are jewels which do SO 
much good to a minstrel’s heart! But sleep now, and wake fresh 
and healthy ; I will sing you to sleep.” 
And she sang—and the Emperor fell into a sweet sleep. 
Oh, how soft and kindly was that sleep! 
The sun shone in at the window when he awoke, strong and 
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