A new act appears for the first time in this edition and is inserted as Act IV—Palace of Happiness. It has been specially written for the Christmas revival of The Blue Bird at the Haymarket Theatre, where it will take the place of the Forest Scene (Act III., Scene 2). In the printed version, however, the Forest Scene is retained; and in this and all later editions the play will consist of six acts instead of five.
ALEXANDER TEIXEIRA DE MATTOS. CHELSEA, 14 November, 1910.
TYLTYL wears the dress of Hop o' my Thumb in Perrault's Tales. Scarlet knickerbockers, pale-blue jacket, white stockings, tan shoes.
MYTYL is dressed like Gretel or Little Red Riding-hood.
LIGHT.—The "moon-coloured" dress in Perrault's Peau d'âne; that is to say, pale gold shot with silver, shimmering gauzes, forming a sort of rays, etc. Neo-Grecian or Anglo-Grecian (à la Walter Crane) or even more or less Empire style: a high waist, bare arms, etc. Head-dress: a sort of diadem or even a light crown.
THE FAIRY BÉRYLUNE and NEIGHBOUR BERLINGOT.—The traditional dress of the poor women in fairy-tales. If desired, the transformation of the Fairy into a princess in Act I may be omitted.
DADDY TYL, MUMMY TYL, GAFFER TYL and GRANNY TYL.—The traditional costume of the German wood-cutters and peasants in Grimm's Tales.
TYLTYL'S BROTHERS AND SISTERS.—Different forms of the Hop-o'-my-Thumb costume.
TIME.—Traditional dress of Time: a wide black or dark-blue cloak, a streaming white beard, scythe and hour-glass.
NIGHT.—Ample black garments, covered with mysterious stars and "shot" with reddish-brown reflections. Veils, dark poppies, etc.
THE NEIGHBOUR'S LITTLE GIRL.—Bright fair hair; a long white frock.
THE DOG—Red dress-coat, white breeches, top-boots, a shiny hat. The costume suggests that of John Bull.
THE CAT.—The costume of Puss In Boots: powdered wig, three-cornered hat, violet or sky-blue coat, dress-sword, etc.
N.B.—The heads of the DOG and the CAT should be only discreetly animalised.
THE LUXURIES.—Before the transformation: wide, heavy mantles in red and yellow brocade; enormous fat jewels, etc. After the transformation: chocolate or coffee-coloured tights, giving the impression of unadorned dancing-jacks.
THE HAPPINESSES OF THE HOME.—Dresses of various colours, or, if preferred, costumes of peasants, shepherds, wood-cutters and so on, but idealised and interpreted fairy-fashion.
THE GREAT JOYS.—As stated in the text, shimmering dresses in soft and subtle shades: rose-awakening, water's-smile, amber-dew, blue-of-dawn, etc.
MATERNAL LOVE.—Dress very similar to the dress worn by Light, that is to say, supple and almost transparent veils, as of a Greek statue, and, in so far as possible, white. Pearls and other stones as rich and numerous as may be desired, provided that they do not break the pure and candid harmony of the whole.
BREAD.—A rich pasha's dress. An ample crimson silk or velvet gown. A huge turban. A scimitar. An enormous stomach, red and puffed-out cheeks.
SUGAR.—A silk gown, cut like that of a eunuch in a seraglio, half blue and half white, to suggest the paper wrapper of a sugar-loaf. Eunuch's headdress.
FIRE.—Red tights, a vermilion cloak, with changing reflections, lined with gold. An aigrette of iridescent flames.
WATER.—A pale-blue or bluish-green dress, with transparent reflections and effects of rippling or trickling gauze, Neo-Grecian or Anglo-Grecian style. but fuller and more voluminous than that of LIGHT. Head-dress of aquatic flowers and seaweed.
THE ANIMALS.—Popular or peasant costumes.
THE TREES.—Dresses of different shades of green or the colour of the trunks of trees. Distinctive attributes in the shape of leaves or branches by which they can be recognised.
The stage represents the interior of a wood-cutter's cottage, simple and rustic in appearance, but in no way poverty-stricken. A recessed fireplace containing the dying embers of a wood-fire. Kitchen utensils, a cupboard, a bread-pan, a grandfather's clock, a spinning-wheel, a water-tap, etc. On a table, a lighted lamp. At the foot of the cupboard, on either side, a DOG and a CAT lie sleeping, rolled up, each with his nose in his tail. Between them stands a large blue-and-white sugar-loaf. On the wall hangs a round cage containing a turtle-dove. At the back, two windows, with closed inside shutters. Under one of the windows, a stool. On the left is the front door, with a big latch to it. On the right, another door. A ladder leads up to a loft. On the right also are two little children's cots, at the head of which are two chains, with clothes carefully folded on them. When the curtain rises, TYLTYL and MYTYL are sound asleep in their cots, MUMMY TYL tucks them in, leans over them, watches them for a moment as they sleep and beckons to DADDY TYL, who thrusts his head through the half-open door. MUMMY TYL lays a finger on her lips, to impose silence upon him, and then goes out to the right, on tiptoe, after first putting out the lamp. The scene remains in darkness for a moment. Then a light, gradually increasing in intensity, filters in through the shutters. The lamp on the table lights again of itself, but its light is of a different colour than when MUMMY TYL extinguished it. The two CHILDREN appear to wake and sit up in bed.
TYLTYL Mytyl?
MYTYL Tyltyl?
TYLTYL Are you asleep?
MYTYL Are you? …
TYLTYL No; how can I be asleep when I'm talking to you?
MYTYL Say, is this Christmas Day? …
TYLTYL Not yet; not till to-morrow. But Father Christmas won't bring us anything this year. …
MYTYL Why not?
TYLTYL I heard mummy say that she couldn't go to town to tell him … But he will come next year. …
MYTYL Is next year far off? …
TYLTYL A good long while. … But he will come to the rich children to-night. …
MYTYL Really? …
TYLTYL Hullo! … Mummy's forgotten to put out the lamp! … I've an idea! …
MYTYL What? …
TYLTYL Let's get up. …
MYTYL But we mustn't. …
TYLTYL Why, there's no one about. … Do you see the shutters? …
MYTYL Oh, how bright they are! …
TYLTYL It's the lights of the party.
MYTYL What party? …
TYLTYL The rich children opposite. It's the Christmas-tree. Let's open the shutters. …
MYTYL Can we? …
TYLTYL Of course; there's no one to stop us. … Do you hear the music? … Let us get up. …
(The two CHILDREN get up, run to one of the windows, climb on to the stool and throw back the shutters. A bright light fills the room. The CHILDREN look out greedily.)
TYLTYL We can see everything! …
MYTYL (who can hardly find room on the stool) I can't. …
TYLTYL It's snowing! … There's two carriages, with six horses each! …
MYTYL There are twelve little boys getting out! …
TYLTYL How silly you are! … They're little girls. …
MYTYL They've got knickerbockers. …
TYLTYL What do you know? … Don't push so! …
MYTYL I never touched you.
TYLTYL (who is taking up the whole stool) You're taking up all the room …
MYTYL Why, I have no room at all! …
TYLTYL Do be quiet! I see the tree! …
MYTYL What tree? …
TYLTYL Why, the Christmas-tree! … You're looking at the wall! …
MYTYL I'm looking at the wall because I've got no room. …
TYLTYL (giving her a miserly little place on the stool) There! … Will that do? … Now you're better off than I! … I say, what lots and lots of lights! …
MYTYL What are those people doing who are making such a noise? …
TYLTYL They're the musicians.
MYTYL Are they angry? …
TYLTYL No; but it's hard work.
MYTYL Another carriage with white horses! …
TYLTYL Be quiet! … And look! …
MYTYL What are those gold things there, hanging from the branches?
TYLTYL Why, toys, to be sure! … Swords, guns, soldiers, cannons. …
MYTYL And dolls; say, are there any dolls? …
TYLTYL Dolls? … That's too silly; there's no fun in dolls. …
MYTYL And what's that all round the table? …
TYLTYL Cakes and fruit and tarts. …
MYTYL I had some once when I was little. …
TYLTYL So did I; it's nicer than bread, but they don't give you enough. …
MYTYL They've got plenty over there. … The whole table's full. … Are they going to eat them? …
TYLTYL Of course; what else would they do with them? …
MYTYL Why don't they eat them at once? …
TYLTYL Because they're not hungry. …
MYTYL (stupefied with astonishment) Not hungry? … Why not? …
TYLTYL Well, they eat whenever they want to. …
MYTYL (incredulously) Every day? …
TYLTYL They say so. …
MYTYL Will they eat them all? … Will they give any away? …
TYLTYL To whom? …
MYTYL To us. …
TYLTYL They don't know us. …
MYTYL Suppose we asked them. …
TYLTYL We mustn't.
MYTYL Why not? …
TYLTYL Because it's not right.
MYTYL (clapping her hands) Oh, how pretty they are! …
TYLTYL (rapturously) And how they're laughing and laughing! …
MYTYL And the little ones dancing! …
TYLTYL Yes, yes; let's dance too! … (They stamp their feet for joy on the stool.)
MYTYL Oh, what fun! …
TYLTYL They're getting the cakes! … They can touch them! … They're eating, they're eating, they're eating! …
MYTYL The tiny ones, too! … They've got two, three, four apiece! …
TYLTYL (drunk with delight) Oh, how lovely! … Oh, how lovely, how lovely! …
MYTYL (counting imaginary cakes) I've got twelve! …
TYLTYL And I four times twelve! … But I'll give you some. …
(A knock at the door of the cottage.)
TYLTYL (suddenly quieted and frightened) What's that? …
MYTYL (scared) It's Daddy! …
(As they hesitate before opening the door, the big latch is seen to rise of itself, with a grating noise; the door half opens to admit a little old woman dressed in green with a red hood on her head. She is humpbacked and lame and near-sighted; her nose and chin meet; and she walks bent on a stick. She is obviously a fairy.)
THE FAIRY Have you the grass here that sings or the bird that is blue? …
TYLTYL We have some grass, but it can't sing. …
MYTYL Tyltyl has a bird.
TYLTYL But I can't give it away. …
THE FAIRY Why not? …
TYLTYL Because it's mine.
THE FAIRY That's a reason, no doubt. Where is the bird? …
TYLTYL (pointing to the cage) In the cage. …
THE FAIRY (putting on her glasses to examine the bird) I don't want it; it's not blue enough. You will have to go and find me the one I want.
TYLTYL But I don't know where it is. …
THE FAIRY No more do I. That's why you must look for it. I can do without the grass that sings, at a pinch; but I must absolutely have the blue bird. It's for my little girl, who is very ill.
TYLTYL What's the matter with her? …
THE FAIRY We don't quite know; she wants to be happy. …
TYLTYL Really? …
THE FAIRY Do you know who I am? …
TYLTYL You're rather like our neighbour, Madame Berlingot. …
THE FAIRY (growing suddenly angry) Not a bit! … There's not the least likeness! … This is intolerable! … I am the Fairy Bérylune. …
TYLTYL Oh! Very well. …
THE FAIRY You will have to start at once.
TYLTYL Are you coming with us?
THE FAIRY I can't, because I put on the soup this morning and it always boils over if I leave it for more than an hour. … (Pointing successively to the ceiling, the chimney and the window) Will you go out this way, or that way, or that way? …
TYLTYL (pointing timidly to the door) I would rather go out that way. …
THE FAIRY (growing suddenly angry again) That's quite impossible; and it's a shocking habit! … (Pointing to the window) We'll go out this way. … Well? … What are you waiting for? … Get dressed at once. … (The CHILDREN do as they are told and dress quickly.) I'll help Mytyl. …
TYLTYL We have no shoes. …
THE FAIRY That doesn't matter. I will give you a little magic hat. Where are your father and mother? …
TYLTYL (pointing to the door on the right) They're asleep in there. …
THE FAIRY And your grandpapa and grandmamma? …
TYLTYL They're dead. …
THE FAIRY And your little brothers and sisters. … Have you any? …
TYLTYL Oh, yes; three little brothers. …
MYTYL And four little sisters. …
THE FAIRY Where are they? …
TYLTYL They are dead, too. …
THE FAIRY Would you like to see them again? …
TYLTYL Oh, yes! … At once! … Show them to us! …
THE FAIRY I haven't got them in my pocket. … But this is very lucky; you will see them when you go through the Land of Memory. … It's on the way to the Blue Bird, just on the left, past the third turning. … What were you doing when I knocked? …
TYLTYL We were playing at eating cakes? …
THE FAIRY Have you any cakes? … Where are they? …
TYLTYL In the house of the rich children. … Come and look, it's so lovely. (He drags the FAIRY to the window.)
THE FAIRY (at the window) But it's the others who are eating them! …
TYLTYL Yes; but we can see them eat. …
THE FAIRY Aren't you cross with them? …
TYLTYL What for? …
THE FAIRY For eating all the cakes. … I think it's very wrong of them not to give you some. …
TYLTYL Not at all; they're rich. … I say, isn't it beautiful over there? …
THE FAIRY It's no more beautiful there than here.
TYLTYL Ugh! … It's darker here and smaller and there are no cakes. …
THE FAIRY It's exactly the same, only you can't see. …
TYLTYL Yes, I can; and I have very good eyes. I can see the time on the church clock and daddy can't …
THE FAIRY (suddenly angry) I tell you that you can't see! … How do you see me? … What do I look like? … (An awkward silence from TYLTYL.) Well, answer me, will you? I want to know if you can see! … Am I pretty or ugly? … (The silence grows more and more uncomfortable.) Won't you answer? … Am I young or old? … Are my cheeks pink or yellow? … Perhaps you'll say I have a hump? …
TYLTYL (in a conciliatory tone) No, no; It's not a big one. …
THE FAIRY Oh, yes, to look at you, any one would think it enormous. … Have I a hook nose and have I lost one of my eyes? …
TYLTYL Oh, no, I don't say that. … Who put it out? …
THE FAIRY (growing more and more irritated). But it's not out! … You wretched, impudent boy! … It's much finer than the other; it's bigger and brighter and blue as the sky. … And my hair, do you see that? … It's fair as the corn in the fields, it's like virgin gold! … And I've such heaps and heaps of it that it weighs my head down. … It escapes on every side. … Do you see it on my hands? (She holds out two lean wisps of grey hair.)
TYLTYL Yes, I see a little. …
THE FAIRY (indignantly) A little! … Sheaves! Armfuls! Clusters! Waves of gold! … I know there are people who say that they don't see any; but you're not one of those wicked, blind people, I should hope? …
TYLTYL Oh, no; I can see all that isn't hidden. …
THE FAIRY But you ought to see the rest with as little doubt! … Human beings are very odd! … Since the death of the fairies, they see nothing at all and they never suspect it. … Luckily, I always carry with me all that is wanted to give new light to dimmed eyes. … What am I taking out of my bag? …
TYLTYL Oh, what a dear little green hat! … What's that shining in the cockade? …
THE FAIRY That's the big diamond that makes people see. …
TYLTYL Really? …
THE FAIRY Yes; when you've got the hat on your head, you turn the diamond a little; from right to left, for instance, like this; do you see? … Then it presses a bump which nobody knows of and which opens your eyes. …
TYLTYL Doesn't it hurt? …
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 () Who are all those pretty ladies? …