This is one of the best short stories I have read in my whole life. The best stories are those that evoke the strongest of emotions in a human and grief is a much stronger emotion than happiness. I first read it in our English text back in school, long, long time back, probably in 7th grade. That time too I had wept my heart out. I pondered over the futility of the nightingale's sacrifice, the waste of a beautiful life capable of understanding emotions. Today as I was feeling very lonely and very depressed, I remembered this story and searched the Net for it and found it here. It was fantastic to read it again after such a long time, some deep emotions within me came rushing out and the tears came rolling down in torrents.