My Nightingale Is Singing facts for kids

My Nightingale Is Singing (original title: Spelar min lind, sjunger min näktergal) is a special children's book. It was written by the famous Swedish author Astrid Lindgren. The story is about a young girl named Maria who finds hope and beauty in a difficult life. It shows how even a small dream can bring big changes.

The Story of Maria

When Maria is only eight years old, a sad thing happens. Her parents pass away from a serious illness called tuberculosis. Because of this, Maria has to go live in a poor house. Life there is very lonely and sad. There is nothing beautiful or joyful to be found.

Life in the Poor House

The poor house is managed by a woman named Pompadella. She often goes begging for food and supplies. Pompadella thinks she will get more if she brings a child along. So, she asks Maria to come with her. From then on, Maria goes begging with Pompadella. They are quite successful together.

Maria also tries to help the other people living in the poor house. She helps Hen-Helen tie her shoes. She gives Dearie-Dearie her wool when it falls. Maria even comforts Joey Squint when he gets scared by voices. But Maria herself finds no comfort. She cannot find anything beautiful to make her feel better.

A Special Story

One day, while begging with Pompadella, Maria hears a story. This story gives her strength and comfort. She wants to remember it forever. But the only part she can recall is a line: "My linden plays, my nightingale is singing."

At first, just thinking about these words makes the sadness disappear from the poor house. But soon, the words are not enough. Maria wants a real linden tree and a real nightingale.

The Magic Linden Tree

One day, Maria sees a pea on the ground. She plants it in the poor house's potato field. She hopes and prays that it will grow into a linden tree. Maria tells Joey Squint that when the linden sounds and the nightingale sings, he will stop hearing voices.

The very next morning, a linden tree stands in the field! But it doesn't make any sound. No nightingale sits on its branches. The tree cannot comfort the people in the house.

Maria runs to the linden tree at night. She feels that the tree is dead, without life or a soul. Then, Maria makes a big decision. She decides to give the tree her own soul. From that moment, she lives inside the linden tree. Every evening, she hears the nightingale singing.

A New Beginning

The next morning, Maria is gone. But the linden tree is full of life! The most beautiful music comes from it. A nightingale sits on its branches, singing sweetly. Suddenly, the poor house becomes a place of beauty and joy.

The people living there often ask about Maria. Only Joey Squint hears the linden tree whisper, "It's me, Maria."

Main Characters

Astrid Lindgren shows us the kinds of people who lived in poor houses long ago. They were often old, sick, unable to work, or orphans.

• Maria: She is an eight-year-old girl. Her parents died from tuberculosis. People were afraid of getting sick, so no one took her in. Maria had to live in the poor house.
• Pompadella: She manages the poor house. She is the only one with her own room, which she shares only with bedbugs.
• Joey Squint: An old man who has lost his mind. He hears voices and sometimes hits his head against the wall.
• Fuggy: People say he is the ugliest person in the village. They even use stories about him to scare children. But Fuggy is actually harmless and very kind.
• Gaffer: He is a man with a wooden leg.
• Hen-Helen: She has a blurry eye and crooked fingers.
• Dearie-Dearie: An old person who often drops their balls of yarn. Their only activity is winding yarn from one ball to another.

About the Book

Publication and Editions

In 1984, the publisher Rabén & Sjögren released My Nightingale Is Singing as a picture book. It featured lovely illustrations by Svend Otto S. Later, the book was published in English, Danish, and German. In the original Swedish version, Maria's name is Malin.

The Story's Inspiration

The special line, "My linden plays, my nightingale is singing," which brings Maria so much happiness, comes from an old Swedish fairy tale. In that fairy tale, a woman is separated from her husband and child. She searches for her family, asking: "Does my linden play? Does my nightingale sing? Is my little child crying? Will my husband ever be happy in his life again?"

Adaptations

In 1995, Jörn Arnecke created a German children's and youth opera based on the book. Parts of this opera were performed in theaters between 1995 and 1998. In Denmark, the book was also turned into a musical.