_The stage represents the interior of a wood-cutter's cottage, simple and rustic in appearance, but in no way poverty-stricken. A recessed fireplace containing the dying embers of a wood-fire. Kitchen utensils, a cupboard, a bread-pan, a grandfather's clock, a spinning-wheel, a water-tap, etc. On a table, a lighted lamp. At the foot of the cupboard, on either side, a_ DOG _and a_ CAT _lie sleeping, rolled up, each with his nose in his tail. Between them stands a large blue-and-white sugar-loaf. On the wall hangs a round cage containing a turtle-dove. At the back, two windows, with closed inside shutters. Under one of the windows, a stool. On the left is the front door, with a big latch to it. On the right, another door. A ladder leads up to a loft. On the right also are two little children's cots, at the head of which are two chains, with clothes carefully folded on them. When the curtain rises_, TYLTYL _and_ MYTYL _are sound asleep in their cots_, MUMMY TYL _tucks them in, leans over them, watches them for a moment as they sleep and beckons to_ DADDY TYL, _who thrusts his head through the half-open door_. MUMMY TYL _lays a finger on her lips, to impose silence upon him, and then goes out to the right, on tiptoe, after first putting out the lamp. The scene remains in darkness for a moment. Then a light, gradually increasing in intensity, filters in through the shutters. The lamp on the table lights again of itself, but its light is of a different colour than when_ MUMMY TYL _extinguished it. The two_ CHILDREN _appear to wake and sit up in bed_. TYLTYL Mytyl? MYTYL Tyltyl? TYLTYL Are you asleep? MYTYL Are you?... TYLTYL No; how can I be asleep when I'm talking to you? MYTYL Say, is this Christmas Day?... TYLTYL Not yet; not till to-morrow. But Father Christmas won't bring us anything this year.... MYTYL Why not? TYLTYL I heard mummy say that she couldn't go to town to tell him ... But he will come next year.... MYTYL Is next year far off?... TYLTYL A good long while.... But he will come to the rich children to-night.... MYTYL Really?... TYLTYL Hullo!... Mummy's forgotten to put out the lamp!... I've an idea!... MYTYL What?... TYLTYL Let's get up.... MYTYL But we mustn't.... TYLTYL Why, there's no one about.... Do you see the shutters?... MYTYL Oh, how bright they are!... TYLTYL It's the lights of the party. MYTYL What party?... TYLTYL The rich children opposite. It's the Christmas-tree. Let's open the shutters.... MYTYL Can we?... TYLTYL Of course; there's no one to stop us.... Do you hear the music?... Let us get up.... (_The two_ CHILDREN _get up, run to one of the windows, climb on to the stool and throw back the shutters. A bright light fills the room. The_ CHILDREN _look out greedily_.) TYLTYL We can see everything!... MYTYL (_who can hardly find room on the stool_) I can't.... TYLTYL It's snowing!... There's two carriages, with six horses each!... MYTYL There are twelve little boys getting out!...