Chantecler: Play in Four Acts

Play in Four Acts
By EDMOND ROSTAND
Translated By GERTRUDE HALL
1910
Chantecler Patou The Blackbird The Peacock The Nightingale The Grand-duke The Screech-owl Little Scops The Game-cock The Hunting Dog A Carrier-pigeon The Wood-pecker The Turkey The Duck The Young Guinea-cock The Pheasant-hen The Guinea-hen The Old Hen The White Hen The Grey Hen The Black Hen The Speckled Hen The Tufted Hen A Gander. A Capon. Chickens. Chicks. A Cockerel. A Swan. A Cuckoo. Night-birds. Fancy Cocks. Toads. A Turkey-hen. A Goose. A Garden Warbler. A Woodland Warbler. A Spider. A Heron. A Pigeon. A Guinea-pig. Barnyard animals. Woodland Creatures. Rabbits. Birds. Bees. Cicadas. Voices.
The customary three knocks are heard. The drop-curtain wavers and is rising, when a voice rings out, “Not yet!” and the Manager, a gentleman of important mien in evening dress, springing from his proscenium box, hurries toward the stage, repeating, “Not yet!”
The curtain is again lowered. The Manager turns toward the audience, and resting one hand on the prompter’s box, addresses them:
The curtain is a wall,—a flying wall. Assured that presently the wall will fly—why haste? Is it not charming to delay—and just look at it for a while?
Charming to sit before a great red wall, hanging beneath two gilt masks and a scroll—The thrilling moment is when the curtain thrills, and sounds come from the other side.
You are desired to-night to listen to those sounds and entering the scene before you see it, to wonder and surmise—
Bending his ear, the Manager listens to the sounds now beginning to come from behind the curtain.
A footstep—is it a road? A flutter of wings—is it a garden?