Соловей

           Youcanaccountforthings,youcanopenitandshowthehumaningenuityinarrangingthewaltzes,howtheygo,andhowonenotefollowsuponanother!’’Thoseareexactlymyopinions,’theyallsaid,andthemusic-mastergotleavetoshowthebirdtothepublicnextSunday.Theywerealsotohearitsing,saidtheemperor.Sotheyheardit,andallbecameasenthusiasticoveritasiftheyhaddrunkthemselvesmerryontea,becausethatisathoroughlyChinesehabit.Thentheyallsaid’Oh,’andstucktheirforefingersintheairandnoddedtheirheads;butthepoorfishermenwhohadheardtherealnightingalesaid,’Itsoundsverynice,anditisveryliketherealone,butthereissomethingwanting,wedon’tknowwhat.’Therealnightingalewasbanishedfromthekingdom.Theartificialbirdhaditsplaceonasilkencushion,closetotheemperor’sbed:allthepresentsithadreceivedofgoldandpreciousjewelswerescatteredroundit.Itstitlehadrisentobe’ChiefImperialSingeroftheBed-Chamber,’inranknumberone,ontheleftside;fortheemperorreckonedthatsidetheimportantone,wheretheheartwasseated.Andevenanemperor’sheartisontheleftside.Themusic-masterwrotefive-and-twentyvolumesabouttheartificialbird;thetreatisewasverylongandwritteninallthemostdifficultChinesecharacters.Everybodysaidtheyhadreadandunderstoodit,forotherwisetheywouldhavebeenreckonedstupid,andthentheirbodieswouldhavebeentrampledupon.