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The Nightingale

A fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen

Hans Christian Andersen (1805–1875) was a Danish storyteller whose fairy tales are loved all over the world. 'The Nightingale' was first published in 1843. It tells of an emperor who learns that a real, living gift is worth more than any treasure. This text reflects its era; a few period terms have been modernised. Andersen's tale reminds young readers that beauty and goodness come from the heart, not from jewels or gold.

Band
Purple · Pre-readers and first readersTypical starting range: ages 4–5
Length
short · about 389 words in 6 sections · 4 pictures
Source
Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen, H. C. Andersen
First published
see the About page in the reader
Regions
Canada · United States

Included formats

  • · Web reader and PDF
  • · EPUB for e-readers
  • · Home-print sheet
  • · Folded booklet
  • · Binder edition (8.5 × 11)
  • · Worksheet
  • · Quick Check (6 questions) with answer key
  • · Read-aloud script
  • · Colouring page
  • · Teacher’s Edition (members)

Lesson at a glance

Reading
about 9 minutes at this band
Pause questions
5
Words to Know
4
Quick Check
6 questions, with the answer key
Let’s Talk
3 questions for afterwards
Worksheet
questions, an activity and a drawing prompt

About 35 minutes with one story, all of it.

Readers are engineered from the original public-domain text with AI under HummingRead’s published canon and Content Philosophy, checked by automated audit and sampled by a person. Pictures are made with AI to HummingRead’s brief for each story. How a reader is made.

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The same story

The Nightingale at other bands

Yellow band

The Nightingale

H. C. Andersen

medium · 544 words · also in Purple

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