Синяя птица / The blue Bird. Уровень 1

Let us go out by the window. We’ll come to my house, where I will dress the Animals and the Things properly. (To Bread) You, Bread, take the cage for the Blue Bird. Quick, quick!

The window suddenly becomes a door. They all go out; after which the window closes. The room becomes dark again. The door on the right opens ajar and in the aperture appear the heads of Daddy and Mummy Tyl.

Daddy Tyl. Nothing. It’s the cricket.

Mummy Tyl. Can you see them?

Daddy Tyl. I can. They are sleeping.

2.

A magnificent entrance-hall in the palace of the Fairy Berylune. Columns of gleaming marble with gold and silver capitals, staircases, porticoes, balustrades.

The Cat, Sugar and Fire come from a room which emits rays of light; it is the Fairy’s wardrobe. The Cat has the classic costume of Puss-in-boots[14 - Puss-in-boots – Кот в сапогах]; Sugar, a silk dress, half white and half pale-blue; and Fire wears a long vermilion mantle.

The Cat.

Sugar. The Dog is coming out of the Fairy’s wardrobe.

Fire. What he got on?

The Cat. The livery of one of the footmen of Cinderella’s coach. It is just for him. He has the soul of a flunkey. But let us hide behind the balustrade. I mistrust him. He must not hear what I say to you.

Sugar. It is too late. He sees us. Look, Water is also coming out of the wardrobe. How fine she is!

The Dog and Water join the first group.

The Dog. There! There! Aren’t we fine! Just look at these laces and this embroidery! It’s real gold!

The Cat. We are only waiting for Bread; where is he?

Fire. He has such a foolish face and carries an enormous stomach!

The Dog. He decided to put a Turkish robe on, a scimitar and a turban.

The Cat. There he is!

Bread comes in. In one hand he holds a scimitar and in the other the cage for the Blue Bird.

Bread.

The Dog. How nice he looks! What a fool he looks! How nice he looks! How nice he looks!

The Cat (to the Bread). Are the Children dressed?

Bread. Yes, Master Tyltyl put on Hop-o’-my-Thumb’s[15 - Hop-o’-my-Thumb – Мальчик-с-Пальчик] blue jacket and red breeches. Miss Mytyl has Gretel’s frock and Cinderella’s slippers. But the most difficult thing was to dress Light!

The Cat. Why?

Bread.