Long ago in China, the emperor and everyone at his court were Chinese. This story happened so many years ago that we should tell it now, before it is forgotten.

English · Intermediate
The Nightingale
An emperor discovers the song of a living nightingale, then learns its value after replacing it with a machine.
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Intermediate sample in English
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Scene 1 · Intermediate
The porcelain palace
The emperor's palace was the most beautiful in the world. Built entirely of porcelain, it was enormously expensive, but so delicate that anyone who touched it had to be careful. In the garden grew unusual flowers with little silver bells tied to them. Whenever someone passed, the bells rang, drawing attention to the flowers.
Everything in the garden was remarkable, and it stretched so far that even the gardener didn't know where it ended.
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