Butoneevening，whentheartificialbirdwassingingitsbest，andtheEmperorlayinbedlisteningtoit，somethinginthebirdwentcrack。Somethingsnapped！Whir-r-r！allthewheelsrandownandthenthemusicceased。TheEmperorsprangup，andhadhisphysiciansummoned，butwhatcouldHEdo！Thentheclockmakercame，and，afteragreatdealoftalkingandexamining，heputthebirdsomewhatinorder，buthesaidthatitmustbeveryseldomusedastheworkswerenearlywornout，anditwasimpossibletoputinnewones。Herewasacalamity！Onlyonceayearwastheartificialbirdallowedtosing，andeventhatwasalmosttoomuchforit。Butthenthebandmastermadealittlespeechfullofhardwords，sayingthatitwasjustasgoodasbefore。Andso，ofcourse，itWASjustasgoodasbefore。Sofiveyearspassed，andthenagreatsorrowcametothenation。
TheChineselookupontheirEmperoraseverything，andnowhewasill，andnotlikelytoliveitwassaid。
AlreadyanewEmperorhadbeenchosen，andthepeoplestoodoutsideinthestreetandaskedtheFirstLordhowtheoldEmperorwas。’P！’saidhe，andshookhishead。
ColdandpalelaytheEmperorinhissplendidgreatbed；thewholeCourtbelievedhimdead，andoneaftertheotherlefthimtopaytheirrespectstothenewEmperor。Everywhereinthehallsandcorridorsclothwaslaiddownsothatnofootstepcouldbeheard，andeverythingwasstill——very，verystill。Andnothingcametobreakthesilence。
TheEmperorlongedforsomethingtocomeandrelievethemonotonyofthisdeathlikestillness。Ifonlysomeonewouldspeaktohim！