FIRE Nothing, nothing....
WATER I thought you might be speaking of a great red I saw the other day....
THE CAT Come, don"t let as quarrel; we have more important things to do.... We are only waiting for Bread; where is he?
THE DOG He was making an endless fuss about choosing his dress....
FIRE Worth while, isn"t it, for a fellow who looks a fool and carries an enormous stomach?...
THE DOG At last, he decided in favour of a Turkish robe, adorned with gems, a scimitar and a turban....
THE CAT There he is!... He has put on Bluebeard"s finest dress...
_Enter_ BREAD, _in the costume described above. The silk robe is crossed tightly over his huge stomach. In one hand he holds the hilt of a scimitar pa.s.sed through his sash and in the other the cage intended for the Blue Bird_.
BREAD (_waddling conceitedly_) Well?... What do you think of this?
THE DOG (_frisking round the_ LOAF) How nice he looks! What a fool he looks! How nice he looks! How nice he looks!...
THE CAT (_to the_ LOAF) Are the children dressed?...
BREAD Yes, Master Tyltyl has put on Hop-o"-my-Thumb"s blue jacket and red breeches; and Miss Mytyl has Gretel"s frock and Cinderella"s slippers....
But the great thing was the dressing of Light!...
THE CAT Why?...
BREAD The Fairy thought her so lovely that she did not want to dress her at all!... Thereupon I protested in the name of our dignity as essential and eminently respectable elements; and I ended by declaring that, under those conditions, I should refuse to be seen with her....
FIRE They ought to have bought her a lampshade!...
THE CAT And what answer did the Fairy make?...
THE LOAF She hit me with her stick on my head and stomach....
THE CAT And then?...
BREAD I allowed myself to be convinced; but, at the last moment, Light decided on the moonbeam dress at the bottom of the chest with Catskin"s treasures....
THE CAT Come, stop chattering, time presses.... Our future is at stake.... You have heard--the Fairy has just said so--that the end of this journey will, at the same time, mark the end of our lives.... It is our business, therefore, to prolong it as much as possible and by every possible means.... But there is another thing: we must think of the fate of our race and the destiny of our children....
BREAD Hear, hear!... The Cat is right!...
THE CAT Listen to me!... All of us here present, Animals, Things and Elements, possess a soul which man does not yet know. That is why we retain a remnant of independence; but, if he finds the Blue Bird, he will know all, he will see all and we shall be completely at his mercy.... This is what I have just learned from my old friend, Night, who is also the guardian of the mysteries of Life.... It is to our interest, therefore, at all costs to prevent the finding of that bird, even if we have to go so far as to endanger the lives of the children themselves....
THE DOG (_indignantly_) What"s the fellow saying?... Just say that again, will you, to see if I heard right?...
BREAD Order! Order!... It"s not your turn to speak!... I"m in the chair at this meeting....
FIRE Who made you chairman?...
WATER (_to_ FIRE) Hold your tongue!... What are you interfering with?...
FIRE I shall interfere where I choose.... And I want none of your remarks....
SUGAR (_concilatorily_) Excuse me.... Do not let us quarrel.... This is a serious moment.... We must, above all things, decide what measures to adopt....
BREAD I quite agree with Sugar and the Cat....
THE DOG This is ridiculous!... There is Man and that"s all!... We have to obey him and do as he tells us!... That is the one and only fact!... I recognise no one but him!... Hurrah for Man!... Man for ever!... In life or death, all for Man!... Man is G.o.d!...
BREAD I quite agree with the Dog.
THE CAT (_to the_ DOG) But at least give your reasons....
THE DOG There are no reasons!... I love Man and that"s enough!... If you do anything against him, I will throttle you first and I will go and tell him everything....
SUGAR (_intervening sweetly_) Excuse me.... Let us not embitter the discussion.... From a certain point of view, you are both of you right.... There is something to be said on both sides....
BREAD I quite agree with SUGAR!...
THE CAT Are we not, all of us, Water, Fire you yourselves, Bread and the Dog, the victims of a nameless tyranny?... Do you remember the time when, before the coming of the despot, we wandered at liberty upon the face of the earth?...
Fire and Water were the sole masters of the world; and see what they have come to!... As for us puny descendants of the great wild animals....
Look out!... Pretend to be doing nothing!... I see the Fairy and Light coming.... Light has taken sides with Man; she is our worst enemy.... Here they are....
_Enter, on the right, the_ FAIRY, _in the shape of an old woman, and_ LIGHT, _followed by_ TYLTYL _and_ MYTYL.
THE FAIRY Well?... What is it?... What are you doing in that corner?... You look like conspirators.... It is time to start.... I have decided that Light shall be your leader.... You will obey her as you would me and I am giving her my wand.... The children will pay a visit to their late grandparents this evening.... You will remain behind; that is more discreet.... They will spend the evening in the bosom of their dead family.... Meanwhile, you will be getting ready all that is wanted for to-morrow"s journey, which will be a long one.... Come, up, be off and every one to his post!...
THE CAT (_hypocritically_) That is just what I was saying to them, madam.... I was encouraging them to do their duty bravely and conscientiously; unfortunately, the Dog, who kept on interrupting me....
THE DOG What"s that?... Just wait a bit I...
(_He is about to leap upon the_ CAT, _but_ TYLTYL _foreseeing his intention, stops with a threatening gesture_.)
TYLTYL Down, Tylo!... Take care; and, if ever I catch you again...
THE DOG My little G.o.d, you don"t know, it was he who...
TYLTYL (_threatening him_) Be quiet!...
THE FAIRY Come, that will do.... Let Bread hand the cage for this evening to Tyltyl.... It is just possible that the Blue Bird may be hidden In the Past, at the grandparents".... In any case, it Is a chance which we must not neglect.... Well, Bread, the cage?
BREAD (_solemnly_) One moment, if you please, Mrs. Fairy....
(_Like an orator making a speech_) I call upon all of you to bear witness that this silver cage, which was entrusted to my care by....
THE FAIRY (_interrupting him_) Enough!... No speeches!... We will go out this way and the children that....
TYLTYL (_rather anxiously_) Are we to go all alone?...