But they did not yet know it by heart ; it was much too difficult . And the bandmaster praised the bird tremendously ; yes , he assured them it was better than a real nightingale , not only because of its beautiful plumage and diamonds , but inside as well . ` For see , my Lords and Ladies and your Imperial Majesty , with the real Nightingale one can never tell what will come out , but all is known about the artificial bird ! You can explain it , you can open it and show people where the waltzes lie , how they go , and how one follows the other ! ' ` That 's just what we think ! ' said everyone ; and the bandmaster received permission to show the bird to the people the next Sunday . They should hear it sing , commanded the Emperor . And they heard it , and they were as pleased as if they had been intoxicated with tea , after the Chinese fashion , and they all said ` Oh ! ' and held up their forefingers and nodded time . But the poor fishermen who had heard the real Nightingale said : ` This one sings well enough , the tunes glide out ; but there is something wanting -- I do n't know what ! ' The real Nightingale was banished from the kingdom . The artificial bird was put on silken cushions by the Emperor 's bed , all the presents which it received , gold and precious stones , lay round it , and it was given the title of Imperial Night-singer , First from the left . For the Emperor counted that side as the more distinguished , being the side on which the heart is ; the Emperor 's heart is also on the left . And the bandmaster wrote a work of twenty-five volumes about the artificial bird . It was so learned , long , and so full of the hardest Chinese words that everyone said they had read it and understood it ; for once they had been very stupid about a book , and had been trampled under foot in consequence . So a whole year passed . The Emperor , the Court , and all the Chinese knew every note of the artificial bird 's song by heart . But they liked it all the better for this ; they could even sing with it , and they did . The street boys sang ` Tra-la-la-la-la , and the Emperor sang too sometimes . It was indeed delightful .
But one evening , when the artificial bird was singing its best , and the Emperor lay in bed listening to it , XXXXX in the bird went crack .
Ladies Sunday everyone forefingers kingdom people side something title tunes