UNDERWORLD
Saturday, December 22, 2012 at 9:51AM 
PANTHER: Good day, Mrs. Night.
NIGHT: Good day? I’ve never heard that one. You might say “Good evening” at least.
PANTHER: I beg your pardon… Are those your children?
NIGHT: This is Sleep.
PANTHER: He is very fat.
NIGHT: That is because he sleeps so well.
PANTHER: And the other? Why does she hide her face?
NIGHT: That is Sleep’s sister. It is better not to mention her name… So you have come for the blue bird?
PANTHER: Yes, if you’ll allow me. Will you tell me where it is?
NIGHT: The bird of happiness resides behind one of those three doors. You may take only one thing with you when you leave this palace.
PANTHER: I understand.
He goes to the first door and opens it. The deafening sound of thunder suddenly fills the space. Three GHOSTS, in various forms, rush the door and try to get through. The PANTHER holds them off, and is able to shut the door.
The PANTHER collects himself and goes to the next door. He cautiously opens it. There is no noise or violence.
As the door is opened wide, a beautiful and calm vista is unveiled: a large fountain lit by the moon, backdropped by snow-capped mountains.
The PANTHER steps inside. Still nothing, but the sound of water from the ornate fountain becomes audible.
The SICKNESSES begin to crawl and stumble into view. They make a dismal approach, yearning for treatment and cures.
The PANTHER backs out of the room. One little SICKNESS, in slippers and a nightcap, frisks out of the room and into the chamber. The SICKNESS sneezes, coughs and wheezes.
PANTHER: Who is that?
NIGHT: That is Cold-in-the-Head, one of the smallest of the sicknesses. It’s nothing.
NIGHT gestures and the SICKNESS scurries back into the vista. The PANTHER closes the door.
The PANTHER approaches the final door and opens it wide. It is a sky full of blue birds. The sound of their wings fills the hall.
PANTHER: There are so many, an infinite number!
He reaches out and grabs armfuls of birds.
PANTHER: I’ve already caught seven of them! Here they are, so many of them!
He steps out of the room and looks into his arms. They’re all dead.
PANTHER: What have you done? They’re all dead.
NIGHT: There is only one that can live outside of this place.
Reader Comments (1)
with some citing of Maeterlinck