COME ON, KITTEN! (Translated by O. Zhivago)
Worldwide is a garbage dump.
How to clean this filthy sump?
How to cure this crazy world?
Our days are dark and cold.
Those who rule us are malicious
Caddish, impudent, suspicious
And to us they've always lied.
Never mind.
Our indifference and fears
Ruin up our souls and ears.
They can't hear very much,
Only "March!"
Folly laziness and lies,
Whim that nobody denies,
Cruelty is going fatter,
If there's somebody to flatter.
If there's somebody to lie,
Garbage dumps would never die.
~ ~ ~
THE DANDELION
THE KITTEN
THE SMART CAT
THE FLY
THE LITTLE CARP
THE MOTH
THE POT THE OLD BOOT
ACT 1
The Pot's rattling. The Kitten, The the Little Carp, The Moth and the Fly alarmed.
EVERYBODY. What has happened? What has happened? What has happened here? Who is making these sounds?
THE POT. Horror, horror, disaster!
EVERYBODY. What's the matter? Quickly tell us about it! What's the matter? Quickly tell us! What? Would you tell us about it?
THE POT. Help! Help! We are lost!
EVERYBODY. Who is missing? Who is missing? One, two, three, four… The Boot is missing. Where is the Boot? We've lost The Boot. One, two, three, four… Where is The Smart Cat? We've lost The Smart Cat!
THE POT (keeps rattling). Quickly! Quickly! Come on! Help!
EVERYBODY. Help! And what has happened? What has happened?
THE POT. Is everybody here?
EVERYBODY. Everybody! Oh, no, not everybody! The Boot is missing, The Smart Cat is missing. Well, well, speak!
THE POT. Save yourselves!
EVERYBODY. Save yourselves! Save yourselves!
THE MOTH. But I can't save myself, I have no wings. Please, someone save me.
THE KITTEN. I don't know how to save myself. Please, someone teach me.
THE POT. The Smart Cat and The Boot must have already saved themselves. And we'll be lost here!
EVERYBODY. We'll be lost…
THE KITTEN. I don't know how to be lost. I'm so small. Please, someone teach me.
THE POT. Save yourselves!
EVERYBODY. Save yourselves, before it's too late.
THE KITTEN. You know, Fly, I want to learn quickly how to save myself?
THE LITTLE CARP and THE MOTH. So do we! So do we! We want to save ourselves too!
THE FLY. To save yourselves you have to do this way: don't care a bother about anything. You, Moth, don't care about The little Carp. And you, Kitten, don't care about the Moth.
THE KITTEN. I can't. Teach me!
THE FLY. Oh, it's very easy to do. You must tell the Moth that you are bored with him. Well, then!
THE KITTEN (To The Moth). I'm bored with you.
THE MOTH. Why are you bored with me, Kitten?
THE FLY. Don't you dare answer him! Go away from him! This is called saving oneself.
THE KITTEN. So easy? Then I'll hurry on… Oh!
THE OLD BOOT. Stop, Kitten. Where are you galloping to?
THE KITTEN. I'm saving myself. I can teach you how to do it. You, Boot, just tell me that you are bored with me. Now, then!
THE OLD BOOT. I'm bored with all of you.
THE POT. He doesn't understand. He doesn't want to save himself! He doesn't hear! Listen! Everybody, listen!
THE POT (stops ratting). (A rustle is heard.) Do you hear? Haven't told you? Now you can make sure! Save yourselves!
THE OLD BOOT. Whom from?
THE POT. From him, from this one. Just here.
THE KITTEN. Hey! Who is there?
THE MOTH. Is it silent?
THE LITTLE CARP. Isn't answering?
THE KITTEN. It is rustling.
EVERYBODY. It is rustling.
THE KITTEN. It's climbing out.
EVERYBODY. It's climbing out.
THE KITTEN. It's creeping up.
EVERYBODY. It's creeping up.
THE POT. I warned you! I warned you! I was the first to sound!
THE FLY. Now then… Let me listen… What could it be? One, two, three, four… Boot?.. No, The Boot is here. May be The Cat? Hey, Cat. Have you heard me? Ca-a-t! It's rustling. It's scratching.
THE KITTEN. The Smart Cat can't rustle. He growls and then at once rushes at you. Here it is something else. Let us do it this way: you all go away and I'll sneak up and catch it. I can do it, The Smart Cat taught me.
THE OLD BOOT. And if it goes all the way round and it catches you?
EVERYBODY. It will catch you! It will catch you!
THE LITTLE CARP. Let me listen too. Well then? Now it is scratching louder.
THE POT. Save yourselves!
THE OLD BOOT. But who would steal up on us from under the earth?
THE LITTLE CARP. May be this is… May be this is… a mountain growing!
EVERYBODY. A mountain!
THE LITTLE CARP. Oh, yes! Have you ever seen how the mountains grow? They simply grow up and that's all. When I was The Goldfish!..
EVERYBODY. Tell us, tell us, Little Carp, what are mountains?
THE LITTLE CARP. Mountains - it's something… it's something huge!
THE FLY. Don't listen to him, I've flow all over the world, I've been everywhere.
EVERYBODY. Tell us, tell us, have you even seen the mountains?
THE FLY. To be sure, there is no such thing as mountains in the world.
THE KITTEN. But something is scratching here?
EVERYBODY. And what in the whole world is there? Tell us, tell us!
THE LITTLE CARP. There is the sea.
EVERYBODY. The sea! Tell us, have you ever seen the sea?
THE FLY. The sea is something that doesn't exist either.
EVERYBODY. And what does exist in the world? Tell us!
THE FLY. Then listen… I've flown all over the world. I've been everywhere. There are only garbage dumps in the world. Big and small ones. I've flown all over the world. I've seen everything. Everything!
THE MOTH. Don't listen to her. It's not true! There are the mountains behind the thistles.
THE LITTLE CARP. There is the sea behind the thistles!
THE MOTH and THE LITTLE CARP. The world is quite quite different there behind the Thistles.
EVERYBODY. The world!
THE MOTH and THE LITTLE CARP. There, behind the thistles the life is different too.
EVERYBODY. Life!
THE FLY. Over there on that other garbage dump everything is just the same. Well, how about scratching?
THE KITTEN. It's very close.
THE LITTLE CARP. Here is a big mountain growing!
THE FLY. There is no such thing as mountain.
THE OLD BOOT. Yes. That's true. There were the mountains before, indeed. But now I won't find a thing like that.
EVERYBODY. Where are they?
THE OLD BOOT. They are worn out. Everything is worn out. Everything falls into decay. Everything gets older and goes to ruin.
THE MOTH. But there is the sun in the world.
THE OLD BOOT. It will be worn out too.
THE FLY. And there won't be any sun in the world!
THE LITTLE CARP. But the moon will remain.
THE POT. The moon! Why do you think it is better than me, the old pot? I used to be a shining star too when I was young. And now look at me?
THE OLD BOOT. And the moon will be worn out too.
THE POT. And the stars will be worn out.
THE FLY. And you know what'll be left? One big garbage dump.
THE POT and THE OLD BOOT. Which will be worn out too!
THE KITTEN. Look! Look! It's growing up! It's growing up!
THE LITTLE CARP. And I told you that it was the mountain!
THE FLY. Ha-ha-ha! It is so small! Smaller then The Kitten!
THE LITTLE CARP. But it'll rise soon.
THE FLY. It is such a charming green!
THE MOTH. Yes, it is still green. But then it becomes mature, and the show-white peak shows up, and the pine grove covers its slopes. And the sun rises and thaws the top, fast streams break into a run and form lakes and those in turn flow together into the blue of the sea.
THE LITTLE CARP. And then again I'll become The Goldfish. Oh, I already feel my fins growing! Look, Moth, have you noticed?
THE MOTH. And I'll be fluttering among slender pine trees and drinking the Alpine flowers' nectar. Look, Little Carp, I already feel my wings growing!
THE KITTEN. And me! And me too! Me too!
THE POT. It looks like they have stopped growing! They are so small!
THE OLD BOOT. I think, Little Carp, that there is no place for you to swim here!
THE LITTLE CARP. But it has already two little blue lakes!
THE POT. I think, Moth, there isn't any place for you to fly here…
THE MOTH. But on its summit I can already see a little Alpine flower blossoming.
THE FLY. I know what is it, I suppose. Surely it isn't a mountain. Because a mountain is something that you won't find anywhere. I have already seen it somewhere. Let me remember… On some other garbage dump. Yes. That's it. It looks like a flower. That's right, a flower.
EVERYBODY. Flower!
THE FLY. Sometimes they happen on garbage dumps.
THE POT. Are they dangerous?
THE FLY. Oh, no. They are totally harmless. First they are yellow for some reason. You can see a cloud on its crown! Then - for some reason - they become white. And then die. THE OLD BOOT. Oh yes, that's sure. I can remember too… A cloud, a cloud… Oh yes, they are useless, because they die rather quickly. Especially when you touch them or blow on them by chance.
THE POT. What a delicacy!
THE LITTLE CARP. So, I'll never swim in the blue sea?
THE MOTH. So, I'll never flutter among the high pine trees?
THE FLY. You can be certain now! I've flown all over the world, I've seen everything. The world is none other then the big garbage dump where sometimes a useless flower grows.
THE POT. What an uninteresting, boring fact!
THE MOTH. Well, I'm off. They say the winter will come some day. It's high time to build a cocoon.
THE OLD BOOT. Oh yes, that's sure. First comes the summer, then the autumn and then the winter is sure to come. It's high time to lace myself up.
THE LITTLE CARP. I will hide myself in the slime.
THE KITTEN. And I'll go somewhere and do something!
THE FLY. That's correct. You must leave it!
EVERYBODY. And we'll surely leave it!
THE KITTEN. But I don't know how to leave anyone…
THE FLY. Oh, it's so easy! It's quite like saving yourself. To leave you must just turn your back. And never run, but just go away slowly, without glancing back.
THE KITTEN. Aha, now I can do that! Soon I'll grow up and begin leaving everybody!
THE DANDELION. Ah!..
THE LITTLE CARP. Have you heard? May be it doesn't want to be left?
THE OLD BOOT. As for me, I've heard nothing…
THE DANDELION. Where am I?
THE MOTH. It is saying something!
THE POT. Probably he is saying something, but we don't hear anything. Is it true, Boot?
THE LITTLE CARP. Who are you?
THE DANDELION. A Dandelion.
THE LITTLE CARP. You see, he named himself. He has the name!
THE DANDELION. Where am I?
THE FLY. Ha-ha-ha! He is so stupid! He doesn't understand anything! He doesn't know where is he! He doesn't know what it is! Tis the World! Ha-ha-ha!
THE DANDELION. The world! I love the world!
THE FLY. He doesn't know yet that the world is the big garbage dump!
THE DANDELION. There is something that irritates my eyes…
THE FLY. Have you heard that? He doesn't feel yet! This is the light!
THE DANDELION. The light… I love the light!
THE FLY. Look at this fool! He doesn't how the sun can blind you.
THE DANDELION. Oh, what's happening to me? There is something moving inside me…
THE FLY. Ha-ha-ha! He still hasn't an idea! It is life!
THE DANDELION. Life!.. I love life so much!
THE FLY. He doesn't understand that he will die soon!
THE DANDELION. The world… light… life… I have light, the world and life. Seems I can understand it!
THE FLY. Poor thing! He is totally a beggar!
THE MOTH. And he hasn't any high pine-tree…
THE LITTLE CARP. Oh, yes, now I'm sure that he hasn't any blue lake!
THE MOTH. I've no where to flutter!
THE LITTLE CARP. I've no where to swim.
EVERYBODY. He has nothing. He is a beggar.
THE DANDELION. You have to fly? You need wings? Take my leaves. They will hold you in the air…
THE MOTH. Wings! I have new wings!
THE DANDELION. Take some of my golden hair. They will serve you for fins.
THE LITTLE CARP. Golden fins! I have golden fins!
THE MOTH. Look! Look! I'm rising! I'm flying!
EVERYBODY. Flying! Flying! What can you see there, Moth?
THE MOTH. The sun!
EVERYBODY. The sun! Rise higher. What more can you see?
THE MOTH. The world!
EVERYBODY. The world! What does it look like?
THE MOTH. It is wonderful!
EVERYBODY. Higher! Higher! What can you see behind the thistles?
THE MOTH. I can see… Ah! You are so small! Oh, no, I'm sinking. I have forgotten how to fly! I'm so excited!
THE LITTLE CARP. Here are my golden fins! I can make miracles!
EVERYBODY. Make a miracle, Moth!
THE LITTLE CARP. I want… want… No, I order! I order my fins to glare like the sun!
EVERYBODY. Ah!
THE MOTH. Seems I'm rising once more! Oh yes, I'm flying!
THE LITTLE CARP. I command my fins to glare stronger than the Sun!
EVERYBODY. Ah!
THE POT. I can glare too. I'm glaring!
THE OLD BOOT. That's great, splendid!
THE LITTLE CARP. What a filthy mess here!
THE MOTH. So much dust here!
THE OLD BOOT. So it looks like a garbage dump!
EVERYBODY. A garbage dump!
THE KITTEN (to The Dandelion). And for me! For me? Have you got something for me? Squandered everything? You, greedy-guts. Nothing is left for me!
Somebody growls, The Smart Cat.
THE SMART CAT.
What kind of profit,of profit,
of profit,
Can I get here?
What kind of fun?
When the moon is shining
Or the sun
Or the sun
Or the sun…
Why are you so nervous,
What are you looking for?
You know Cat is coming
That's great misfor…
Silence! You fool, be carefu-u-l,
be carefu-u-l,
Can you deceive anyone?
THE DANDELION. No.
THE KITTEN. Deceive! Neither can I!
THE SMART CAT. May be you can attack?
THE DANDELION. No.
THE KITTEN. Attack! Tell me quickly how to attack!
THE SMART CAT. Or you can be a thief?
THE DANDELION. No!
THE KITTEN. To be a thief! That's my dream to become a thief!
THE SMART CAT. Oh it's so easy. Well, then, everybody, come here. So do you, Moth. Well, come nearer. Now I'll show you something interesting. You must do this way… One, two, three… Finish!
THE MOTH. My new wings!
THE SMART CAT. Tearing your wings in pieces! That is what we call deception.