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Illustration for The Nightingale

English · Beginner

The Nightingale

By Hans Christian Andersen

An emperor discovers the song of a living nightingale, then learns its value after replacing it with a machine.

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Scene 1

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Illustration for the scene “The porcelain palace”

Scene 1 · Beginner

The porcelain palace

English

Long ago in China, the emperor lived in the most beautiful palace in the world. The people who served him at court were Chinese, like the emperor himself. His palace was made entirely of porcelain, a beautiful but easily broken material. Everyone had to be careful when they touched it.

English

In the garden, little silver bells hung from the flowers. Their sound made people stop and look. The garden was so large that even the gardener did not know where it ended.

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