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The Blue Bird: A Fairy Play in Six Acts, a play by Maurice Maeterlinck |
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Act 3 - Scene 2 |
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_ ACT III - SCENE II SCENE 2.--The Forest. [A forest. It is night. The moon is shining. Old trees of various kinds, notably an OAK, a BEECH, an ELM, a POPLAR, a FIR-TREE, a CYPRESS, a LIME-TREE, a CHESTNUT-TREE, etc.] [ENTER the CAT.]
THE TREES THE CAT This is a great day, a day of days!.... Our enemy is coming to set free your energies and to deliver himself into your hands..... It is Tyltyl, the son of the wood-cutter, who has done you so much harm.... He is seeking the Blue Bird, whom you have kept hidden from Man since the beginning of the world and who alone knows our secret.... (_A murmuring in the leaves_.) What do you say?... Ah, it's the Poplar!... Yes, he possesses a diamond which has the virtue of setting free our spirits for a moment; he can compel us to hand over the Blue Bird and thenceforth we shall be definitely at Man's mercy.... (_A murmuring in the leaves_.) Who is speaking?... Ah, the Oak!... How are you?... (_A murmuring in the leaves of the_ OAK.) Still got your cold?... Does the Liquorice no longer look after you?... Can't you throw off your rheumatism?... Believe me, that's because of the moss; you put too much of it on your feet.... Is the Blue Bird still with you?... (_A murmuring in the leaves of the_ OAK.) I beg your pardon?... Yes, there is no room for hesitation; we must take the opportunity; he must he done away with.... (_A murmuring in the leaves_.) I didn't quite catch.... Oh, yes, he is with his little sister; she must die, too.... (_A murmuring in the leaves_.) Yes, they have the Dog with them; there is no keeping him away.... (_A murmuring in the leaves_.) What did you say?... Bribe him?... Impossible.... I have tried everything.... (_A murmuring in the leaves_.) Ah, is that you, Fir-Tree?... Yes, get four planks ready.... Yes, there are Fire, Sugar, Water and Bread besides.... They are all with us, except Bread, who is rather doubtful.... Light alone is on Man's side; but she won't come.... I made the children believe that they ought to steal away while she was asleep.... There never was such an opportunity.... (_A murmuring in the leaves_.) Ah, that's the Beech's voice!... Yes, you are right; we must inform the animals.... Has the Rabbit got his drum?... Is he with you?... Good, let him beat the troop at once.... Here they are!... (The roll of the RABBIT'S drum is heard, diminishing in the distance. Enter TYLTYL, MYTYL and the DOG.) TYLTYL Is this the place?... THE CAT (obsequiously, eagerly, mealy-mouthed, rushing to meet the CHILDREN) Ah, there you are, my little master!... How well you look and how pretty, this evening!.... I went before you to announce your arrival.... All Is going well. We shall have the Blue Bird to-night, I am sure.... I have just sent the Rabbit to beat the troop in order to convoke the principal animals of the country.... You can hear them already among the foliage.... Listen!... They are a little shy and dare not come near.... (_The sounds are heard of different animals, such as cows, pigs, horses, donkeys, etc. The_ CAT, _aside, to_ TYLTYL, _taking him apart_) But why have you brought the Dog?... I have told you he is on the worst terms with everybody, even the trees.... I fear that his odious presence will spoil everything.... TYLTYL I could not get rid of him.... (_To the_ DOG, _threatening him_) Go away, you ugly thing!... THE DOG Who?... I?... Why?... What have I done?... TYLTYL I tell you, go away!... We don't want you here and there's an end of it.... You're a nuisance, there!... THE DOG I sha'n't say a word.... I shall follow you at a distance.... They sha'n't see me.... Shall I beg?... THE CAT (aside, to TYLTYL) Do you allow this disobedience?... Hit him on the nose with your stick; he is really unbearable!... TYLTYL (_beating the_ DOG) There, that will teach you to be more obedient!... THE DOG (_yelling_) Ow! Ow! Ow!... TYLTYL What do you say?... THE DOG I must kiss you now you've beaten me!... (He covers_ TYLTYL with violent kisses and embraces.) TYLTYL Come.... That will do.... That's enough.... Go away!... MYTYL No, no; I want him to stay.... I am afraid of everything when he is not there.... THE DOG (leaping up and almost upsetting_ MYTYL, whom he overwhelms with hurried and enthusiastic kisses) Oh, the dear little girl!... How beautiful she is!... How good she is!... How beautiful she is, how sweet she is!...I must kiss her!... Once more, once more, once more!... THE CAT What an idiot!... Well, we shall see!... Let us lose no time.... Turn the diamond.... TYLTYL Where shall I stand?... THE CAT In this moonbeam; you will see better.... There, turn it gently!... (TYLTYL turns the Diamond. A long-drawn-out rustling shakes the leaves and branches. The oldest and most stately trunks open to make way for the soul which each of them contains. The appearance of these souls differs according to the appearance and the character of the trees which they represent. The soul of the ELM, for instance, is a sort of pursy, pot-bellied, crabbed gnome; the LIME-TREE is placid, familiar and jovial; the BEECH, elegant and agile; the BIRCH, white, reserved and restless; the WILLOW, stunted, dishevelled and plaintive; the FIR-TREE, tall, lean and taciturn; the CYPRESS, tragic; the CHESTNUT-TREE, pretentious and rather dandified; the POPLAR, sprightly, cumbersome, talkative. Some emerge slowly from their trunks, torpidly stretching themselves, as though they had been imprisoned or asleep for ages; others leap out actively, eagerly; and all come and stand in a circle round the two_ CHILDREN, while keeping as near as they can to the tree in which they were born.)
(_To the_ LIME-TREE, _who comes forward quietly smoking his pipe_)
THE POPLAR Oh, yes, you must have!... You know all the men; you're always hanging about their houses.... THE LIME-TREE THE CHESTNUT-TREE THE POPLAR Oh, as for you, Mr. Chestnut-Tree, ever since you have refused to show yourself except in the streets of the big towns... THE WILLOW THE POPLAR Silence!... Here is the Oak leaving his palace!... He looks far from well this evening.... Don't you think he is growing very old?... What can his age be?... The Fir-tree says he is four thousand; but I am sure that he exaggerates.... Listen; he will tell us all about it.... (The OAK comes slowly forward. He is fabulously old, crowned with mistletoe and clad in a long green gown edged with moss and lichen. He is blind; his white beard streams in the wind. He leans with one hand on a knotty stick and with the other on a young OAKLING, who serves as his guide. The Blue Bird is perched on his shoulder. At his approach, the other trees draw themselves up in a row and bow respectfully.) TYLTYL He has the Blue Bird!... Quick! Quick!... Here!... Give it to me!... THE TREES Silence!... THE CAT (to TYLTYL) Take of your hat. It's the Oak!... THE OAK (_to_ TYLTYL ) Who are you?.... TYLTYL I am Tyltyl, sir.... When can I have the Blue Bird?... THE OAK Tyltyl, the wood-cutter's son?... TYLTYL Yes, sir.... THE OAK Your father has done us much harm.... In my family alone, he has put to death six hundred of my sons, four hundred and seventy-five uncles and aunts, twelve hundred cousins of both sexes, three hundred and eighty daughters-in-law, and twelve thousand great-grandsons!... TYLTYL I know nothing about it, sir.... He did not do it on purpose.... THE OAK What have you come here for; and why have you made our souls leave their abodes?... TYLTYL I beg your pardon, sir, for disturbing you.... The Cat said that you would tell us where the Blue Bird was.... THE OAK Yes, I know that you are looking for the Blue Bird, that is to say, the great secret of things and of happiness, so that Man may make our servitude still harder.... TYLTYL Oh, no, sir; it is for the Fairy Berylune's little girl, who is very ill.... THE OAK (_laying silence upon him with a gesture_) Enough!... I do not hear the Animals.... Where are they?... All this concerns them as much as us.... We, the Trees, must not assume the responsibility alone for the grave measures that have become necessary.... On the day when MAN hears that we have done what we are about to do, there will be terrible reprisals..... It is right, therefore, that our agreement should be unanimous, so that our silence may be the same.... THE FIR-TREE (_looking over the top of the other trees_) The Animals are coming.... They are following the Rabbit.... Here are the souls of the Horse, the Bull, the Ox, the Cow, the Wolf, the Sheep, the Pig, the Cock, the Goat, the Ass, and the Bear.... (Enter the souls of the ANIMALS, who, as the_ FIR-TREE utters their names, come forward and sit down among the trees, with the exception of the soul of the GOAT, who roams to and fro, and of the PIG, who snuffles among the roots.) THE OAK Are all here present?... THE RABBIT The Hen could not leave her eggs, the Hare is out on a run, the Stag has a pain in his horns, the Fox is ill--here is the doctor's certificate--the Goose did not understand and the Turkey flew into a passion.... THE OAK These abstentions are most regrettable.... However, we have a quorum.... You know, my brothers, the nature of our business. The child you see before you, thanks to a talisman stolen from the powers of Earth, is able to take possession of the Blue Bird and thus to snatch from us the secret which we have kept since the origin of life.... Now we know enough of Man to entertain no doubt as to the fate which he reserves for us once he is in possession of this secret. That is why it seems to me that any hesitation would be both foolish and criminal.... It is a serious moment; the child must be done away with before it is too late.... TYLTYL What is he saying?... THE DOG (prowling round the_ OAK _and showing his fangs) Do you see my teeth, you old cripple?... THE BEECH (indignantly) He is insulting the Oak!... THE OAK Is that the Dog?... Drive him out! We must suffer no traitors among us!... THE CAT (_aside, to_ TYLTYL) Send the Dog away.... It's a misunderstanding.... Leave it to me; I will arrange things.... But send him away as quick as you can.... TYLTYL (to the DOG) Will you be off!... THE DOG Do let me worry the gouty old beggar's moss slippers!.... It will be such a joke!... TYLTYL Hold your tongue!... And be off with you!... Be off, you ugly brute!... THE DOG All right, all right, I'm going.... I'll come back when you want me.... THE CAT (_aside, to_ TYLTYL) It would be a good thing to chain him up, or he will commit some folly; the Trees will be angry and all will end badly.... TYLTYL What can I do?... I have lost his leash.... THE CAT Here's the Ivy just coming along with strong bonds.... THE DOG (_growling_) I'll come back, I'll come back!... Ugh! Goutytoes! Timbertoes!... Pack of old stunted growths, pack of old roots!... It's the Cat who's at the bottom of all this!... I'll be even with him!... What have you been whispering about, you sneak, you tiger, you Judas!... Wow, wow, wow!.... THE CAT You see, he insults everybody.... TYLTYL Yes, he is unbearable and one can't hear one's self speak.... Mr. Ivy, will you chain him up, please?... THE IVY (_timorously going up to the_ DOG) Won't he bite?... THE DOG (_growling_) On the contrary, on the contrary!... He's going to kiss you!... Just wait and see!... Come along, come along, you old ball of twine, you!... TYLTYL (_threatening him with his stick_) Tylo!... THE DOG (cringing at TYLTYL'S feet and wagging his tail) What am I to do, my little god? TYLTYL Lie down flat!... Obey the Ivy.... Let him bind you, or.... THE DOG (_growling between his teeth, while the_ IVY _binds him_) Ball of twine I... Hunk of yarn!... Hangman's rope I... Calves' leash!... Look, my little god I ... He's cutting my paws!... He's choking me!... TYLTYL I don't care!... It's your own fault.... Hold your tongue; be quiet; you're unbearable!... THE DOG You're wrong, for all that.... They mean mischief.... Take care, my little god!... He's closing my mouth!... I can't speak!... THE IVY (who has tied up the_ DOG _like a parcel) Where shall we put him?... I've muzzled him finely.... He can't utter a word.... THE OAK Fasten him tight down there behind my trunk; to my big root.... We will decide later what had best be done with him.... (The IVY and the POPLAR carry the DOG behind the OAK'S trunk.) THE OAK Is that done?... Well, now that we are rid of this inconvenient witness, of this renegade, let us deliberate in accordance with justice and truth.... I will not conceal from you the deep and painful nature of my emotion.... This is the first time that it is given to us to judge Man and make him feel our power.... I do not think that, after the harm which he has done us, after the monstrous injustice which we have suffered, there can remain the least doubt as to the sentence that awaits him.... ALL THE TREES and ALL THE ANIMALS TYLTYL (_to the_ CAT) What is the matter with them?... Are they displeased?... THE CAT Don't be alarmed.... They are a little annoyed because Spring is late.... Leave it to me; I will settle it all.... THE OAK This unanimity was inevitable.... We must now decide, in order to avoid reprisals, which form of execution will be the most practical, the easiest, the quickest and the safest, which will leave the fewest accusing traces when Man finds the little bodies in the forest.... TYLTYL What is all this about?... What is he driving at?... I am getting tired of this.... He has got the Blue Bird; let him hand it over.... THE BULL (_coming forward_) The most practical and the surest way is a good butt with the horns in the pit of the stomach.... Shall I go at him?... THE OAK Who speaks?... THE CAT It's the Bull. THE COW It would be better to keep quiet.... I won't meddle with it.... I have all the grass to browse in the field which you can see down there in the blue light of the moon.... I have quite enough to do.... THE OX I also.... However, I agree to everything beforehand.... THE BEECH I can offer my highest branch to hang them on.... THE IVY And I the slip-knot.... THE FIR-TREE And I the four planks for their little coffin.... THE CYPRESS And I a perpetual grant of a tomb.... THE WILLOW The simplest way would be to drown them in one of my rivers.... I will take charge of that.... THE LIME-TREE THE OAK Who speaks?... I seem to recognise the honeyed accents of the Lime-tree.... THE FIR-TREE Yes, it's he.... THE OAK So there is a renegade among us, as among the Animals?... Hitherto we have only had to deplore the disloyalty of the Fruit-trees; but they are not real trees.... THE PIG TYLTYL What's he saying?... Just wait a bit, you... THE CAT I don't know what is the matter with them; but things are beginning to look badly.... THE OAK Silence!... What we have to decide is which of us shall have the honour of striking the first blow, who shall ward off from, our tops the greatest danger that has threatened us since the birth of Man.... THE FIR-TREE That honour falls to you, our king and our patriarch.... THE OAK Is that the Fir-tree speaking?... Alas, I am too old!... I am blind and infirm and my numbed arms no longer obey me.... No, to you, brother, ever green, ever upright, to you, who have witnessed the birth of most of these trees, to you be the glory, in default of myself, of the noble act of our deliverance.... THE FIR-TREE I thank you, venerable father.... But as I shall, in any case, have the honour of burying the two victims, I should be afraid of arousing the just jealousy of my colleagues; and I think that, next to ourselves, the oldest and the worthiest and the one that owns the best club is the Beech.... THE BEECH You know I am worm-eaten and my club is no longer to be relied upon.... But the Elm and the Cypress have powerful weapons.... THE ELM I should be only too pleased; but I can hardly stand upright.... A mole twisted my great toe last night.... THE CYPRESS As for me, I am ready.... But, like my brother, the Fir-tree, I shall have, if not the privilege of burying them, at least the advantage of weeping over their tomb.... It would be an unlawful plurality of offices.... Ask the Poplar.... THE POPLAR Me?... Are you serious?... Why, my wood is more tender than the flesh of a child!... And, besides, I don't know what's the matter with me.... I am shivering with fever.... Just look at my leaves.... I must have caught cold at sunrise this morning.... THE OAK (Groping with his stick, he moves towards TYLTYL.) TYLTYL (_taking his knife from his pocket_) Is it me he's after, that old one, with his big stick?... ALL THE TREES
THE BULL That's right!... I'll see to It!... And with one blow of the horns!... THE OX and THE COW (_holding him back by the tail_) What are you doing?... Don't be a fool!... It's a bad business!... It will end badly.... It is we who will pay for it.... Do let be.... It's the wild animals' business.... THE BULL No, no!... It's my business!... Wait and see!... Look here, hold me back or there will be an accident!... TYLTYL (_to_ MYTYL, _who is uttering piercing screams_) Don't be afraid!... Stand behind me.... I have my knife.... THE COCK He has plenty of pluck, the little chap!... TYLTYL So you've made up your minds, it's me you're going for?... THE ASS Why, of course, my little man; you've taken long enough to see it!... THE PIG You can say your prayers; your last hour has come.... But don't hide the little girl.... I want to feast my eyes on her.... I'm going to eat her first.... TYLTYL What have I done to you?... THE SHEEP Nothing at all, my little man.... Eaten my little brother, my two sisters, my three uncles, my aunt, my grandpapa and my grandmamma.... Wait, wait, when you're down, you shall see that I have teeth also.... THE ASS And I hoofs!... THE HORSE (He moves ostentatiously towards_ TYLTYL,
THE PIG (_to the_ BEAR _and the_ WOLF) Let us all rush on them together.... I will support you from the rear.... We will throw them down and share the little girl when she is on the ground.... THE WOLF Divert their attention in front.... I am going to make a turning movement.... (He goes round_ TYLTYL, _whom he attacks from behind and half overthrows.) TYLTYL You brute!... (He raises himself on one knee brandishing his knife and doing his best to cover his little sister, who utters yells of distress. Seeing him half overturned, all the ANIMALS and TREES come up and try to hit him. TYLTYL calls distractedly for assistance.) Help! Help!... Tylo! Tylo!... Where is the Cat?... Tylo!... Tylette! Tylette!... Come! Come!... THE CAT (_hypocritically, holding aloof_) I can't come.... I have sprained my paw.... TYLTYL (_warding of the blows and defending himself as best he can_) Help!... Tylo! Tylo!... I can't hold out!... There are too many of them!... The Bear! The Pig! The Donkey! The Ass! The Fir-tree! The Beech!... Tylo! Tylo! Tylo!... (Dragging his broken bonds after him, the DOG leaps from behind the trunk of the OAK and, elbowing his way through TREES and ANIMALS, flings himself before TYLTYL, whom he defends furiously.) THE DOG (_distributing great bites_) Here! Here, my little god!... Don't be afraid! Have at them!... I know how to use my teeth!... Here, there's one for you, Bear, in your fat hams!... Now then, who wants some more?... Here, that's for the Pig and that's for the Horse and that's for the Bull's tail!... There, I've torn the Beech's trousers and the Oak's petticoat!... The Fir-tree's making tracks!... Whew, it's warm work!... TYLTYL (_overcome_) I'm done for!... The Cypress has caught me a great blow on the head.... THE DOG Ow!... That's the Willow!... He's broken my paw!... TYLTYL They're coming back, they're charging down upon us, all together!... This time, it's the Wolf!... THE DOG Wait till I give him one for himself!... THE WOLF Fool!... Our brother!... His father drowned your seven puppies!... THE DOG Quite right!... And a good thing too!... It was because they looked like you!... ALL THE TREES AND ANIMALS Renegade!... Idiot!... Traitor!... Felon!... Simpleton!... Judas!... Leave him!... He's a dead man!... Come over to us!... THE DOG (_drunk with ardour and devotion_) Never! Never!... I alone against all of you!... Never! Never!... True to the gods, to the best, to the greatest!... (_To_ TYLTYL) Take care, here's the Bear!... Beware of the Bull!... I'll jump at his throat.... Ow!... That's a kick.... The Ass has broken two of my teeth.... TYLTYL I'm done for, Tylo!... Ah!... That was a blow from the Elm.... Look, my hand's bleeding.... That's the Wolf or the Pig.... THE DOG Wait, my little god.... Let me kiss you.... There, a good lick.... That will do you good.... Keep behind me.... They dare not come again.... Yes, though.... Here they are coming back!... This time, it's serious!.... We must stand firm!... TYLTYL (_dropping to the ground_) No, I can hold out no longer!... THE DOG (_listening_) They are coming!... I hear them, I scent them!... TYLTYL Where?... Who?... THE DOG There! There!... It's Light!... She has found us!... Saved, my little king!... Kiss me!... We are saved!... Look!... They're alarmed!... They're retreating!... They're afraid!... TYLTYL Light!... Light!... Come quick!... Hurry!... They have rebelled!... They are all against us!... [Enter LIGHT. As she comes forward, the dawn rises over the forest, which becomes light.] LIGHT What is it?... What has happened?... But, my poor boy, didn't you know?... Turn the diamond!... They will return into silence and obscurity; and you will no longer perceive their hidden feelings.... (TYLTYL turns the diamond. Immediately, the souls of all the TREES rush back into the trunks, which close again. The souls of the ANIMALS also disappear; and a peaceful COW and SHEEP, etc., are seen browsing in the distance. The Forest becomes harmless once more, TYLTYL looks around him in amazement.) TYLTYL Where are they?... What was the matter with them?... Were they mad?... LIGHT No, they are always like that; but we do not know it because we do not see it.... I told you so before; it is dangerous to wake them when I am not there.... TYLTYL (_wiping his knife_) Well, but for the Dog and if I had not had my knife!... I would never have believed that they were so wicked!... LIGHT You see that Man is all alone against all in this world.... THE DOG Are you very badly hurt, my little god?... TYLTYL Nothing serious.... As for Mytyl, they have not touched her.... But you, my dear Tylo?... Your mouth is all over blood and your paw is broken!... THE DOG It is not worth speaking of.... It won't show to-morrow.... But it was a tough fight!... THE CAT (_appearing from behind a thicket, limping_) I should think so!... The Ox caught me a blow with his horns in the stomach.... You can't see the marks, but it's very painful.... And the Oak broke my paw.... THE DOG I should like to know which one.... MYTYL THE CAT THE DOG THE CAT MYTYL (_to the_ DOG) Leave him alone, will you, you ugly beast?... (They all go out.)
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