THE BLUE BIRD _A Fairy Play in Six Acts_ By Maurice Maeterlinck _Translated By_ Alexander Teixeira De Mattos CHARACTERS TYLTYL MYTYL LIGHT THE FAIRY BÉRYLUNE NEIGHBOUR BERLINGOT DADDY TYL MUMMY TYL GAFFER TYL (Dead) GRANNY TYL (Dead) TYLTYL'S BROTHERS AND SISTERS (Dead) TIME NIGHT NEIGHBOUR BERLINGOT'S LITTLE DAUGHTER TYLÔ, THE DOG TYLETTE, THE CAT BREAD SUGAR FIRE WATER MILK THE WOLF THE PIG THE OX THE COW THE BULL THE SHEEP THE COCK THE RABBIT THE HORSE THE ASS THE OAK THE ELM THE BEECH THE LIME-TREE THE FIR-TREE THE CYPRESS THE BIRCH THE CHESTNUT-TREE THE IVY THE POPLAR THE WILLOW STARS, SICKNESSES, SHADES, LUXURIES, HAPPINESSES, JOYS, ETC. TRANSLATOR'S NOTE A new act appears for the first time in this edition and is inserted as Act IV--_Palace of Happiness_. It has been specially written for the Christmas revival of _The Blue Bird_ at the Haymarket Theatre, where it will take the place of the Forest Scene (Act III., Scene 2). In the printed version, however, the Forest Scene is retained; and in this and all later editions the play will consist of six acts instead of five. ALEXANDER TEIXEIRA DE MATTOS. CHELSEA, 14 _November_, 1910. COSTUMES TYLTYL wears the dress of Hop o' my Thumb in Perrault's Tales. Scarlet knickerbockers, pale-blue jacket, white stockings, tan shoes. MYTYL is dressed like Gretel or Little Red Riding-hood. LIGHT.--The "moon-coloured" dress in Perrault's _Peau d'âne;_ that is to say, pale gold shot with silver, shimmering gauzes, forming a sort of rays, etc. Neo-Grecian or Anglo-Grecian (_à la_ Walter Crane) or even more or less Empire style: a high waist, bare arms, etc. Head-dress: a sort of diadem or even a light crown. THE FAIRY BÉRYLUNE and NEIGHBOUR BERLINGOT.--The traditional dress of the poor women in fairy-tales. If desired, the transformation of the Fairy into a princess in Act I may be omitted. DADDY TYL, MUMMY TYL, GAFFER TYL and GRANNY TYL.--The traditional costume of the German wood-cutters and peasants in Grimm's Tales. TYLTYL'S BROTHERS AND SISTERS.--Different forms of the Hop-o'-my-Thumb costume. TIME.--Traditional dress of Time: a wide black or dark-blue cloak, a streaming white beard, scythe and hour-glass. NIGHT.--Ample black garments, covered with mysterious stars and "shot" with reddish-brown reflections. Veils, dark poppies, etc. THE NEIGHBOUR'S LITTLE GIRL.--Bright fair hair; a long white frock. THE DOG,--Red dress-coat, white breeches, top-boots, a shiny hat. The costume suggests that of John Bull. THE CAT.--The costume of Puss In Boots: powdered wig, three-cornered hat, violet or sky-blue coat, dress-sword, etc. N.B.--The heads of the DOG and the CAT should be only discreetly animalised.