



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