THE TURKEY [_On his roost, solemnly._] _Quandoque dormitat_--

THE BLACKBIRD [_In his cage._] Dormittimus!

CHANTECLER [_Very firmly to the_ PHEASANT-HEN.] I will not go. Good night.

THE PHEASANT-HEN [_Slightly offended._] Good night! [_With a curt hop she enters the dog-kennel._]

PATOU [_Falling asleep, stretched in front of his kennel._] Let us sleep until the sky grows pink--pink as--as--a puppy's tummy--

THE GUINEA-HEN [_Dropping off._] From five to six--

THE BLACKBIRD [_Likewise dropping off._] Tew--tew--[_He nods._] tew--

CHANTECLER [_Still at the top of the ladder._] All sleeps.--[_He spies a_ CHICK _stealing out._] Is that a chick I see?--[_Springing after him and driving him in._] Let me catch you!--[_In driving back the_ CHICK, _he finds himself near the kennel. He calls very softly._] Pheasant-hen!

THE PHEASANT-HEN [_Lost among the straw, sleepily._] What do you want?

CHANTECLER [_After a moment's hesitation._] Nothing.--Nothing! [_He goes back to the top of his ladder._]

THE PHEASANT-HEN Shall I be able to sleep, I wonder--

PATOU [_Falling sound asleep._] A puppy's tum--

THE PHEASANT-HEN [_Indistinctly, overcome by slumber._] To sleep under a roof?--I, with my gypsy tastes?

CHANTECLER I am going in. [_He disappears in the hen-house. He is heard saying in a dreamy voice._] It is time to shut my--my--

THE PHEASANT-HEN [_In a last effort._]--gyp--sy--tastes.--[_Her head nods and disappears among the straw._]

CHANTECLER [_His voice, sleepier and fainter._]--to shut my eyes--[_Silence. He sleeps. Two green eyes are seen suddenly kindling at the top of the wall._]

THE CAT And to open mine! [_Immediately two more yellow eyes shine forth from the darkness above the hay-c.o.c.k._]

A VOICE And mine! [_Two more yellow eyes on the wall._]

ANOTHER VOICE And mine! [_Two more yellow eyes._]

ANOTHER VOICE And mine!

SCENE EIGHTH

_The_ POULTRY-YARD _asleep. The_ CAT _awake. Three_ SCREECH-OWLS, _later the_ MOLE _and the_ VOICE _of the_ CUCKOO.

FIRST VOICE Two green eyes?

THE CAT [_Sitting up on the wall, and looking at the other phosph.o.r.escent eyes._] Six golden eyes?

FIRST VOICE On the wall?

THE CAT On the rick?--[_He calls._] Owls!

THE OWLS Cat!

THE BLACKBIRD [_Waking up._] What's this?

THE SCREECH-OWL [_To the_ CAT.] Great plot against him!

THE CAT To-night?

THE THREE OWLS To-night, too-whit!

THE CAT Pfitt!--Where?

THE OWLS The hollies, too-whoo!

THE CAT What o'clock?

THE OWLS Eight, too-whit! too-whoo!

FIRST OWL Bats weaving soft black snares of flight--

THE CAT Are they with us?

THE THREE OWLS They are!

FIRST OWL Mole, burrowing from nether to upper night--

THE CAT Is she with us?

THE THREE OWLS She is!

THE CAT [_Talking toward the house-door._] You, strike your eight strokes bravely, Cuckoo of the little clock!

THE SCREECH-OWL Is he with us?

THE CAT He is!--And I am pleased to tell you, silent night-watchers that some of the day-birds are likewise with us.

THE TURKEY [_Coming forward surrounded by a number of the barnyard const.i.tuents, obsequiously._] So it is settled for this evening, dear Round Eyes? You will be there?

THE OWLS We will be there! All the Round Eyes of the neighbourhood will be there!

THE BLACKBIRD That's a show I'd like to see!

PATOU [_In his sleep._] Grrrrrrr--