MYTYL (who can hardly find room on the stool) I can't. …
TYLTYL It's snowing! … There's two carriages, with six horses each! …
MYTYL There are twelve little boys getting out! …
TYLTYL How silly you are! … They're little girls. …
MYTYL They've got knickerbockers. …
TYLTYL What do you know? … Don't push so! …
MYTYL I never touched you.
TYLTYL (who is taking up the whole stool) You're taking up all the room …
MYTYL Why, I have no room at all! …
TYLTYL Do be quiet! I see the tree! …
MYTYL What tree? …
TYLTYL Why, the Christmas-tree! … You're looking at the wall! …
MYTYL I'm looking at the wall because I've got no room. …
TYLTYL (giving her a miserly little place on the stool) There! … Will that do? … Now you're better off than I! … I say, what lots and lots of lights! …
MYTYL What are those people doing who are making such a noise? …
TYLTYL They're the musicians.
MYTYL Are they angry? …
TYLTYL No; but it's hard work.
MYTYL Another carriage with white horses! …
TYLTYL Be quiet! … And look! …
MYTYL What are those gold things there, hanging from the branches?
TYLTYL Why, toys, to be sure! … Swords, guns, soldiers, cannons. …
MYTYL And dolls; say, are there any dolls? …
TYLTYL Dolls? … That's too silly; there's no fun in dolls. …
MYTYL And what's that all round the table? …
TYLTYL Cakes and fruit and tarts. …
MYTYL I had some once when I was little. …
TYLTYL So did I; it's nicer than bread, but they don't give you enough. …
MYTYL They've got plenty over there. … The whole table's full. … Are they going to eat them? …
TYLTYL Of course; what else would they do with them? …
MYTYL Why don't they eat them at once? …
TYLTYL Because they're not hungry. …
MYTYL (stupefied with astonishment) Not hungry? … Why not? …
TYLTYL Well, they eat whenever they want to. …
MYTYL (incredulously) Every day? …
TYLTYL They say so. …
MYTYL Will they eat them all? … Will they give any away? …
TYLTYL To whom? …
MYTYL To us. …
TYLTYL They don't know us. …
MYTYL Suppose we asked them. …
TYLTYL We mustn't.
MYTYL Why not? …
TYLTYL Because it's not right.
MYTYL (clapping her hands) Oh, how pretty they are! …
TYLTYL (rapturously) And how they're laughing and laughing! …
MYTYL And the little ones dancing! …
TYLTYL Yes, yes; let's dance too! … (They stamp their feet for joy on the stool.)
MYTYL Oh, what fun! …
TYLTYL They're getting the cakes! … They can touch them! … They're eating, they're eating, they're eating! …
MYTYL The tiny ones, too! … They've got two, three, four apiece! …
TYLTYL (drunk with delight) Oh, how lovely! … Oh, how lovely, how lovely! …
MYTYL (counting imaginary cakes) I've got twelve! …
TYLTYL And I four times twelve! … But I'll give you some. …
(A knock at the door of the cottage.)
TYLTYL (suddenly quieted and frightened) What's that? …
MYTYL (scared) It's Daddy! …
(As they hesitate before opening the door, the big latch is seen to rise of itself, with a grating noise; the door half opens to admit a little old woman dressed in green with a red hood on her head. She is humpbacked and lame and near-sighted; her nose and chin meet; and she walks bent on a stick. She is obviously a fairy.)
THE FAIRY Have you the grass here that sings or the bird that is blue? …
TYLTYL We have some grass, but it can't sing. …
MYTYL Tyltyl has a bird.
TYLTYL But I can't give it away. …
THE FAIRY Why not? …
TYLTYL Because it's mine.
THE FAIRY That's a reason, no doubt. Where is the bird? …
TYLTYL (pointing to the cage) In the cage. …
THE FAIRY (putting on her glasses to examine the bird) I don't want it; it's not blue enough. You will have to go and find me the one I want.
TYLTYL But I don't know where it is. …
THE FAIRY No more do I. That's why you must look for it. I can do without the grass that sings, at a pinch; but I must absolutely have the blue bird. It's for my little girl, who is very ill.
TYLTYL What's the matter with her? …
THE FAIRY We don't quite know; she wants to be happy. …
TYLTYL Really? …
THE FAIRY Do you know who I am? …
TYLTYL You're rather like our neighbour, Madame Berlingot. …
THE FAIRY (growing suddenly angry) Not a bit! … There's
