The Blue Bird (1940)

Spring Byington: Mummy Tyl

Quotes 

• Mummy Tyl : Your daddy got up at daybreak and made a cage for your bird. Do you like it?

  Mytyl : Oh, Tyltyl, look! My bird, look what's happened to it! It's blue! It's the blue bird!

  Daddy Tyl : The blue bird?

  Mytyl : We looked everywhere for it, and all the time it was right here!

• Daddy Tyl : How many times have I told you, Mytyl? Not to trap birds in the woods.

  Mytyl : But, daddy! It's such fun!

  Daddy Tyl : It's not much fun for the bird.

  Mytyl : But, I need it!

  Daddy Tyl : What for?

  Mytyl : To sing for us... What do you think, mommy? Angela Berlingot wanted me to give it to her.

  Mummy Tyl : Well, why didn't you? It'd be something to cheer her up. Poor mite, sick in bed all winter.

  Mytyl : It's not my fault, she's sick.

  Mummy Tyl : Well, it's your fault, you're selfish.

  Daddy Tyl : You have so much that she hasn't, Mytyl.

  Mytyl : What have I got?

  Daddy Tyl : Health for one thing: to run free and play.

  Mytyl : Oh, that isn't anything.

  Daddy Tyl : Oh? Isn't it?

  Tyltyl : I wouldn't like to stay in bed all day.

  Mytyl : I wouldn't mind.

  Mummy Tyl : That'll do, Mytyl. Stop talking and eat your supper.

• Mytyl : Mommy?

  Mummy Tyl : What is it, Mytyl?

  Mytyl : Why do we have to be so poor all the time?

  Mummy Tyl : Poor? Us?

  Mytyl : Well, we are. We can't even have a party for Christmas.

  Daddy Tyl : You have a roof over your head, haven't you? And warm clothes.

  Mytyl : These old things?

  Daddy Tyl : And plenty to eat.

  Mytyl : Nothing I like, nothing good! Not like those rich children have... Cakes, candies, dolls to play with, pretty dresses, everything... I have nothing!

  Mummy Tyl : That's not true, dear. You have lots of things.

  Mytyl : What?

  Mummy Tyl : You have a father who works for you.

  Daddy Tyl : And a mother who cooks and cleans and mends.

  Mytyl : What's that? When other people has to much more? Big houses, servants, carriages that drive them... and look at us! Look at this old place!

  Mummy Tyl : Stop it, Mytyl! Stop it, at once! You ought to be ashamed of yourself.

  Mytyl : I'm not ashamed, I hate it! I hate it all!

  Daddy Tyl : Be quiet!

  Mummy Tyl : One more word for you, you'll go straight to bed. You're ungrateful child.

  Mytyl : I don't care!

  Mummy Tyl : Thoughtless, thankless.

  Mytyl : [begins to cry]  I'm so unhappy.

  Mummy Tyl : Well, of course you're unhappy. If you don't mend your ways, you'll never be happy. Never.

• Mytyl : Mummy, I'm sorry for the way I behaved at supper.

  Mummy Tyl : That's what you always say, Mytyl, that you're sorry. But the next day you do the same thing right over again.

  Mytyl : I know I do, and I don't know why.

  Mummy Tyl : Well, you must find out why. Otherwise you'll always be unhappy and discontent. You don't want that, do you? You want to be happy, don't you?

  Mytyl : Yes, Mummy. Like you. You're happy all the time, aren't you?

  Mummy Tyl : Nearly all the time, dear.

  Mytyl : Don't worry, Mummy. Daddy will be back.

• Mummy Tyl : There's something wrong with these children. They must have eaten something last night that disagreed with them.

  Daddy Tyl : Well, they look all right to me.

  Mummy Tyl : But they've been talking such nonsense! About seeing their grandparents!

  Mytyl : But we did, Daddy! We really did!

  Tyltyl : But we're home now.

  Mytyl : And we missed you so!

  Daddy Tyl : You mean you're going to miss me when I go to war.

  Mytyl : Oh. I had forgotten about that.