The Blue Bird Part 30

THE NEIGHBOUR What is he saying?...

MUMMY TYL Don't ask me, Madame Berlingot.... They don't know what they are saying....

They have been like that since they woke up.... They must have eaten something that wasn't good....

THE NEIGHBOUR Why, Tyltyl, don't you remember Goody Berlingot, your Neighbour Berlingot?...

TYLTYL Why, yes, ma'am.... You are the Fairy Berylune.... You're not angry with us?...

THE NEIGHBOUR Bery... what? Goodness gracious me!...

TYLTYL Berylune.

THE NEIGHBOUR Berlingot, you mean Berlingot....

TYLTYL Berylune or Berlingot, as you please, ma'am.... But Mytyl knows....

MUMMY TYL That's the worst of it, that Mytyl also....

DADDY TYL Pooh, pooh!... That will soon go; I will give them a smack or two....

THE NEIGHBOUR Don't; It's not worth while.... I know all about it; it's only a little fit of dreaming.... They must have slept in the moonbeams.... My little girl, who is very ill, is often like that....

MUMMY TYL By the way, how is your little girl?...

THE NEIGHBOUR Only so-so.... She can't get up.... The doctor says that it's her nerves.... I know what would cure her, for all that. She was asking me for it only this morning, for her Christmas box; it's a notion she has...

MUMMY TYL Yes, I know; it's Tyltyl's bird.... Well, Tyltyl, aren't you going to give it at last to that poor little thing?...

TYLTYL What, mummy?...

MUMMY TYL Your bird.... It's no use to you.... You don't even look at it now.... And she has been dying to have it for ever so long!...

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 Tylo!... Hullo, Tylo, Tylo!... 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_.)

THE NEIGHBOUR Do you see the miracle?...

MUMMY TYL Impossible!... Can she walk?...

THE NEIGHBOUR Can she walk?... She can run, she can dance, she can fly!... When she saw the bird, she jumped, just like that, with one bound, to the window, to see by the light if it was really Tyltyl's dove.... And then, whoos.h.!.+... Out into the street, like an angel!... It was as much as I could do to keep pace with her....

TYLTYL (_going up to her, wonderstruck_) Oh, how like Light she is!...

MYTYL She is much smaller....

TYLTYL Yes, indeed!... But she will grow bigger....

THE NEIGHBOUR What are they saying?... Haven't they got over it yet?...

MUMMY TYL They are better, they are mending.... It will be all right when they have had their breakfasts....

THE NEIGHBOUR (_pus.h.i.+ng the_ LITTLE GIRL _into_ TYLTYL'S _arms_).