Синяя птица / The blue Bird. Уровень 1

Here they are.

The Fairy is in the shape of an old woman. She is coming with Light, 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. Listen to me. Light will be your leader. You will obey her. I am giving her my wand. The Children will visit their late grandparents[19 - late grandparents – умершие бабушка и дедушка] this evening. They will spend the evening with their dead family. Meanwhile, you will prepare all that is wanted for tomorrow’s journey.

It will be long.

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 interrupted me.

The Dog. What’s that? Just wait a bit I…

He wants to leap upon the Cat, but Tyltyl stops him.

Tyltyl. Tylo! If I catch you again…

The Dog. My little god, you don’t know, it was the Cat who…

Tyltyl. Be quiet!

The Fairy.

Come. Bread, for this evening, hand the cage to Tyltyl. It is possible that the Blue Bird may be 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.

The Fairy. We will go out this way and the Children that.

Tyltyl (anxiously). Are we to go all alone?

Mytyl. I feel hungry!

Tyltyl. I, too!

The Fairy (to Bread). Open your Turkish robe and give them a slice of your good stomach.

Bread opens his robe, draws his scimitar and cuts two slices out of his stomach and hands them to the children.

Sugar. Allow me to offer you a few sugar-sticks.

He breaks off the five fingers of his left hand, one by one, and presents them to the children.

Mytyl. What is he doing? He is breaking all his fingers!

Sugar. Please, taste them… They’re real sugar.

Mytyl (tasting one of the fingers). Oh, how good they are! Have you many of them?

Sugar (modestly).

Yes; as many as I want.

Mytyl. Does that hurt you much, when you break them off?

Sugar. Not at all. They grow again at once and so I always have new, clean fingers.

The Fairy. Come, children, don’t eat too much sugar. Don’t forget that you will have supper presently with your grandpapa and grandmamma.

Tyltyl. Are they here?

The Fairy. You will see them at once.

Tyltyl. How can we see them, when they are dead?

The Fairy.