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The Blue Bird: a Fairy Play in Six Acts



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Excerpt


ACT I

_The Wood-cutter's Cottage

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.

TYLTYLMytyl?

MYTYLTyltyl?

TYLTYLAre you asleep?

MYTYLAre you?…

TYLTYLNo; how can I be asleep when I'm talking to you?

MYTYLSay, is this Christmas Day?…

TYLTYL Not yet; not till to-morrow. But Father Christmas won't bring us anything this year….

MYTYLWhy not?

TYLTYL I heard mummy say that she couldn't go to town to tell him … But he will come next year….

MYTYLIs next year far off?…

TYLTYLA good long while…. But he will come to the rich children to-night….

MYTYLReally?…

TYLTYLHullo!… Mummy's forgotten to put out the lamp!… I've an idea!…

MYTYLWhat?…

TYLTYLLet's get up….

MYTYLBut we mustn't….

TYLTYLWhy, there's no one about…. Do you see the shutters?…

MYTYLOh, how bright they are!…

TYLTYLIt's the lights of the party.

MYTYLWhat party?…

TYLTYL The rich children opposite. It's the Christmas-tree. Let's open the shutters….

MYTYLCan 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.)

TYLTYLWe can see everything!…

MYTYL (who can hardly find room on the stool)I can't….

TYLTYLIt's snowing!… There's two carriages, with six horses each!…

MYTYLThere are twelve little boys getting out!…

TYLTYLHow silly you are!… They're little girls…....