Соловей

           Themusic-masterwrotefive-and-twentyvolumesabouttheartificialbird;thetreatisewasverylongandwritteninallthemostdifficultChinesecharacters.Thingswentoninthiswayforawholeyear.Theemperor,thecourt,andalltheotherChinamenkneweverylittlegurgleinthesongoftheartificialbirdbyheart;buttheylikeditallthebetterforthis,andtheycouldalljoininthesongthemselves.Eventhestreetboyssang’zizizi’and’cluck,cluck,cluck,’andtheemperorsangittoo.Butoneeveningwhenthebirdwassingingitsbest,andtheemperorwaslyinginbedlisteningtoit,somethinggavewayinsidethebirdwitha’whizz.’Thenaspringburst,’whirr’wentallthewheels,andthemusicstopped.Theemperorjumpedoutofbedandsentforhisprivatephysicians,butwhatgoodcouldtheydo?Thentheysentforthewatchmaker,andafteragooddealoftalkandexaminationhegottheworkstogoagainsomehow;buthesaiditwouldhavetobesavedasmuchaspossible,becauseitwassowornout,andhecouldnotrenewtheworkssoastobesureofthetune.Thiswasagreatblow!Theyonlydaredtolettheartificialbirdsingonceayear,andhardlythat;butthenthemusic-mastermadealittlespeech,usingallthemostdifficultwords.Hesaiditwasjustasgoodasever,andhissayingitmadeitso.Fiveyearsnowpassed,andthenagreatgriefcameuponthenation,fortheywereallveryfondoftheiremperor,andhewasillandcouldnotlive,itwassaid.