THE CAT Are we not, all of us, Water, Fire you yourselves, Bread and the Dog, the victims of a nameless tyranny?... Do you remember the time when, before the coming of the despot, we wandered at liberty upon the face of the earth?... Fire and Water were the sole masters of the world; and see what they have come to!... As for us puny descendants of the great wild animals.... Look out!... Pretend to be doing nothing!... I see the Fairy and Light coming.... Light has taken sides with Man; she is our worst enemy.... Here they are.... _Enter, on the right, the_ FAIRY, _in the shape of an old woman, and_ LIGHT, _followed by_ TYLTYL _and_ MYTYL. THE FAIRY Well?... What is it?... What are you doing in that corner?... You look like conspirators.... It is time to start.... I have decided that Light shall be your leader.... You will obey her as you would me and I am giving her my wand.... The children will pay a visit to their late grandparents this evening.... You will remain behind; that is more discreet.... They will spend the evening in the bosom of their dead family.... Meanwhile, you will be getting ready all that is wanted for to-morrow's journey, which will be a long one.... Come, up, be off and every one to his post!... THE CAT (_hypocritically_) That is just what I was saying to them, madam.... I was encouraging them to do their duty bravely and conscientiously; unfortunately, the Dog, who kept on interrupting me.... THE DOG What's that?... Just wait a bit I... (_He is about to leap upon the_ CAT, _but_ TYLTYL _foreseeing his intention, stops with a threatening gesture_.) TYLTYL Down, Tylô!... Take care; and, if ever I catch you again... THE DOG My little god, you don't know, it was he who... TYLTYL (_threatening him_) Be quiet!... THE FAIRY Come, that will do.... Let Bread hand the cage for this evening to Tyltyl.... It is just possible that the Blue Bird may be hidden In the Past, at the grandparents'.... In any case, it Is a chance which we must not neglect.... Well, Bread, the cage? BREAD (_solemnly_) One moment, if you please, Mrs. Fairy.... (_Like an orator making a speech_) I call upon all of you to bear witness that this silver cage, which was entrusted to my care by.... THE FAIRY (_interrupting him_) Enough!... No speeches!... We will go out this way and the children that.... TYLTYL (_rather anxiously_) Are we to go all alone?... MYTYL I feel hungry!... TYLTYL I, too!... THE FAIRY (_to_ BREAD) Open your Turkish robe and give them a slice of your good stomach.... (BREAD _opens his robe, draws his scimitar and cuts two slices out of his stomach and hands them to the_ CHILDREN.) SUGAR (_approaching the_ CHILDREN) Allow me at the same time to offer you a few sugar-sticks.... (_He breaks off the five fingers of his left hand, one by one, and presents them to the_ CHILDREN.) MYTYL What is he doing?... He is breaking all his fingers!...