Story Synopsis

The Nightingale is the story of an emperor in China and how he learns the meaning of true

friendship. The Chinese emperor, upon hearing about the splendor of the nightingale in a book

written by the Japanese emperor, seeks and finds the nightingale and has her stay and sing for

him. The Japanese emperor sends the Chinese emperor a mechanical nightingale as a gift. The

Chinese emperor is so impressed by the mechanical bird’s singing that he forgets about the real

nightingale, so she leaves the palace. The mechanical bird eventually breaks and the Chinese

emperor becomes very ill. His dying wish was to hear the nightingale’s song and, just before

Death takes him, the nightingale returns and sings to save him from Death.