The nightingale

by H. C. (Hans Christian) Andersen

"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.