
The nightingale
- First published
- 1896
- Reading level
- Easy
- Price
- Free
About the book
"The nightingale" by H. C. Andersen is a literary fairy tale set in imperial China. It tells the story of an emperor who discovers a nightingale living in his palace gardens, whose beautiful song moves him to tears. When a jeweled mechanical bird arrives as a gift, the real nightingale is forgotten and banished. Years later, when the emperor falls deathly ill, only one song can save him from Death's grasp.
- Fairy tales
- Nightingale
- Songbirds
- China
Updated September 2026. Public domain in the USA. Text and summary from Project Gutenberg eBook #71096. The nightingale on Wikipedia.
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