



Produced by Charles Aldarondo, Tiffany Vergon, Charles
Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team








THE BLUE BIRD


_A Fairy Play in Six Acts_


By Maurice Maeterlinck

_Translated By_ Alexander Teixeira De Mattos





CHARACTERS

   TYLTYL
   MYTYL
   LIGHT
   THE FAIRY BERYLUNE
   NEIGHBOUR BERLINGOT
   DADDY TYL
   MUMMY TYL
   GAFFER TYL (Dead)
   GRANNY TYL (Dead)
   TYLTYL'S BROTHERS AND SISTERS (Dead)
   TIME
   NIGHT
   NEIGHBOUR BERLINGOT'S LITTLE DAUGHTER
   TYLO, THE DOG
   TYLETTE, THE CAT
   BREAD
   SUGAR
   FIRE
   WATER
   MILK
   THE WOLF
   THE PIG
   THE OX
   THE COW
   THE BULL
   THE SHEEP
   THE COCK
   THE RABBIT
   THE HORSE
   THE ASS
   THE OAK
   THE ELM
   THE BEECH
   THE LIME-TREE
   THE FIR-TREE
   THE CYPRESS
   THE BIRCH
   THE CHESTNUT-TREE
   THE IVY
   THE POPLAR
   THE WILLOW
   STARS, SICKNESSES, SHADES, LUXURIES, HAPPINESSES, JOYS, ETC.




TRANSLATOR'S NOTE

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.




COSTUMES


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-" dress in Perrault's _Peau d'ane;_ that is
to say, pale gold shot with silver, shimmering gauzes, forming a sort of
rays, etc. Neo-Grecian or Anglo-Grecian (_a 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 BERYLUNE 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- 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.




SCENES

  ACT I.--The Wood-cutter's Cottage.

  ACT II.,  Scene 1--At the Fairy's.

  Scene 2--The Land of Memory.

  ACT III., Scene 1--The Palace of Night.

  Scene 2--The Forest.

  ACT IV.,  Scene 1--Before the Curtain.

  Scene 2--The Palace of Happiness.

  ACT V.,   Scene 1--Before the Curtain.

  Scene 2--The Graveyard.

  Scene 3--The Kingdom of the Future.

  ACT VI.,  Scene 1--The Leave-taking.

  Scene 2--The Awakening.




THE BLUE BIRD




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_.

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