There was once a Mandarin who had a beautiful daughter, Koong-se. She was forbidden to leave her father's Pagoda garden as she had been promised in marriage to Ta-jin, a noble warrior duke and no-one was allowed to see her face.

The birds became Koong-se's friends and she would feed and talk to them. The Manadarin employed a secretary, Chang, who also fed and talked to the birds. A pair of turtle doves began passing messages between the two and they fell in love. .