STORIES OF HANS ANDERSEN PUT INTO BASIC ENGLISH BY C HUGHES HARTMAN
Writer of "Charles II and Madame"
LONDON KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH TRUBNER & Co., Ltd.
BROADWAY HOUSE, CARTER LANE E.C. 1937
TO THE READER
Some years back, when Basic English had not been very long before the public, I had an interesting discussion about it with the man responsible for its invention.
He made clear the theory on which it was
based, and gave me an idea of its special
qualities and of the great future which it
might have as an international language.
Like a number of other persons, I had had
the belief that it was nothing more than
a selection of 850 simple English words,
made with great care and produced with
the help of science, for use in education
and trade. I was surprised by Mr. Ogden’s
statement that it was quite possible to
say anything in Basic, and that, though
the number of Basic Words was so small,
he was able to put the Works of the greatest
Writers into his new language. When I
said I had my doubts about this, Mr.
Ogden quickly put an end to them by
turning into Basic lines taken by chance
from the Bible, Swift, and Bernard Shaw.
But when he made an attempt to put
into Basic a statement of political views
from the middle page of a noted newspaper
(whose name I will not give) he did not
get on so well. On looking into it we made
the discovery that we were not at all clear
What was being said, and We had our
doubts if the writer himself was any
clearer. Now, one of the best points about
Basic is that it makes you give attention
to the sense of what you are saying. In
Basic, it is very hard not to be clear. For
this reason it would do most of our
newspaper writers good to give some time
to becoming Basic experts. We will do
Well to keep in mind that political and
trade relations among ourselves and with
other nations would be made straighter
and cleaner by the use of Basic.
Though the sense of any word may be
given in Basic, it is sometimes better,
in the interests of smooth Writing, to do
so in a footnote than in the body of the
book. A word which has its sense made
clear in a footnote is put into sloping
print the first time it is used. The word
nightingale in the present book is a good
example of the value of this footnote
system. In other stories ' bird,' ' song-
bird,' or ' night song-bird ' might be near
enough, but when the nightingale has such
an important part in the story it seems
better to give its right name, while taking
care to say in a. Basic footnote what sort
of bird it is. It is not hard for the reader
to keep this one name in memory while
he is reading the story. After that he may
put it out of his mind. You have only
to give thought for a minute to the great
number of different birds there are in
different parts of the earth to see that
it would not be possible to have them all
in the Basic list. And if you are going to
have any, which will you take? If the
Englishman’s suggestions were the nightingale,
the thrush, and the sparrow, the
Australian might make a protest and say
that the cockatoo, the emu, and the
cassowary were much commoner birds.
For this reason, it is best to have in the
Basic list only the names of things which
are more or less common to all the earth,
and to make use of footnotes where
necessary when the details of some special
place or branch of learning are under
discussion.
One of the purposes of Basic is to get
back to saying things in a straightforward
and simple way. This purpose it has in
common with all the great writers of
7
stories for boys and girls, who, keeping
in mind that they were writing chiefly for
the young, have done their best to put
their thoughts in the simplest language.
Among these writers a very high place is
given to Hans Andersen.
The son of a poor shoemaker in the town
of Odense, Andersen had to make his
way with no help but his powers of writing ;
but he did so well that on his death in
1875, when he was an old man of 70, his
name was greatly respected in all countries.
He was a. fertile writer of plays, fiction,
and books about his journeys, and in his
opinion this was the part of his work which
had the greatest value. But even when he
was still living the public took a different
view, and now he is kept in memory only
by his stories for the young, which seemed
to him quite unimportant. These stories
have been put into a number of other
languages and have for a long time given
pleasure to the boys and girls of Europe
and America ; it is our hope that by
putting some of them into Basic, we may
be giving pleasure to an even wider circle.
Other Basic books, for young readers and
for old, are listed on the last page.
It is common knowledge that in China the Emperor is a Chinese,
and that everyone about him is Chinese. This story took
place a great number of years back, so it
is well to put it down in Writing now before
it goes completely out of men’s minds.
The Emperor's house was the most beautiful
on earth. It was made completely of
porcelain1 and was of great value, but so
delicate and readily broken that it had
to be touched with the greatest care.
In the garden there were the strangest
flowers, with beautiful silver bells fixed
to them, which made a pleasing sound,
so that everybody who went by was
made to give attention to the flowers.
In fact, everything in the Emperor’s
garden was very surprising, and the size of
it was so great that the gardener himself
was not certain where it came to an end.
Those who went outside its limits made
the discovery that there was a great wood,
with high trees, sloping down to the deep
11
blue sea, and the great sailing-ships went
by under the shade of its branches. In
one of these trees there was a nightingale2
whose song was so beautiful that even the
poor fishermen, Who had such a number of
other things to do, would put a stop to
their work when the chance came of
hearing it. Sometimes, when they went at
night to put out their nets, her song would
come to their ears, and they would say,
“ Oh, is not that beautiful?” But when they
went back to their fishing, they would not
give another thought to the bird till
night-time. Then the song would be
started again, and they would say “ Oh,
how beautiful is the nightingale’s song!”
Men from every country on earth came
to the Emperor’s town, which seemed to
them very beautiful, as did the house and
garden ; but on hearing the nightingale’s
song, they all said it was the best of all.
And these men, when they ‘went back to
their countries, gave an account of what
they had seen; and wise men put into
books long accounts of the town, the
Emperor’s house, and the garden; and
they all said something about the nightingale,
which was truly the most interesting
12
thing of all. And those who were able to
put their thoughts into verse made
beautiful verses about the nightingale
living in a wood near the deep sea. The
books went all over the earth, and some
of them came into the hands of the
Emperor ; and while he was reading them,
seated in his gold seat, he gave frequent
signs of approval, because it was a pleasure
to him to see such a beautiful account of
his town, his house, and his garden. But
when he came to the words “ the
nightingale is the most beautiful of all,”
he gave a cry, “ What is this ? I have no
knowledge of any nightingale. Is there
such a bird in my Empire, and even in my
garden ? Nobody has ever said anything
about it to me. It seems that it is possible
to get some knowledge from books.” Then
he sent for one of his great men who had
had such a good education that when
anybody less important than himself said
anything to him, or put a question to him,
he gave the answer “ Pooh!”, which has
no sense.
“ There is talk here of a very surprising
bird named a nightingale,” said the
Emperor.“ They say it is the best thing
13
in my great Empire. Why has nobody
ever said anything about it to me?”
“ The name has never come to my ears,”
was the great man's answer.“ She has
never been before the Emperor’s Circle.”
" It is my pleasure to have her come
before me tonight,” said the Emperor.
“ Everybody has a better knowledge of my
property than I have myself.”
“ The name has never come to my
ears,” said the great man; “ but I will
do my best to get in touch with her.”
But where was the nightingale ? The
great man went all over the house,
through rooms great and small ; but not
one of the persons he came across had any
knowledge of the bird. So he Went back to
the Emperor, and said that it was without
doubt an untrue statement, an invention
of the writers of the book. “ It is not wise,”
he said, “ for the Emperor to give belief
to everything said in books; sometimes
they are only fiction, or what is named the
Black Art."
“ But the book in which I have seen
this account,” said the Emperor, “ was
sent to me by the Ruler of Japan, who is
a great man and has much power, and for
that reason it is not possible that there
14
is anything untrue in it. It is my desire
to have a chance of hearing the song of
the nightingale ; it is necessary for her to
be here tonight ; she has my highest
approval; and if she does not come, all
my Circle will be stamped on after tonight’s
meal.”
The great man gave a cry of “ Tsing—pe,"
and again he went running up and down
the steps going from one room to another ;
and half the Emperor’s Circle went with
him, because the idea of being stamped on
was not at all pleasing to them. Everyone
was putting questions about this strange
nightingale, Whose existence seemed to be
common knowledge to all but the Emperor’s
Circle.
At last they came across a poor little
girl who sometimes gave help to the cook,
and she said, “ Oh yes, I have frequently
seen the nightingale; it is true that her
song is beautiful. Every night they let
me take the bits from the table to my
poor mother who is ill ; her house is down
by the edge of the sea, and when I come
back and am feeling tired I take a seat in the
wood to have a rest while hearing the nightingale’s
song. Then my eyes become wet
and it is as if my mother was kissing me."
15
“ Little girl,” said the great man, “ I
will get you regular work with the cook,
and you will be given authority to see the
Emperor at his meals, if you will take us to
the nightingale, because she is requested
to come before the Emperor tonight.” So
she went into the wood where the
nightingale gave her song, and half the
Emperor's Circle came after her. When
they had gone some way, a cow suddenly
gave a loud ‘ Moo.’
" Oh,” said one of the young men of
high birth, “ that is she at last. What
surprising power for such a small bird ;
that song has certainly come to my ears
before.”
" No, that is only the noise of a cow,”
said the little girl. “ We are still a. long
way from the place.”
Then the deep noise of frogs3 came from
the wet lowlands.
" Beautiful!” said the young man of
high birth again. “ Now it comes to my
ears, making sweet sounds like little
church bells.”
“No, those are frogs,” said the little
girl, “ but I am certain that in a short
16
time we will be hearing her song." And
two or three minutes after the voice of
the nightingale was lifted in song.
“ Quiet, quiet ! There she is, and she is
seated on that branch,” said the little
girl, pointing to a little grey bird seated on
a branch.
“ Is it possible?” said the great man. " I
had no idea it would be a simple, uninteresting,
little thing like that. Seeing
all these important persons has certainly
had an effect on her colour.”
“ Little nightingale," said the little
girl in a louder voice, “ our most kind
Emperor has a desire for you to give your
song before him.”
“ With the greatest pleasure !” said the
nightingale, and she gave a very beautiful
song.
“ The sound is like little glass bells,”
said the great man, “ and see how her
little throat is working. It is surprising
that this has never come to our ears before.
She will do very well in the Emperor’s
Circle.”
" Am I to give another song before the
Emperor?” said the nightingale, in the
belief that he was present.
“ My very good little nightingale,“ said
17
the great man, “ I have the great pleasure
of making you a request to come to the
Emperor, where you will get his approval
by your pleasing song.”
“ The sound of my song is best in the
green wood,” said the bird, but she was
ready to come because it was the Emperor's
desire.
The Emperor’s house was ornamented
in very good taste for the event. The
walls and floors of porcelain were bright
with a thousand lights. In all the rooms
there were beautiful flowers on which little
bells were fixed, and, with the running
about of such a number of persons and the
currents of air, these bells made such a
loud noise that nothing of what anybody
was saying came to one’s ears. In the
middle of the chief room a rod of gold had
been fixed for the nightingale to be seated
on. All the Emperor’s Circle was there, and
the little girl who gave help to the cook
had been given authority to take a place
by the door. She had now become a
regular cook to the Emperor’s Circle.
All were in full dress, and every eye was
turned to the little grey bird when the
Emperor gave a sign to her to make a start.
The song of the nightingale was so sweet
18
that the Emperor’s eyes became wet, and
then he was seen crying openly while her
song became even more touching and
went to everybody’s heart. The Emperor's
pleasure was so great that he said the
nightingale was to have his gold shoe to put
round her neck, but though pleased by this
kind thought she would not take it ; her
reward, she said, was quite great enough.
“ I have seen an Emperor’s eyes become
wet,” she said, “ that is my best reward.
The drops from an Emperor’s eyes have a
strange power, and I have no need for
payment in addition.” And then she gave
another song which was even more beautiful
than the first.
“ It is a great thing to have that power
of song,” said the women of the Emperor’s
Circle one to another ; and then they took
water in their mouths to make them able
to give out the liquid sounds of the
nightingale when they said anything to
anybody, so that they might seem to
themselves to be nightingales. And the
footmen and the servant-girls made it
clear that they were pleased, which is
very surprising, because it is hard to give
them pleasure. In fact, the coming of the
nightingale seemed a good thing to
19
everyone. She was now to be kept in the
Emperor’s Circle, to have a bird-house to
herself, with authority to go out twice in
the day, and once in the night. Twelve
servants were given to her to go with her
at these times, every one of whom kept her
prisoner by a silk thread fixed to her leg.
There was certainly not much pleasure for
her in this sort of flight.
In the town there was a great amount of
talk about the surprising bird, and When
two-persons came across one another in
the street, one said “ Nightin ” and the
other said “ gale,” and the sense of this
was quite clear to them, because there was
no talk of any other thing. Eleven street-traders’
babies were named after her, but
not one of them had a good voice.
One day a parcel of great size was sent
to the Emperor with the words “ The
Nightingale ” on the outside. “ Here is no
doubt a new book about our noted bird,”
said the Emperor. It was not a book,
however, but a work of art in a small
box, an automatic nightingale designed to
seem like a living one, and covered all
over with jewels of every colour. When
the automatic bird was given a turn with
a key, it was able to give a song like the
20
living one, and it had the power of moving
its gold and silver tail up and down.
Round its neck was a silk band with the
writing “ The Emperor of China’s nightingale
is poor in comparison with that of
the Ruler of Japan.”
“ This is very beautiful,” was the cry
of all who saw it, and the man who had
been sent with the automatic bird was
given the name of “ Emperor’s
nightingale-getter-in-chief.”
“ Now they may give their songs
together,” said the Emperor’s Circle, “ and
how pleasing the effect will be!” But they
did not get on well together, because the
living nightingale gave its song in its
natural way, but the automatic bird was
able to give songs only in dance time.
“There is nothing wrong with that,”
said the music-teacher ; “ to my mind it
is quite right.” So then it had to give its
song by itself and did as well as the living
bird in the opinion of those who were
present; in addition, it was much more
beautiful, because it was bright like
jewelled pins and arm-bands. Thirty-three
times it went over the same songs Without
becoming tired ; those present were
quite ready to have them again, but the
21
Emperor said it was time for the living
nightingale to give a song. But where was
she ? No one had seen her go when she
went out at the open window, back to her
green woods.
“ What strange behaviour!” said the
Emperor, when the discovery of her
?ight was made; and all the Emperor’s
Circle made protests, and said she was a
bird without any sense of debt.
“ But we have the best bird after all,”
said one, and then they were ready for
the bird’s song again, though this would
be the thirty—fourth time of hearing, and
even then they had not got it into their
heads, because it was somewhat complex.
But the music—teacher was full of approval
for the bird, even saying that it was better
than a living nightingale, not only in its
dress and beautiful jewels, but in its power
of song in addition. “ It is very clear,”
he said to the Emperor, “ that with a
living nightingale we are never able to be
certain what song it is going to give, but
with this bird everything is fixed. It is
possible to get it open and give an account
of it, so that you may get a knowledge of
the way in which the music is put together,
and why one note comes after another.”
22
“ These are our thoughts,” everyone
made answer, and then the music-teacher
was given authority to put the bird on
view in the town on the Sunday after, and
the Emperor gave an order that everybody
was to be present to have a chance of
hearing it. When the song came to their
ears they were like persons the worse for
drink; though the only drink they were
able to get was tea, which is the chief
drink of the Chinese nation. They all
said “ Oh!” and put up their first fingers as
a sign of approval and made motions with
their heads ; but a poor fisherman, who
had a memory of the living nightingale,
said, “ The sound is pleasing enough, and
the songs are all like one another, but it
seems to be without something, I am not
able to say quite what.”
And after this the living nightingale
was ordered out of the country, and the
automatic bird placed on a silk cushion
near the Emperor's bed. The gold and
jewels which had come with it were
round the bird, and in addition it was now
given the name of " Little Song-maker to
the Emperor’s Bedroom,” and the position
of Number 1 on the left side ; because in
the Emperor’s opinion the left side, where
23
the heart is, is the best, and the heart of an
Emperor is in the same place as that of
other persons.
The music-teacher got out a work in
twenty—five parts about the automatic
bird, which had much learning in it, and
was very long, and full of the hardest
Chinese words, but everybody, after
reading it, said its teaching was quite clear
to them, fearing they might seem foolish
and have their bodies stamped on.
So a year went by, and the Emperor, his
Circle, and all the other Chinese had a
complete knowledge of every little turn in
the automatic bird’s song ; and for that
same reason it gave them greater pleasure.
They were able to go through the song with
the bird, which they frequently did. The
street-boys did the song : “ Zi-zi-zi,
cluck, cluck, cluck,”and even the Emperor
himself was able to do it. Truly it gave
much‘ amusement.
One night, when the automatic bird was
at its best, and the Emperor, who was
resting on his bed, had it by his side, there
was suddenly a strange sound from inside
the bird. Then a spring gave a crack.
“ Whir-r-r ” went all the wheels, running
round, and then the music came to an end.
24
Quickly jumping out of bed, the Emperor
gave a cry for his medical man, but he was
not able to do anything. Then they sent
for a watch-maker, and after a great
amount of talk and testing, the bird was
put into something like order ; but the
watch-maker said that it would be necessary
to take great care in using it, because
the rollers had become damaged by use, and
it would not be possible to put in new ones
without having a bad effect on the music.
Now there was great regret because the
experts would not let the bird give its
song more than once a year ; and even
that was a danger to the machine inside it.
Then the music-teacher gave a little talk,
full of hard words, and said that the bird
was as good as ever; and naturally no one
made the suggestion that he was wrong.
Five years went by, and then the nation
had true cause to be sad. The Emperor
was very dear to the Chinese, and he was
now so ill that there was little hope that he
would ever get better again. The selection
of a new Emperor had been made, and
persons waiting in the street made a request
to the great man to give them news of the
old Emperor ; but he only said “ Pooh!”
and made a motion with his head.
25
Cold and white was the Emperor,
stretched on his bed ; all his Circle had the
belief that he was dead, and‘ everybody was
running away to give their respects to the
new Emperor. The keepers of the
Emperor’s House went out to have a talk
on the question, and the female servants
sent for their friends to come and take
coffee with them. Cloth had been put
down on the floors of all the rooms, so
that there would be no sound of footsteps,
and all was quiet. But the Emperor was
still living, though he was stretched white
and stiff on his beautiful bed with the long
silk curtains and gold ornaments of great
weight. A window was open, and the light
of the moon came in on the Emperor and
the automatic bird. The poor Emperor,
making the discovery that it was hard for
him to get his breath because of a strange
weight on his chest, got his eyes open, and
saw Death seated there. The Emperor’s
gold circle was on his head, and in one
hand he had his blade, and in the other
his beautiful flag. All round the bed, and
taking a look at him through the long
silk curtains, were a number of strange
heads, some very unpleasing, and others
beautiful and kind-looking. These were the
26
Emperor’s good and bad acts which were
looking him in the face now that Death
was seated at his heart.
“ Have you any memory of this?”
“ Have you any memory of that?” Their
questions came one after another, putting
him in mind of things which made him go
cold with fear.
“ I have no knowledge of it,” said the
Emperor. “ Music ! Music!” he gave a
cry. “ The great Chinese drum !4 so that
what they say may not come to my ears.”
But they still went on, and Death made a
motion with his head in the Chinese way
to all they said. “ Music ! Music!” the
Emperor said, crying out more loudly.
“ Little gold bird, little bird of great price,
give me your song. I have given you gold
and offerings ; I have even put my gold
shoe round your neck. Give me your
song!” But the bird made no sound.
Nobody was there to give the key a turn,
and so it was not able to give its song.
Death went on looking at the Emperor
with his cold, hollow eyes, and the room
was unnaturally quiet. Suddenly there
came through the open window the sound
27
of sweet music. Outside, on the branch of a
tree, was the living nightingale. She had
got the news that the Emperor was ill, and
had come to give him a song of hope and
belief in the future. And while she gave
her song, the shades became lighter and
lighter ; the blood in the Emperor’s body
became quicker, and gave back power
to his feeble legs and arms ; and even
Death himself gave attention and said,
“ Go on, little nightingale, go on.”
“ If I do, will you give me the beautiful
gold blade and that bright flag ? And will
you give me the Emperor’s gold circle?”
said the bird.
So Death gave up all these great
ornaments for a song ; and Still the
nightingale went on, with a song about
the quiet place of the dead near the church,
where white flowers come out, where there
is a tree which gives out its delicate smell
in the soft winds, and the young sweet
grass is kept watered by those who are
crying for the loss of somebody dear to
them. Then Death had a great desire to
go and see his garden and went out
through the window in the form of a cold
white mist.
“ How good, how good you have been
28
to me, little bird from a happier land !
I see who you are. I sent you away from
my country once, but still you have made
use of your strange power to take
away the bad faces from my bed and send
Death from my heart with your sweet
song. What reward may I give you?”
“ You have given me my reward,”
said the nightingale. “ I still have a memory
of how your eyes became wet the first
time I gave you my song. These are the
jewels which make happy the heart of a
song-maker. But now take a sleep and get
strong and well again, while I give you
another song.”
And while she was giving her song, the
Emperor went into a sweet sleep, a sleep
which was quiet and gave him new power.
When he was awake again, strong and
healthy, the sun came in brightly through
the window ; but not one of his servants
had come back -- they all had the belief
that he was dead. Only the nightingale
was still seated by his side, giving her song.
“ Never go from my side,” said the
Emperor. “ You will make me happy with
your songs only when it is pleasing to you ;
and I will have the automatic bird broken
into a thousand bits.”
29
" No ; do not do that,” was the
nightingale’s answer ; “ the bird did very
well as long as it was able. Keep it. It is
not possible for me to be in your house all
the time and make my sleeping-place here ;
but let me come when I have a desire to do
so. I will come on to a branch outside
your window, at nightfall, and give you a
song, so that you may be happy and have
pleasing thoughts. My song will be of
those who are happy and those who are in
trouble, of the good and the bad who are
round you though you have no knowledge
of them. The wings of the little song-bird
take it in every direction far from you and
your Circle to the small houses of the
fishermen and the countrymen. I have a
greater love for your heart than for the
gold circle on your head ; though there is
still something about that which has my
high respect. I will come. I will give you
my song. But it is necessary for you to
give me your word about one thing.”
“ Everything,” said the Emperor, who,
having put on his jewelled clothing, had
now got to his feet, and with his hand was
gripping the gold blade of great weight to
his heart.
“ I have only one request,” was her
30
answer,“ say no word to anyone about
having a little bird who gives you an
account of everything. It will be best to
keep it secret.” With these words, the
nightingale went through the window.
The servants came in to take a look at
the dead Emperor, and to their surprise,
there he was upright by his bed, saying
“ Good morning ” to them.
- 31 -
1. porcelain --Delicate material of which cups and plates are made.
2. nightingale -- Night song-bird
3. frog -- Small jumping animal, living half in the water, and half on land.
4. drum -- A music-instrument made by stretching skin over a round frame.