The Blue Bird Part 29

MUMMY TYL (_in a cheerfully scolding voice_) Up, come, get up, you little lazybones!... Aren't you ashamed of yourselves?... It has struck eight and the sun is high above the trees!...

Lord, how they sleep, how they sleep!... (_She leans over and kisses the_ CHILDREN.) They are quite rosy.... Tyltyl smells of lavender and Mytyl of lilies-of-the-valley.... (_Kissing them again_) What sweet things children are!... Still, they can't go on sleeping till midday.... I mustn't let them grow up idle.... And, besides, I have heard that it's not very healthy.... (_Gently shaking_ TYLTYL) Wake up, wake up, Tyltyl....

TYLTYL (_waking up_) What?... Light?... Where is she?... No, no, don't go away....

MUMMY TYL Light?... Why, of course it's light... Has been for ever so long.... It's as bright as noonday, though the shutters are closed.... Wait a bit till I open them.... (_She pushes back the shutters and the dazzling daylight invades the room_.) There! See!... What's the matter with you?... You look quite blinded....

TYLTYL (_rubbing his eyes_) Mummy, mummy!... It's you!...

MUMMY TYL Why, of course, it's I.... Who did you think it was?...

TYLTYL It's you.... Yes, yes, it's you!....

MUMMY TYL Yes, yes, it's I.... I haven't changed my face since last night.... Why do you stare at me in that wonderstruck way?... Is my nose turned upside down, by any chance?...

TYLTYL Oh, how nice it is to see you again!... It's so long, so long ago!... I must kiss you at once.... Again! Again! Again!... And how comfortable my bed is!... I am back at home!...

MUMMY TYL What's the matter?... Why don't you wake up?... Don't tell me you're ill.... Let me see, show me your tongue.... Come, get up and dress....

TYLTYL Hullo, I've got my s.h.i.+rt on!...

MUMMY TYL Of course you have.... Put on your breeches and your little jacket....

There they are, on the chair....

TYLTYL Is that what I did on the journey?...

MUMMY TYL What journey?...

TYLTYL Why, last year....

MUMMY TYL Last year?...

TYLTYL Why, yes!...At Christmas, when I went away....

MUMMY TYL When you went away?... You haven't left the room.... I put you to bed last night, and here you are this morning.... Have you dreamed all that?...

TYLTYL But you don't understand!... It was last year, when I went away with Mytyl, the Fairy, Light--how nice Light is!--Bread, Sugar, Water, Fire: they did nothing but quarrel!... You're not angry with me?... Did you feel very sad?... And what did daddy say?... I could not refuse... I left a note to explain....

MUMMY TYL What are you talking about?... For sure, either you're ill or else you're still asleep.... (_She gives him a friendly shake_.) There, wake up.... There, is that better?...

TYLTYL But, mummy, I a.s.sure you.... It's you that's still asleep....

MUMMY TYL What! Still asleep, am I?... Why? I've been up since six o'clock.... I've finished all the cleaning and lit the fire....

TYLTYL But ask Mytyl if it's not true.... Oh, we have had such adventures!...

MUMMY TYL Why Mytyl?... What do you mean?...

TYLTYL She was with me.... We saw grandad and granny....

MUMMY TYL (_more and more bewildered_) Grandad and granny?...

TYLTYL Yes, in the Land of Memory.... It was on our way.... They are dead, but they are quite well.... Granny made us a lovely plum-tart.... And then the little brothers--Robert, Jean and his top--and Madeleine and Pierrette and Pauline and Riquette, too....

MYTYL Riquette still goes about on all fours!...

TYLTYL And Pauline still has a pimple on her nose....

MUMMY TYL Have you found the key of the cupboard where daddy hides his brandy bottle?...

TYLTYL Does daddy hide a brandy bottle?...

MUMMY TYL Certainly. One has to hide everything when one has little meddlesome good-for-nothings like you.... But come, out with it, confess that you took it.... I would rather it was that.... I sha'n't tell daddy.... I sha'n't beat you....

TYLTYL But, mummy, I don't know where it is....

MUMMY TYL Just walk in front of me, so that I may see if you can walk straight....

(TYLTYL _does so_) No, it's not that.... Dear heaven, what is the matter with them?... I shall lose them too, as I lost the others!...

(_Suddenly mad with alarm, she calls out_) Daddy Tyl!... Come, quick!

The children are ill!...

(_Enter_ DADDY TYL, _very calmly, with an axe in his hand_.)

DADDY TYL What is it?...

TYLTYL and MYTYL (_running up gaily to kiss their father_) Hullo, daddy!... It's daddy!... Good-morning, daddy!... Have you had plenty of work this year?...

DADDY TYL Well, what's the matter?... They don't look ill; they look very well....

MUMMY TYL (_weeping_) You can't trust their looks.... It will be as with the others.... They looked quite well also to the end; and then G.o.d took them.... I don't know what's the matter with them.... I put them to bed quite quietly last night; and this morning, when they woke up, everything was wrong.... They don't know what they're saying; they talk about a journey.... They have seen Light and grandad and granny, who are dead, but who are quite well....

TYLTYL But grandad still has his wooden leg....

MYTYL And granny her rheumatics....

MUMMY TYL Do you hear?... Run and fetch the doctor!...

DADDY TYL Why, no, no.... They are not dead yet.... Come, let us look into this....

(_A knock at the front door_.) Come in!...

(_Enter_ NEIGHBOUR BERLINGOT, _a little old woman resembling the_ FAIRY _in_ ACT I _and leaning on a stick_.)

THE NEIGHBOUR Good-morning and a Merry Christmas to you all!...

TYLTYL It's the Fairy Berylune!...

THE NEIGHBOUR I have come to ask for a bit of fire for my Christmas stew.... It's very chilly this morning.... Good-morning, children, how are you?...

TYLTYL Fairy Berylune, I could not find the Blue Bird....