At the right, a house over-clambered with wistaria. At the left, the
farmyard gate, letting on to the road. A dog-kennel. At the back, a low
wall, beyond which distant country landscape. The details of the setting
define themselves in the course of the act._
SCENE FIRST
_The whole barnyard company,_ HENS, CHICKENS, CHICKS, DUCKS, TURKEYS,
_etc.;_ THE BLACKBIRD _in his cage_, THE CAT _asleep on the wall, later_
A BUTTERFLY _on the flowers._
THE WHITE HEN
[_Pecking._] Ah! Delicious!
ANOTHER HEN
What are you eating?
ALL THE HENS
[_Rushing to the spot._] What's she eating?
THE WHITE HEN
A small green beetle, crisp and nice, tasting of the rose-leaves he had
lived on.
THE BLACK HEN
[_Standing before the_ BLACKBIRD'S _cage._] Really, the Blackbird
whistles amazingly!
THE WHITE HEN
Any little street urchin can do as much!
THE TURKEY
[_Solemnly._] An urchin who had learned of a shepherd in Sicily!
THE DUCK
He never whistles his tune to the end--
THE TURKEY
That's too easy, carrying it to the end! [_He hums the tune the_
BLACKBIRD _has been whistling._] "How sweet to fare afield, and
cull--and cull--" You should know, Duck, that the thing in art is to
leave off before the end! "And cull--and cull--" Bravo, Blackbird!
[_The_ BLACKBIRD _comes out on the little platform in front of his cage
and bows._]
A CHICK
[_Astonished._] Can he get out?
BLACKBIRD
Applause is salt on my tail!
THE CHICK
But his cage?
THE TURKEY
He can come out, and he can go in again.
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