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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 2 |
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_ ACT VI - SCENE II SCENE 2.--The Awakening. [The same setting as in ACT I, but the objects, the walls and the atmosphere all appear incomparably and magically fresher, happier, more smiling. The daylight penetrates gaily through the chinks of the closed shutters. To the right, at the back, TYLTYL and MYTYL lie sound asleep in their little beds. The DOG, the CAT and the THINGS are in the places which they occupied in ACT I, before the arrival of the FAIRY.] [Enter MUMMY TYL]
TYLTYL (_waking up_) What?... Light?... Where is she?... No, no, don't go away.... MUMMY TYL Light?... Why, of course it's light... Has been for ever so long.... It's as bright as noonday, though the shutters are closed.... Wait a bit till I open them.... (_She pushes back the shutters and the dazzling daylight invades the room_.) There! See!... What's the matter with you?... You look quite blinded.... TYLTYL (_rubbing his eyes_) Mummy, mummy!... It's you!... MUMMY TYL Why, of course, it's I.... Who did you think it was?... TYLTYL It's you.... Yes, yes, it's you!.... MUMMY TYL Yes, yes, it's I.... I haven't changed my face since last night.... Why do you stare at me in that wonderstruck way?... Is my nose turned upside down, by any chance?... TYLTYL Oh, how nice it is to see you again!... It's so long, so long ago!... I must kiss you at once.... Again! Again! Again!... And how comfortable my bed is!... I am back at home!... MUMMY TYL What's the matter?... Why don't you wake up?... Don't tell me you're ill.... Let me see, show me your tongue.... Come, get up and dress.... TYLTYL Hullo, I've got my shirt on!... MUMMY TYL Of course you have.... Put on your breeches and your little jacket.... There they are, on the chair.... TYLTYL Is that what I did on the journey?... MUMMY TYL What journey?... TYLTYL Why, last year.... MUMMY TYL Last year?... TYLTYL Why, yes!...At Christmas, when I went away.... MUMMY TYL When you went away?... You haven't left the room.... I put you to bed last night, and here you are this morning.... Have you dreamed all that?... TYLTYL But you don't understand!... It was last year, when I went away with Mytyl, the Fairy, Light--how nice Light is!--Bread, Sugar, Water, Fire: they did nothing but quarrel!... You're not angry with me?... Did you feel very sad?... And what did daddy say?... I could not refuse... I left a note to explain.... MUMMY TYL What are you talking about?... For sure, either you're ill or else you're still asleep.... (_She gives him a friendly shake_.) There, wake up.... There, is that better?... TYLTYL But, mummy, I assure you.... It's you that's still asleep.... MUMMY TYL What! Still asleep, am I?... Why? I've been up since six o'clock.... I've finished all the cleaning and lit the fire.... TYLTYL But ask Mytyl if it's not true.... Oh, we have had such adventures!... MUMMY TYL Why Mytyl?... What do you mean?... TYLTYL She was with me.... We saw grandad and granny.... MUMMY TYL (_more and more bewildered_) Grandad and granny?... TYLTYL Yes, in the Land of Memory.... It was on our way.... They are dead, but they are quite well.... Granny made us a lovely plum-tart.... And then the little brothers--Robert, Jean and his top--and Madeleine and Pierrette and Pauline and Riquette, too.... MYTYL Riquette still goes about on all fours!... TYLTYL And Pauline still has a pimple on her nose.... MUMMY TYL Have you found the key of the cupboard where daddy hides his brandy bottle?... TYLTYL Does daddy hide a brandy bottle?... MUMMY TYL Certainly. One has to hide everything when one has little meddlesome good-for-nothings like you.... But come, out with it, confess that you took it.... I would rather it was that.... I sha'n't tell daddy.... I sha'n't beat you.... TYLTYL But, mummy, I don't know where it is.... MUMMY TYL Just walk in front of me, so that I may see if you can walk straight.... (TYLTYL _does so_) No, it's not that.... Dear heaven, what is the matter with them?... I shall lose them too, as I lost the others!... (Suddenly mad with alarm, she calls out) Daddy Tyl!... Come, quick! The children are ill!... (_Enter_ DADDY TYL , _very calmly, with an axe in his hand_.) DADDY TYL What is it?... TYLTYL and MYTYL (_running up gaily to kiss their father_) Hullo, daddy!... It's daddy!... Good-morning, daddy!... Have you had plenty of work this year?... DADDY TYL Well, what's the matter?... They don't look ill; they look very well.... MUMMY TYL (_weeping_) You can't trust their looks.... It will be as with the others.... They looked quite well also to the end; and then God took them.... I don't know what's the matter with them.... I put them to bed quite quietly last night; and this morning, when they woke up, everything was wrong.... They don't know what they're saying; they talk about a journey.... They have seen Light and grandad and granny, who are dead, but who are quite well.... TYLTYL But grandad still has his wooden leg.... MYTYL And granny her rheumatics.... MUMMY TYL Do you hear?... Run and fetch the doctor!... DADDY TYL Why, no, no.... They are not dead yet.... Come, let us look into this.... (_A knock at the front door_.) Come in!... (Enter NEIGHBOUR BERLINGOT, a little old woman resembling the_ FAIRY in ACT I and leaning on a stick.) THE NEIGHBOUR Good-morning and a Merry Christmas to you all!... TYLTYL It's the Fairy Berylune!... THE NEIGHBOUR I have come to ask for a bit of fire for my Christmas stew.... It's very chilly this morning.... Good-morning, children, how are you?... TYLTYL Fairy Berylune, I could not find the Blue Bird.... THE NEIGHBOUR What is he saying?... MUMMY TYL Don't ask me, Madame Berlingot.... They don't know what they are saying.... They have been like that since they woke up.... They must have eaten something that wasn't good.... THE NEIGHBOUR Why, Tyltyl, don't you remember Goody Berlingot, your Neighbour Berlingot?... TYLTYL Why, yes, ma'am.... You are the Fairy Berylune.... You're not angry with us?... THE NEIGHBOUR Bery... what? Goodness gracious me!... TYLTYL Berylune. THE NEIGHBOUR Berlingot, you mean Berlingot.... TYLTYL Berylune or Berlingot, as you please, ma'am.... But Mytyl knows.... MUMMY TYL That's the worst of it, that Mytyl also.... DADDY TYL Pooh, pooh!... That will soon go; I will give them a smack or two.... THE NEIGHBOUR Don't; It's not worth while.... I know all about it; it's only a little fit of dreaming.... They must have slept in the moonbeams.... My little girl, who is very ill, is often like that.... MUMMY TYL By the way, how is your little girl?... THE NEIGHBOUR Only so-so.... She can't get up.... The doctor says that it's her nerves.... I know what would cure her, for all that. She was asking me for it only this morning, for her Christmas box; it's a notion she has... MUMMY TYL Yes, I know; it's Tyltyl's bird.... Well, Tyltyl, aren't you going to give it at last to that poor little thing?... TYLTYL What, mummy?... MUMMY TYL Your bird.... It's no use to you.... You don't even look at it now.... And she has been dying to have it for ever so long!... TYLTYL Hullo, that's true, my bird!... Where is he?... Oh, there's the cage!... Mytyl, do you see the cage?... It's the one which Bread carried.... Yes, yes, it's the same one, but there's only one bird in it.... Has he eaten the other, I wonder?... Hullo, why, he's blue!... But it's my turtle-dove!... But he's much bluer than when I went away!... Why, that's the blue bird we were looking for!... We went so far and he was here all the time!... Oh, but it's wonderful!... Mytyl, do you see the bird? What would Light say?... I will take down the cage.... (He climbs on a chair and takes down the cage and carries it to the NEIGHBOUR.) There, Madame Berlingot, there you are.... He's not quite blue yet, but that will come, you shall see!... Take him off quick to your little girl.... THE NEIGHBOUR Really?... Do you mean it?... Do you give it me like that, straight away and for nothing?... Lord, how happy she will be!... (Kissing TYLTYL) I must give you a kiss!... I fly!... I fly!... TYLTYL Yes, yes; be quick.... Some of them change their colour.... THE NEIGHBOUR I will come back to tell you what she says.... (_She goes out_.) TYLTYL (_after taking a long look around him_) Daddy, mummy, what have you done to the house?... It's just as it was, but it's much prettier.... DADDY TYL How do you mean, it's prettier?... TYLTYL Why, yes, everything has been painted and made to look new, everything is clean and polished.... It was not like that last year.... DADDY TYL Last year?... TYLTYL (_going to the window_) And look at the forest!... How big and fine it is!... One would think it was new!... How happy I feel here!... (_Going to the bread-pan and opening it_) Where's Bread?.... I say, the loaves are very quiet.... And then here's Tylo!... Hullo, Tylo, Tylo!... Ah, you had a fine fight!... Do you remember, in the forest?... MYTYL And Tylette.... He knows me, but he has stopped talking.... TYLTYL Mr. Bread.... (_Feeling his forehead_) Hullo, the diamond's gone!... Who's taken my little green hat?... Never mind; I don't want it any more.... Ah, Fire!... He's a good one!... He crackles and laughs to make Water angry.... (_Running to the tap_) And Water?... Good-morning, Water!... What does she say?... She still talks, but I don't understand her as well as I did.... MYTYL I don't see Sugar.... TYLTYL Lord, how happy I am, happy, happy, happy!... MYTYL So am I, so am I!... MUMMY TYL What are you spinning round for like that?.... DADDY TYL Don't mind them and don't distress yourself.... They are playing at being happy.... TYLTYL I liked Light best of all.... Where's her lamp?... Can we light it?... (_Looking round him again_.) Goodness me, how lovely it all is and how glad I feel!... MUMMY TYL Why?... TYLTYL I don't know, mummy.... (_A knock at the front-door_.) DADDY TYL Come in, come in!... (Enter the NEIGHBOUR, holding by the hand a little girl of a fair and wonderful beauty, who carries TYLTYL'S dove pressed in her arms.) THE NEIGHBOUR Do you see the miracle?... MUMMY TYL Impossible!... Can she walk?... THE NEIGHBOUR Can she walk?... She can run, she can dance, she can fly!... When she saw the bird, she jumped, just like that, with one bound, to the window, to see by the light if it was really Tyltyl's dove.... And then, whoosh!... Out into the street, like an angel!... It was as much as I could do to keep pace with her.... TYLTYL (_going up to her, wonderstruck_) Oh, how like Light she is!... MYTYL She is much smaller.... TYLTYL Yes, indeed!... But she will grow bigger.... THE NEIGHBOUR What are they saying?... Haven't they got over it yet?... MUMMY TYL They are better, they are mending.... It will be all right when they have had their breakfasts.... THE NEIGHBOUR (pushing the LITTLE GIRL into TYLTYL'S arms). Come along, child, come and thank Tyltyl.... (TYLTYL, suddenly frightened, takes a step back.) MUMMY TYL Well, Tyltyl, what's the matter?.... Are you afraid of the little girl?... Come, give her a kiss, a good big kiss.... No, a better one than that.... You're not so shy as a rule!... Another one!... But what's the matter with you?... You look as if you were going to cry.... (TYLTYL, after kissing the LITTLE GIRL rather awkwardly, stands before her for a moment and the two children look at each other without speaking; then TYLTYL strokes the dove's head.) TYLTYL Is he blue enough?... THE LITTLE GIRL Yes, I am so pleased with him.... TYLTYL I have seen bluer ones.... But those which are quite blue, you know, do what you will, you can't catch them.... THE LITTLE GIRL That doesn't matter; he's lovely.... TYLTYL Has he had anything to eat?... THE LITTLE GIRL Not yet.... What does he eat?... TYLTYL Anything: corn, bread, Indian corn, grasshoppers.... THE LITTLE GIRL How does he eat, say?... TYLTYL With his beak. You'll see, I will show you.... (He moves in order to take the bird from the LITTLE GIRL'S hands. She resists instinctively; and, taking advantage of the hesitation of their movements, the DOVE escapes and flies away.) THE LITTLE GIRL (_with a cry of despair_) Mother!... He is gone!... (_She bursts into sobs_.) TYLTYL Never mind.... Don't cry.... I will catch him again.... (_Stepping to the front of the stage and addressing the audience_.) If any of you should find him, would you be so very kind as to give him back to us?... We need him for our happiness, later on....
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