«Вперед, Котенок!» и другие... Сказки для театра [С иллюстрациями]

THE OLD BOOT. Go ahead!

Mute scene. They attach. The Fly.

THE FLY. What are you doing! They are trying to get over. You won't get over here! I can see everything.

THE OLD BOOT. Let's go ahead!

THE FLY. What are you doing! You'll be hurt all over! You'll be wounded, you'll tear your clothes!

THE MOTH. Go ahead!

THE FLY. So, I won't disturb you. Well… I can't understand. Look back! Look, what you've left! You've got used to such a way of living. And nobody knows, what's in store for you. You, Little Carp, have used to your bog. And Moth hasn't woven his cocoon to the winter yet. And what about you, Boot and Pot. What are your reasons? Did you need anything here? You lived by yourselves. And what are your reasons? And you, Kitten turn back, your best friend maybe dying there!

Everybody stop.

THE KITTEN. Don't look back! Don't turn back! Don't doubt!

THE FLY. It's silly of you to do it. You haven't gone a half of the way yet. Yes. I can see everything. And beside, behind these thistles there are the others. They are more frightful and thorny! I warn you!

THE MOTH. The are thorny…

THE LITTLE CARP. Frightful…

THE OLD BOOT. Oh-Oh! I've hurt myself!

THE POT. I got scratched!

THE LITTLE CARP. I've caught on it.

THE MOTH. I've hurt myself.

THE FLY. Go back!

THE KITTEN. Ahead! Let's gather our strength. Just a few have left to us.

THE OLD BOOT. How do you know?

THE POT. Who told you this?

THE LITTLE CARP. Listen, Fly, would it be better for us to turn to one side a little!

THE FLY. Turn to your right.

THE OLD BOOT. It's must easier here! Let's go here!

THE FLY. You'd better go to your right a little more!

THE POT. Go here! It's not so perilously here!

THE FLY. A little more once again!

THE LITTLE CARP. It's so easy to go right here! Go here, Friends!

THE KITTEN. Go ahead!

THE MOTH. We've got out!

THE KITTEN. It's the garbage dump!

EVERYBODY. The garbage dump!

THE FLY. Ha-ha-ha! Made sure? And now fall in and march in step. Let's sing a song!

THE OLD BOOT. Together!

THE POT. Come on, music!

THE LITTLE CARP. Hello, Sunshine!

THE MOTH. Our beautiful dream has got the wings!

Damp. The Smart Cat and The Dandelion.

THE SMART CAT. I've kept watching over him for the whole night. I've been lying in wait. I haven't had a wink of sleep for several nights. It fell to my lot… But, what the results are! — He's turned grey. Not me, it's Dandelion, that's turned grey. Any will turn grey, if your best friend leaves you. How unjust it's everywhere! Everywhere! But where's Fly? What are the results? Well, let's see… Dandelion… shone their way for the whole night. How can one do everything at once? I warned him not to do it! — In vain. He shone for the whole night. And here the results! I ask you to switch off the light, when you are leaving (I'm approaching to the point, you know.) I can't look at him — he's changed a lot for these 2 days: first he was green, then yellow and now he's turned grey. I feel pity for him. How could he do that? When you leave, please… Oh, I've already warned you about it. How awful it is! But that is what I wanted, didn't I? Well, it's dangerous to tell the truth. And what if this happens to me? Could I do it? Without having a wink of sleep… He shone for the whole night… Well, I've already told you about it. Let's wait for Fly to come. Let her look at him. But it's better not to look at him at all. How awful it is! Well, it's dangerous to tell the truth… And I've told you about it too! There's nothing unknown in this world. Everything has been told. For the life of me! Well… the only thing, left for us is to live ourselves, There is nothing to add. What happens to me? — I'm telling the truth, and there's nobody to listen to it. I have to be so sophisticated. And this is my life… Oh, my life… I was born. How was I born? — They simply threw me away, and that of it? They made me home my own way. And I have.

But who won't have it? Will he? Nobody asked him or tried to persuade him. Honest! What if you try to persuade me. Nobody knows, what will come of it… I have my own way, and I can rely only on myself. I don't need to think of anybody else… They'll get along without me. What a good boy I am! They'll keep me in mind! But will they! They'll forget me immediately! As if I have never lived here. Well, I'll get along without them! I shall! There are many of us here. And there are just a few of them.

They seem to be returning. I can hear them approaching. I am leaving… But why should I hide myself?.. It's my desert, that he… He's still alive! And what if I?..

Fly.

THE FLY. Well. I warned them. I was right. I flied and saw everything. He's such a delicate person. And what results! After one night of there were two of them? Or three of them? Well, Smart Cat, you've done a lot without me. What a good boy you are? I'll reward you for your devoted job. You know, there, in the ravine there is a fish head. It's for you.

THE SMART CAT. Thank you. But don't boast about yourself. Well I'm leaving… (He tries to listen.) No, I'll prefer to watch the meeting of the friends first. Perhaps, tears will fall from my eyes.

THE FLY. Well, let's watch it.

The Kitten, The Old Boot, The Pot, The Little Carp, The Moth singing.

How are you, heroes? How are you, Kitten? Where are your friend? And what about you, Little Carp, where are your fins? Moth, have you got your new wings? Ha-ha-ha! Why are you so silent? You sang your song while walking on your road: Together! Our song! Sun! Wings! Look at each other — what have you got? You are silent…

EVERYBODY. She deceived us.

THE KITTEN (to Dandelion). Are You silent? I've returned. Why do you keep silent? You lit our way the whole night. I could see our way even when my eyes got tired. But they deceived me. Do your hear me, Dandelion?

THE FLY. Certainly not, He's went deaf his sorrow.

THE DANDELION. I hear you…