‘I have never heard it mentioned before,’ said the gentleman-in-waiting.  ‘I will seek it, and I will find it!’ But where was it to be found?  The gentleman-in-waiting ran upstairs and downstairs and in and out of all the rooms and corridors.  No one of all those he met had ever heard anything about the nightingale; so the gentleman-in-waiting ran back to the emperor, and said that it must be a myth, invented by the writers of the books.  ’Your imperial majesty must not believe everything that is written; books are often mere inventions, even if they do not belong to what we call the black art!’

’But the book in which I read it is sent to me by the powerful Emperor of Japan, so it can’t be untrue.  I will hear this nightingale; I insist upon its being here to-night.  I extend my most gracious protection to it, and if it is not forthcoming, I will have the whole court trampled upon after supper!’

‘Tsing-pe!’ said the gentleman-in-waiting, and away he ran again, up and down all the stairs, in and out of all the rooms and corridors; half the court ran with him, for they none of them wished to be trampled on.  There was much questioning about this nightingale, which was known to all the outside world, but to no one at court.  At last they found a poor little maid in the kitchen.  She said, ’Oh heavens, the nightingale?  I know it very well.  Yes, indeed it can sing.  Every evening I am allowed to take broken meat to my poor sick mother:  she lives down by the shore.  On my way back, when I am tired, I rest awhile in the wood, and then I hear the nightingale.  Its song brings the tears into my eyes; I feel as if my mother were kissing me!’

‘Little kitchen-maid,’ said the gentleman-in-waiting, ’I will procure you a permanent position in the kitchen, and permission to see the emperor dining, if you will take us to the nightingale.  It is commanded to appear at court to-night.’

Then they all went out into the wood where the nightingale usually sang.  Half the court was there.  As they were going along at their best pace a cow began to bellow.

‘Oh!’ said a young courtier, ’there we have it.  What wonderful power for such a little creature; I have certainly heard it before.’

’No, those are the cows bellowing; we are a long way yet from the place.’  Then the frogs began to croak in the marsh.

‘Beautiful!’ said the Chinese chaplain, ’it is just like the tinkling of church bells.’

‘No, those are the frogs!’ said the little kitchen-maid.  ’But I think we shall soon hear it now!’

Then the nightingale began to sing.

‘There it is!’ said the little girl.  ‘Listen, listen, there it sits!’ and she pointed to a little grey bird up among the branches.

‘Is it possible?’ said the gentleman-in-waiting.  ’I should never have thought it was like that.  How common it looks!  Seeing so many grand people must have frightened all its colours away.’