The Nightingale and the Rose

By Oscar Wilde
Directions: Read the short story and answer the questions that follow. Refer to the text to check your answers.
"She said that she would dance with me if I brought her "Why, indeed?" said a Butterfly, who was fluttering
red roses," cried the young Student; "but in all my about after a sunbeam.
garden there is no red rose."
"Why, indeed?" whispered a Daisy to his neighbour, in
From her nest in the holm-oak tree the Nightingale a soft, low voice.
heard him, and she looked out through the leaves, and
"He is weeping for a red rose," said the Nightingale.
wondered.
"For a red rose?" they cried; "how very ridiculous!"
"No red rose in all my garden!" he cried, and his
and the little Lizard, who was something of a cynic4,
beautiful eyes filled with tears. "Ah, on what little
laughed outright.
things does happiness depend! I have read all that the
wise men have written, and all the secrets of But the Nightingale understood the secret of the
philosophy are mine, yet for want of a red rose is my Student's sorrow, and she sat silent in the oak-tree, and
life made wretched1." thought about the mystery of Love.
"Here at last is a true lover," said the Nightingale. Suddenly she spread her brown wings for flight, and
"Night after night have I sung of him, though I knew soared into the air. She passed through the grove like a
him not: night after night have I told his story to the shadow, and like a shadow she sailed across the garden.
stars, and now I see him. His hair is dark as the
In the center of the grass-plot was standing a beautiful
hyacinth-blossom, and his lips are red as the rose of his
Rose-tree, and when she saw it she flew over to it, and
desire; but passion has made his face like pale ivory,
lit upon a spray.
and sorrow has set her seal upon his brow."
"Give me a red rose," she cried, "and I will sing you
"The Prince gives a ball tomorrow night," murmured
my sweetest song."
the young Student, "and my love will be of the
company. If I bring her a red rose she will dance with But the Tree shook its head.
me till dawn. If I bring her a red rose, I shall hold her in
"My roses are white," it answered; "as white as the
my arms, and she will lean her head upon my shoulder,
foam of the sea, and whiter than the snow upon the
and her hand will be clasped in mine. But there is no
mountain. But go to my brother who grows round the
red rose in my garden, so I shall sit lonely, and she will
old sun-dial, and perhaps he will give you what you
pass me by. She will have no heed2 of me, and my
want."
heart will break."
So the Nightingale flew over to the Rose-tree that was
"Here indeed is the true lover," said the Nightingale.
growing round the old sun-dial.
"What I sing of, he suffers—what is joy to me, to him
is pain. Surely Love is a wonderful thing. It is more "Give me a red rose," she cried, "and I will sing you
precious than emeralds, and dearer than fine opals. my sweetest song."
Pearls and pomegranates cannot buy it, nor is it set
But the Tree shook its head.
forth in the marketplace. It may not be purchased of the
merchants, nor can it be weighed out in the balance for "My roses are yellow," it answered; "as yellow as the
gold." hair of the mermaiden who sits upon an amber throne,
and yellower than the daffodil that blooms in the
"The musicians will sit in their gallery," said the young
meadow before the mower comes with his scythe5. But
Student, "and play upon their stringed instruments, and
go to my brother who grows beneath the Student's
my love will dance to the sound of the harp and the
window, and perhaps he will give you what you want."
violin. She will dance so lightly that her feet will not
touch the floor, and the courtiers in their festive dresses So the Nightingale flew over to the Rose-tree that was
will throng3 round her. But with me she will not dance, growing beneath the Student's window.
for I have no red rose to give her"; and he flung himself
down on the grass, and buried his face in his hands, and Vocabulary
wept. 1. wretched: very miserable
2. heed: to mind; to regard with care; to take notice of
"Why is he weeping?" asked a little Green Lizard, as he 3. throng: to crowd; to congregate
ran past him with his tail in the air. 4. cynic: one whose outlook is scornfully negative
5. scythe: a tool with a long curving blade used for cutting grain
"Give me a red rose," she cried, "and I will sing you But the Oak-tree understood, and felt sad, for he was
my sweetest song." very fond9 of the little Nightingale who had built her
nest in his branches.
But the Tree shook its head.
"Sing me one last song," he whispered; "I shall feel
"My roses are red," it answered, "as red as the feet of
very lonely when you are gone."
the dove, and redder than the great fans of coral that
wave and wave in the ocean-cavern. But the winter has So the Nightingale sang to the Oak-tree, and her voice
chilled my veins, and the frost has nipped my buds, and was like water bubbling from a silver jar.
the storm has broken my branches, and I shall have no
When she had finished her song the Student got up, and
roses at all this year."
pulled a note-book and a lead-pencil out of his pocket.
"One red rose is all I want," cried the Nightingale,
"She has form," he said to himself, as he walked away
"only one red rose! Is there no way by which I can get
through the grove—"that cannot be denied to her; but
it?"
has she got feeling? I am afraid not. In fact, she is like
"There is a way," answered the Tree; "but it is so most artists; she is all style, without any sincerity. She
terrible that I dare not tell it to you." would not sacrifice herself for others. She thinks
merely of music, and everybody knows that the arts are
"Tell it to me," said the Nightingale, "I am not afraid."
selfish. Still, it must be admitted that she has some
"If you want a red rose," said the Tree, "you must build beautiful notes in her voice. What a pity it is that they
it out of music by moonlight, and stain it with your do not mean anything, or do any practical good." And
own heart's-blood. You must sing to me with your he went into his room, and lay down on his little pallet-
breast against a thorn. All night long you must sing to bed, and began to think of his love; and, after a time, he
me, and the thorn must pierce your heart, and your life- fell asleep.
blood must flow into my veins, and become mine."
And when the Moon shone in the heavens the
"Death is a great price to pay for a red rose," cried the Nightingale flew to the Rose-tree, and set her breast
Nightingale, "and Life is very dear to all. It is pleasant against the thorn. All night long she sang with her
to sit in the green wood, and to watch the Sun in his breast against the thorn, and the cold crystal Moon
chariot of gold, and the Moon in her chariot of pearl. leaned down and listened. All night long she sang, and
Sweet is the scent of the hawthorn6, and sweet are the the thorn went deeper and deeper into her breast, and
bluebells that hide in the valley, and the heather7 that her life-blood ebbed away from her.
blows on the hill. Yet Love is better than Life, and
She sang first of the birth of love in the heart of a boy
what is the heart of a bird compared to the heart of a
and a girl. And on the top-most spray of the Rose-tree
man?"
there blossomed a marvellous rose, petal following
So she spread her brown wings for flight, and soared petal, as song followed song. Pale was it, at first, as the
into the air. She swept over the garden like a shadow, mist that hangs over the river—pale as the feet of the
and like a shadow she sailed through the grove. morning, and silver as the wings of the dawn. As the
shadow of a rose in a mirror of silver, as the shadow of
The young Student was still lying on the grass, where
a rose in a water-pool, so was the rose that blossomed
she had left him, and the tears were not yet dry in his
on the topmost spray of the Tree.
beautiful eyes.
But the Tree cried to the Nightingale to press closer
"Be happy," cried the Nightingale, "be happy; you shall
against the thorn. "Press closer, little Nightingale,"
have your red rose. I will build it out of music by
cried the Tree, "or the Day will come before the rose is
moonlight, and stain it with my own heart's-blood. All
finished."
that I ask of you in return is that you will be a true
lover, for Love is wiser than Philosophy, though she is So the Nightingale pressed closer against the thorn, and
wise, and mightier than Power, though he is mighty. louder and louder grew her song, for she sang of the
Flame-coloured are his wings, and coloured like flame birth of passion in the soul of a man and a maid.
is his body. His lips are sweet as honey, and his breath
is like frankincense8." Vocabulary
6. hawthorn: companions or associates
The Student looked up from the grass, and listened, but
7. heather: an evergreen plant
he could not understand what the Nightingale was 8. frankincense: a sweet smelling incense
saying to him, for he only knew the things that are 9. fond: to like or regard something or someone with affection
written down in books.
And a delicate flush of pink came into the leaves of the Then he put on his hat, and ran up to the Professor's
rose, like the flush in the face of the bridegroom when house with the rose in his hand.
he kisses the lips of the bride. But the thorn had not yet
The daughter of the Professor was sitting in the
reached her heart, so the rose's heart remained white,
doorway winding blue silk on a reel, and her little dog
for only a Nightingale's heart's-blood can crimson10 the
was lying at her feet.
heart of a rose.
"You said that you would dance with me if I brought
And the Tree cried to the Nightingale to press closer
you a red rose," cried the Student. "Here is the reddest
against the thorn. "Press closer, little Nightingale,"
rose in all the world. You will wear it tonight next to
cried the Tree, "or the Day will come before the rose is
your heart, and as we dance together it will tell you
finished."
how I love you."
So the Nightingale pressed closer against the thorn, and
But the girl frowned.
the thorn touched her heart, and a fierce pang of pain
shot through her. Bitter, bitter was the pain, and wilder "I am afraid it will not go with my dress," she
and wilder grew her song, for she sang of the Love that answered; "and, besides, the Chamberlain's13 nephew
is perfected by Death, of the Love that dies not in the has sent me some real jewels, and everybody knows
tomb. that jewels cost far more than flowers."
And the marvelous rose became crimson, like the rose "Well, upon my word, you are very ungrateful," said
of the eastern sky. Crimson was the girdle11 of petals, the Student angrily; and he threw the rose into the
and crimson as a ruby was the heart. street, where it fell into the gutter, and a cart-wheel
went over it.
But the Nightingale's voice grew fainter, and her little
wings began to beat, and a film came over her eyes. "Ungrateful!" said the girl. "I tell you what, you are
Fainter and fainter grew her song, and she felt very rude; and, after all, who are you? Only a Student.
something choking her in her throat. Why, I don't believe you have even got silver buckles
to your shoes as the Chamberlain's nephew has"; and
Then she gave one last burst of music. The white Moon
she got up from her chair and went into the house.
heard it, and she forgot the dawn, and lingered on in
the sky. The red rose heard it, and it trembled all over "What a silly thing Love is," said the Student as he
with ecstasy12, and opened its petals to the cold walked away. "It is not half as useful as Logic, for it
morning air. Echo bore it to her purple cavern in the does not prove anything, and it is always telling one of
hills, and woke the sleeping shepherds from their things that are not going to happen, and making one
dreams. It floated through the reeds of the river, and believe things that are not true. In fact, it is quite
they carried its message to the sea. unpractical, and, as in this age to be practical is
everything, I shall go back to Philosophy and study
"Look, look!" cried the Tree, "the rose is finished
Metaphysics14."
now"; but the Nightingale made no answer, for she was
lying dead in the long grass, with the thorn in her heart. So he returned to his room and pulled out a great dusty
book, and began to read.
And at noon the Student opened his window and
looked out.
Vocabulary
"Why, what a wonderful piece of luck!" he cried. "Here 10. crimson: deep, slightly bluish red
is a red rose! I have never seen any rose like it in all my 11. girdle: that which encircles, or encloses
life. It is so beautiful that I am sure it has a long Latin 12. ecstasy: intense pleasure
13. chamberlain: a high officer of state
name"; and he leaned down and plucked it. 14. metaphysics: the study of the ultimate nature of the universe
 Name: ____________________________________
The Nightingale and the Rose | Reading Quiz
1. Which character trait does NOT apply to the Nightingale?
a. Selfish b. Naive c. Concerned d. Idealistic

2. How do the other animals (besides the Nightingale) respond to the Student's grief?
a. They are uninterested in his feelings. b. They think that he is foolish.
c. They weep with him. d. They have suffered similar pains in their lives.

3. Why does the Student want a red rose so badly?

a. His mother is sick and only the petals from a red rose can heal her.
b. He is going to a dance and he thinks that he will get noticed if he wears a red rose.
c. A witch cast a spell on his lover and he needs a red rose to break the curse.
d. The girl whom he likes says that she will dance with him for a red rose.

4. What does it cost the Nightingale to make a red rose?

a. His colors b. His song c. His life d. His wings

5. Which statement about the Student is TRUE?

a. He behaves ungratefully. b. He honors the Nightingale's sacrifice.
c. He understands the Nightingale. d. He knows the cost of the red rose.

6. Which is the correct order of events?

a. The Oak-tree asks for one more song; the Nightingale makes a rose; the Lizard laughs at the Student
b. The Lizard laughs at the Student; the Oak-tree asks for one more song; the Nightingale makes a rose
c. The Nightingale looks for a rose; the Nightingale hears the Student's problem; the Student argues with the girl
d. The Student argues with the girl; the Student criticizes the Nightingale's song; the Nightingale looks for a rose

7. Which figurative language technique is used in the following sentence?

"The white Moon heard it, and she forgot the dawn, and lingered on in the sky."
a. Simile b. Metaphor c. Hyperbole d. Personification

8. Why does the Professor's daughter reject the rose?

a. It does not go with her dress. b. She is allergic to roses.
c. She wanted a white rose. d. There was a bee in the flower.

9. Which idiom best applies to when the Student tells the girl that she is "ungrateful"?
a. The devil is in the details. b. It's best to hear it straight from the horse's mouth
c. The pot calls the kettle black. d. Cross that bridge when you come to it.

10. Which statement best expresses a theme of this text?

a. Money can't buy everything.
b. True love can overcome all obstacles and bounds.
c. The shortest distance between two points is a straight line.
d. Don't give your all to someone who won't appreciate it.

Extended Response: On a separate sheet of paper, answer the following question using at least two quotes.
What lesson does this text teach readers and how does it teach this lesson?