Categories
- Antiques & Collectibles 13
- Architecture 36
- Art 47
- Bibles 22
- Biography & Autobiography 809
- Body, Mind & Spirit 47
- Business & Economics 24
- Computers 4
- Cooking 94
- Crafts & Hobbies 3
- Drama 346
- Education 45
- Family & Relationships 34
- Fiction 11809
- Games 19
- Gardening 17
- Health & Fitness 31
- History 1377
- House & Home 1
- Humor 147
- Juvenile Fiction 1873
- Juvenile Nonfiction 202
- Language Arts & Disciplines 88
- Law 16
- Literary Collections 686
- Literary Criticism 179
- Mathematics 13
- Medical 41
- Music 39
- Nature 179
- Non-Classifiable 1768
- Performing Arts 7
- Periodicals 1453
- Philosophy 62
- Photography 2
- Poetry 896
- Political Science 202
- Psychology 40
- Reference 154
- Religion 446
- Science 126
- Self-Help 6
- Social Science 80
- Sports & Recreation 34
- Study Aids 3
- Technology & Engineering 59
- Transportation 23
- Travel 463
- True Crime 29
The Betrothal A Sequel to the Blue Bird
Description:
Excerpt
ACT I
The Wood-cutter's Cottage
The cottage-scene in The Blue Bird: the interior of a wood-cutter's cabin, 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. A dog and a cat asleep. A large blue-and-white sugar-loaf. On the wall hangs a round cage containing a blue bird. At the back, two windows with closed shutters. On the left is the front-door, with a big latch to it. A ladder leads up to a loft. But there is only one bed, TYLTYL'S; he is now sixteen years of age. It is dark; the scene is lit only by a few moonbeams which filter through the shutters. TYLTYL is sound asleep.
(A knock at the door.)
TYLTYL
(Waking with a start.) Who's there? (Another knock.) Wait till I put on my breeches. The door's bolted. I'll come and open it.
THE FAIRY
(Behind the door.) Don't trouble, don't trouble!... It's only me!... How do you do? (The door has opened of its own accord and THE FAIRY BERYLUNE enters under the guise of an old woman, as in the first scene of the Blue Bird. At the same time the room is filled with a strange brightness, which remains after the door is closed again.)
TYLTYL
(In surprise.) Who are you?
THE FAIRY
Don't you know me? Why, Tyltyl, it's hardly seven years since we said good-bye to each other!
TYLTYL
(Bewildered and vainly searching his memory.) Yes, yes, I remember ... and I know what you mean....
THE FAIRY
Yes, but you don't quite grasp who I am and you don't remember anything at all. You haven't changed, I see: just the same careless, ungrateful, wool-gathering little fellow that you always were!... But you have grown taller and stronger, my lad, and quite handsome! If I were not a fairy, I should never have known you! Yes, really quite handsome!... But are you aware of it? It doesn't seem to have occurred to you!
TYLTYL
We only had one tiny looking-glass in the house, about as big as your hand. Mytyl took it and keeps it in her room.
THE FAIRY
So Mytyl has a room of her own now?
TYLTYL
Yes, she sleeps next door, under the stairs, and I here, in the kitchen. Shall I wake her?
THE FAIRY
(Growing suddenly and unreasonably angry, as on her former visit.) There's no need to do anything of the sort!... I have nothing to do with her; her hour has not struck; and, when it does I shall be quite capable of finding her, without being shown the way as though I were blind!... In the meantime, I want nobody's advice....
TYLTYL
(In dismay.) But ma'am, I didn't know....
THE FAIRY
That will do.... (Recovering her temper as suddenly as she lost it.) By the way, how old are you?
TYLTYL
I shall be sixteen a fortnight after Epiphany.
THE FAIRY
(Growing angry again.) A fortnight after Epiphany!... What a way of reckoning!... And here am I without my almanack, having left it with Destiny last time I called on him, fifty years ago!... I don't know where I stand.... However, never mind: I'll make the calculation when we see him, for we shall have to get it exactly right.......