] You wish to imitate the sparrow, who,
rising on light wing, underlines his words with a telegraph wire! Very
well, I hate to grieve you, but--you know I can hear the sparrows when
they come to steal my corn!--you are not in it, you do not pull it off.
Your lingo is a fake!
THE BLACKBIRD
A--?
CHANTECLER
And your performance is a shine!
THE BLACKBIRD
He can talk slang?
CHANTECLER
I can talk anything!--It's the Paris article made in Germany!
THE BLACKBIRD
But--
CHANTECLER
Fire away, I think you said. I hope you don't mind my air-gun?
THE BLACKBIRD
I--
CHANTECLER
The Grand Master of Illuminations is entirely at your service. What do
you say?
THE BLACKBIRD
[_Hastily._] Nothing! [_He tries to get away._]
CHANTECLER
You wish to ape the sparrow of city streets! But his impudence is not a
manner of prudence, an art of remaining vague, an elegant method of
having no opinion. His eyes always express either wrath or delight. Do
you care to know the secret by which the little beggar, with his
"Chappie" and his "See" can steal away our hearts? It is that he is
frank and fearless that he believes, that he loves, that the railings of
a balcony where some child strews crumbs for him are the only cage he
ever knew! It is that one can be sure of his gaiety of soul, since he is
gay when he is hungry! But you who, void of gaiety because void of love,
have imagined that evil wit can take the place of good humour, and that
one can play the sparrow when he is a sleek and vulgar trimmer,
sniggering behind his wing, what I say to you is, "Guess again,
Mock-sparrow, guess again!"
THE GUINEA-HEN
[_Always applauding everything that is said at her receptions.
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