The Nightingale Level

About the Tale

I

“T

he Nightingale” originated in Asia hundreds of years ago, where it was passed down verbally from generation to generation. Although centuries old, the fairy tale was not widely known in the West until Hans Christian Andersen published his lyrical retelling in 1835. We are thankful he did. This beautiful story of an emperor who selfishly cages a nightingale in order to capture its sweet singing is among Andersen’s very finest tales. And the people of China agree. Today, Hans Christian Andersen is nearly as popular there as he is in his native Denmark.

Word Count 412

Vocabulary healed, nightingale, palace, servant, trusted

Supportive Features strong text-to-picture match

Challenging Features

Discussion Questions 1. Why does the king put the nightingale in a cage? 2. Why does the nightingale decide to fly away? 3. Do you think the king is good or bad? What lesson does he learn at

unfamiliar setting, long sentences, four to five lines of text per page, multisyllabic words

Comprehension

the end of the story?

Use this book with the Sequencing Chart on page 23.

Notable Retellings

Phonics

B Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde by Oscar Wilde (Nautier Beall Miniustchine Publishing, 2004). The master applies his storytelling gifts to “The Nightingale” with stunning results.

two- to three-syllable words: upon, palace, China, behind, forest, sweetly, servant, singing, Japan, inside, forget, sadly, music, window, nightingale, beautiful, unwanted, forever

B The Nightingale by Stephen Mitchell (Candlewick Press, 2002). Kids will love this melodic retelling and the Asian-inspired brush paintings.

B The Nightingale by Jerry Pinkney (Dial Books, 2002). In this

Writing

lavishly illustrated picture book, the story is relocated to exotic Morocco.

Have children write a letter from the king to the nightingale, asking the bird to come back and sing for him.

Companion Reproducible Focus Skills: Vocabulary Development, Making Personal Connections, Writing

Fluency

Name ____ ____

________

________

________

My Wind up Bird Use

________

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your ima gination to decorate your own fancy windup bird . Then choose five words to describ e it.

Distribute copies of the reproducible on page 110. Then invite children to decorate and describe their own windup birds.

Five words

to describ e my bird :

1.______

________

________

2.______

_______

________

________

3.______

_______

________

________

4.______

_______

5.______

________

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110

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_______

Scholasti c • Folk & Fairy Tale Easy Readers Teaching

________

Have children read the story into a tape recorder. Ask them to listen to their recording with a partner and evaluate the speed, accuracy, and expression of their reading.

Guide • page 110

109 Folk & Fairy Tale Easy Readers Teaching Guide © Scholastic Teaching Resources

Name _______________________________________________

My Windup Bird Use your imagination to decorate your own fancy windup bird. Then choose five words to describe it. Five words to describe my bird:

1._____________________________

2._____________________________

3._____________________________

4._____________________________

5._____________________________

110

Folk & Fairy Tale Easy Readers Teaching Guide © Scholastic Teaching Resources

The Nightingale A retelling by Violet Findley • Illustrated by Delana Bettoli

“No, keep the toy bird,” said the nightingale. “I like the forest, but I will come to your window every night to sing.” So he did. And his sweet music brought joy to everyone in the palace forever more.

Scholastic • Folk & Fairy Tale Easy Readers Teaching Guide • page 111

16

By and by, the real nightingale heard that the king was sick and flew to his window. There, he sang a song so sweet that the

Behind the palace was a forest. In the forest

king was quickly healed.

lived a nightingale.

14

3

“Dear nightingale, you made me well. Once upon a time, there was a king.

Come back! I will throw away the toy bird.

He lived in a beautiful palace in the land

Then you can live in the cage all by yourself,”

of China.

said the king. 2

15

A

The nightingale sang so sweetly that he was

“My only wish is to hear the music of a

known far and wide. People even wrote

nightingale,” he said.

books about him. One day, the king read

He begged the toy bird to sing. But, of

one of the books.

course, it did not. 4

B

13

Scholastic • Folk & Fairy Tale Easy Readers Teaching Guide • page 112

Years passed and the king grew very sick.

“This bird lives in the forest behind my Every night the king listened to the toy bird

palace, but I have never heard him sing.

sing. But one day, it broke.

I must!” said the king.

“It will never sing again,” the servant

So he sent his most trusted servant to bring

said sadly.

back the nightingale.

Scholastic • Folk & Fairy Tale Easy Readers Teaching Guide • page 113

12

5

The king wound up the toy bird and it sang. “This is so pretty! I will place it in the cage

“Will you come to the palace and sing

with the real nightingale,” he said.

for the king?” asked the servant.

So he did.

“Of course,” said the nightingale. 10

7

By and by, the king seemed to forget all about the real nightingale. Feeling unwanted, The servant went into the forest. By and by,

he flew back to the forest.

he came upon a plain brown bird singing

“No matter. The toy bird is better,” said

a sweet song. It was the nightingale!

the servant.

6

11

C

The king loved the music so much that he cried. “I will buy you a fancy cage so you can sing

By and by, a present came from the king of

for me always,” he said.

Japan. Inside was a toy nightingale. It was

So he did.

made of gold and covered with jewels. 8

D

9

Scholastic • Folk & Fairy Tale Easy Readers Teaching Guide • page 114

At the palace, the nightingale sang and sang.

Making the Mini-Books 3. Position the pages so that the lettered

le The Litt Red Hen

Cravath by Lynne Illustrated Findley • by Violet A retelling

spreads (A, B, C, D) are face up. Place the B spread on top of the A spread. Then, place the C and D spreads on top of those in sequence.

1. Make doublesided copies of the

I will just not help, use you did said “No! Beca by myself,” this bread have to eat hen. red little top! the jam on did, with the dog. she so And said “Not me!” 16 said the cat. “Not me!” . said the duck “Not me!”

mini-book pages.

at was tall. , all the whe d Before long this?” aske help me cut “Who will hen. the little red 5

12

(You should have • page 33 Teaching Guide Tale Easy Readers • Folk & Fairy Scholastic

copies for each one.)

• page 35 Teaching Guide Tale Easy Readers • Folk & Fairy Scholastic

two double-sided . said the dog “Not me!” said the cat. “Not me!” . ed. said the duck lazy. d was bak “Not me!” e all quite , all the brea wer d long they re Befo this?” aske You see, said 3 help me eat it by myself,” “Who will have to cut hen. “I will just the little red said hen. 14 by myself,” the little red to grind it 7 have “I will just hen. red the little 10

Before long, all the wheat was cut. “Not me!” said the dog. “Who will help me grind this?” asked “Not me!” said the cat. “Notthe me!” dog. Before the the wheat was ground. littlesaid redthe hen. “Notlong, me!”allsaid duck. “Not me!” said the cat. 8 this into bread?” D “Who will help me bake 9 “Not me!” said the duck. asked the little red hen. “I will just have to bake 11 it by myself,” said “I will just have to plant6 it by myself,” said C Once a time, “Me!” said red the dog. the little hen. theupon little red hen.a little red hen decided to plant some wheat. 4 B “Me!” said the cat. 13 “Who will help me plant this?” she asked. “Me!” said the duck.

D

le The Litt Red Hen

Cravath by Lynne Illustrated Findley • by Violet A retelling

C

B

2

A

15

A

16

Guide • page 33 Tale Easy Readers Teaching Scholastic • Folk & Fairy

along the dashed line.

I will just not help, use you did said “No! Beca by myself,” this bread have to eat hen. the little red jam on top! with did, And so she

✃

2. Cut the pages in half

was baked. Before long, all the bread this?” asked “Who will help me eat the little red hen.

“Not me!” said the dog. “Not me!” said the cat. “Not me!” said the duck. quite lazy. You see, they were all

4. Fold the pages in half along the solid line. Make sure all the pages are in the proper order. Staple them together along the book’s spine.

The Little Red Hen

A retelling by Violet Findley • Illustrated by Lynne Cravath

3

14

Book Badge Reproducibles

✃

✃ Let me read

Let’s read

______________________________ .

______________________________ .

to you!

together!

29 Folk & Fairy Tale Easy Readers Teaching Guide © Scholastic Teaching Resources