Синяя птица / The blue Bird. Уровень 1

Tyltyl. Yes, there’s an arrow.

Mytyl. Well, where are granddad and granny?

Tyltyl. Behind the fog. We will see.

Mytyl. I can see nothing at all! I can’t see my feet or my hands. (Whimpering) I’m cold! I don’t want to travel any more. I want to go home.

Tyltyl. Come, don’t cry, just like Water. Shame on you! Look, the fog is lifting already. We will see what’s behind it.

The mist begins to move. It disperses, evaporates. Soon, in a more and more transparent light, appears a cheerful little cottage. The door and windows are open. There are bee-hives under a shed, flower-pots on the window-sills, a cage with a sleeping blackbird. Beside the door is a bench, on which Tyltyl’s grandfather and grandmother, are seated. They are sleeping.

Tyltyl. It’s granddad and granny!

Mytyl. (clapping her hands) Yes! Yes! So it is! So it is!

Tyltyl. Take care! We don’t know yet if they can move. Let’s keep behind the tree.

Grandmother opens her eyes, raises her head, stretches herself, and looks at Grandfather, who also wakes slowly from his sleep.

Grandmother. I think that our grandchildren who are still alive are coming to see us today.

Grandfather. They are certainly thinking of us, for I feel something.

Grandmother. I think they must be quite near. I see tears of joy before my eyes.

Grandfather. No, no, they are far away. I still feel weak.

Grandmother. I tell you they are here; I am quite strong.

Tyltyl and Mytyl. Here we are! Here we are! Granddad! Granny! It’s we! It’s we!

Grandfather. There! Do you see? What did I tell you?

Grandmother. Tyltyl! Mytyl! It’s you! It’s she! I can’t run! I’ve still got the rheumatics!

Grandfather. No more can I.

Grandmother. How tall and strong you are, Tyltyl!

Grandfather. And Mytyl! Just look at her. What pretty hair, what pretty eyes!

Grandmother. Come and kiss me again! Come on to my lap. How are Daddy and Mummy Tyl?

Tyltyl. Quite well, granny. They were asleep when we went out.

Grandmother. Lord, how pretty they are and how nice and clean! Is it mummy who washes you? And there are no holes in your stockings! I darned them, you know. Why don’t you come to see us oftener? It makes us so happy! We see nobody here.

Tyltyl. We couldn’t, granny; and today it’s only because of the Fairy.

Grandmother. We are always here. We are waiting for a visit from those who are alive. They come so seldom! The last time you were here, let me see, when was it? It was on All-hallows[20 - on All-hallows – в День Всех Святых], when the church-bells were ringing.

Tyltyl. All-hallows? We didn’t go out that day, for we were ill.

Grandmother. No; but you thought of us.

Tyltyl. Yes.

Grandmother. Well, every time you think of us, we wake up and see you again.

Tyltyl. Really?

Grandmother. You know that.

Tyltyl. No, I don’t know.

Grandmother (to Grandfather). It’s astonishing. They don’t know anything.

Grandfather. The Living are so stupid when they speak of the Others.

Tyltyl. Do you sleep all the time?

Grandfather. Yes, we sleep a lot. We are waiting for a thought of the Living. It wakes us. Ah, it is good to sleep when life is over. But it is pleasant also to wake up from time to time.

Tyltyl. So you are not really dead?

Grandfather. What do you say? What is he saying? Now he’s using words we don’t understand. Is it a new word?

Tyltyl. The word “dead”?

Grandfather. Yes, that was the word. What does it mean?

Tyltyl. Why, it means that one’s no longer alive.

Grandfather. How silly they are!

Tyltyl. Is it nice here?

Grandfather. Oh, yes; not bad, not bad.

Grandmother. Not bad, yes. But please come and see us oftener. Do you remember, Tyltyl? The last time I baked you a lovely apple-pie.

Tyltyl. I ate apples last year. There are no apples this year.

Grandmother. Don’t talk nonsense. Here, we have them always.

Tyltyl (looking first at his Grandmother and then at his Grandfather). You are the same. But you’re better-looking.

Grandfather. Well, we feel all right. We don’t grow older[21 - grow older – стареть]. But you, how tall you’re growing! Look, over there, on the door, is the mark of the last time. That was on All-hallows. Now then, stand up straight.