said he , and shook his head . Cold and pale lay the Emperor in his splendid great bed ; the whole Court believed him dead , and one after the other left him to pay their respects to the new Emperor . Everywhere in the halls and corridors cloth was laid down so that no footstep could be heard , and everything was still -- very , very still . And nothing came to break the silence . The Emperor longed for something to come and relieve the monotony of this deathlike stillness . If only someone would speak to him ! If only someone would sing to him . Music would carry his thoughts away , and would break the spell lying on him . The moon was streaming in at the open window ; but that , too , was silent , quite silent . ` Music ! music ! ' cried the Emperor . ` You little bright golden bird , sing ! do sing ! I gave you gold and jewels ; I have hung my gold slipper round your neck with my own hand -- sing ! do sing ! ' But the bird was silent . There was no one to wind it up , and so it could not sing . And all was silent , so terribly silent ! All at once there came in at the window the most glorious burst of song .
It was the little living Nightingale , who , sitting outside on a bough , had heard the need of her XXXXX and had come to sing to him of comfort and hope .
Court Emperor Music gold jewels left moon one something streaming