The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Blue Bird: A Fairy Play in Six Acts, by Maurice Maeterlinck This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: The Blue Bird: A Fairy Play in Six Acts Author: Maurice Maeterlinck Translator: Alexander Teixeira De Mattos Release Date: August, 2005 [EBook #8606] This file was first posted on July 28, 2003 Last updated: April 30, 2013 Language: English Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BLUE BIRD: A FAIRY PLAY *** Text file produced by Charles Aldarondo, Tiffany Vergon, Charles Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team HTML file produced by David Widger THE BLUE BIRD A Fairy Play in Six Acts By Maurice Maeterlinck Translated By Alexander Teixeira De Mattos CHARACTERS TYLTYL MYTYL LIGHT THE FAIRY BÉRYLUNE NEIGHBOUR BERLINGOT DADDY TYL MUMMY TYL GAFFER TYL (Dead) GRANNY TYL (Dead) TYLTYL'S BROTHERS AND SISTERS (Dead) TIME NIGHT NEIGHBOUR BERLINGOT'S LITTLE DAUGHTER TYLÔ, THE DOG TYLETTE, THE CAT BREAD SUGAR FIRE WATER MILK THE WOLF THE PIG THE OX THE COW THE BULL THE SHEEP THE COCK THE RABBIT THE HORSE THE ASS THE OAK THE ELM THE BEECH THE LIME-TREE THE FIR-TREE THE CYPRESS THE BIRCH THE CHESTNUT-TREE THE IVY THE POPLAR THE WILLOW STARS, SICKNESSES, SHADES, LUXURIES, HAPPINESSES, JOYS, ETC. CONTENTS TRANSLATOR'S NOTE COSTUMES SCENES THE BLUE BIRD ACT I. The Wood-cutter's Cottage ACT II. SCENE I.—At the FAIRY'S. SCENE 2.—The Land of Memory. ACT III. SCENE 1.—The Palace of NIGHT. SCENE 2.—The Forest. ACT IV. SCENE 1.—Before the Curtain. SCENE 2.—The Palace of Happiness. ACT V. SCENE I.—Before the Curtain. SCENE 2.—The Graveyard. SCENE 3.—The Kingdom of the Future. ACT VI. SCENE I.—The Leave-taking. SCENE 2.—The Awakening. TRANSLATOR'S NOTE A new act appears for the first time in this edition and is inserted as Act IV—Palace of Happiness. It has been specially written for the Christmas revival of The Blue Bird at the Haymarket Theatre, where it will take the place of the Forest Scene (Act III., Scene 2). In the printed version, however, the Forest Scene is retained; and in this and all later editions the play will consist of six acts instead of five. ALEXANDER TEIXEIRA DE MATTOS. CHELSEA, 14 November, 1910. COSTUMES TYLTYL wears the dress of Hop o' my Thumb in Perrault's Tales. Scarlet knickerbockers, pale-blue jacket, white stockings, tan shoes. MYTYL is dressed like Gretel or Little Red Riding-hood. LIGHT.—The "moon-coloured" dress in Perrault's Peau d'âne; that is to say, pale gold shot with silver, shimmering gauzes, forming a sort of rays, etc. Neo-Grecian or Anglo-Grecian (à la Walter Crane) or even more or less Empire style: a high waist, bare arms, etc. Head-dress: a sort of diadem or even a light crown. THE FAIRY BÉRYLUNE and NEIGHBOUR BERLINGOT.—The traditional dress of the poor women in fairy-tales. If desired, the transformation of the Fairy into a princess in Act I may be omitted. DADDY TYL, MUMMY TYL, GAFFER TYL and GRANNY TYL.—The traditional costume of the German wood-cutters and peasants in Grimm's Tales. TYLTYL'S BROTHERS AND SISTERS.—Different forms of the Hop-o'-my-Thumb costume. TIME.—Traditional dress of Time: a wide black or dark-blue cloak, a streaming white beard, scythe and hour-glass. NIGHT.—Ample black garments, covered with mysterious stars and "shot" with reddish-brown reflections. Veils, dark poppies, etc. THE NEIGHBOUR'S LITTLE GIRL.—Bright fair hair; a long white frock. THE DOG,—Red dress-coat, white breeches, top-boots, a shiny hat. The costume suggests that of John Bull. THE CAT.—The costume of Puss In Boots: powdered wig, three-cornered hat, violet or sky-blue coat, dress-sword, etc. N.B.—The heads of the DOG and the CAT should be only discreetly animalised. THE LUXURIES.—Before the transformation: wide, heavy mantles in red and yellow brocade; enormous fat jewels, etc. After the transformation: chocolate or coffee-coloured tights, giving the impression of unadorned dancing-jacks. THE HAPPINESSES OF THE HOME.—Dresses of various colours, or, if preferred, costumes of peasants, shepherds, wood- cutters and so on, but idealised and interpreted fairy-fashion. THE GREAT JOYS.—As stated in the text, shimmering dresses in soft and subtle shades: rose-awakening, water's-smile, amber- dew, blue-of-dawn, etc. MATERNAL LOVE.—Dress very similar to the dress worn by Light, that is to say, supple and almost transparent veils, as of a Greek statue, and, in so far as possible, white. Pearls and other stones as rich and numerous as may be desired, provided that they do not break the pure and candid harmony of the whole. BREAD.—A rich pasha's dress. An ample crimson silk or velvet gown. A huge turban. A scimitar. An enormous stomach, red and puffed-out cheeks. SUGAR.—A silk gown, cut like that of a eunuch in a seraglio, half blue and half white, to suggest the paper wrapper of a sugar- loaf. Eunuch's headdress. FIRE.—Red tights, a vermilion cloak, with changing reflections, lined with gold. An aigrette of iridescent flames. WATER.—A pale-blue or bluish-green dress, with transparent reflections and effects of rippling or trickling gauze, Neo-Grecian or Anglo-Grecian style. but fuller and more voluminous than that of LIGHT. Head-dress of aquatic flowers and seaweed. THE ANIMALS.—Popular or peasant costumes. THE TREES.—Dresses of different shades of green or the colour of the trunks of trees. Distinctive attributes in the shape of leaves or branches by which they can be recognised. SCENES ACT I.—The Wood-cutter's Cottage. ACT II., Scene 1—At the Fairy's. Scene 2—The Land of Memory. ACT III., Scene 1—The Palace of Night. Scene 2—The Forest. ACT IV., Scene 1—Before the Curtain. Scene 2—The Palace of Happiness. ACT V., Scene 1—Before the Curtain. Scene 2—The Graveyard. Scene 3—The Kingdom of the Future. ACT VI., Scene 1—The Leave-taking. Scene 2—The Awakening. THE BLUE BIRD ACT I. The Wood-cutter's Cottage The stage represents the interior of a wood-cutter's cottage, simple and rustic in appearance, but in no way poverty- stricken. A recessed fireplace containing the dying embers of a wood-fire. Kitchen utensils, a cupboard, a bread-pan, a grandfather's clock, a spinning-wheel, a water-tap, etc. On a table, a lighted lamp. At the foot of the cupboard, on either side, a DOG and a CAT lie sleeping, rolled up, each with his nose in his tail. Between them stands a large blue-and-white sugar- loaf. On the wall hangs a round cage containing a turtle-dove. At the back, two windows, with closed inside shutters. Under one of the windows, a stool. On the left is the front door, with a big latch to it. On the right, another door. A ladder leads up to a loft. On the right also are two little children's cots, at the head of which are two chains, with clothes carefully folded on them. When the curtain rises, TYLTYL and MYTYL are sound asleep in their cots, MUMMY TYL tucks them in, leans over them, watches them for a moment as they sleep and beckons to DADDY TYL, who thrusts his head through the half-open door. MUMMY TYL lays a finger on her lips, to impose silence upon him, and then goes out to the right, on tiptoe, after first putting out the lamp. The scene remains in darkness for a moment. Then a light, gradually increasing in intensity, filters in through the shutters. The lamp on the table lights again of itself, but its light is of a different colour than when MUMMY TYL extinguished it. The two CHILDREN appear to wake and sit up in bed. TYLTYL Mytyl? MYTYL Tyltyl? TYLTYL Are you asleep? MYTYL Are you?... TYLTYL No; how can I be asleep when I'm talking to you? MYTYL Say, is this Christmas Day?... TYLTYL Not yet; not till to-morrow. But Father Christmas won't bring us anything this year.... MYTYL Why not? TYLTYL I heard mummy say that she couldn't go to town to tell him ... But he will come next year.... MYTYL Is next year far off?... TYLTYL A good long while.... But he will come to the rich children to-night.... MYTYL Really?... TYLTYL Hullo!... Mummy's forgotten to put out the lamp!... I've an idea!... MYTYL What?... TYLTYL Let's get up.... MYTYL But we mustn't.... TYLTYL Why, there's no one about.... Do you see the shutters?... MYTYL Oh, how bright they are!... TYLTYL It's the lights of the party. MYTYL What party?... TYLTYL The rich children opposite. It's the Christmas-tree. Let's open the shutters.... MYTYL Can we?... TYLTYL Of course; there's no one to stop us.... Do you hear the music?... Let us get up.... (The two CHILDREN get up, run to one of the windows, climb on to the stool and throw back the shutters. A bright light fills the room. The CHILDREN look out greedily.) TYLTYL We can see everything!... MYTYL (who can hardly find room on the stool) I can't.... TYLTYL It's snowing!... There's two carriages, with six horses each!... MYTYL There are twelve little boys getting out!... TYLTYL How silly you are!... They're little girls.... MYTYL They've got knickerbockers.... TYLTYL What do you know?... Don't push so!... MYTYL I never touched you. TYLTYL (who is taking up the whole stool) You're taking up all the room... MYTYL Why, I have no room at all!... TYLTYL Do be quiet! I see the tree!... MYTYL What tree?... TYLTYL Why, the Christmas-tree!... You're looking at the wall!... MYTYL I'm looking at the wall because I've got no room.... TYLTYL (giving her a miserly little place on the stool) There!... Will that do?... Now you're better off than I!... I say, what lots and lots of lights!... MYTYL What are those people doing who are making such a noise?... TYLTYL They're the musicians. MYTYL Are they angry?... TYLTYL No; but it's hard work. MYTYL Another carriage with white horses!... TYLTYL Be quiet!... And look!... MYTYL What are those gold things there, hanging from the branches? TYLTYL Why, toys, to be sure!... Swords, guns, soldiers, cannons.... MYTYL And dolls; say, are there any dolls?... TYLTYL Dolls?... That's too silly; there's no fun in dolls.... MYTYL And what's that all round the table?.... TYLTYL Cakes and fruit and tarts.... MYTYL I had some once when I was little.... TYLTYL So did I; it's nicer than bread, but they don't give you enough.... MYTYL They've got plenty over there.... The whole table's full.... Are they going to eat them?... TYLTYL Of course; what else would they do with them?... MYTYL Why don't they eat them at once?... TYLTYL Because they're not hungry.... MYTYL (stupefied with astonishment) Not hungry?... Why not?... TYLTYL Well, they eat whenever they want to.... MYTYL (incredulously) Every day?... TYLTYL They say so.... MYTYL Will they eat them all?... Will they give any away?... TYLTYL To whom?... MYTYL To us.... TYLTYL They don't know us.... MYTYL Suppose we asked them.... TYLTYL We mustn't. MYTYL Why not?... TYLTYL Because it's not right. MYTYL (clapping her hands) Oh, how pretty they are!... TYLTYL (rapturously) And how they're laughing and laughing!... MYTYL And the little ones dancing!... TYLTYL Yes, yes; let's dance too!... (They stamp their feet for joy on the stool.) MYTYL Oh, what fun!... TYLTYL They're getting the cakes!... They can touch them!... They're eating, they're eating, they're eating!... MYTYL The tiny ones, too!... They've got two, three, four apiece!... TYLTYL (drunk with delight) Oh, how lovely!... Oh, how lovely, how lovely!... MYTYL (counting imaginary cakes) I've got twelve!... TYLTYL And I four times twelve!... But I'll give you some.... (A knock at the door of the cottage.) TYLTYL (suddenly quieted and frightened) What's that?... MYTYL (scared) It's Daddy!... (As they hesitate before opening the door, the big latch is seen to rise of itself, with a grating noise; the door half opens to admit a little old woman dressed in green with a red hood on her head. She is humpbacked and lame and near-sighted; her nose and chin meet; and she walks bent on a stick. She is obviously a fairy.) THE FAIRY Have you the grass here that sings or the bird that is blue?... TYLTYL We have some grass, but it can't sing.... MYTYL Tyltyl has a bird. TYLTYL But I can't give it away.... THE FAIRY Why not?... TYLTYL Because it's mine. THE FAIRY That's a reason, no doubt. Where is the bird?... TYLTYL (pointing to the cage) In the cage.... THE FAIRY (putting on her glasses to examine the bird) I don't want it; it's not blue enough. You will have to go and find me the one I want. TYLTYL But I don't know where it is.... THE FAIRY No more do I. That's why you must look for it. I can do without the grass that sings, at a pinch; but I must absolutely have the blue bird. It's for my little girl, who is very ill. TYLTYL What's the matter with her?... THE FAIRY We don't quite know; she wants to be happy.... TYLTYL Really?... THE FAIRY Do you know who I am?... TYLTYL You're rather like our neighbour, Madame Berlingot.... THE FAIRY (growing suddenly angry) Not a bit!... There's not the least likeness!... This is intolerable!... I am the Fairy Bérylune.... TYLTYL Oh! Very well.... THE FAIRY You will have to start at once. TYLTYL Are you coming with us? THE FAIRY I can't, because I put on the soup this morning and it always boils over if I leave it for more than an hour.... (Pointing successively to the ceiling, the chimney and the window) Will you go out this way, or that way, or that way?... TYLTYL (pointing timidly to the door) I would rather go out that way.... THE FAIRY (growing suddenly angry again) That's quite impossible; and it's a shocking habit!... (Pointing to the window) We'll go out this way.... Well?... What are you waiting for?... Get dressed at once.... (The CHILDREN do as they are told and dress quickly.) I'll help Mytyl.... TYLTYL We have no shoes.... THE FAIRY That doesn't matter. I will give you a little magic hat. Where are your father and mother?.... TYLTYL (pointing to the door on the right) They're asleep in there.... THE FAIRY And your grandpapa and grandmamma?... TYLTYL They're dead.... THE FAIRY And your little brothers and sisters.... Have you any?... TYLTYL Oh, yes; three little brothers.... MYTYL And four little sisters.... THE FAIRY Where are they?... TYLTYL They are dead, too.... THE FAIRY Would you like to see them again?... TYLTYL Oh, yes!... At once!... Show them to us!... THE FAIRY I haven't got them in my pocket.... But this is very lucky; you will see them when you go through the Land of Memory.... It's on the way to the Blue Bird, just on the left, past the third turning.... What were you doing when I knocked?... TYLTYL We were playing at eating cakes?... THE FAIRY Have you any cakes?... Where are they?... TYLTYL In the house of the rich children.... Come and look, it's so lovely. (He drags the FAIRY to the window.) THE FAIRY (at the window) But it's the others who are eating them!... TYLTYL Yes; but we can see them eat.... THE FAIRY Aren't you cross with them?... TYLTYL What for?... THE FAIRY For eating all the cakes.... I think it's very wrong of them not to give you some.... TYLTYL Not at all; they're rich.... I say, isn't it beautiful over there?... THE FAIRY It's no more beautiful there than here. TYLTYL Ugh!... It's darker here and smaller and there are no cakes.... THE FAIRY It's exactly the same, only you can't see.... TYLTYL Yes, I can; and I have very good eyes. I can see the time on the church clock and daddy can't... THE FAIRY (suddenly angry) I tell you that you can't see!... How do you see me?... What do I look like?... (An awkward silence from TYLTYL.) Well, answer me, will you? I want to know if you can see!... Am I pretty or ugly?... (The silence grows more and more uncomfortable.) Won't you answer?... Am I young or old?... Are my cheeks pink or yellow?... Perhaps you'll say I have a hump?... TYLTYL (in a conciliatory tone) No, no; It's not a big one.... THE FAIRY Oh, yes, to look at you, any one would think it enormous.... Have I a hook nose and have I lost one of my eyes?... TYLTYL Oh, no, I don't say that.... Who put it out?... THE FAIRY (growing more and more irritated). But it's not out!... You wretched, impudent boy!... It's much finer than the other; it's bigger and brighter and blue as the sky.... And my hair, do you see that?... It's fair as the corn in the fields, it's like virgin gold!... And I've such heaps and heaps of it that it weighs my head down.... It escapes on every side.... Do you see it on my hands? (She holds out two lean wisps of grey hair.) TYLTYL Yes, I see a little.... THE FAIRY (indignantly) A little!... Sheaves! Armfuls! Clusters! Waves of gold!... I know there are people who say that they don't see any; but you're not one of those wicked, blind people, I should hope?... TYLTYL Oh, no; I can see all that isn't hidden.... THE FAIRY But you ought to see the rest with as little doubt!... Human beings are very odd!... Since the death of the fairies, they see nothing at all and they never suspect it.... Luckily, I always carry with me all that is wanted to give new light to dimmed eyes.... What am I taking out of my bag?... TYLTYL Oh, what a dear little green hat!... What's that shining in the cockade?... THE FAIRY That's the big diamond that makes people see.... TYLTYL Really?... THE FAIRY Yes; when you've got the hat on your head, you turn the diamond a little; from right to left, for instance, like this; do you see?... Then it presses a bump which nobody knows of and which opens your eyes.... TYLTYL Doesn't it hurt?... THE FAIRY On the contrary, it's enchanted.... You at once see even the inside of things: the soul of bread, of wine, of pepper, for instance.... MYTYL Can you see the soul of sugar, too?... THE FAIRY (suddenly cross) Of course you can!... I hate unnecessary questions.... The soul of sugar is no more interesting than the soul of pepper.... There, I give you all I have to help you in your search for the Blue Bird. I know that the flying carpet or the ring which makes its wearer invisible would be more useful to you.... But I have lost the key of the cupboard in which I locked them.... Oh, I was almost forgetting!... (Pointing to the diamond) When you hold it like this, do you see?... One little turn more and you behold the past.... Another little turn and you behold the future.... It's curious and practical and it's quite noiseless.... TYLTYL Daddy will take it from me.... THE FAIRY He won't see it; no one can see it as long as it's on your head.... Will you try it?... (She puts the little green hat on TYLTYL'S head.) Now, turn the diamond.... One turn and then.... (TYLTYL has no sooner turned the diamond than a sudden and wonderful change comes over everything. The old FAIRY alters then and there into a princess of marvellous beauty; the flints of which the cottage walls are built light up, turn blue as sapphires, become transparent and gleam and sparkle like the most precious stones. The humble furniture takes life and becomes resplendent; the deal table assumes as grave and noble an air as a table made of marble; the face of the clock winks its eye and smiles genially, while the door that contains the pendulum opens and releases the Hours, which, holding one another by the hand and laughing merrily, begin to dance to the sound of delicious music.) TYLTYL (displaying a legitimate bewilderment and pointing to the Hours) Who are all those pretty ladies?... THE FAIRY Don't be afraid; they are the hours of your life and they are glad to be free and visible for a moment.... TYLTYL And why are the walls so bright?... Are they made of sugar or of precious stones?... THE FAIRY All stones are alike, all stones are precious; but man sees only a few of them.... (While they are speaking, the scene of enchantment continues and is completed. The souls of the Quartern-loaves, in the form of little men in crust-coloured tights, flurried and all powdered with flour, scramble out of the bread-pan and frisk round the table, where they are caught up by FIRE, who, springing from the hearth in yellow and vermilion tights, writhes with laughter as he chases the loaves.) TYLTYL Who are those ugly little men?... THE FAIRY Oh, they're nothing; they are merely the souls of the Quartern-loaves, who are taking advantage of the reign of truth to leave the pan in which they were too tightly packed.... TYLTYL And the big red fellow, with the nasty smell?... THE FAIRY Hush!... Don't speak too loud; that's Fire.... He's dangerous. (This dialogue does not interrupt the enchantment. The DOG and the CAT, lying rolled up at the foot of the cupboard, utter a loud and simultaneous cry and disappear down a trap; and in their places rise two persons, one of whom has the face of a bull-dog, the other that of a tom-cat. Forthwith, the little man with the bull-dog face, whom we will henceforward call the DOG, rushes upon TYLTYL, kisses him violently and overwhelms him with noisy and impetuous caresses; while the little man with the face of a tom-cat, whom we will simply call the CAT, combs his hair, washes his hands and strokes his whiskers before going up to MYTYL.) THE DOG (yelling, jumping about, knocking up against everything, unbearable) My little god!... Good-morning, good- morning, my dear little god!... At last, at last we can talk!... I had so much to tell you!... Bark and wag my tail as I might, you never understood!... But now!... Good-morning, good-morning!... I love you!... Shall I do some of my tricks?... Shall I beg?... Would you like to see me walk on my front paws or dance on my hind-legs?... TYLTYL (to the FAIRY) Who is this gentleman with the dog's head?.... THE FAIRY Don't you see? It's the soul of TYLÔ whom you have set free.... THE CAT (going up to MYTYL and putting out his hand to her, with much ceremony and circumspection) Good-morning, Miss.... How well you look this morning!... MYTYL Good-morning, sir.... (To the FAIRY) Who is it?... THE FAIRY Why, don't you see? Its the soul of Tylette offering you his hand.... Kiss him.... THE DOG (hustling the CAT) Me, too!... I've kissed the little god!... I've kissed the little girl!... I've kissed everybody!... Oh, grand!... What fun we shall have!... I'm going to frighten Tylette I Bow, wow, wow!... THE CAT Sir, I don't know you.... THE FAIRY (threatening the DOG with her stick) Keep still, will you, or else you'll go back into silence until the end of time.... (Meanwhile, the enchantment has pursued its course: the spinning-wheel has begun to turn madly in its corner and to spin brilliant rays of light; the tap, in another corner, begins to sing in a very high voice and, turning into a luminous fountain, floods the sink with sheets of pearls and emeralds, through which darts the soul of WATER, like a young girl, streaming, dishevelled and tearful, who immediately begins to fight with FIRE.) TYLTYL And who is that wet lady?... THE FAIRY Don't be afraid. It's Water just come from the tap.... (The milk-jug upsets, falls from the table and smashes on the floor; and from the spilt milk there rises a tall, white, bashful figure who seems to be afraid of everything.) TYLTYL And the frightened lady in her nightgown?... THE FAIRY That's Milk; she has broken her jug.... (The sugar-loaf, at the foot of the cupboard, grows taller and wider and splits its paper wrapper, whence issues a mawkish and hypocritical being, dressed in a long coat half blue and half white, who goes up to MYTYL with a sanctimonious smile.) MYTYL (greatly alarmed) What does he want?... THE FAIRY Why, he is the soul of Sugar!... MYTYL (reassured) Has he any barley-sugar?... THE FAIRY His pockets are full of it and each of his fingers is a sugar-stick.... (The lamp falls from the table and, at the same moment, its flame springs up again and turns into a luminous maid of incomparable beauty. She is dressed in long transparent and dazzling veils and stands motionless in a sort of ecstasy.) TYLTYL It's the Queen!... MYTYL It's the Blessed Virgin!... THE FAIRY No, my children; it's Light.... (Meanwhile, the saucepans on the shelves spin round like tops; the linen-press throws open its folding-doors and unrolls a magnificent display of moon-coloured and sun-coloured stuffs, with which mingles a no less splendid array of rags and tatters that come down the ladder from the loft. But, suddenly, three loud knocks are heard on the door at the right.) TYLTYL (alarmed) That's daddy!... He's heard us!... THE FAIRY Turn the diamond!... From left to right!... (TYLTYL turns the diamond quickly.) Not so quick!... Heavens! It's too late!... You turned it too briskly; they will not have time to resume their places and we shall have a lot of annoyance.... (The FAIRY becomes an old woman again, the walls of the cottage lose their splendour. The Hours go back into the clock, the spinning-wheel stops, etc. But, in the general hurry and confusion, while FIRE runs madly round the room, looking for the chimney, one of the loaves of bread, who has been unable to squeeze into the pan, bursts into sobs and utters roars of fright.) THE FAIRY What's the matter?... BREAD (in tears) There's no room in the pan!... THE FAIRY (stooping over the pan) Yes, there is; yes, there is.... (Pushing the other loaves, which have resumed their original places.) Come, quick, make room there.... (The knocking at the door is renewed.) BREAD (utterly scared, vainly struggling to enter the pan) I can't get in!... He'll eat me first!... THE DOG (frisking round TYLTYL) My little god!... I am still here!... I can still talk!... I can still kiss you!... Once more! Once more! Once more!... THE FAIRY What, you too?... Are you there still?... THE DOG What luck!... I was too late to return to silence; the trap closed too quickly.... THE CAT So did mine.... What is going to happen?... Is there any danger?... THE FAIRY Well, I'm bound to tell you the truth: all those who accompany the two children will die at the end of the journey.... THE CAT (to the DOG) Come, let us get back into the trap.... THE DOG No, no!... I won't!... I want to go with the little god!... I want to talk to him all the time!... THE CAT Idiot!... (More knocking at the door) BREAD (shedding bitter tears) I don't want to die at the end of the journey!... I want to get back at once into my pan!... FIRE (who has done nothing but run madly round the room, hissing with anguish) I can't find my chimney!... WATER (vainly trying to get into the tap) I can't get into the tap!... SUGAR (hovering round his paper wrapper) I've burst my packing-paper!... MILK (lymphatically and bashfully) Somebody's broken my little jug!... THE FAIRY Goodness me, what fools they are!... Fools and cowards too!... So you would rather go on living in your ugly boxes, in your traps and taps, than accompany the children in search of the bird?... ALL (excepting the DOG and LIGHT) Yes, yes! Now, at once!... My tap!... My pan!... My chimney!... My trap!... THE FAIRY (to LIGHT, who is dreamily gazing at the wreckage of her lamp) And you, Light, what do you say? LIGHT I will go with the children.... THE DOG (yelling with delight) I too!... I too!... THE FAIRY That's right.... Besides, it's too late to go back; you have no choice now, you must all start with us.... But you, Fire, don't come near anybody; you, Dog, don't tease the Cat; and you, Water, hold yourself up and try not to run all over the place.... (A violent knocking is again heard at the door on the right.) TYLTYL (listening) There's daddy again!... He's getting up this time; I can hear him walking.... THE FAIRY Let us go out by the window.... You shall all come to my house, where I will dress the Animals and the Things properly.... (To BREAD) You, Bread, take the cage in which to put the Blue Bird.... It will be in your charge.... Quick, quick, let us waste no time.... (The window suddenly lengthens downwards, like a door. They all go out; after which the window resumes its primitive shape and closes quite innocently. The room has become dark again and the two cots are steeped in shadow. The door on the right opens ajar and in the aperture appear the heads of DADDY and MUMMY TYL.) DADDY TYL It was nothing.... It's the cricket chirping.... MUMMY TYL Can you see them?... DADDY TYL I can.... They are sleeping quite quietly.... MUMMY TYL I can hear their breathing.... (The door closes again) CURTAIN ACT II. SCENE I.—At the FAIRY'S. A magnificent entrance-hall in the palace of the FAIRY BÉRYLUNE. Columns of gleaming marble with gold and silver capitals, staircases, porticoes, balustrades, etc. Enter from the back, on the right, sumptuously clad, the CAT, SUGAR and FIRE. They come from a room which emits rays of light; it is the FAIRY'S wardrobe. The CAT has donned the classic costume of Puss-in-boots; SUGAR, a silk dress, half white and half pale-blue; and FIRE wears a number of many-coloured aigrettes and a long vermilion mantle lined with gold. They cross the whole length of the hall to the front of the stage, where the CAT draws them up under a portico on the right. THE CAT This way, I know every inch of this palace. It was left to the Fairy Bérylune by Bluebeard.... Let us make the most of our last minute of liberty, while the children and Light pay their visit to the Fairy's little daughter.... I have brought you here in order to discuss the position in which we are placed.... Are we all here?... SUGAR I see the Dog coming out of the Fairy's wardrobe.... FIRE What on earth has he got on?... THE CAT He has put on the livery of one of the footmen of Cinderella's coach.... It was just the thing for him.... He has the soul of a flunkey.... But let us hide behind the balustrade.... It's strange how I mistrust him.... He had better not hear what I have to say to you.... SUGAR It is too late.... He has discovered us.... Look, here is Water also coming out of the wardrobe.... Goodness me, how fine she is!... (The DOG and WATER join the first group.) THE DOG (frisking about) There! There!... Aren't we fine I.... Just look at these laces and this embroidery!... It's real gold and no mistake!... THE CAT (to WATER) Is that Catskin's "colour-of-time" dress?... I seem to recognise it.... WATER Yes, it's the one that suited me best.... FIRE (between his teeth) She's not brought her umbrella.... WATER What's that?... FIRE Nothing, nothing.... WATER I thought you might be speaking of a great red I saw the other day.... THE CAT Come, don't let as quarrel; we have more important things to do.... We are only waiting for Bread; where is he? THE DOG He was making an endless fuss about choosing his dress.... FIRE Worth while, isn't it, for a fellow who looks a fool and carries an enormous stomach?... THE DOG At last, he decided in favour of a Turkish robe, adorned with gems, a scimitar and a turban.... THE CAT There he is!... He has put on Bluebeard's finest dress... Enter BREAD, in the costume described above. The silk robe is crossed tightly over his huge stomach. In one hand he holds the hilt of a scimitar passed through his sash and in the other the cage intended for the Blue Bird. BREAD (waddling conceitedly) Well?... What do you think of this? THE DOG (frisking round the LOAF) How nice he looks! What a fool he looks! How nice he looks! How nice he looks!... THE CAT (to the LOAF) Are the children dressed?... BREAD Yes, Master Tyltyl has put on Hop-o'-my-Thumb's blue jacket and red breeches; and Miss Mytyl has Gretel's frock and Cinderella's slippers.... But the great thing was the dressing of Light!... THE CAT Why?... BREAD The Fairy thought her so lovely that she did not want to dress her at all!... Thereupon I protested in the name of our dignity as essential and eminently respectable elements; and I ended by declaring that, under those conditions, I should refuse to be seen with her.... FIRE They ought to have bought her a lampshade!... THE CAT And what answer did the Fairy make?... THE LOAF She hit me with her stick on my head and stomach.... THE CAT And then?... BREAD I allowed myself to be convinced; but, at the last moment, Light decided on the moonbeam dress at the bottom of the chest with Catskin's treasures.... THE CAT Come, stop chattering, time presses.... Our future is at stake.... You have heard—the Fairy has just said so—that the end of this journey will, at the same time, mark the end of our lives.... It is our business, therefore, to prolong it as much as possible and by every possible means.... But there is another thing: we must think of the fate of our race and the destiny of our children.... BREAD Hear, hear!... The Cat is right!... THE CAT Listen to me!... All of us here present, Animals, Things and Elements, possess a soul which man does not yet know. That is why we retain a remnant of independence; but, if he finds the Blue Bird, he will know all, he will see all and we shall be completely at his mercy.... This is what I have just learned from my old friend, Night, who is also the guardian of the mysteries of Life.... It is to our interest, therefore, at all costs to prevent the finding of that bird, even if we have to go so far as to endanger the lives of the children themselves.... THE DOG (indignantly) What's the fellow saying?... Just say that again, will you, to see if I heard right?... BREAD Order! Order!... It's not your turn to speak!... I'm in the chair at this meeting.... FIRE Who made you chairman?... WATER (to FIRE) Hold your tongue!... What are you interfering with?... FIRE I shall interfere where I choose.... And I want none of your remarks.... SUGAR (concilatorily) Excuse me.... Do not let us quarrel.... This is a serious moment.... We must, above all things, decide what measures to adopt.... BREAD I quite agree with Sugar and the Cat.... THE DOG This is ridiculous!... There is Man and that's all!... We have to obey him and do as he tells us!... That is the one and only fact!... I recognise no one but him!... Hurrah for Man!... Man for ever!... In life or death, all for Man!... Man is God!... BREAD I quite agree with the Dog. THE CAT (to the DOG) But at least give your reasons.... THE DOG There are no reasons!... I love Man and that's enough!... If you do anything against him, I will throttle you first and I will go and tell him everything.... SUGAR (intervening sweetly) Excuse me.... Let us not embitter the discussion.... From a certain point of view, you are both of you right.... There is something to be said on both sides.... BREAD I quite agree with SUGAR!... THE CAT Are we not, all of us, Water, Fire you yourselves, Bread and the Dog, the victims of a nameless tyranny?... Do you remember the time when, before the coming of the despot, we wandered at liberty upon the face of the earth?... Fire and Water were the sole masters of the world; and see what they have come to!... As for us puny descendants of the great wild animals.... Look out!... Pretend to be doing nothing!... I see the Fairy and Light coming.... Light has taken sides with Man; she is our worst enemy.... Here they are.... Enter, on the right, the FAIRY, in the shape of an old woman, and LIGHT, followed by TYLTYL and MYTYL. THE FAIRY Well?... What is it?... What are you doing in that corner?... You look like conspirators.... It is time to start.... I have decided that Light shall be your leader.... You will obey her as you would me and I am giving her my wand.... The children will pay a visit to their late grandparents this evening.... You will remain behind; that is more discreet.... They will spend the evening in the bosom of their dead family.... Meanwhile, you will be getting ready all that is wanted for to-morrow's journey, which will be a long one.... Come, up, be off and every one to his post!... THE CAT (hypocritically) That is just what I was saying to them, madam.... I was encouraging them to do their duty bravely and conscientiously; unfortunately, the Dog, who kept on interrupting me.... THE DOG What's that?... Just wait a bit I... (He is about to leap upon the CAT, but TYLTYL foreseeing his intention, stops with a threatening gesture.) TYLTYL Down, Tylô!... Take care; and, if ever I catch you again... THE DOG My little god, you don't know, it was he who... TYLTYL (threatening him) Be quiet!... THE FAIRY Come, that will do.... Let Bread hand the cage for this evening to Tyltyl.... It is just possible that the Blue Bird may be hidden In the Past, at the grandparents'.... In any case, it Is a chance which we must not neglect.... Well, Bread, the cage? BREAD (solemnly) One moment, if you please, Mrs. Fairy.... (Like an orator making a speech) I call upon all of you to bear witness that this silver cage, which was entrusted to my care by.... THE FAIRY (interrupting him) Enough!... No speeches!... We will go out this way and the children that.... TYLTYL (rather anxiously) Are we to go all alone?... MYTYL I feel hungry!... TYLTYL I, too!... THE FAIRY (to BREAD) Open your Turkish robe and give them a slice of your good stomach.... (BREAD opens his robe, draws his scimitar and cuts two slices out of his stomach and hands them to the CHILDREN.) SUGAR (approaching the CHILDREN) Allow me at the same time to offer you a few sugar-sticks.... (He breaks off the five fingers of his left hand, one by one, and presents them to the CHILDREN.) MYTYL What is he doing?... He is breaking all his fingers!... SUGAR (engagingly) Taste them, they are capital... They're made of real barley-sugar.... MYTYL (tasting one of the fingers) Oh, how good they are!... Have you many of them?... SUGAR (modestly) Yes; as many as I want.... MYTYL Does that hurt you much, when you break them off?... SUGAR Not at all.... On the contrary, it's a great advantage; they grow again at once and so I always have new, clean fingers.... THE FAIRY Come, children, don't eat too much sugar.... Don't forget that you are to have supper presently with your grandpapa and grandmamma.... TYLTYL Are they here?... THE FAIRY You shall see them at once.... TYLTYL How can we see them, when they are dead?... THE FAIRY How can they be dead, when they live in your memory?... Men do not know this secret, because they know so little; whereas you, thanks to the diamond, are about to see that the dead who are remembered live as happily as though they were not dead.... TYLTYL Is Light coming with us? THE FAIRY No, it is more proper that this visit should be confined to the family.... I will wait near here, so as not to appear indiscreet.... They did not invite me.... TYLTYL Which way are we to go?... THE FAIRY Over there.... You are on the threshold of the Land of Memory.... As soon as you have turned the diamond, you will see a big tree with a board on it, which will show you that you are there.... But don't forget that you are to be back, both of you, by a quarter to nine.... It is extremely important.... Now mind and be punctual, for all would be lost if you were late.... Good-bye for the present!... (Calling the CAT, the DOG, LIGHT, etc.) This way.... And the little ones that way.... (She goes out to the right, with LIGHT, the ANIMALS, etc., while the CHILDREN go out to the left.) CURTAIN SCENE 2.—The Land of Memory. A thick fog, from which stands out, on the right, close to the footlights, the trunk of a large oak, with a board nailed to it. A vague, milky, impenetrable light prevails. TYLTYL and MYTYL are at the foot of the oak. TYLTYL Here Is the tree!... MYTYL There's the board!... TYLTYL I can't read it.... Wait, I will climb up on this root.... That's it.... It says, "Land of Memory." MYTYL Is this where it begins?... TYLTYL Yes, there's an arrow.... MYTYL Well, where are grandad and granny?... TYLTYL Behind the fog.... We shall see.... MYTYL I can see nothing at all!... I can't see my feet or my hands.... (Whimpering) I'm cold!... I don't want to travel any more.... I want to go home.... TYLTYL Come, don't keep on crying, just like Water.... You ought to be ashamed of yourself.... A great big little girl like you.... Look, the fog is lifting already.... We shall see what's behind it.... (The mist begins to move; It grows thinner and lighter, disperses, evaporates. Soon, in a more and more transparent light, appears, under a leafy vault, a cheerful little peasant's cottage, covered with creepers. The door and windows are open. There are bee-hives under a shed, flower-pots on the window-sills, a cage with a sleeping blackbird. Beside the door is a bench, on which an old peasant and his wife, TYLTYL'S grandfather and grandmother, are seated, both sound asleep.) TYLTYL (suddenly recognising them) It's grandad and granny!... MYTYL (clapping her hands) Yes! Yes!... So it is! So it is!... TYLTYL (still a little distrustful) Take care!... We don't know yet if they can stir.... Let's keep behind the tree.... (GRANNY TYL opens her eyes, raises her head, stretches herself, gives a sigh and looks at GAFFER TYL, who also wakes slowly from his sleep.) GRANNY TYL I have a notion that our grandchildren who are still alive are coming to see us today.... GAFFER TYL They are certainly thinking of as, for I feel anyhow and I have pins and needles in my legs.... GRANNY TYL I think they must be quite near, for I see tears of joy dancing before my eyes.... GAFFER TYL No, no, they are a long way off.... I still feel weak.... GRANNY TYL I tell you they are here; I am quite strong.... TYLTYL and MYTYL (rushing up from behind the oak) Here we are!... Here we are!... Gaffer! Granny!... It's we!... It's we!... GAFFER TYL There!... You see?... What did I tell you?... I was sure they would come to-day.... GRANNY TYL Tyltyl!... Mytyl!... It's you!... It's she!... (Trying to run to meet them) I can't run!... I've still got the rheumatics!... GAFFER TYL (hobbling along as fast as he can) No more can I.... That's because of my wooden leg, which I still wear instead of the one I broke when I fell off the big oak.... (The GRANDPARENTS and the CHILDREN exchange frantic embraces.) GRANNY TYL How tall and strong you've grown, Tyltyl! GAFFER TYL (stroking MYTYL'S hair) And Mytyl!... Just look at her.... What pretty hair, what pretty eyes!... GRANNY TYL Come and kiss me again!... Come on to my lap.... GAFFER TYL And what about me?... GRANNY TYL No, no.... Come to me first.... How are Daddy and Mummy Tyl?... TYLTYL Quite well, granny.... They were asleep when we went out.... GRANNY TYL (gazing at them and covering them with caresses) Lord, how pretty they are and how nice and clean!... Was it mummy who washed you?... And there are no holes in your stockings!... I used to darn them once, you know.... Why don't you come to see us oftener?... It makes us so happy!... It is months and months now that you've forgotten us and that we have seen nobody.... TYLTYL We couldn't, granny; and to-day its only because of the Fairy.... GRANNY TYL We are always here, waiting for a visit from those who are alive.... They come so seldom!... The last time you were here, let me see, when was it?... It was on All-hallows, when the church-bells were ringing....