The Blue Bird Part 16

THE PIG You can say your prayers; your last hour has come.... But don't hide the little girl.... I want to feast my eyes on her.... I'm going to eat her first....

TYLTYL What have I done to you?...

THE SHEEP Nothing at all, my little man.... Eaten my little brother, my two sisters, my three uncles, my aunt, my grandpapa and my grandmamma.... Wait, wait, when you're down, you shall see that I have teeth also....

THE a.s.s And I hoofs!...

THE HORSE (_haughtily pawing the ground_) You shall see what you shall see!... Would you rather that I tore you with my teeth or knocked you down with a kick?... (_He moves ostentatiously towards_ TYLTYL, _who faces him and raises his knife. Suddenly the_ HORSE, _seized with panic, turns and rushes away_.) Ah, no!... That's not fair!... That's against the rules!.... He's defending himself!...

THE c.o.c.k (_unable to hide his admiration_) I don't care, the little chap's full of grit!...

THE PIG (_to the_ BEAR _and the_ WOLF) Let us all rush on them together.... I will support you from the rear....

We will throw them down and share the little girl when she is on the ground....

THE WOLF Divert their attention in front.... I am going to make a turning movement....

(_He goes round_ TYLTYL, _whom he attacks from behind and half overthrows_.)

TYLTYL You brute!... (_He raises himself on one knee brandis.h.i.+ng his knife and doing his best to cover his little sister, who utters yells of distress.

Seeing him half overturned, all the_ ANIMALS _and_ TREES _come up and try to hit him_. TYLTYL _calls distractedly for a.s.sistance_.) Help! Help!... Tylo! Tylo!... Where is the Cat?... Tylo!... Tylette!

Tylette!... Come! Come!...

THE CAT (_hypocritically, holding aloof_) I can't come.... I have sprained my paw....

TYLTYL (_warding of the blows and defending himself as best he can_) Help!... Tylo! Tylo!... I can't hold out!... There are too many of them!...

The Bear! The Pig! The Donkey! The a.s.s! The Fir-tree! The Beech!... Tylo!

Tylo! Tylo!...

(_Dragging his broken bonds after him, the_ DOG _leaps from behind the trunk of the_ OAK _and, elbowing his way through_ TREES _and_ ANIMALS, _flings himself before_ TYLTYL, _whom he defends furiously_.)

THE DOG (_distributing great bites_) Here! Here, my little G.o.d!... Don't be afraid! Have at them!... I know how to use my teeth!... Here, there's one for you, Bear, in your fat hams!...

Now then, who wants some more?... Here, that's for the Pig and that's for the Horse and that's for the Bull's tail!... There, I've torn the Beech's trousers and the Oak's petticoat!... The Fir-tree's making tracks!... Whew, it's warm work!...

TYLTYL (_overcome_) I'm done for!... The Cypress has caught me a great blow on the head....

THE DOG Ow!... That's the Willow!... He's broken my paw!...

TYLTYL They're coming back, they're charging down upon us, all together!... This time, it's the Wolf!...

THE DOG Wait till I give him one for himself!...

THE WOLF Fool!... Our brother!... His father drowned your seven puppies!...

THE DOG Quite right!... And a good thing too!... It was because they looked like you!...

ALL THE TREES AND ANIMALS Renegade!... Idiot!... Traitor!... Felon!... Simpleton!... Judas!... Leave him!... He's a dead man!... Come over to us!...

THE DOG (_drunk with ardour and devotion_) Never! Never!... I alone against all of you!... Never! Never!... True to the G.o.ds, to the best, to the greatest!... (_To_ TYLTYL) Take care, here's the Bear!... Beware of the Bull!... I'll jump at his throat....

Ow!... That's a kick.... The a.s.s has broken two of my teeth....

TYLTYL I'm done for, Tylo!... Ah!... That was a blow from the Elm.... Look, my hand's bleeding.... That's the Wolf or the Pig....

THE DOG Wait, my little G.o.d.... Let me kiss you.... There, a good lick.... That will do you good.... Keep behind me.... They dare not come again.... Yes, though.... Here they are coming back!... This time, it's serious!.... We must stand firm!...

TYLTYL (_dropping to the ground_) No, I can hold out no longer!...

THE DOG (_listening_) They are coming!... I hear them, I scent them!...

TYLTYL Where?... Who?...

THE DOG There! There!... It's Light!... She has found us!... Saved, my little king!... Kiss me!... We are saved!... Look!... They're alarmed!... They're retreating!... They're afraid!...

TYLTYL Light!... Light!... Come quick!... Hurry!... They have rebelled!... They are all against us!...

_Enter_ LIGHT. _As she comes forward, the dawn rises over the forest, which becomes light_.

LIGHT What is it?... What has happened?... But, my poor boy, didn't you know?...

Turn the diamond!... They will return into silence and obscurity; and you will no longer perceive their hidden feelings....

(TYLTYL _turns the diamond. Immediately, the souls of all the_ TREES _rush back into the trunks, which close again. The souls of the_ ANIMALS _also disappear; and a peaceful_ COW _and_ SHEEP, _etc., are seen browsing in the distance. The Forest becomes harmless once more_, TYLTYL _looks around him in amazement_.)

TYLTYL Where are they?... What was the matter with them?... Were they mad?...

LIGHT No, they are always like that; but we do not know it because we do not see it.... I told you so before; it is dangerous to wake them when I am not there....

TYLTYL (_wiping his knife_) Well, but for the Dog and if I had not had my knife!... I would never have believed that they were so wicked!...

LIGHT You see that Man is all alone against all in this world....

THE DOG Are you very badly hurt, my little G.o.d?...

TYLTYL Nothing serious.... As for Mytyl, they have not touched her.... But you, my dear Tylo?... Your mouth is all over blood and your paw is broken!...

THE DOG It is not worth speaking of.... It won't show to-morrow.... But it was a tough fight!...

THE CAT (_appearing from behind a thicket, limping_) I should think so!... The Ox caught me a blow with his horns in the stomach.... You can't see the marks, but it's very painful.... And the Oak broke my paw....

THE DOG I should like to know which one....

MYTYL (_stroking the_ CAT) My poor Tylette, did he really?.... Where were you?... I did not see you....

THE CAT (_hypocritically_) Mummy dear, I was wounded at the first, while attacking that horrid Pig, who wanted to eat you.... And then the Oak gave me a great blow which struck me senseless....

THE DOG (_to the_ CAT, _between his teeth_) As for you, I want a word with you presently.... It will keep!...

THE CAT (_plaintively, to_ MYTYL) Mummy dear, he's insulting me.... He wants to hurt me....

MYTYL (_to the_ DOG) Leave him alone, will you, you ugly beast?...