CHANTECLER Play in Four Acts By EDMOND ROSTAND Translated By GERTRUDE HALL 1910 _DRAMATIS PERSONAE_ CHANTECLER PATOU THE BLACKBIRD THE PEACOCK THE NIGHTINGALE THE GRAND-DUKE THE SCREECH-OWL LITTLE SCOPS THE GAME-COCK THE HUNTING DOG A CARRIER-PIGEON THE WOOD-PECKER THE TURKEY THE DUCK THE YOUNG GUINEA-COCK THE PHEASANT-HEN THE GUINEA-HEN THE OLD HEN THE WHITE HEN THE GREY HEN THE BLACK HEN THE SPECKLED HEN THE TUFTED HEN A Gander. A Capon. Chickens. Chicks. A Cockerel. A Swan. A Cuckoo. Night-birds. Fancy Cocks. Toads. A Turkey-hen. A Goose. A Garden Warbler. A Woodland Warbler. A Spider. A Heron. A Pigeon. A Guinea-pig. Barnyard animals. Woodland Creatures. Rabbits. Birds. Bees. Cicadas. Voices. PROLOGUE _The customary three knocks are heard. The drop-curtain wavers and is rising, when a voice rings out, “Not yet!” and the_ MANAGER, _a gentleman of important mien in evening dress, springing from his proscenium box, hurries toward the stage, repeating, “Not yet!”_ _The curtain is again lowered. The_ MANAGER _turns toward the audience, and resting one hand on the prompter’s box, addresses them:_ The curtain is a wall,--a flying wall. Assured that presently the wall will fly--why haste? Is it not charming to delay--and just look at it for a while? Charming to sit before a great red wall, hanging beneath two gilt masks and a scroll--The thrilling moment is when the curtain thrills, and sounds come from the other side. You are desired to-night to listen to those sounds and entering the scene before you see it, to wonder and surmise-- _Bending his ear, the_ MANAGER _listens to the sounds now beginning to come from behind the curtain._ A footstep--is it a road? A flutter of wings--is it a garden? _The curtain here rippling as if about to rise, the_ MANAGER _precipitately shouts, “Stop!--Do not raise it yet!” Then again bending his ear, continues making note of the noises, clear or confused, single or combined, that from this onward come without stop from behind the curtain._ A magpie cawing flies away. Great wooden shoes come running over flags. A courtyard, is it?--If so above a valley--from whence that softened clamour of birds and barking dogs. More and more clearly the scene suggests itself--Magically sound creates an atmosphere!--A sheep bell tinkles intermittently--Since there is grazing, we may look for grass. A tree, too--a tree must rustle in the breeze, for a bullfinch warbles his little native song; and a blackbird whistling the song he has caught by ear, implies, we may presume, a wicker cage.