The Blue Bird: A Fairy Play in Six ActsMaeterlinck, Maurice
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The Blue Bird: A Fairy Play in Six Acts
Maeterlinck, Maurice
Fairy plays; French drama -- Translations into English
LIGHT
No, they are always like that; but we do not know it because we do not see
it.... I told you so before; it is dangerous to wake them when I am not
there....
TYLTYL (_wiping his knife_)
Well, but for the Dog and if I had not had my knife!... I would never have
believed that they were so wicked!...
LIGHT
You see that Man is all alone against all in this world....
THE DOG
Are you very badly hurt, my little god?...
TYLTYL
Nothing serious.... As for Mytyl, they have not touched her.... But you, my
dear Tylô?... Your mouth is all over blood and your paw is broken!...
THE DOG
It is not worth speaking of.... It won't show to-morrow.... But it was a
tough fight!...
THE CAT (_appearing from behind a thicket, limping_)
I should think so!... The Ox caught me a blow with his horns in the
stomach.... You can't see the marks, but it's very painful.... And the Oak
broke my paw....
THE DOG
I should like to know which one....
MYTYL (_stroking the_ CAT)
My poor Tylette, did he really?.... Where were you?... I did not see
you....
THE CAT (_hypocritically_)
Mummy dear, I was wounded at the first, while attacking that horrid Pig,
who wanted to eat you.... And then the Oak gave me a great blow which
struck me senseless....
THE DOG (_to the_ CAT, _between his teeth_)
As for you, I want a word with you presently.... It will keep!...
THE CAT (_plaintively, to_ MYTYL)
Mummy dear, he's insulting me.... He wants to hurt me....
MYTYL (_to the_ DOG)
Leave him alone, will you, you ugly beast?...
(_They all go out_.)
CURTAIN
ACT IV
SCENE 1.--_Before the Curtain_.
_The curtain represents beautiful clouds_
(_Enter_ TYLTYL, MYTYL, LIGHT, _the_ DOG, _the_ CAT, BREAD,
FIRE, SUGAR, WATER _and_ MILK.)
LIGHT
I believe we have the Blue Bird this time. I ought to have thought of it
before. But the idea came to me, like a ray from the sky, this morning
only, when I recovered my strengthen the dawn.... We are at the entrance
to the enchanted palaces where all men's Joys, all men's Happinesses are
gathered together in the charge of Fate.
TYLTYL
Are there many of them? Shall we have any? Are they little?
LIGHT
Some are little and some are great; some are coarse and some are delicate;
some are very beautiful and others not so pleasant to look upon.... But the
ugliest were expelled from the garden some time ago and took refuge with
the Miseries. For we must not forget that the Miseries inhabit an adjoining
cave, which communicates with the Garden of Happiness and is separated from
it only by a sort of vapour or fine veil, lifted at every moment by
the winds that blow from the heights of Justice or from the depths of
Eternity.... What we have now to do is to organise ourselves and take
certain precautions. Generally, the Joys are very good; but, still, there
are some of them that are more dangerous and treacherous than the greatest
Miseries.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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