A VOICE
Let us go to sleep—­

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-cock.]

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 phosphorescent 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?