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
TYLTYL
Hullo, that's true, my bird!... Where is he?... Oh, there's the cage!...
Mytyl, do you see the cage?... It's the one which Bread carried.... Yes,
yes, it's the same one, but there's only one bird in it.... Has he
eaten the other, I wonder?... Hullo, why, he's blue!... But it's my
turtle-dove!... But he's much bluer than when I went away!... Why, that's
the blue bird we were looking for!... We went so far and he was here all
the time!... Oh, but it's wonderful!... Mytyl, do you see the bird? What
would Light say?... I will take down the cage.... (_He climbs on a chair
and takes down the cage and carries it to the_ NEIGHBOUR.) There, Madame
Berlingot, there you are.... He's not quite blue yet, but that will come,
you shall see!... Take him off quick to your little girl....
THE NEIGHBOUR
Really?... Do you mean it?... Do you give it me like that, straight away
and for nothing?... Lord, how happy she will be!... (_Kissing_ TYLTYL)
I must give you a kiss!... I fly!... I fly!...
TYLTYL
Yes, yes; be quick.... Some of them change their colour....
THE NEIGHBOUR
I will come back to tell you what she says....
(_She goes out_.)
TYLTYL (_after taking a long look around him_)
Daddy, mummy, what have you done to the house?... It's just as it was, but
it's much prettier....
DADDY TYL
How do you mean, it's prettier?...
TYLTYL
Why, yes, everything has been painted and made to look new, everything is
clean and polished.... It was not like that last year....
DADDY TYL
Last year?...
TYLTYL (_going to the window_)
And look at the forest!... How big and fine it is!... One would think
it was new!... How happy I feel here!... (_Going to the bread-pan and
opening it_) Where's Bread?.... I say, the loaves are very quiet.... And
then here's Tylô!... Hullo, Tylô, Tylô!... Ah, you had a fine fight!... Do
you remember, in the forest?...
MYTYL
And Tylette.... He knows me, but he has stopped talking....
TYLTYL
Mr. Bread.... (_Feeling his forehead_) Hullo, the diamond's gone!...
Who's taken my little green hat?... Never mind; I don't want it any
more.... Ah, Fire!... He's a good one!... He crackles and laughs to make
Water angry.... (_Running to the tap_) And Water?... Good-morning,
Water!... What does she say?... She still talks, but I don't understand her
as well as I did....
MYTYL
I don't see Sugar....
TYLTYL
Lord, how happy I am, happy, happy, happy!...
MYTYL
So am I, so am I!...
MUMMY TYL
What are you spinning round for like that?....
DADDY TYL
Don't mind them and don't distress yourself.... They are playing at being
happy....
TYLTYL
I liked Light best of all.... Where's her lamp?... Can we light it?...
(_Looking round him again_.) Goodness me, how lovely it all is and how
glad I feel!...
MUMMY TYL
Why?...
TYLTYL
I don't know, mummy....
(_A knock at the front-door_.)
DADDY TYL
Come in, come in!...
(_Enter the_ NEIGHBOUR, _holding by the hand a little girl of a
fair and wonderful beauty, who carries_ TYLTYL'S _dove pressed in her
arms_.)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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