... When the Emperor of China learns that one of the most beautiful things in his empire is the song of the nightingale, he orders a nightingale to be brought to him. So a kitchen maid leads the court to a nearby forest where the bird is found.
The Emperor is so delighted with the bird's song that he keeps the nightingale in captivity. But when the Emperor is given a bejeweled mechanical bird, he loses interest in the real nightingale, who returns to the forest.
The mechanical bird breaks down due to overuse, and the Emperor becomes deathly ill shortly thereafter.
The real nightingale learns of the Emperor's condition and returns to the palace. Death is so moved by the nightingale's song that she departs and the emperor recovers. The nightingale agrees to sing to the emperor in the future but to stay free and to fly in and out as he wishes...
One of the most exotic tales by Hans Christian Andersen, it's about the appreciation of the real art and the true beauty. How could a mechanical bird be compared to the singing of the nightingale found in the woods?
It's also about the joy of freedom (the nightingale doesn't want to live in a golden cage)...
With exceptional illustrations by Igor Olenikov, one of the best Russian artists, this book is a little treasure.
In Russian language. Publisher: Azbooka (Russia). Large format. Hardcover. 32 pages.
For reading aloud to children age 5 and up and for independent young readers.
