Scene FIRSTThe NIGHT-BIRDS, of all sorts and.sizes, form'a great circle, perching in tiers on the branches, the briers, the stones; the CAT crouches in the grass; the BLACKBIRD hops hither and thither on a fagot.At the rise of the curtain the NIGHT-BIRDS are discovered, motionless, black shapes with closed eyes. The GRAND DUKE is perched upon a tree branch above the rest. The SCREECH-OWL'S phosphorescent eyes alone are wide open. He proceeds with the roll-call, and at every name two great round eyes brighten in the dark.THE SCREECH-OWL. [Calling] Strix![Two eyes light up.] Scops![Two more eyes light up.] Grand-Duke![Two more eyes.] Metascops![Two more eyes] Minor![Two more eyes] ONE NIGHT-BIRD. [To the other.] The Great Bubo presides.THE SCREECH-OWL. [Calling.] Owl of the Wall! Of the Belfry! Of the Cloister! Of the Yew![At every name two more eyes have opened wide.] A NIGHT-BIRD. [To another just arriving.] The roll is called!THE OTHER. I know. All there is to do is to open our eyes.THE SCREECH-OWL. Agio! Nictea! Nyctalis![Three more pairs of eyes have opened.] Brachyotus![No eye opening at the name, he repeats.] Brachyotus!ONE OF THE NIGHT-BIRDS. He will be here directly. He stopped to eat a linnet.BRACHYOTUS. [Arriving.] Present!THE SCREECH-OWL. Not one of them would miss, when the meeting relates to the Cock!BRACHYOTUS. Not one!THE SCREECH-OWL. Carine![Two eyes open.] Caparacoch![No eye opening, he repeats emphatically.] Ca-pa-ra-coch! Well? Well?CAPARACOCH. [Arriving out of breath, opens his eyes, faltering an excuse.] I live a long way off!THE SCREECH-OWL. [Drily.] You should have started the earlier![Look- ing around.] We are all present, I believe.[Calling.] Flammeolus! And Flammeoline![All the eyes are now open.] THE GRAND-DUKE. [Solemnly.] Before beginning, let us give, but not too loud, the cry which makes us all as one!ALL. Long live the Night!And in a weird, savage, hurried chorus, interspersed with hoots and flapping of wings, all, talking together and, rocking themselves in hideous glee:THE GRAND-DUKE. Praise the Night, discreet, propitious,When with wadded wing and muted  O'er the sleeping world we fly,And the partridge in the bracken Ne'er suspects the hovering presence Till we pounce without a cry.THE SCREECH-OWL. Praise the Night, convenient, secret, When in slaughtering baby rabbits We can do it at our ease,Daub the grass with blood in comfort, Spare the pains to look like heroes, Be ourselves where no one sees!AN OLD HORNED-OWL. Praise the density of darkness!A WOOD-OWL. The intensity of stillness Letting crunching bones be heard!A BARN-OWL. Freshness pleasantly contrasting With the genial warmth of blood drops Spurting from a strangled bird!THE WOOD-OWL. Praise the black rock oozing terror!THE SCREECH-OWL. And the cross-roads where our screeches, Furrowing the startled air,Our demoniac yelling, hooting, Make the hardened unbeliever Cross himself and fall to prayer!THE GRAND-DUKE. Praise the snares of the great Weaver, Night, whose only fault or weakness Is her tolerance of stars!THE SCREECH-OWL. For spectators are not wanted At the work of plucking fledglings Be they Jupiter and Mars!THE GRAND-DUKE. Praise the Night, when we take vengeance On the goldfinch for his beauty, On the titmouse for his grace!When the darkness takes possession Let them tremble, those confiding Hostages of Day's!THE WOOD-OWL. For there is a choice in murder!THE GRAND-DUKE. And the inkier the blackness All the clearer do we seeTo select the whitest pigeon In the dove-cote, and the bluest Blue jay on the shuddering tree!THE BARN-OWL. Praise the hour and taste and relish Of the eggs we suck, destroying Hopes of many a haughty line!THE SCREECH-OWL. And the councils where in whispers We prepare what shall resemble Accidents by. every sign!THE GRAND-DUKE. Praise the shadow's grim suggestions! The advantage over others We inherit through their fright!THE SCREECH-OWL. For our grisly cachinnations Give the very eagle goose-flesh ALL TOGETHER. Praise our patroness, the Night!THE GRAND-DUKE. And now let the Screech-Owl in his russet robe take
the floor.SEVERAL VOICES. Silence!THE BLACKBIRD. [On his fagot.] What an awf'ly lovely evening party!THE SCREECH-OWL. [Oratorically] Brethren of the Night THE GRAND-DUKE. [To the OWL next to him] The meeting-place seems
to me particularly well chosen. The blackest spot, the
moldiest tree. To the right, old postherds. To the
left, in the dark between the hollies the view!THE SCREECH-OWL. Brethren of the Night! AN OWL. There comes the Mole!SEVERAL VOICES. Silence!THE OWL. She must have taken, to come here, a route below the
roots of the daisies THE BLACKBIRD. The subway, what else?THE GRAND-DUKE. [To his neighbor.] Is that the Blackbird?THE BLACKBIRD. [Coming forward.] Yes, your Grace. And the two
agate balls over there are the Cat.THE GRAND-DUKE. I can hear him licking his paws.THE SCREECH-OWL. [Resuming.] Brethren of the Night! Inasmuch as
everybody here and we plume ourselves upon it!
is possessed of the evil eye ALL THE BIRDS. [Chuckling and rocking in their peculiarly disgusting
and characteristic fashion.] Ha, ha!THE GRAND-DUKE. [Spreading his wings to demand silence.] Hush![All return to their appalling stillness.] THE BLACKBIRD. My eye is merely roguish. I am here to look on,
you know, without taking sides, in the artist spirit,
that's all.AN OWL. If you are not taking sides, then you are siding with
us!THE BLACKBIRD. Oh, I say, what a primitive notion!THE SCREECH-OWL. [Completing his sentence.] Let us express ourselves
with simple and direct malevolence: the Cock is a robber!ALL. A robber! He robs us!THE BLACKBIRD. Now, what the Robs you of what?THE GRAND-DUKE. Of health! Gladness!THE BLACKBIRD. How is that?THE SCREECH-OWL. By his crowing!THE GRAND-DUKE. His crowing brings on enlargement of the spleen and
pericarditis! For it heraldsTHE BLACKBIRD. [Hopping about.] Oh, I see - The light![All make a violent motion in his direction; the BLACK-
BIRD, frightened, hides among the fagots.] THE GRAND-DUKE. [Emphatically.] Never speak that word! When that
word is spoken, Night at the horizon feels a crawling
discomfort, a titillation underneath her wing.THE BLACKBIRD. [Cautiously correcting himself.] The brightness of [General start of dismay repeated; the BLACKBIRD again
dodges behind the fagots.] AN OWL. [Hurriedly] Never utter that horrible grating word,
which so hatefully suggests the scratching of a match!THE SCREECH-OWL. You should express yourself: The Cock heralds the
folding back of the pall THE BLACKBIRD. But the day [Start and threatening gesture from all.] ALL. [In voices of unspeakable anguish.] Not that word!THE GRAND-DUKE. You must refer to it as "that which will be!"THE BLACKBIRD. What difference does it make whether or not he
heralds the ALL. [Stopping him,] Ha!THE BLACKBIRD. the folding back of the pall, since that which
will be will be!THE GRAND-DUKE. [In tones of despair.] Simple torture it is to hear a
brazen throat forever reminding you of what you know
to be only too true!ALL. [Writhing in pain.] Too true! Too true!THE GRAND-DUKE. He begins while the night is still pleasant and coolCRIES ON ALL SIDES. He is a robber, a thief!THE GRAND-DUKE. He cheats us!ALL THE OWLS. He cheats us! Cheats us!THE GRAND-DUKE. Of the good bit of night there still is left.AN OWLET. He compels us to leave our posts beside the warrensTHE SCREECH-OWL. Our feasts of steaming flesh!THE WOOD-OWL. The witches' routs where we ride perched on the fist
of a hag!THE GRAND-DUKE. After cock-crow an Owl is no longer in his normal
stateTHE SCREECH-OWL. He does evil in a hurry!THE GRAND-DUKE. And bungles it in consequence!THE OLD HORNED-OWL. As soon as the Cock has crowed all becomes tem-
porary, provisionalTHE BARN-OWL. Though the Night be still black, we are painfully
aware of it growing less and less black!THE SCREECH-OWL. When his metallic voice has cleft the night, we squirm
like a worm in a fruit that is cut in two.THE BLACKBIRD. [On his fagot, mystified.] The other Cocks, how-
ever THE GRAND-DUKE. Their song creates no uneasiness. It is his song
which must be silenced.ALL THE NIGHT-BIRDS. [Flapping their wings, in a long lament.] Silenced!
Silenced!AN OWL. How can it be accomplished?THE SCREECH-OWL. The Blackbird here has worked in our cause.THE BLACKBIRD. WhoI?THE SCREECH-OWL. Yes, you laughed at him.ALL. [Cackling.] Ha, ha!THE GRAND-DUKE. [Spreading his wings.] Hush![They resume their
sinister stillness.] THE SCREECH-OWL. But his song has not acted any the less directly on
our gall-bladders for the fun that has been made of
him. He has grown stronger than ever since he was
found ridiculous.ALL. What shall we do?THE SCREECH-OWL. The Peacock, that great boobyALL. [Cackling and rocking.] Ha, ha!THE GRAND-DUKE. [Opening his wings.] Hush![All instantly motionless.] THE SCREECH-OWL. Through the Peacock, likewise working in our cause,
the Cock came out of fashion. But his song is just as
inconvenient, in fashion or out of it. He is all the more
proudly uncompromising for no longer being in style.ALL. What shall we do?AN OWL. Cut his throat!CRIES. Death to the Cock!AN OWL. Death to that aristocrat posing as a democrat and
socialist!ANOTHER. With spurs on his heels, but a liberty cap on his head!THE GRAND-DUKE. Night-birds all, arise![ALL, arising with outspread wings and glaring eyes,
increase enormously in size. The night appears
doubly dark] THE BLACKBIRD. [With unabated lightness.] Midnight to the fore!THE SCREECH-OWL. Kill him! But how can we, when our eyes cease to
see the moment he comes out?ALL. [Wailing like an ancient chorus.] Woe!THE OLD HORNED-OWL. [Craftily.] How killfrom afar?THE GEAND-DUKE. By means of what secret spring?A VOICE. [From the tree.] Duke, may I lay a plan before the
assembly?THE GRAND-DUKE. Scops! Let us hear!ALL. [At sight of a small OWL dropping from a bough, and
coming forward with tiny hops.] Scops, dear little Scops!SCOPS. [Bowing before the GRAND-DUKE.] You are aware,
mighty Blind-by-day-and-seer-by-night, that in pleasant
gardens up yonder hill a breeder of birds termed
aviculturist, raises for exhibitions termed agricultural,
the most magnificent Cocks of the most extraordinary
varieties. Now, that great discoverer of rare birds, the
Peacock, who, possessing a voice which pierces the ear-
drum, cannot abide a voice which pierces the darkness
the Peacock, whose specialty it is to confer celebrity
upon every strange beast THE GRAND-DUKE. [To his neighbour.] From every strange region!SCOPS. Cherishes the dream of presenting these same Cocks
to-morrow, in the kitchen garden, at the ALL TOGETHER. [Laughing.] Guinea-hen's!SCOPS. And launching among her set these Birds whose glory
will be the finishing blow to the glory of Chantecler.THE BLACKBIRD. Flatten him out like a pan cake!THE SCREECH OWL. But those Cocks are always locked in!SCOPS. I am coming to that. This evening, when a maid,
having entered their wire-netted close, was scattering
corn in a golden shower, I started up suddenly from
the hollow of a pollard willow, and the girl AN OWL. [To his neighbour.] What a bright mind, our little
Scops!SCOPS. At sight of the ill-omened bird ALL. [Cackling and rocking.] Ha, ha!THE GRAND-DUKE. [Spreading his wings.] Hush![All suddenly still.] SCOPS. Fled, with one arm across her eyes! The cage was
left open, and the whole fantastic host will meet Chantecler
to-morrow at the ALL. [With peals of laughter.] Guinea-hen's!THE BLACKBIRD. He is not going. He has refused.SCOPS. The devil!THE CAT. [Quietly.] Go on, Scops. He will be there.THE BLACKBIRD. [Looking at him from a distance.] What do you know
about it, pocket panther?THE CAT. I saw a Pheasant-hen exciting his admiration, and I
saw that he would go.THE BLACKBIRD. It's when you're sound asleep that you see everything!THE GRAND-DUKE. [To SCOPS.] Very well, then, let us suppose him
going.SCOPS. Chantecler, for all his fame, has retained his bluff
country squire's frankness. When he sees this THE BLACKBIRD. [Prompting.] Tea-fight SCOPS. And the contortions of thoseTHE BLACKBIRD. [Same business.] Snobs SCOPS. In the presence of those THE BLACKBIRD. [Same business.] Big guns SCOPS. He is sure to say things which they are equally sure
to take up.THE GRAND-DUKE. [Thrilled.] And do you believe that a cock-fight ?SCOPS. Such is my fond hope.THE CAT. But listen, Scops. Suppose Chantecler should win?SCOPS. Know, Angora, that there will be among those fancy
cocks a genuine game-cock, lean, with tawny wing, the
same who THE BLACKBIRD. [Seeing the OWLS Ruff out their feathers for joy] Sensation among the audience!SCOPS. The same who has defeated the most famous champions,
the White Pile. And as this victor in Flemish
and English encounters wears at his heels, for the defter
despatching of his enemy, two razors fastened there by
the ingenuity of man, by to-morrow night Chantecler
will be dead, and his eyes picked out of their sockets.THE SCREECH-OWL. [Enthusiastically.] We will go and gloat over his
corpse!THE GRAND-DUKE. [Risen to his full height, formidable.] And his comb,
which looked above his forehead like an incarnate bit
of scarlet dawn, we will take his comb, our dearest
dream at length fulfilled! And we will eat it!ALL. [With a yell, which ends in their ferocious cackling and
rocking] And we will eat it, eat it, ha, ha!THE GRAND-DUKE. [Spreading his wings.] Hush![Dead silence.] SCOPS. And after thatTHE BLACKBIRD. [Hopping.] It's quite a tidy proposition as it
standsSCOPS. What?THE BLACKBIRD. Your scheme! By Jingo, if I were the sort of bird
to take things solemnly, I would go straight to the
Cock and tell him. But I will do nothing of the sort.[He concludes, with four little hops] For I know that
all this will turn out beautifully!SCOPS. [Ironically] Beautifully indeed![He continues in
growing excitement.] And after that, if those absurd
Cocks of far-fetched breeds have not by to-morrow
evening gone back to their cages, we will eat them all,
no longer good for anything!THE GRAND-DUKE. [In his neighbours ear] And after that we will eat
the Blackbird for dessert.THE BLACKBIRD. [Who has not caught the last sentence] What did he
say?SCOPS. [Quickly.] Nothing![In a still increasing frenzy of
glee] And after that [In the distance: Cock-a-doodle-doo! Instant silence.
SCOPS stops short and collapses, as if mown down.
All the puffed OWLS appear suddenly to have grown
thin] ALL. [Looking at one another and blinking] What is it?
What was that?[They hastily spread their wings and call
to one another for flight] Grand-Duke! Minor! Minimus!THE BLACKBIRD. [Hopping from one to the other] Going? So soon?
Why, what's your hurry?VOICE. [Of one of the NIGHT-BIRDS calling to another] Nyctalis!THE BLACKBIRD. It's hours before daybreak. Oceans of time, you have!AN OWL. Asio, are you coming?ANOTHER OWL. [Calling.] Nictea!ANOTHER. [Fluttering up to him] Yes, my dear![They all stagger and trip over their wings] THE BLACKBIRD. What' makes them stumble?THE NIGHT-BIRDS. [Winking and blinking with marked evidences of pain] Oh, how it hurts! Ow! Ow!THE BLACKBIRD. Lightning opthalmia, I declare![One by one the OWLS fly off] THE GRAND-DUKE. [The last to go, spins on himself with a cry of pain and
rage] How does he contrive, that pernicious Cock, to
have a voice that fairly puts out your eyes![He heavily
flaps off.] VOICES of THE NIGHT-BIRDS. [In the distance.] Strix!THE BLACKBIRD. [Looking after them among the branches, and later in
the blue space over the valley.] They are calling one
another!VOICE IN THE DISTANCE. Scops!THE BLACKBIRD. [Bending over the valley, where the dark wings are
dwindling and fading] They wheel waver dip VOICES. [Dying in the distance] Owl of the Wall! Of the
Belfry! Of the Yew!THE BLACKBIRD. Gone![He looks about, gives a hop, and with an
immediate return to levity.] But it's supper-time. Now for
a bite of cold grasshopper![The PHEASANT-HEN sud-
denly flies over the brushwood tangle, dropping beside him.] You! |