The Blue Bird Part 13

(_They hide behind the columns at the other end of the hall_. TYLTYL _remains alone with the DOG by the monumental door_.)

THE DOG (_panting and hiccoughing with suppressed fright_) I shall stay, I shall stay!... I'm not afraid!... I shall stay!... I shall stay with my little G.o.d!... I shall stay!... I shall stay!...

TYLTYL (_patting the_ DOG) That's right, Tylo, that's right!... Kiss me.... You and I are two.... And now, steady!...

(_He places the key in the lock. A cry of alarm comes from the other end of the hall, where the runaways have taken refuge. The key has hardly touched the door before its tall and wide leaves open in the middle, glide apart and disappear on either side in the thickness of the walls, suddenly revealing the most unexpected of gardens, unreal, infinite and ineffable, a dream-garden bathed in nocturnal light, where, among stars and planets, illumining all that they touch, flying ceaselessly from jewel to jewel and from moonbeam to moonbeam, fairy-like blue birds hover perpetually and harmoniously down to the confines of the horizon, birds innumerable to the point of appearing to be the breath, the azured atmosphere, the very substance of the wonderful garden_.)

TYLTYL (_dazzled, bewildered, standing in the light of the garden_) Oh!... Heaven!... (_Turning to those who have fled_) Come quickly!...

They are here!... It's they, it's they, it's they!... We have them at last!... Thousands of blue birds!... Millions!.... Thousands of millions!... There will be too many!... Come, Mytyl!... Come, Tylo!...

Come, all!... Help me!... (_Darting in among the birds_.) You can catch them by handfuls!... They are not shy!... They are not afraid of us!.... Here! Here!.... (MYTYL _and the others run up. They all enter the dazzling garden, except_ NIGHT _and the_ CAT.) You see!... There are too many of them!... They fly into my hands!... Look, they are eating the moonbeams!... Mytyl, where are you?.... There are so many blue wings, so many feathers falling that one cannot see anything for them!.... Don't bite them, Tylo!.... Don't hurt them!.... Take them very gently!....

MYTYL (_covered with blue birds_) I have caught seven already!.... Oh, how they flap their wings!.... I can't hold them!....

TYLTYL Nor can I!.... I have too many of them!... They're escaping!.... They're coming back!.... Tylo has some, too!.... They will drag us with them!....

They will take us up to the sky!.... Quick, let us go out this way!....

Light is waiting for us!.... How pleased she will be!.... This way, this way!....

(_They escape from the garden, with their hands full of struggling birds, and, crossing the whole hall amid the mad whirl of the azure wings, go out on the right, where they first entered, followed by_ BREAD _and_ SUGAR, _who have caught no birds_. NIGHT _and the_ CAT, _left alone, return to the back of the stage and look anxiously into the garden_.)

NIGHT Haven't they got him?...

THE CAT No.... I see him there, on that moonbeam.... They could not reach him, he kept too high....

(_The_ CURTAIN _falls. Immediately after, before the dropped curtain_, ENTER, _at the same time, on the left_, LIGHT _and on the right_, TYLTYL, MYTYL _and the_ DOG, _who run up all covered by the birds which they have captured. But already the birds appear lifeless and, with hanging heads and drooping wings, are nothing more in their hands than inert remains._)

LIGHT Well, have you caught him?...

TYLTYL Yes, yes!...As many as we wanted!... There are thousands of them!... Here they are!... Do you see them?... (_Looking at the birds, which he holds out to_ LIGHT, _and perceiving that they are dead_) Why, they are dead!... What have they done to them?... Yours too, Mytyl?... Tylo's also?... (_Angrily flinging down the dead bodies of the birds_) Oh, this is too bad?... Who killed them?... I am too unhappy!...

(_He hides his head in his arms and his whole frame is shaken with sobs._)

LIGHT (_pressing him maternally in her arms_) Do not cry, my child.... You did not catch the one that is able to live in broad daylight.... He has gone elsewhere.... We shall find him again....

THE DOG (_looking at the dead birds_)) Are they good to eat?....

(_They all go out on the left_.)

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 CAT (_bowing to the trees in turn_) To all the trees here present, greeting!....

THE TREES (_murmuring in their leaves_) Greeting!....

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 princ.i.p.al 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, c.u.mbersome, 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_.)

THE POPLAR (_running up first and screaming at the top of his voice_) Men?... Little men!... We shall be able to talk to them!... We've done with silence!... Done with it!... Where do they come from?... Who are they?...

What are they?... (_To the_ LIME-TREE, _who comes forward quietly smoking his pipe_) Do you know them, Daddy Lime-Tree?...