The Blue Bird. Maurice Maeterlinck

      MYTYL And what's that all round the table? …

      TYLTYL Cakes and fruit and tarts. …

      MYTYL I had some once when I was little. …

      TYLTYL So did I; it's nicer than bread, but they don't give you enough. …

      MYTYL They've got plenty over there. … The whole table's full. … Are they going to eat them? …

      TYLTYL Of course; what else would they do with them? …

      MYTYL Why don't they eat them at once? …

      TYLTYL Because they're not hungry. …

      MYTYL (stupefied with astonishment) Not hungry? … Why not? …

      TYLTYL Well, they eat whenever they want to. …

      MYTYL (incredulously) Every day? …

      TYLTYL They say so. …

      MYTYL Will they eat them all? … Will they give any away? …

      TYLTYL To whom? …

      MYTYL To us. …

      TYLTYL They don't know us. …

      MYTYL Suppose we asked them. …

      TYLTYL We mustn't.

      MYTYL Why not? …

      TYLTYL Because it's not right.

      MYTYL (clapping her hands) Oh, how pretty they are! …

      TYLTYL (rapturously) And how they're laughing and laughing! …

      MYTYL And the little ones dancing! …

      TYLTYL Yes, yes; let's dance too! … (They stamp their feet for joy on the stool.)

      MYTYL Oh, what fun! …

      TYLTYL They're getting the cakes! … They can touch them! … They're eating, they're eating, they're eating! …

      MYTYL The tiny ones, too! … They've got two, three, four apiece! …

      TYLTYL (drunk with delight) Oh, how lovely! … Oh, how lovely, how lovely! …

      MYTYL (counting imaginary cakes) I've got twelve! …

      TYLTYL And I four times twelve! … But I'll give you some. …

      (A knock at the door of the cottage.)

      TYLTYL (suddenly quieted and frightened) What's that? …

      MYTYL (scared) It's Daddy! …

      (As they hesitate before opening the door, the big latch is seen to rise of itself, with a grating noise; the door half opens to admit a little old woman dressed in green with a red hood on her head. She is humpbacked and lame and near-sighted; her nose and chin meet; and she walks bent on a stick. She is obviously a fairy.)

      THE FAIRY Have you the grass here that sings or the bird that is blue? …

      TYLTYL We have some grass, but it can't sing. …

      MYTYL Tyltyl has a bird.

      TYLTYL But I can't give it away. …

      THE FAIRY Why not? …

      TYLTYL Because it's mine.

      THE FAIRY That's a reason, no doubt. Where is the bird? …

      TYLTYL (pointing to the cage) In the cage. …

      THE FAIRY (putting on her glasses to examine the bird) I don't want it; it's not blue enough. You will have to go and find me the one I want.

      TYLTYL But I don't know where it is. …

      THE FAIRY No more do I. That's why you must look for it. I can do without the grass that sings, at a pinch; but I must absolutely have the blue bird. It's for my little girl, who is very ill.

      TYLTYL What's the matter with her? …

      THE FAIRY We don't quite know; she wants to be happy. …

      TYLTYL Really? …

      THE FAIRY Do you know who I am? …

      TYLTYL You're rather like our neighbour, Madame Berlingot. …

      THE FAIRY (growing suddenly angry) Not a bit! … There's not the least likeness! … This is intolerable! … I am the Fairy Bérylune. …

      TYLTYL Oh! Very well. …

      THE FAIRY You will have to start at once.

      TYLTYL Are you coming with us?

      THE FAIRY I can't, because I put on the soup this morning and it always boils over if I leave it for more than an hour. … (Pointing successively to the ceiling, the chimney and the window) Will you go out this way, or that way, or that way? …

      TYLTYL (pointing timidly to the door) I would rather go out that way. …

      THE FAIRY (growing suddenly angry again) That's quite impossible; and it's a shocking habit! … (Pointing to the window) We'll go out this way. … Well? … What are you waiting for? … Get dressed at once. … (The CHILDREN do as they are told and dress quickly.) I'll help Mytyl. …

      TYLTYL We have no shoes. …

      THE FAIRY That doesn't matter. I will give you a little magic hat. Where are your father and mother? …

      TYLTYL (pointing to the door on the right) They're asleep in there. …

      THE FAIRY And your grandpapa and grandmamma? …

      TYLTYL They're dead. …

      THE FAIRY And your little brothers and sisters. … Have you any? …

      TYLTYL Oh, yes; three little brothers. …

      MYTYL And four little sisters. …

      THE FAIRY Where are they? …

      TYLTYL They are dead, too. …

      THE FAIRY Would you like to see them again? …

      TYLTYL Oh, yes! … At once! … Show them to us! …

      THE FAIRY I haven't got them in my pocket. … But this is very lucky; you will see them when you go through the Land of Memory. … It's on the way to the Blue Bird, just on the left, past the third turning. … What were you doing when I knocked? …

      TYLTYL We were playing at eating cakes? …

      THE FAIRY Have you any cakes? … Where are they? …

      TYLTYL In the house of the rich children. … Come and look, it's so lovely. (He drags the FAIRY to the window.)

      THE FAIRY (at the window) But it's the others who are eating them! …

      TYLTYL Yes; but we can see them eat. …

      THE FAIRY Aren't you cross with them? …

      TYLTYL What for? …

      THE FAIRY For eating all the cakes. … I think it's very wrong of them not to give you some. …

      TYLTYL Not at all; they're rich. … I say, isn't it beautiful over there? …

      THE FAIRY It's no more beautiful there than here.

      TYLTYL Ugh! … It's darker here and smaller and there are no cakes. …

      THE FAIRY It's exactly the same, only you can't see. …

      TYLTYL Yes, I can; and I have very good eyes. I can see the time on the church clock and daddy can't …

      THE FAIRY (suddenly angry) I tell you that you can't see! … How do