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To travel to our storyland today, let’s all take a Chinese rickshaw. A Nightingale brings happiness to a young lady as it sings its songs outside her window. She enjoys the natural sounds, as she complains that her father the Emperor loves the artificial and manmade things over any natural things.
In the King’s chambers, he learns that his well cultivated gardens have gained attention, but the most prized thing in them is the Nightingale. The Emporer thinks the Nightingale is a person, and sets out to search the kingdom. If he is not found everyone gets a thump on the stomach? What kind of punishment is that? Give everyone a pink belly!
The Cinderella-like search ends up with the unexpected result for the king that the Nightingale is a bird. His temper is diffused when he sees how happy the princess is over the songbird. Has the king learned a lesson? Nope, he sets out to have somebody make an artificial duplicate of the Nightingale’s song. Will the Emporer be happy with his artificial music box? What serious tragedy will it take to make him value the song of nature over a heartless, mechanical song?
Note: During the story, as a counterpoint to the punishment by a thump on the belly, a reward is given by the king. One of his golden slippers is to be worn around the neck. Wow, I’m glad I wasn’t the winner of that little baby. I hope it wasn’t one that he was just wearing.
On another note, the king in the story is named King Fooey. I wonder if he’s related to Hong Kong Fooey?
