LITMIR.BIZ

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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!

      3. The Land of Memory

      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.

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