Grandmother. There! Sit down, children.
The Grandparents and the Children sit down round the table. They are jostling and laughing and screaming with pleasure.
Tyltyl (eating). How good it is! Oh, how good it is! I want some more! More!
The clock strikes half-past eight.
Tyltyl. Half-past eight! (He flings down his spoon). Mytyl, we’re late!
Grandmother. Oh! Just a few minutes more! We see you so seldom.
Tyltyl. No, we can’t. Light is so kind. And I promised her. Come, Mytyl, come!
Grandfather. How tiresome the Living is with all its business!
Tyltyl (taking his cage and hurriedly kissing everybody). Good-bye, granddad. Good-bye, granny. Good-bye, brothers and sisters, Pierrot, Robert, Pauline, Madeleine, Riquette and you, too, Kiki. We mustn’t stay. Don’t cry, granny; we will come back often.
Grandmother. Come back every day!
Tyltyl. Yes, yes; we will come back as often as we can.
Grandmother. It’s our only pleasure when your thoughts visit us!
Grandfather. We have no other amusements.
Tyltyl. Quick, quick! My cage! My bird!
Grandfather (handing him the cage). Here they are!
Tyltyl. Good-bye! Good-bye!
The Brothers and Sisters Tyl. Good-bye, Tyltyl! Good-bye, Mytyl! Good-bye! Come again! Come again!
They all wave their handkerchiefs while Tyltyl and Mytyl slowly move away. But everything is already in the mist.
Tyltyl. It’s this way, Mytyl.
Mytyl. Where is Light?
Tyltyl. I don’t know. (Looking at the bird in the cage). But the bird is not blue! It’s black!
Mytyl. Give me your hand, little brother. I feel so frightened and so cold.
4. The Palace of Night
A large and wonderful hall. Austere, rigid, metallic and sepulchral magnificence. Impression of a Greek temple with columns, flagstones and ornaments of black marble, gold and ebony. The hall is trapezium-shaped. Basalt steps divide it into three successive stages. On the right and left, between the columns, are doors of somber bronze. At the back, a monumental door of brass.
Night is a very old woman in long, black garments. She is between two children. One, almost naked, is smiling in a deep sleep, while the other is standing up. He is motionless and veiled from head to foot. The Cat enters.
Night. Who goes there?
The Cat. It is I, Mother Night. I am very tired.
Night. What’s the matter, child? You look pale and thin. Were you fighting on the tiles, in the snow and rain?
The Cat. No! It’s the beginning of the end! I escaped for a moment to warn you; but I greatly fear that we can do nothing.
Night. Why? What happened?
The Cat. I told you of little Tyltyl, the woodcutter’s son, and of the magic diamond. Well, he is coming here to demand the Blue Bird of you.
Night. He hasn’t got it yet.
The Cat. He will have it soon, unless we perform some miracle. Light is guiding him and betraying us all. Light knows that the real Blue Bird can live in the light of day, and is here, among the blue birds of the dreams that live on the rays of the moon and die as soon as they see the sun. She can’t cross the threshold of your palace, but she is sending the children. I do not know what to do. If, unfortunately, they get the real Blue Bird, we will disappear.
Night. Oh dear, oh dear! What times we live in! No peace at all. I cannot understand Man, these last few years. What does he want? Must he absolutely know everything? He knows a third of my Mysteries, all my Terrors are afraid and dare not leave the house. My Ghosts flew away, my Sicknesses are ill.
The Cat. I know, Mother Night, I know, the times are hard and we are almost alone in our struggle against Man. But I hear them. I see only one way: as they are children, we must frighten them. And they will not open the great door at the back, behind which they can find the Birds of the Moon. The secrets of the other caverns will distract their attention and terrify them.
Night (listening). What do I hear? Are there many of them?
The Cat. It is nothing; it is our friends, Bread and Sugar; Water is not very well and Fire could not come, because he is that Light’s relative. The Dog is the only one who is not on our side.
Tyltyl, Mytyl, Bread, Sugar and the Dog arrive.
The Cat (to Tyltyl). This way, little master, this way. Night is delighted to see you. You must forgive her, she is sick a little.
Tyltyl. Good-day, Mrs. Night.
Night. Good-day? Nonsense. You must say, Good-night, or, at least, Good-evening.
Tyltyl. I beg your pardon, ma’am. I did not know. (Pointing to the two children). Are those your two little boys? They are very nice.
Night. This is Sleep.
Tyltyl. Why is he so fat?
Night. That is because he sleeps well.
Tyltyl. And the other boy? Why does he veil his face? Is he ill? What is his name?
Night. That is Sleep’s sister. It is better not to mention her name.
Tyltyl. Why?
Night. Because her name is not pleasant to hear. But let us talk of something else. The Cat tells me that you are looking for the Blue Bird.
Tyltyl. Yes, ma’am. Will you tell me where it is?
Night. I don’t know, dear. All I can say is that it is not here.
Tyltyl. Yes, yes. Light told me that the Bird was here. And Light knows what she is saying. Will you hand me your keys?
Night. But you must understand, dear, that I cannot give my keys to a stranger. I keep all Nature’s secrets and I can’t deliver them to anybody, especially to a child.
Tyltyl. You have no right to say “no” to Man. I know that.
Night. Who told you?
Tyltyl. Light.
Night. Light again! Always Light! How dare she interfere, how dare she?
The Dog. I can take the keys from her by force[22], my little god!
Tyltyl. Hold your tongue, keep quiet and try to behave. (To Night) Come, madam, give me your keys, please.
Night. Have you the sign, at least? Where is it?
Tyltyl. (touching his hat). Behold the Diamond!
Night. Well, then… Here is the key that opens all the doors of the hall. But I will not be responsible.
Bread (very anxiously). Is it dangerous?
Night. Dangerous? I myself do not know what I will do when certain of those bronze doors open upon the abyss. In each of those basalt caves, are all the evils, all the plagues, all the sicknesses, all the terrors, all the catastrophes, all the mysteries of the world. I imprisoned them there with the aid of Destiny. If someone escapes and shows itself on earth…
Bread. Mrs. Night, I am the protector of these two children; therefore, permit me to ask you a question.
Night. Certainly.
Bread.