THE CAT There he is! … He has put on Bluebeard's finest dress …
Enter BREAD, in the costume described above. The silk robe is crossed tightly over his huge stomach. In one hand he holds the hilt of a scimitar passed through his sash and in the other the cage intended for the Blue Bird.
BREAD (waddling conceitedly) Well? … What do you think of this?
THE DOG (frisking round the LOAF) How nice he looks! What a fool he looks! How nice he looks! How nice he looks! …
THE CAT (to the LOAF) Are the children dressed? …
BREAD Yes, Master Tyltyl has put on Hop-o'-my-Thumb's blue jacket and red breeches; and Miss Mytyl has Gretel's frock and Cinderella's slippers. … But the great thing was the dressing of Light! …
THE CAT Why? …
BREAD The Fairy thought her so lovely that she did not want to dress her at all! … Thereupon I protested in the name of our dignity as essential and eminently respectable elements; and I ended by declaring that, under those conditions, I should refuse to be seen with her. …
FIRE They ought to have bought her a lampshade! …
THE CAT And what answer did the Fairy make? …
THE LOAF She hit me with her stick on my head and stomach. …
THE CAT And then? …
BREAD I allowed myself to be convinced; but, at the last moment, Light decided on the moonbeam dress at the bottom of the chest with Catskin's treasures. …
THE CAT Come, stop chattering, time presses. … Our future is at stake. … You have heard—the Fairy has just said so—that the end of this journey will, at the same time, mark the end of our lives. … It is our business, therefore, to prolong it as much as possible and by every possible means. … But there is another thing: we must think of the fate of our race and the destiny of our children. …
BREAD Hear, hear! … The Cat is right! …
THE CAT Listen to me! … All of us here present, Animals, Things and Elements, possess a soul which man does not yet know. That is why we retain a remnant of independence; but, if he finds the Blue Bird, he will know all, he will see all and we shall be completely at his mercy. … This is what I have just learned from my old friend, Night, who is also the guardian of the mysteries of Life. … It is to our interest, therefore, at all costs to prevent the finding of that bird, even if we have to go so far as to endanger the lives of the children themselves. …
THE DOG (indignantly) What's the fellow saying? … Just say that again, will you, to see if I heard right? …
BREAD Order! Order! … It's not your turn to speak! … I'm in the chair at this meeting. …
FIRE Who made you chairman? …
WATER (to FIRE) Hold your tongue! … What are you interfering with? …
FIRE I shall interfere where I choose. … And I want none of your remarks. …
SUGAR (concilatorily) Excuse me. … Do not let us quarrel. … This is a serious moment. … We must, above all things, decide what measures to adopt. …
BREAD I quite agree with Sugar and the Cat. …
THE DOG This is ridiculous! … There is Man and that's all! … We have to obey him and do as he tells us! … That is the one and only fact! … I recognise no one but him! … Hurrah for Man! … Man for ever! … In life or death, all for Man! … Man is God! …
BREAD I quite agree with the Dog.
THE CAT (to the DOG) But at least give your reasons. …
THE DOG There are no reasons! … I love Man and that's enough! … If you do anything against him, I will throttle you first and I will go and tell him everything. …
SUGAR (intervening sweetly) Excuse me. … Let us not embitter the discussion. … From a certain point of view, you are both of you right. … There is something to be said on both sides. …
BREAD I quite agree with SUGAR! …
THE CAT Are we not, all of us, Water, Fire you yourselves, Bread and the Dog, the victims of a nameless tyranny? … Do you remember the time when, before the coming of the despot, we wandered at liberty upon the face of the earth? … Fire and Water were the sole masters of the world; and see what they have come to! … As for us puny descendants of the great wild animals. … Look out! … Pretend to be doing nothing! … I see the Fairy and Light coming. … Light has taken sides with Man; she is our worst enemy. … Here they are. …
Enter, on the right, the FAIRY, in the shape of an old woman, and LIGHT, followed by 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. … I have decided that Light shall be your leader. … You will obey her as you would me and I am giving her my wand. … The children will pay a visit to their late grandparents this evening. … You will remain behind; that is more discreet. … They will spend the evening in the bosom of their dead family. … Meanwhile, you will be getting ready all that is wanted for to-morrow's journey, which will be a long one. … Come, up, be off and every one to his post! …
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, who kept on interrupting me. …
THE DOG What's that? … Just wait a bit I …
(He is about to leap upon the CAT, but TYLTYL foreseeing his intention, stops with a threatening gesture.)
TYLTYL Down, Tylô! … Take care; and, if ever I catch you again …
THE DOG My little god, you don't know, it was he who …
TYLTYL (threatening him) Be quiet! …
THE FAIRY Come, that will do. … Let Bread hand the cage for this evening to Tyltyl. … It is just possible that the Blue Bird may be hidden 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. … (Like an orator making a speech) I call upon all of you to bear witness that this silver cage, which was entrusted to my care by. …
THE FAIRY (interrupting him) Enough! … No speeches! … We will go out this way and the children that. …
TYLTYL (rather 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
