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The Blue Bird: A Fairy Play in Six Acts, a play by Maurice Maeterlinck |
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Act 2 - Scene 1 |
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_ ACT II - SCENE I SCENE I.--At the FAIRY'S. [A magnificent entrance-hall in the palace of the FAIRY BERYLUNE. 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.]
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, Tylo!... 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.)
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.)
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