THE BLUE BIRD.

Bush Advocate, Volume XXIV, Issue 25, 19 April 1912, Page 2

THE BLUE BIRD.

A SKETCH OF THE PLAY. I This charming play with a beauti- i ful moral, which bids fair to have a ! great run, is thus sketched by the j Referee: — j The whole story of "The' Blue] Bird" cannot he told in an apprecia- | tfon of the play. Little Tyltyl, the ! poor wood-cutter's son, lives with his . parents, Daddy Tyl and Mummy Tyl, j and his sister Mytyl in a hut. On ! Christinas Eve the good mother tucks I her two children in bed, puts out the ' light, and leaves the little ones fast asleep. Strains of merry music are heard from outside the little cottage. It is the rich children opposite, who arc having a party. As the woodcutter's children are listening with sad hearts to the music the door of the cottage opens, and an old woman enters. She is the fairy Berylune. "Have you the Grass that sings, or the Bird that is Blue?" she asks the wondering children, and she explains that the one thing in the world, that they need is the Blue Bird, which brings happiness. As they have not got it they must go and search for it till they find it. To help them in their quest the fairy hands Tyltyl a little magic cap with a diamond in it. Tyltyl puts the cap on his head and gives the diamond a turn. No sooner has he done so than the strangest things happen. The Sugarloaf on the floor bursts its blue paperd wrappings, and appears as a white-capped .giant with barley-sugar fingers. The hours, in the shape of girls, with winged feet,' come out of the grandfather's clock in the corner and dance to the sound of music. The quartern Loaves jump out of the breadpan; they have little brown legs and arms. Milk becomes a pretty lady, shy and modest looking. The Dog in human form frisks about, delighted with everything. "• The transformed Uat approaches Mytyl and wishes her good morning. Five flickers out of the chimney, and begins to quarrel with Water. The walls of the cottage turn into glowing precious stones. The lamp falls from the table, and a beautiful lady appears in its place, dressed in robes of dazzling brightness. She is Light, and j is to be the guardian of the children on their journey in search of the Blue Bird. While all are dancing three knocks are heard. The Fairy Berylune gives the signal to start on the journey. Tyltyl turns the diamond, but ho turns it so quickly that all the Things have not time to return to their original form. So Light, Water, Bread, Fire, Sugar. Milk, the Dog and the Cat start off to accompany the children on their journey. Tyltyl leaves behind a black bird in a cage. The Blue Bird on which Tyltyl and Mytyl have set their hearts is Happiness. In the regions of radian" 1 , romance and fairy fable the children visit many places which are screened from mortal eye. They have sweet surprises and strange adventures with their queer little train of followers in The Fairy's Palace, The. Land of Memory, The Forest, The Kingdom of the Past, The Kingdom of the Future, and the Palace of Night. Then comes the return to the humble cottage and the awakening of the little boy and his sister from their dreams. It is 8 o'clock in the morning. The sun streams into the room. "tip you get, little lazyheads!" says Mummy Tyl. But, oh, how nice it is in the warm bed after their long journey! They tell thenmother their ' adventures. When Neighbor Berlingot (who looks so like the Fairy Berylune) arrives, she says they must have slept in the moonbeams. Mummy Tyl nsks after Neighbor Berlingot's litttle girl, who is ill. Only one thing will maKe her hettter, says the neighbor, and that is Tyltyl's bird. Tyltyl fetches the old cage which holds the bird. His bird has become blue! The Blue Bird they Mere searching for was at home all the time. The boy opens the cage, and the bird flies away; because Happiness refuses to live caged. The "lesson" of the poem-play is that we may search for Happiness in distant lands while it is our own home—at our own fireside.