The Betrothal: A Sequel to the Blue Bird; A Fairy Play in Five Acts and Eleven ScenesMaeterlinck, Maurice
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The Betrothal: A Sequel to the Blue Bird; A Fairy Play in Five Acts and Eleven Scenes
Maeterlinck, Maurice
Fairy plays; French drama -- Translations into English
They are going to the other door.
ANOTHER
They are going to fetch the smallest of them all.
ANOTHER
The smaller they are, the more they know.
THE FIRST CHILD
But where is he, the smallest one? Haven't you seen him?
ANOTHER
No, no one has seen him since this morning.... It's strange, for he is
always with his little sisters.
TYLTYL
(_Looking at the throng of_ CHILDREN _filling the halls_.) How many
there are!
ONE OF THE BIG CHILDREN
It's only one part of the family.
A CHILD
(_Which has been following the progress of_ THE FIVE CHILDREN _with his
eyes_.) They are stopping at the third door.
TYLTYL
Who?
THE CHILD
The five little ones.
ANOTHER CHILD
They seem to be looking for something.
THE FIRST CHILD
Let us go and see what they're doing. They know what they know.
OTHER CHILDREN
Yes, yes, let us all go.... They know, they know!
(_A great stir in the crowd of_ CHILDREN. _They all run in the same
direction and go out on the left. In a moment the hall is emptied
of all except_ TYLTYL, LIGHT, THE SIX GIRLS _and_ DESTINY.)
TYLTYL
Let us go after them too!
(_He goes out, followed by LIGHT and_ THE SIX GIRLS, _with_ DESTINY
_bringing up the rear. The only occupant of the stage is_ THE WHITE
PHANTOM, _whom everybody has overlooked and who has never left the
column on the right against which she has been leaning. The stage
remains empty for a moment and then, from the back of the halls,
comes a_ CHILD _even smaller than the youngest of the_ FIVE LITTLE
ONES. _He walks with resolute step; on reaching the columns in the
foreground, he appears to take his bearings, turns his head to
right and left and then, suddenly, goes straight to_ THE WHITE
PHANTOM, _in front of whom he stops and takes up his stand,
contemplating her at length, gravely and silently, with his finger
in his mouth. At last he puts out one hand and takes_ THE PHANTOM
_by the hem of her dress_.)
THE SMALLEST OF THEM ALL
Is it ... really you?
THE PHANTOM
(_Speaking for the first time and struggling to find her voice, which
seems to come from far away and to stick in her throat_.) Yes.
THE SMALLEST OF THEM ALL
I knew it. Come....
THE PHANTOM
Where to?
THE SMALLEST OF THEM ALL
Over here.... I'm going to tell the others....
THE PHANTOM
Not yet.... I can't yet....
THE SMALLEST OF THEM ALL
(_Still dragging her by her dress towards a marble bench which stands
between the columns in the foreground_.) Come.... (_He makes her sit
down, settles her on the bench, caresses her and kisses her_.) Come ...
it's you.... I knew it.... I'm kissing you.... Don't you know how to
kiss yet? (THE PHANTOM _shakes her head_.) No?... Like this.... I'll
teach you.... (_He kisses and caresses her slowly and deliberately_.)
You're no longer cold?
THE PHANTOM
(_Smiling at last_.) No.
THE SMALLEST OF THEM ALL
(_Still kissing her_.) You see, that's better already.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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