The Blue Bird: A Fairy Play in Six Acts

M >> Maurice Maeterlinck >> The Blue Bird: A Fairy Play in Six Acts

Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

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....

CURTAIN

Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8