A magnificent entrance-hall in the palace of the Fairy Berylune. Columns of gleaming marble with gold and silver capitals, staircases, porticoes, balustrades.
The Cat, Sugar and Fire come from a room which emits rays of light; it is the Fairy’s wardrobe. The Cat has the classic costume of Puss-in-boots[14]; Sugar, a silk dress, half white and half pale-blue; and Fire wears a long vermilion mantle.
The Cat. This way, I know every inch of this palace. Let us discuss our position. Are we all here?
Sugar. The Dog is coming out of the Fairy’s wardrobe.
Fire. What he got on?
The Cat. The livery of one of the footmen of Cinderella’s coach. It is just for him. He has the soul of a flunkey. But let us hide behind the balustrade. I mistrust him. He must not hear what I say to you.
Sugar. It is too late. He sees us. Look, Water is also coming out of the wardrobe. How fine she is!
The Dog and Water join the first group.
The Dog. There! There! Aren’t we fine! Just look at these laces and this embroidery! It’s real gold!
The Cat. We are only waiting for Bread; where is he?
Fire. He has such a foolish face and carries an enormous stomach!
The Dog. He decided to put a Turkish robe on, a scimitar and a turban.
The Cat. There he is!
Bread comes in. In one hand he holds a scimitar and in the other the cage for the Blue Bird.
Bread. Well? What do you think of this?
The Dog. How nice he looks! What a fool he looks! How nice he looks! How nice he looks!
The Cat (to the Bread). Are the Children dressed?
Bread. Yes, Master Tyltyl put on Hop-o’-my-Thumb’s[15] blue jacket and red breeches. Miss Mytyl has Gretel’s frock and Cinderella’s slippers. But the most difficult thing was to dress Light!
The Cat. Why?
Bread. The Fairy said she did not want to dress her at all! She is nice as she is.
Fire. It’s necessary to buy her a lampshade!
The Cat. Stop chattering[16]. Our future is at stake. The Fairy says that the end of this journey will, at the same time, mark the end of our lives. It is our business, therefore, to prolong it as much as possible. But there is another thing: we must think of the fate of our race and the destiny of our children.
Bread. Hear, hear! The Cat is right!
The Cat. Listen to me! All of us here possess a soul which man does not yet know. That is why we retain independence. But, if people find the Blue Bird, they will know all, and they will see all. My old friend, Night, told me so. She is the guardian of the mysteries of Life. It is to our interest, therefore, to prevent the finding of that bird. Even if we endanger the lives of the Children themselves.
The Dog (indignantly). What’s the Cat saying? Just say that again, will you. Do I heard right?
Bread. Order! Order! It’s not your turn to speak!
Fire. Who made you chairman?
Water (to Fire). Hold your tongue![17] None of your business[18].
Fire. I speak when I want. And I want none of your remarks.
Sugar. Excuse me. Do not let us quarrel. This is a serious moment. We must decide what to do.
Bread. I quite agree with Sugar and the Cat.
The Dog. This is ridiculous! There is Man and that’s all! We must obey him and do as he tells us! That is the fact! Hurrah for Man! Man for ever! In life or death, all for Man! Man is God!
Bread. I quite agree with the Dog.
The Cat (to the Dog). Give your reasons.
The Dog. There are no reasons! I love Man and that’s enough! If you do anything against him, I will throttle you first and I will go and tell him everything.
Sugar (sweetly). Excuse me. Let us not embitter the discussion. From a certain point of view, you are both right.
Bread. I quite agree with Sugar!
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 despot, we wandered at liberty upon the earth? Fire and Water were the sole masters of the world. And we, puny descendants of the great wild animals… Look out! I see the Fairy and Light. Light is with Man; she is our worst enemy. Here they are.
The Fairy is in the shape of an old woman. She is coming with Light, 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. Listen to me. Light will be your leader. You will obey her. I am giving her my wand. The Children will visit their late grandparents[19] this evening. They will spend the evening with their dead family. Meanwhile, you will prepare all that is wanted for tomorrow’s journey. It will be long.
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 interrupted me.
The Dog. What’s that? Just wait a bit I…
He wants to leap upon the Cat, but Tyltyl stops him.
Tyltyl. Tylo! If I catch you again…
The Dog. My little god, you don’t know, it was the Cat who…
Tyltyl. Be quiet!
The Fairy. Come. Bread, for this evening, hand the cage to Tyltyl. It is possible that the Blue Bird may be 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.
The Fairy. We will go out this way and the Children that.
Tyltyl (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. Allow me 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!
Sugar. Please, taste them… They’re real sugar.
Mytyl (tasting one of the fingers). Oh, how good they are! Have you many of them?
Sugar (modestly). Yes; as many as I want.
Mytyl. Does that hurt you much, when you break them off?
Sugar. Not at all. They grow again at once and so I always have new, clean fingers.
The Fairy. Come, children, don’t eat too much sugar. Don’t forget that you will have supper presently with your grandpapa and grandmamma.
Tyltyl. Are they here?
The Fairy. You will see them at once.
Tyltyl. How can we see them, when they are dead?
The Fairy. How can they be dead, when they live in your memory? Men do not know this secret, because they know so little. Thanks to the diamond, you will see that if you remember the dead, they live happily.
Tyltyl. Is Light coming with us?
The Fairy. No, it is a family visit. I will wait near here. They did not invite me.
Tyltyl. Which way will we go?
The Fairy. Over there. You are on the threshold of the Land of Memory. Turn the diamond, and you will see a big tree with a board on it. It will show you that you are there. But don’t forget to come back, by a quarter to nine. It is extremely important. Be punctual, don’t be late. Good-bye!
A thick fog. The trunk of a large oak, with a board. A vague, milky, impenetrable light.
Tyltyl. Here is the tree!
Mytyl. There’s the board!
Tyltyl. I can’t read it. Wait, I will climb up on this root. It says, “Land of Memory”.
Mytyl. Is this where it begins?
Tyltyl. Yes, there’s an arrow.
Mytyl. Well, where are granddad and granny?
Tyltyl. Behind the fog. We will see.
Mytyl. I can see nothing at all! I can’t see my feet or my hands. (Whimpering) I’m cold! I don’t want to travel any more. I want to go home.
Tyltyl. Come, don’t cry, just like Water. Shame on you! Look, the fog is lifting already. We will see what’s behind it.
The mist begins to move. It disperses, evaporates. Soon, in a more and more transparent light, appears a cheerful little cottage. The door and windows are open. There are bee-hives under a shed, flower-pots on the window-sills, a cage with a sleeping blackbird. Beside the door is a bench, on which Tyltyl’s grandfather and grandmother, are seated. They are sleeping.
Tyltyl. It’s granddad and granny!
Mytyl. (clapping her hands) Yes! Yes! So it is! So it is!
Tyltyl. Take care! We don’t know yet if they can move. Let’s keep behind the tree.
Grandmother opens her eyes, raises her head, stretches herself, and looks at Grandfather, who also wakes slowly from his sleep.
Grandmother. I think that our grandchildren who are still alive are coming to see us today.
Grandfather. They are certainly thinking of us, for I feel something.
Grandmother. I think they must be quite near. I see tears of joy before my eyes.
Grandfather. No, no, they are far away. I still feel weak.
Grandmother. I tell you they are here; I am quite strong.
Tyltyl and Mytyl. Here we are! Here we are! Granddad! Granny! It’s we! It’s we!
Grandfather. There! Do you see? What did I tell you?
Grandmother. Tyltyl! Mytyl! It’s you! It’s she! I can’t run! I’ve still got the rheumatics!
Grandfather. No more can I.
Grandmother. How tall and strong you are, Tyltyl!
Grandfather. And Mytyl! Just look at her. What pretty hair, what pretty eyes!
Grandmother. Come and kiss me again! Come on to my lap. How are Daddy and Mummy Tyl?
Tyltyl. Quite well, granny. They were asleep when we went out.
Grandmother. Lord, how pretty they are and how nice and clean! Is it mummy who washes you? And there are no holes in your stockings! I darned them, you know. Why don’t you come to see us oftener? It makes us so happy! We see nobody here.
Tyltyl. We couldn’t, granny; and today it’s only because of the Fairy.
Grandmother. We are always here. We are waiting for a visit from those who are alive. They come so seldom! The last time you were here, let me see, when was it? It was on All-hallows[20], when the church-bells were ringing.
Tyltyl. All-hallows? We didn’t go out that day, for we were ill.
Grandmother. No; but you thought of us.
Tyltyl. Yes.
Grandmother. Well, every time you think of us, we wake up and see you again.
Tyltyl. Really?
Grandmother. You know that.
Tyltyl. No, I don’t know.
Grandmother (to Grandfather). It’s astonishing. They don’t know anything.
Grandfather. The Living are so stupid when they speak of the Others.
Tyltyl. Do you sleep all the time?
Grandfather. Yes, we sleep a lot. We are waiting for a thought of the Living. It wakes us. Ah, it is good to sleep when life is over. But it is pleasant also to wake up from time to time.
Tyltyl. So you are not really dead?
Grandfather. What do you say? What is he saying? Now he’s using words we don’t understand. Is it a new word?
Tyltyl. The word “dead”?
Grandfather. Yes, that was the word. What does it mean?
Tyltyl. Why, it means that one’s no longer alive.
Grandfather. How silly they are!
Tyltyl. Is it nice here?
Grandfather. Oh, yes; not bad, not bad.
Grandmother. Not bad, yes. But please come and see us oftener. Do you remember, Tyltyl? The last time I baked you a lovely apple-pie.
Tyltyl. I ate apples last year. There are no apples this year.
Grandmother. Don’t talk nonsense. Here, we have them always.
Tyltyl (looking first at his Grandmother and then at his Grandfather). You are the same. But you’re better-looking.
Grandfather. Well, we feel all right. We don’t grow older[21]. But you, how tall you’re growing! Look, over there, on the door, is the mark of the last time. That was on All-hallows. Now then, stand up straight.
(Tyltyl stands up against the door).
Four fingers taller!
(Mytyl also stands up against the door).
And Mytyl, four and a half!
Tyltyl (looking around). Nothing is changed, everything is in its old place! Only everything is prettier! There is the clock with the big hand which I broke. And here is the hole which I made in the door.
Grandfather. And here is the plum-tree in which you were climbing, when I wasn’t looking. It still has its fine red plums.
Mytyl. And here is the old blackbird! Does it still sing?
The blackbird wakes and begins to sing.
Grandmother. You see. As soon as one thinks of it.
Tyltyl. But it’s blue! That’s the Blue Bird which I must take back to the Fairy. And you never told us that you had it here! Oh, it’s blue, blue, blue! Granddad, granny, will you give it to me?
Grandfather. Yes, perhaps, perhaps. What do you think, granny?
Grandmother. Certainly, certainly. He does nothing but sleep.
Tyltyl. I will put him in my cage. But where is my cage? Oh, I left it behind the big tree. (He runs to the tree, fetches the cage and puts the blackbird into it). How pleased the Fairy will be! And Light too!
Grandfather. Hm, I’m afraid that the bird won’t like the restless life and will come back here. However, we will see. Leave it there, and come and look at the cow.
Tyltyl (noticing the hives). And how are the bees getting on?
Grandfather. Oh, pretty well. They are no longer alive, as you call it; but they work hard.
Tyltyl (going up to the hives). Oh, yes! I can smell the honey! All the flowers are so beautiful! And my little dead sisters, are they here too?
Mytyl. And where are my three little brothers who were dead as well?
At these words, seven little children, of different sizes, come out of the cottage, one by one.
Grandfather. Here they are, here they are! As soon as you think of them, as soon as you speak of them, they are there, the darlings!
Tyltyl and Mytyl run to meet the Children. They hustle and hug one another and dance and utter screams of joy.
Tyltyl. Hallo, Pierrot! And Robert! Jean! Madeleine and Pierette and Pauline! And here’s Riquette!
Mytyl. Oh, Riquette, Riquette! She is a baby!
Grandmother. Yes, she does not grow.
Tyltyl (noticing the little dog). There’s Kiki, whose tail I cut off with Pauline’s scissors. It’s still the same.
Grandfather. (sententiously). Nothing changes here.
Tyltyl. And Pauline still has a pimple on her nose.
Grandmother. Yes, it won’t go away.
Tyltyl. Oh, how well they look! What jolly cheeks they have!
Grandmother. They are here. There’s nothing more to fear. Nobody is ever ill, one has no anxiety.
The clock inside the cottage strikes eight.
Grandmother (amazed). What’s that?
Grandfather. I don’t know. It must be the clock.
Grandmother It can’t be. It never strikes.
Grandfather. Because we no longer think of the time. Was anyone thinking of the time?
Tyltyl. Yes, I was. What is the time?
Grandfather. I can’t tell. It struck eight times, so I suppose it’s eight o’clock.
Tyltyl. Light expects me at a quarter to nine. Fairy told me so. It’s extremely important.
Grandfather. Don’t leave us so fast. The supper will be ready soon! Quick, quick, let’s lay the table outside. I’ve got some cabbage-soup and a beautiful plum-tart.
Tyltyl. Well, I have the Blue Bird… And I like cabbage-soup.
Grandmother. There! Sit down, children.
The Grandparents and the Children sit down round the table. They are jostling and laughing and screaming with pleasure.
Tyltyl (eating). How good it is! Oh, how good it is! I want some more! More!
The clock strikes half-past eight.
Tyltyl. Half-past eight! (He flings down his spoon). Mytyl, we’re late!
Grandmother. Oh! Just a few minutes more! We see you so seldom.
Tyltyl. No, we can’t. Light is so kind. And I promised her. Come, Mytyl, come!
Grandfather. How tiresome the Living is with all its business!
Tyltyl (taking his cage and hurriedly kissing everybody). Good-bye, granddad. Good-bye, granny. Good-bye, brothers and sisters, Pierrot, Robert, Pauline, Madeleine, Riquette and you, too, Kiki. We mustn’t stay. Don’t cry, granny; we will come back often.
Grandmother. Come back every day!
Tyltyl. Yes, yes; we will come back as often as we can.
Grandmother. It’s our only pleasure when your thoughts visit us!
Grandfather. We have no other amusements.
Tyltyl. Quick, quick! My cage! My bird!
Grandfather (handing him the cage). Here they are!
Tyltyl. Good-bye! Good-bye!
The Brothers and Sisters Tyl. Good-bye, Tyltyl! Good-bye, Mytyl! Good-bye! Come again! Come again!
They all wave their handkerchiefs while Tyltyl and Mytyl slowly move away. But everything is already in the mist.
Tyltyl. It’s this way, Mytyl.
Mytyl. Where is Light?
Tyltyl. I don’t know. (Looking at the bird in the cage). But the bird is not blue! It’s black!
Mytyl. Give me your hand, little brother. I feel so frightened and so cold.
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