THE FAIRY On the contrary, it's enchanted.... You at once see even the inside of things: the soul of bread, of wine, of pepper, for instance.... MYTYL Can you see the soul of sugar, too?... THE FAIRY (_suddenly cross_) Of course you can!... I hate unnecessary questions.... The soul of sugar is no more interesting than the soul of pepper.... There, I give you all I have to help you in your search for the Blue Bird. I know that the flying carpet or the ring which makes its wearer invisible would be more useful to you.... But I have lost the key of the cupboard in which I locked them.... Oh, I was almost forgetting!... (_Pointing to the diamond_) When you hold it like this, do you see?... One little turn more and you behold the past.... Another little turn and you behold the future.... It's curious and practical and it's quite noiseless.... TYLTYL Daddy will take it from me.... THE FAIRY He won't see it; no one can see it as long as it's on your head.... Will you try it?... (_She puts the little green hat on_ TYLTYL'S _head_.) Now, turn the diamond.... One turn and then.... (TYLTYL _has no sooner turned the diamond than a sudden and wonderful change comes over everything. The old_ FAIRY _alters then and there into a princess of marvellous beauty; the flints of which the cottage walls are built light up, turn blue as sapphires, become transparent and gleam and sparkle like the most precious stones. The humble furniture takes life and becomes resplendent; the deal table assumes as grave and noble an air as a table made of marble; the face of the clock winks its eye and smiles genially, while the door that contains the pendulum opens and releases the Hours, which, holding one another by the hand and laughing merrily, begin to dance to the sound of delicious music_.) TYLTYL (_displaying a legitimate bewilderment and pointing to the Hours_) Who are all those pretty ladies?... THE FAIRY Don't be afraid; they are the hours of your life and they are glad to be free and visible for a moment.... TYLTYL And why are the walls so bright?... Are they made of sugar or of precious stones?... THE FAIRY All stones are alike, all stones are precious; but man sees only a few of them.... (_While they are speaking, the scene of enchantment continues and is completed. The souls of the Quartern-loaves, in the form of little men in crust-coloured tights, flurried and all powdered with flour, scramble out of the bread-pan and frisk round the table, where they are caught up by_ FIRE, _who, springing from the hearth in yellow and vermilion tights, writhes with laughter as he chases the loaves_.) TYLTYL Who are those ugly little men?... THE FAIRY Oh, they're nothing; they are merely the souls of the Quartern-loaves, who are taking advantage of the reign of truth to leave the pan in which they were too tightly packed.... TYLTYL And the big red fellow, with the nasty smell?...