The Blue Bird. Maurice Maeterlinck

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      THE FAIRY What, you too? … Are you there still? …

      THE DOG What luck! … I was too late to return to silence; the trap closed too quickly. …

      THE CAT So did mine. … What is going to happen? … Is there any danger? …

      THE FAIRY Well, I'm bound to tell you the truth: all those who accompany the two children will die at the end of the journey. …

      THE CAT (to the DOG) Come, let us get back into the trap. …

      THE DOG No, no! … I won't! … I want to go with the little god! … I want to talk to him all the time! …

      THE CAT Idiot! …

      (More knocking at the door)

      BREAD (shedding bitter tears) I don't want to die at the end of the journey! … I want to get back at once into my pan! …

      FIRE (who has done nothing but run madly round the room, hissing with anguish) I can't find my chimney! …

      WATER (vainly trying to get into the tap) I can't get into the tap! …

      SUGAR (hovering round his paper wrapper) I've burst my packing-paper! …

      MILK (lymphatically and bashfully) Somebody's broken my little jug! …

      THE FAIRY Goodness me, what fools they are! … Fools and cowards too! … So you would rather go on living in your ugly boxes, in your traps and taps, than accompany the children in search of the bird? …

      ALL (excepting the DOG and LIGHT) Yes, yes! Now, at once! … My tap! … My pan! … My chimney! … My trap! …

      THE FAIRY (to LIGHT, who is dreamily gazing at the wreckage of her lamp) And you, Light, what do you say?

      LIGHT I will go with the children. …

      THE DOG (yelling with delight) I too! … I too! …

      THE FAIRY That's right. … Besides, it's too late to go back; you have no choice now, you must all start with us. … But you, Fire, don't come near anybody; you, Dog, don't tease the Cat; and you, Water, hold yourself up and try not to run all over the place. …

      (A violent knocking is again heard at the door on the right.)

      TYLTYL (listening) There's daddy again! … He's getting up this time; I can hear him walking. …

      THE FAIRY Let us go out by the window. … You shall all come to my house, where I will dress the Animals and the Things properly. … (To BREAD) You, Bread, take the cage in which to put the Blue Bird. … It will be in your charge. … Quick, quick, let us waste no time. …

      (The window suddenly lengthens downwards, like a door. They all go out; after which the window resumes its primitive shape and closes quite innocently. The room has become dark again and the two cots are steeped in shadow. The door on the right opens ajar and in the aperture appear the heads of DADDY and MUMMY TYL.)

      DADDY TYL It was nothing. … It's the cricket chirping. …

      MUMMY TYL Can you see them? …

      DADDY TYL I can. … They are sleeping quite quietly. …

      MUMMY TYL I can hear their breathing. …

      (The door closes again)

CURTAIN

       Table of Contents

ACT II.

       Table of Contents

SCENE I.—At the FAIRY'S.

       Table of Contents

      A magnificent entrance-hall in the palace of the FAIRY BÉRYLUNE. Columns of gleaming marble with gold and silver capitals, staircases, porticoes, balustrades, etc.

      Enter from the back, on the right, sumptuously clad, the CAT, SUGAR and FIRE. They come from a room which emits rays of light; it is the FAIRY'S wardrobe. The CAT has donned the classic costume of Puss-in-boots; SUGAR, a silk dress, half white and half pale-blue; and FIRE wears a number of many-coloured aigrettes and a long vermilion mantle lined with gold. They cross the whole length of the hall to the front of the stage, where the CAT draws them up under a portico on the right.

      THE CAT This way, I know every inch of this palace. It was left to the Fairy Bérylune by Bluebeard. … Let us make the most of our last minute of liberty, while the children and Light pay their visit to the Fairy's little daughter. … I have brought you here in order to discuss the position in which we are placed. … Are we all here? …

      SUGAR I see the Dog coming out of the Fairy's wardrobe. …

      FIRE What on earth has he got on? …

      THE CAT He has put on the livery of one of the footmen of Cinderella's coach. … It was just the thing for him. … He has the soul of a flunkey. … But let us hide behind the balustrade. … It's strange how I mistrust him. … He had better not hear what I have to say to you. …

      SUGAR It is too late. … He has discovered us. … Look, here is Water also coming out of the wardrobe. … Goodness me, how fine she is! …

      (The DOG and WATER join the first group.)

      THE DOG (frisking about) There! There! … Aren't we fine I. … Just look at these laces and this embroidery! … It's real gold and no mistake! …

      THE CAT (to WATER) Is that Catskin's "colour-of-time" dress? … I seem to recognise it. …

      WATER Yes, it's the one that suited me best. …

      FIRE (between his teeth) She's not brought her umbrella. …

      WATER What's that? …

      FIRE Nothing, nothing. …

      WATER I thought you might be speaking of a great red I saw the other day. …

      THE CAT Come, don't let as quarrel; we have more important things to do. … We are only waiting for Bread; where is he?

      THE DOG He was making an endless fuss about choosing his dress. …

      FIRE Worth while, isn't it, for a fellow who looks a fool and carries СКАЧАТЬ