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The Blue Bird: A Fairy Play in Six Acts, a play by Maurice Maeterlinck |
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Act 6 - Scene 1 |
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_ ACT VI - SCENE I SCENE I.--The Leave-taking. [The stage represents a wall with a small door. It is the break of day.] (Enter TYLTYL, MYTYL, LIGHT, BREAD WATER, SUGAR, FIRE and MILK) You would never guess where we are....
LIGHT Don't you recognise that wall and that little door?... TYLTYL It is a red wall and a little green door. LIGHT And doesn't that remind you of anything?... TYLTYL It reminds me that Time shewed us the door.... LIGHT How odd people are when they dream.... They do not recognise their own hands.... TYLTYL Who is dreaming?... Am I?... LIGHT Perhaps it's myself.... Who can tell?... However, this wall contains a house which you have seen more than once since you were born.... TYLTYL A house which I have seen more than once since I was born?... LIGHT Why yes, sleepy-head!... It is the house which we left one evening, just a year ago, to a day.... TYLTYL Just a year ago?... Why, then.... LIGHT Come, come!... Don't open great eyes like sapphire caves.... It's the dear old house of your father and mother.... TYLTYL (_going up to the door_) But I think.... Yes, really.... It seems to me.... This little door.... I recognise the wooden pin.... Are they in there?... Are we near mummy?... I want to go in at once.... I want to kiss her at once!... LIGHT One moment.... They are sound asleep; you must not wake them with a start.... Besides, the door will not open till the hour strikes.... TYLTYL What hour?... Is there long to wait?... LIGHT Alas, no!... A few poor minutes.... TYLTYL Aren't you glad to be back?... What is it, Light?... You are quite pale, you look ill.... LIGHT It's nothing, child.... I feel a little sad, because I am leaving you.... TYLTYL Leaving us?... LIGHT I must.... I have nothing more to do here; the year is over, the Fairy is coming back to ask you for the Blue Bird.... TYLTYL But I haven't got the Blue Bird!... The one of the Land of Memory turned quite black, the one of the Future turned quite pink, the Night's are dead and I could not catch the one in the Forest.... Is it my fault if they change colour, or die, or escape?... Will the Fairy be angry and what will she say?... LIGHT We have done what we could.... It seems likely that the Blue Bird does not exist or that he changes colour when he is caged.... TYLTYL Where is the cage?... BREAD Here, master.... It was entrusted to my diligent care during our long journey; to-day, now that my mission is drawing to an end, I restore it to your hands, untouched and carefully closed, as I received it.... (Like an orator making a speech) And now, in the name of all, I crave permission to add a few words.... FIRE He has not been called upon to speak!... WATER Order!... BREAD The malevolent interruptions of a contemptible enemy, of an envious rival.... FIRE An envious rival!... What would you be without me?... A lump of shapeless and indigestible dough.... WATER Order!... FIRE I won't be shouted down by you! ... (_They threaten each other and are about to come to blows_.) LIGHT (_raising her wand_) Enough!... BREAD The insults and the ridiculous pretensions of an element whose notorious misbehaviour and whose scandalous excesses drive the world to despair.... FIRE You fat pasty-face! BREAD (_raising his voice_) Will not prevent me from doing my duty to the end.... I wish, therefore, in the name of all... FIRE Not in mine!... I have a tongue of my own!... BREAD In the name of all and with a restrained but simple and deep emotion, to take leave of two distinguished children, whose exalted mission ends to-day.... When bidding them farewell, with all the grief and all the fondness which a mutual esteem.... TYLTYL What?... You are bidding us farewell?... Are you leaving us too?... BREAD Alas, needs must, since the hour when men's eyes are to be opened has not yet come.... I am leaving you, it is true; but the separation will only be apparent, you will no longer hear me speak.... FIRE That will be no loss!... WATER Order! Silence!... FIRE I shall keep silence when you cease babbling in the kettles, the wells, the brooks, the waterfalls and the taps.... LIGHT (_threatening them with her wand_) That will do, do you hear?... You are all very quarrelsome; It is the coming separation that sets your nerves on edge like this.... BREAD (_with great dignity_) That does not apply to me.... I was saying, you will no longer hear me speak, no longer see me in my living form.... Your eyes are about to close to the invisible life of the Things; but I shall always he there. In the bread-pan, on the shelf, on the table, beside the soup, I who am, if I may say so, with Water and Fire, the most faithful companion, the oldest friend of Man.... FIRE Well, and what about me?... LIGHT Come, the minutes are passing, the hour is at hand which will send us back into silence.... Be quick and kiss the children.... FIRE (_rushing forward_) I first! I first!... (_Violently kissing the_ CHILDREN.) Good-bye, Tyltyl and Mytyl!... Good-bye, my darlings.... Think of me if ever you want any one to set fire to anything.... MYTYL Oh! Oh!... He's burning me!... TYLTYL Oh! Oh!... He's scorched my nose!... LIGHT Come, Fire, moderate your transports.... Remember you're not in your chimney.... WATER What an idiot!... BREAD What a vulgarian!... FIRE There, look; I will put my hands in my pockets.... But don't forget me.... I am the friend of Man.... I shall always be there, in the hearth and in the oven; and I will come sometimes and put out my tongue for you when you are cold or sad.... I shall be warm in winter and roast chestnuts for you.... WATER (_approaching the_ CHILDREN) I shall kiss you without hurting you, tenderly, my children.... FIRE Take care, you'll get wet!... WATER I am loving and gentle; I am kind to human beings.... FIRE What about those you drown?... WATER Love the wells, listen to the brooks.... I shall always be there.... FIRE She has flooded the whole place.... WATER When you sit down, in the evening, beside the springs--there is more than one here in the forest--try to understand what they are trying to say.... FIRE Enough! Enough!... I can't swim!... WATER I shall no longer be able to tell you as clearly as I do to-day that I love you; but you will not forget that that is what I am saying to you when you hear my voice.... Alas!... I can say no more.... My tears choke me and prevent my speaking.... FIRE It doesn't sound like it!... WATER Think of me when you see the water-bottle.... Alas! I have to be silent there; but my thoughts will always be of you.... You will find me also in the ewer, the watering-can, the cistern and the tap.... MILK (_approaching timidly_) And me in the milk-jug.... TYLTYL What, you too, my dear Milk, so shy and so good?... Is everybody going?... SUGAR (_naturally mawkish and sanctimonious_) If you have a little corner left in your memory, remember sometimes that my presence was sweet to you.... That is all I have to say.... Tears are not in harmony with my temperament and they hurt me terribly when they fall on my feet.... BREAD Jesuit!... FIRE (_yelping_) Sugar-plum! Lollipop! Caramel!... TYLTYL But where are Tylette and Tylo gone to?... What are they doing?... (The CAT is heard to utter shrill cries.) MYTYL (_alarmed_) It's Tylette crying!... He is being hurt!... (Enter the CAT, running, his hair on end and dishevelled, his clothes torn, holding his handkerchief to his cheek, as though he had the toothache. He utters angry groans and is closely pursued by the DOG, who overwhelms him with bites, blows and kicks.) THE DOG (_beating the_ CAT) There!... Have you had enough?... Do you want any more?... There! There! There!... LIGHT, TYLTYL and MYTYL (_rushing forward to part them_) Tylo!... Are you mad?... Well, I never!... Down!... Stop that, will you?... How dare you?... Wait, wait!... (They part the DOG and the CAT by main force.) LIGHT What is it?... What has happened?... THE CAT (_blubbering and wiping his eyes_) It's the Dog, Mrs. Light.... He insulted me, he put tin tacks in my food, he pulled my tail, he beat me; and I had done nothing, nothing, nothing at all!... THE DOG (_mimicking him_) Nothing, nothing, nothing at all!... (_In an undertone, with a mocking grimace_) Never mind, you've had some, you've had some and you're going to have some more!... MYTYL (_pressing the_ CAT _in her arms_) My poor Tylette, where has he hurt you?... Tell me.... I shall cry too.... LIGHT (_to the_ DOG, _severely_) Your conduct is all the more, unworthy since you have chosen for this disgraceful exhibition the already most painful moment when we are about to part from these poor children.... THE DOG (_suddenly sobered_) To part from these poor children?... LIGHT Yes; the hour which you know of is at hand.... We are going to return to silence.... We shall no longer be able to speak to them.... THE DOG (_suddenly uttering real howls of despair and flinging himself upon the_ CHILDREN, _whom he loads with violent and tumultuous caresses_.) No! No!... I refuse!... I refuse!... I shall always talk!... You will understand me now, will you not, my little god?... Yes! Yes! Yes!... And we shall tell each other everything, everything, everything!... And I shall be very good.... And I shall learn to read and write and play dominoes!... And I shall always be very clean.... And I shall never steal anything in the kitchen again.... Shall I do a wonderful trick for you?... Would you like me to kiss the Cat?... MYTYL (_to the_ CAT) And you, Tylette?... Have you nothing to say to us?... THE CAT (_in an affected and enigmatic tone_) I love you both as much as you deserve.... LIGHT Now let me, in my turn, children, give you a last kiss.... TYLTYL and MYTYL (hanging on to LIGHT'S dress) No, no, no, Light!... Stay here with us!... Daddy won't mind.... We will tell mummy how kind you have been.... LIGHT Alas! I cannot!... This door is closed to us and I must leave you.... TYLTYL Where will you go all alone?... LIGHT Not very far, my children; over there, to the Land of the Silence of Things.... TYLTYL No, no; I won't have you go.... We will go with you.... I shall tell mummy.... LIGHT Do not cry, my dear little ones.... I have not a voice like Water; I have only my brightness, which Man does not understand.... But I watch over him to the end of his days.... Never forget that I am speaking to you in every spreading moonbeam, in every twinkling star, in every dawn that rises, in every lamp that is lit, in every good and bright thought of your soul.... (_Eight o'clock strikes behind the wall_.) Listen!... The hour is striking!... Good-bye!... The door is opening!... In with you, in with you!... (She pushes the CHILDREN _through the door, which has half-opened and which closes again behind them_. BREAD wipes away a furtive tear_, SUGAR and WATER, etc., all in tears, flee precipitously and disappear in the wings to the right and left. The DOG howls behind the scenes. The stage remains empty for a moment and then the scenery representing the wall and the little door opens in the middle and reveals the last scene.) _ |
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