Part 9
DADDY TYL How do you mean, it's prettier?...
TYLTYL Why, yes, everything has been painted and made to look new, everything is clean and polished.... It was not like that last year....
DADDY TYL Last year?...
TYLTYL (_going to the window_) And look at the forest!... How big and fine it is!... One would think it was new!... How happy I feel here!... (_Going to the bread-pan and opening it_) Where's Bread?.... I say, the loaves are very quiet.... And then here's Tylô!... Hullo, Tylô, Tylô!... Ah, you had a fine fight!... Do you remember, in the forest?...
MYTYL And Tylette.... He knows me, but he has stopped talking....
TYLTYL Mr. Bread.... (_Feeling his forehead_) Hullo, the diamond's gone!... Who's taken my little green hat?... Never mind; I don't want it any more.... Ah, Fire!... He's a good one!... He crackles and laughs to make Water angry.... (_Running to the tap_) And Water?... Good-morning, Water!... What does she say?... She still talks, but I don't understand her as well as I did....
MYTYL I don't see Sugar....
TYLTYL Lord, how happy I am, happy, happy, happy!...
MYTYL So am I, so am I!...
MUMMY TYL What are you spinning round for like that?....
DADDY TYL Don't mind them and don't distress yourself.... They are playing at being happy....
TYLTYL I liked Light best of all.... Where's her lamp?... Can we light it?... (_Looking round him again_.) Goodness me, how lovely it all is and how glad I feel!...
MUMMY TYL Why?...
TYLTYL I don't know, mummy....
(_A knock at the front-door_.)
DADDY TYL Come in, come in!...
(_Enter the_ NEIGHBOUR, _holding by the hand a little girl of a fair and wonderful beauty, who carries_ TYLTYL'S _dove pressed in her arms_.)
THE NEIGHBOUR Do you see the miracle?...
MUMMY TYL Impossible!... Can she walk?...
THE NEIGHBOUR Can she walk?... She can run, she can dance, she can fly!... When she saw the bird, she jumped, just like that, with one bound, to the window, to see by the light if it was really Tyltyl's dove.... And then, whoosh!... Out into the street, like an angel!... It was as much as I could do to keep pace with her....
TYLTYL (_going up to her, wonderstruck_) Oh, how like Light she is!...
MYTYL She is much smaller....
TYLTYL Yes, indeed!... But she will grow bigger....
THE NEIGHBOUR What are they saying?... Haven't they got over it yet?...
MUMMY TYL They are better, they are mending.... It will be all right when they have had their breakfasts....
THE NEIGHBOUR (_pushing the_ LITTLE GIRL _into_ TYLTYL'S _arms_). Come along, child, come and thank Tyltyl....
(TYLTYL, _suddenly frightened, takes a step back_.)
MUMMY TYL Well, Tyltyl, what's the matter?.... Are you afraid of the little girl?... Come, give her a kiss, a good big kiss.... No, a better one than that.... You're not so shy as a rule!... Another one!... But what's the matter with you?... You look as if you were going to cry....
(TYLTYL, _after kissing the_ LITTLE GIRL _rather awkwardly, stands before her for a moment and the two children look at each other without speaking; then_ TYLTYL _strokes the dove's head_.)
TYLTYL Is he blue enough?...
THE LITTLE GIRL Yes, I am so pleased with him....
TYLTYL I have seen bluer ones.... But those which are quite blue, you know, do what you will, you can't catch them....
THE LITTLE GIRL That doesn't matter; he's lovely....
TYLTYL Has he had anything to eat?...
THE LITTLE GIRL Not yet.... What does he eat?...
TYLTYL Anything: corn, bread, Indian corn, grasshoppers....
THE LITTLE GIRL How does he eat, say?...
TYLTYL With his beak. You'll see, I will show you....
(_He moves in order to take the bird from the_ LITTLE GIRL'S _hands. She resists instinctively; and, taking advantage of the hesitation of their movements, the_ DOVE _escapes and flies away_.)
THE LITTLE GIRL (_with a cry of despair_) Mother!... He is gone!... (_She bursts into sobs_.)
TYLTYL Never mind.... Don't cry.... I will catch him again.... (_Stepping to the front of the stage and addressing the audience_.) If any of you should find him, would you be so very kind as to give him back to us?... We need him for our happiness, later on....
CURTAIN