The Blue Bird Part 9

GAFFER TYL Yes, perhaps, perhaps.... What do you think, granny?...

GRANNY TYL Certainly, certainly.... What use is he to us?... He does nothing but sleep.... We never hear him sing....

TYLTYL I will put him in my cage.... I say, where is my cage?... Oh, I know, I left it behind the big tree.... (_He runs to the tree, fetches the cage and puts the blackbird into it_.) So, really, you've really given him to me?... How pleased the Fairy will be!... And Light too!...

GAFFER TYL Mind you, I won't answer for the bird.... I'm afraid that he will never get used again to the restless life up there and that he'll come back here by the first wind that blows this way.... However, we shall see.... Leave him there, for the present, and come and look at the cow....

TYLTYL (_noticing the hives_) And how are the bees getting on?

GAFFER TYL Oh, pretty well.... They are no longer alive, as you call it up there; but they work hard....

TYLTYL (_going up to the hives_) Oh, yes!... I can smell the honey!... How heavy the hives must be!... 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 buried?...

(_At these words, seven little_ CHILDREN, _of different sizes, like a set of Pan's pipes, come out of the cottage, one by one_.)

GRANNY TYL 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 whirl about and utter screams of joy_.)

TYLTYL Hullo, Pierrot!... (_They clutch each other by the hair_.) Ah, so we're going to fight again, as in the old days.... And Robert!... I say, Jean, what's become of your top?... Madeleine and Pierette and Pauline!...

And here's Riquette!...

MYTYL Oh, Riquette, Riquette!... She's still crawling on all fours!...

GRANNY TYL Yes, she has stopped growing.

TYLTYL (_noticing the little_ DOG _yelping around them_) There's Kiki, whose tail I cut off with Pauline's scissors.... He hasn't changed either....

GAFFER TYL (_sententiously_) No, nothing changes here....

TYLTYL And Pauline still has a pimple on her nose....

GRANNY TYL Yes, it won't go away; there's nothing to be done for it....

TYLTYL Oh, how well they look, how fat and glossy they are!... What jolly cheeks they have!... They look well fed....

GRANNY TYL They have been much better since they ceased living.... There's nothing more to fear, n.o.body is ever ill, one has no anxiety....

(_The clock inside the cottage strikes eight_.)

GRANNY TYL (_amazed_) What's that?...

GAFFER TYL I don't know, I'm sure.... It must be the clock....

GRANNY TYL It can't be.... It never strikes....

GAFFER TYL Because we no longer think of the time.... Was any one thinking of the time?...

TYLTYL Yes, I was.... What is the time?...

GAFFER TYL I'm sure I can't tell.... I've forgotten how.... It struck eight times, so I suppose it's what they call eight o'clock up there....

TYLTYL Light expects me at a quarter to nine.... It's because of the Fairy....

It's extremely important.... I'm off!...

GRANNY TYL Don't leave us like that, just as supper's ready!... Quick, quick, let's lay the table outside.... I've got some capital cabbage-soup and a beautiful plum-tart....

(_They get out the table, dishes, plates, etc., and lay for supper outside the door, all helping_.)

TYLTYL Well, as I've got the Blue Bird.... And then it's so long since I tasted cabbage-soup.... Ever since I've been, travelling.... They don't have it at the hotels....

GRANNY TYL There!... That didn't take long!... Sit down, children.... Don't let us lose time, if you're in a hurry....

(_They have lit the lamp and served the soup. The_ GRANDPARENTS _and the_ CHILDREN _sit down round the table, jostling and elbowing one another and laughing and screaming with pleasure_.)

TYLTYL (_eating like a glutton_) How good it is!... Oh, how good it is!...I want some more! More!...

(_He brandishes his wooden spoon and noisily hits his plate with it_.)

GAFFER TYL Come, come, a little more quiet.... You're just as ill-behaved as ever; and you'll break your plate....

TYLTYL (_half-raising himself on his stool_) I want more, more!... (_He seizes the tureen, drags it toward him and upsets it and the soup, which trickles over the table and down over their knees and scalds them. Yells and screams of pain_.)

GRANNY TYL There!... I told you so!...

GAFFER TYL (_giving TYLTYL a loud box on the ear_) That's one for you!...

TYLTYL (_staggered for a moment, next puts his hand to his cheek with an expression of rapture_) Oh, that's just like the slaps you used to give me when you were alive?...

Grandad, how nice it was and how good it makes one feel!... I must give you a kiss!...

GAFFER TYL Very well; there's more where that came from, if you like them....

(_The clock strikes half-past eight_)

TYLTYL (_starting up_) Half-past eight!... (_He flings down his spoon_.) Mytyl, we've only just got time!...

GRANNY TYL Oh, I say!... Just a few minutes more!... Your house isn't on fire!... We see you so seldom....

TYLTYL No, we can't possibly.... Light is so kind.... And I promised her.... Come, Mytyl, come!...

GAFFER TYL Goodness gracious, how tiresome the Living are with all their business and excitement!...

TYLTYL (_taking his cage and hurriedly kissing everybody all round_) Good-bye, grandad.... Good-bye, granny.... Good-bye, brothers and sisters, Pierrot, Robert, Pauline, Madeleine, Riquette and you, too, Kiki.... I feel we mustn't stay.... Don't cry, granny; we will come back often....

GRANNY TYL Come back every day!...