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