Page:The jade story book; stories from the Orient (IA jadestorybooksto00cous).pdf/21

Rh He called his First Lord to him and said, "In all of these books there is mention of a very remarkable bird which is called 'The Nightingale.' The writers all say that it is the most glorious thing in my kingdom. How is it that no one has ever told me about it?"

"Why, I don't know anything about it myself," said the First Lord, "but I will go and find it."

The First Lord didn't know where it was, so he ran all over the palace and asked everybody there, but none of them had ever heard of the Nightingale. Then he returned to the Emperor and said it must be an invention of those who had written the books.

"Your Royal Highness must know that not all that is written is true, and that much of it is invented," said he.

"But the last book I read," said the Emperor, "was sent to me by the great ruler of Japan, so that it must be true, and I insist upon your bringing the Nightingale here this evening; if you do not, every one in this palace shall be trampled under foot."

"All right, your Majesty," said the First