Синяя птица / The blue Bird. Уровень 1

Tyltyl. Be quiet! And look!

Mytyl. What are those gold things there?

Tyltyl. Toys! Swords, guns, soldiers, cannons.

Mytyl. And dolls; are there any dolls?

Tyltyl. Dolls? That’s too silly; dolls are not funny.

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 it’s very little.

Mytyl. They’ve got many tarts there. The whole table’s full. Are they going to eat them?

Tyltyl. Of course; what else will they do with them?

Mytyl. Why don’t they eat them at once?

Tyltyl. Because they’re not hungry.

Mytyl (surprised). Not hungry? Why not?

Tyltyl. Because they eat whenever they want.

Mytyl (incredulously). Every day?

Tyltyl. They say so.

Mytyl. Will they eat it all? Will they give some cakes to us?

Tyltyl. They don’t know us.

Mytyl. Let’s ask them.

Tyltyl. We mustn’t.

Mytyl. Why not?

Tyltyl. Because it’s not right.

Mytyl (clapping her hands[4 - clapping her hands – хлопая в ладоши]). Oh, how pretty they are!

Tyltyl. And how they’re laughing and laughing!

Mytyl. And the little babies are dancing!

Tyltyl. Yes, yes; let’s dance too!

Mytyl. Oh, what fun!

Tyltyl. They’re taking the cakes! They can touch them! They’re eating, they’re eating, they’re eating!

Mytyl. Two, three, four cakes!

Tyltyl. Oh, how lovely! Oh, how lovely, how lovely!

A knock at the door of the cottage.

Tyltyl (frightened). What’s that?

Mytyl (scared). It’s Daddy!

The big latch is rising, with a noise. The children see 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 with a stick. She is obviously a fairy.

The Fairy. Do you have 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 to you.

The Fairy. Why not?

Tyltyl. Because it’s mine.

The Fairy. That’s a reason, no doubt. Where is the bird?

Tyltyl. In the cage.

The Fairy. I don’t want it; it’s not blue enough. You must go and find me the bird I want.

Tyltyl. But I don’t know where it is.

The Fairy. Me too. That’s why you must look for it[5 - look for it – поискать её]. And I must 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?