The Blue Bird Page #5

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- I think you ought to rest.

Tyltyl's almost asleep.

Why don't you sleep

a little while too?

- I am tired.

- Then sleep.

I'll be back to wake you.

Father Oak!

Father Oak!

- Eh? Eh?

- Oh, there you are.

Oh, what-what's all the commotion?

I've been shouting

my, lungs out for you.

- What's that?

- Didn't you hear me calling you?

- No.

- You get deafer and deafer.

It's the din of the woodsman's ax

always ringing in my ears.

- Summon the others, will you?

- What others?

Pine, Elm, Walnut, Maple-

Summon them all!

Now what's up? From your tone,

one would think the world

was coming to an end.

If you don't do as I say,

our world will come to an end.

- Oh, as bad as all that, eh?

- Worse.

- Hello! Hello!

- Summon them all! Willow, Lime, Beech!

Hello! Come along there, Beech!

Come on, Elm.|

We're waiting.

Hello.|

What's all the excitement? What's up?

Trees, what's the trouble?

- We don't know.

- Hello.|

Always something.

Nothing' but trouble!

Getting me up in

the middle of the night!

The old Crab Apple.

Now what's the matter with her?

Stop that blubbering, Willow.

Save your weeping for the river.

I can't bear it. I can't.

Bear what?

Uh, things.

Just things.

You see what I'm up against?

Come along. We don't need her.

I've got to get back.

- Well, I guess there are enough of us here.

- Then speak up.

- What's the matter?

- Why are we here?

Children of the woodcutter,

your mortal enemy...

are on their way here,

looking for the blue bird.

The blue bird?

I've put as many obstacles

in their way as I can.

Now it's up to you.

What do you want us to do?

Frighten them. Terrify them.

Put the fear of the devil into them!

So that they'll forget what they came for

and go back where they belong.

Remember what it means.

- Oak, I'll rely upon you.

- Yes.

- We'll fix them!

- That's right!

- It's going to be jolly, huh?

- Jolly? Are you all daft?

Didn't you hear what she said?

They're after the blue bird.

What good will it do to frighten them?

They'll only come back again and again.

- No, we must destroy them.

- Destroy them!

That's what man has done

to us for centuries.

- Yes, they've felled us by thousands.

- And shivered our timbers.|

- He's right!

- They must not escape.

Go tell Wind.

Whip him into a frenzy.

Get even our enemies to help.

Fire, Lightning- Let them all know.

Tell them, if need be,

we'll sacrifice even ourselves. Anything!

But there must be no mistake.

There must be no failure.

Those children must die!

- Oak's right!

- I'll beat them with my branches!

- We'll do away with them!

- Go! Go quickly, all of you!

Isn't it peaceful and quiet?

But I don't see any blue birds.

I don't see any birds at all.

Well, the trees are full

of them. You'll see.

Oh, Mytyl, look at this big old tree.

Wouldn't Daddy love to chop it down?

Looks like a storm is blowing up.

We'd better go someplace

till this blows over.

Mytyl, wait.|

Why, don't we hide in here?

First time a tree ever turned on me.

Tylo.| Here, I'll help you up.

Are you hurt?

It is a storm. I knew it.

- Looks more like a tornado.

- Don't get excited. There's no danger.

Come on! We'd better get out of here!

Come on, Tyltyl.

No, no! This way!

Mytyl! Mytyl!

- Are you hurt?

- I'm all right.

- Let's keep on going.

- Come on. I'll take care of you.

Follow me!

I know the way out!

- Let's go back!

- The storm's worse back there. Come on!

This way!

Come on!

Don't listen to her!

She's trying' to trap us!

Help! Help!

Save me!

- Tylette!

- Come back here!

- We've got to save her, Tylo!

- You can't go through that fire!

- We've got to!

- It's too late! We'll be

burned up ourselves!

Quick, into the boat!

Oh, Light, will you forgive us?

We shouldn't have gone without you.

You're safe now.

That's all that matters.

We've been rowing all night.

Lightning struck.

The whole forest went up in flames.

Yes, Lightning and Fire

are my stepbrothers.

They can be very wicked.

- We nearly got burned up.

- Tylette did get burned up.

She got what she deserved.

Oh, don't say that, Tylo.

Poor Tylette.

There, dear. Don't be unhappy.

What about the blue bird?

We didn't see one. Not one.

We didn't have time to look.

If you ask me,

there isnt no such bird.

Oh, there is, Tylo. There must be.

Of course there is.

You haven't looked everywhere.

There's still the Kingdom of the Future.

- The future?

- Why, yes.

- So many wonderful things

are in the future.

- Not me.

I've seen enough wonderful things.

- Oh, please, Tylo.

- You've got to come with us, Tylo.

Sorry. All I can see in the future for me

is aching bunions.

- Then will you wait for us?

- Gladly. And take your time.

Come. We'd better get started.

- Is the future far?

- No, just over the hill.

Keep climbing up and up

as far as you can go.

Can't you come with us this time?

You won't need me.

When you're ready to leave,

I'll come for you.

Did you ever see so many children?

You don't suppose

they're all one family?

Look! Live children!

Look at the live children!

- Why do they call us ''live children''?

- I don't know.

Let's go talk to them.

You're live children, aren't you?

- Of course we're alive. Aren't you?

- Oh, no.

Not yet. We're waiting to be born.

How funny you're dressed!

I was thinking the same about you.

- What are those things on your feet?

- They're my shoes.

Shoes?

What are they for?

They're to protect your feet

from thorns and stones and from the cold.

It's all very confusing, but I suppose

we'll understand it when we're born.

- Why don't you get born?

- Oh, we will, but we have to wait our turn.

I'll be born in three years.

- I'm going to be born to a throne.

- Is it nice on Earth?

- Oh, yes. It's all right.

- It's beautiful.

Mytyl.| Oh, Mytyl!

- Mytyl!

- Hello.

- You're Mytyl and Tyltyl.

- How do you know our names?

That's not very surprising.

I'm going to be your little sister.

- What?

- Our sister?

Oh! You're coming to live with us.

- Yes.

- When?

Well, I don't know just when.

In a year perhaps.

- That's wonderful.

- Yes, in a way.

''In a way''? There'll be three of us.

We'll have lots of fun.

- Not for very long.

- Why, not?

I'll only be with you a little while.

And then you're going away?

- Yes.

- Oh.

- It's hardly worthwhile you

coming at all, is it?

- Shh!

It would seem so,

but we can't pick and choose.

What are they doing?

- They are working.

- Working at what?

Oh, all kinds of things.

Go and see, if you like.

They won't mind.

Oh, it's been wonderful seeing you.

- Good-bye, little sister.

- Good-bye.

I'll tell Mummy you're coming.

Would you like to see my discovery?

- Oh, yes.

- What is it?

It doesn't look like much, I know,

but it will save a lot of suffering.

- How?

- It will put people to sleep

when they're in pain.

Suppose you broke your arm.

This will put you to sleep

while they fix it.

And I wouldn't feel anything? No pain?

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