The Nightingale and the Rose Learn English through story level 3

the nightingale and the rose

she said i will dance with you if you

bring me a red rose

cried the young student but there are no

red roses in my garden

i have studied everything that wise men

have written

but my life is unhappy because i have no

red rose

his eyes filled with tears

a little nightingale heard him from her

old tree

here at last is a true lover

said the nightingale i have sung about

true love night

after night but i have never seen a true

lover there will be a dance at the

palace tomorrow

said the student the prince will be

there and my love will be there too

if i bring her a red rose she will dance

with me

if i bring her a red rose i will hold

her in my arms

but there are no red roses in my garden

so i will sit alone she will not need me

and my heart will break

yes he is a true lover like the lovers

in my

songs said the nightingale love

is happiness to me but it is pain to him

love is a wonderful thing gold and

jewels can never buy it

the student cried the musicians will

play and my love will dance to the music

rich men in their fine clothes will

crowd round her

but she will not dance with me because i

cannot give her a red rose

he lay down on the grass put his face in

his hands

and cried why is he crying

ask the little animals in the garden why

is he

crying ask the flowers

he is crying for a red rose said the

nightingale

for a red rose they cried and they

laughed

but the nightingale understood she

opened her brown wings and flew up into

the air

she passed across the garden like a

shadow

there was a beautiful rose tree standing

in the center of another garden

when she saw it she flew down to it

give me a red rose she cried and i will

sing you my sweetest song

i am sorry said the rose tree my roses

are white

as white as snow go to my brother on the

other side of the garden

perhaps he will give you what you want

so the nightingale flew to the other

rose tree

give me a red rose she cried and i will

sing you my sweetest song

i am sorry answered the rose tree

my roses are yellow gold and yellow

but go to my brother who grows below the

student’s window

perhaps he will give you what you want

so the nightingale flew to the rose tree

which was growing below the student’s

window

give me a red rose she cried and i will

sing you my sweetest song

my roses are red it answered but the

winter cold has frozen my flowers

and they have fallen i will have no

roses this year

i only want one red rose cried the

nightingale

only one red rose how can i get it

there is a way answered the tree

but i do not want to tell you about it

tell me the way please said the

nightingale

i am not afraid if you want a red rose

said the tree you must build it out of

music by moonlight

the redness must come from your heart’s

blood

you must sink to me all night with your

heart pressed against a thorn

the thorn must cut open your heart and

your lifeblood must run into me

and become mine

death is a great price to pay for a red

rose

cried the nightingale i enjoy life

i love sitting in the green trees and

watching the golden sun go down

i love smelling the flowers but love is

better than life

and the heart of a man is more important

than the heart of a bird

so she opened her brown wings and flew

up into the air

she passed over the garden where the

young student was still lying in the

grass

the tears were not yet dry in his eyes

be happy cried the nightingale you will

have your red rose

i will build it out of music by

moonlight and i will give my heart’s

blood for its redness

but you must be a true lover because

love is the wisest

and strongest thing the student looked

up from the grass and listened

but he could not understand what the

nightingale was saying

he only knew things that are written in

books

but the old tree loved the little

nightingale and he understood

sing me one last song he said

i shall be sad and alone when you go

so the nightingale sang to the old tree

her voice was like drops of water

falling from a silver cup

when she finished her song the student

took out a notebook

her voice is beautiful but her song does

not mean anything

it is not really useful because she has

no true feelings

she thinks only of her music not about

other people

he went into his room lay down on his

bed

and thought about his love after a time

he fell asleep

when the moon shone in the sky the

nightingale flew to the rose tree

she pressed herself against a thorn she

sang

all night and the cold moon listened

all through the long night she sang and

the thorn went deeper and deeper

and the lifeblood ran out of her

first she sang about the birth of love

in the heart of a boy and a girl

and a wonderful rose grew on the highest

part of the rose tree

as song followed song the rose opened

at first it was white as white as a

cloud on a river

as silver as the wings of the early

morning

the rose tree cried to the nightingale

press closer against the thorn little

nightingale

the rose must be red before daylight

so the nightingale pressed closer and

her song became louder

now she sang about the birth of love in

the hearts of a man

and a woman the rose became red

but the heart of the rose stayed white

because only the heart’s blood of a

nightingale can color the heart of a

rose

the rose tree cried to the nightingale

press closer against the thorn little

nightingale

all the day will come before the rose is

red

so the nightingale pressed closer

against the thorn

the thorn touched her heart and pain

shot through her

as the pain became worse her song became

wilder

now she sang of the love which is made

perfect by death

the rose became deep red the heart of

the rose was as red as a jewel

but the nightingale’s voice became

weaker and weaker

her little wings stopped moving

her eyes lost their brightness she sang

a last

wonderful song the moon heard it

and waited in the sky the red rose heard

it

and opened wide to the cold morning air

look look cried the rose tree

the rose is ready now

but the nightingale did not answer

because she was lying dead in the long

grass

with the thorn in her heart

at midday the student opened his window

and looked out

ah he cried here is a red rose

it is exactly what i wanted i have

never seen a rose as beautiful as this

it probably

has a long latin name he put out his

hand

and took it then he put on his hat and

ran to the doctor’s house with the rose

in his hand

the doctor was the student’s teacher and

the student

loved the doctor’s daughter she was

sitting at the door

and her little dog was lying at her feet

you wanted me to bring you a red rose

cried the student

here is the reddest rose in the world

you can wear it tonight

next to your heart then we can dance

together and you will know how i love

you

i’m sorry said the girl it will not go

with the color of my dress

and the officer has sent me some real

jewels

everyone knows that jewels cost more

than flowers

thank you very much said the student

angrily

you are very kind he threw the rose into

the street

you cannot speak to me like that said

the girl

who are you only a student

she got up from her chair and went into

the house

love is a very silly thing said the

student as he walked away

it tells us things which are not going

to happen

we believe things which are not true

it is useless in these difficult times

we must learn useful things

i shall go back to my studies

so he returned to his room took out a

big

old book and began to read

you