1. How Beautiful! and Dialogue 1
“The Nightingale” by Andy Beck and Brian Fisher

2. How Beautiful! How Beautiful is the emperor’s city
How beautiful is the emperor’s land
How beautiful is the emperor’s palace and the emperor’s jewels on theemperor’s hand
Narrator 1: The emperor’s people took great pride in their beautiful country.
How beautiful the land of China, as beautiful as it can be
How beautiful! (How beautiful!)
To me!
Narrator 1: Travelers from all the world cane to the city of the emperor. When they returned home, they told of all they had seen. Scholars wrote books and poets composed splendid verses about the city, the palace, and the garden.

3. Narrator 2: In time, some of the books came into the hands of the emperor and his people. As they read, they were pleased to find such flattering descriptions. The emperor sat on his golden throne and nodded his approval. But when he found that all of the books considered one thing more beautiful than the others , he was astounded.
Citizens: More beautiful
Emperor: What’s more beautiful?
Citizens: Than the emperor’s forest
Citizens: More Beautiful
Citizens: Than the emperor’s things
Emperor: There’s nothing more beautiful
Citizens: More beautiful, than the emperor’s garden is the beautiful music when the nightingale sings. When the nightingale sings. When the nightingale sings!

4. Dialogue 1 Emperor: Nightingale? Nightingale? What nightingale?
Narrator 1: The emperor, like most emperors, was exceedingly rich of wisdom, but woefully poor of patience.
Emperor: Is it possible that there is a nightingale living in my very own kingdom and I don’t know about it?
Citizen 1: This book says that the nightingale lives in the forest near the deep blue sea.
Citizen 2: It is written here and she is perched upon the delicate branch of a piney evergreen.
Citizen 3: This poem proclaims that the nightingale possesses the most glorious singing voice.
Citizen 4: SO glorious, that even the poor fisherman stops to listen to her music before casting his net.
Emperor: Is there truly such a bird in my empire?
Citizens 1-4: Yes, your majesty.

5. Emperor: Well, imagine that, hearing of it for the first time in a book.
Narrator 2: Wanting to know more, the emperor called a meeting of the imperial court.
Emperor: Courtiers!
Narrator 1: The courtiers were among the most important and influential citizens of China. They were often called upon to advise and assist his imperial majesty. Members included…
Narrator 2: The imperial Timekeeper. The imperial physician. The imperial Music Master. And the imperial chief of staff.
Emperor: Courtiers, I have recently learned of a very wonderful bird called a nightingale. The book says it is more impressive than anything else in all of my kingdom.
Physician: More impressive than the gardens>

6. Music Master: More impressive than the jewels?
Timekeeper: More impressive than the palace?
Emperor: Apparently so.
Chief of Staff: I have never heard the name before, your majesty.
Emperor: Well, it is my desire that the nightingale be found.
Music Master: Yes, your majesty.
Emperor: And it is my desire that the nightingale be brought to me.
Physician: Naturally, your majesty.
Emperor: Upon her arrival, the nightingale will be presented as the guest of honor at a spectacular court festival.
Time Keeper: Of course, your majesty.
Emperor: So, loyal courtiers, it is your assignment to locate this wondrous nightingale and escort her promptly to the palace. I can hardly wait to hear her glorious voice. Make haste!
Chief of Staff: We shall find her within the week.
Emperor: No! Before the setting of the sun on this very day! I intend to host the court festival tonight.
Chief of Staff: You’re kidding.
Narrator 2: The Emperor, like most emperors, had a strong sense of honor, but a weak sense of humor.
Emperor: No joke. Now go quickly! There’s no time to waste.