internal mechanisms, but no one
dared suggest retiring the bird for
repairs because the empress seemed
dependent upon its constant song.
The rest of the court soon learned
to tune out the creature’s warbling.
One day a little gray bird
appeared at the window of the
throne room. It regarded the occu-
pants for some time. The courtiers
surrounded the empress, vying for
her attention with thrilling stories
and funny little bits of gossip. No
one noticed as the real nightingale
approached the mechanical one.
“Hello there. So you are the
new court musician.”
The mechanical nightingale did not reply.
“I must say, I never cared for the waltz, though I do admire your fortitude.”
The mechanical nightingale still did not reply, just carried on singing.
“You must please her very much. You stay in your cage and sing as com-
manded. But do you not feel the painful lack of true feeling in your tune?”
Of course, the mechanical nightingale did not reply, and seeing that this
was a machine with no means of conversation, the nightingale was soon off
again, and no one in the court marked his coming or going.
All seemed well until the day the mechanical nightingale would not sing.
The inner gears and springs, so long overused, ground to a halt. And when the
official winder could not wind it up again, the empress gave a terrible cry, then
fainted dead away. They rushed her to her quarters and tried to revive her, but
upon waking, she began to weep and wring her hands. So the royal physicians
sedated her, and she fell into a troubled sleep.
That night there came a tapping on the door, but only Empress Wu heard
it. Death had come to sit with her. Death was calm and quiet, but he brought
all the ghosts the empress had tried so hard to banish. Every face stared at her
as she lay at Death’s mercy, waiting to be delivered into the eager hands of those
she had done wrong.
FORTITUDEMEANS
DETERMINATIONANDGRIT.SEDATED MEANS THEY GAVE HER
MEDICATION TO CALM HER.