“The scene represents a woodcutter’s hut, simple in a rustic way, but not squalid. A burning hearth, kitchen utensils, a cupboard, a kneading bowl, a clock with weights, a spindle, a washbasin, etc. A lit lamp is on the table. On both sides of the closet, a dog and a cat sleep, curled up in a ball. Between them is a large blue and white sugar loaf. There is a round cage with a turtledove hanging on the wall. In the back are two windows with shutters closed from the inside. There is a bench under one window. To the left is the entrance door with a strong latch. To the right is another door. Stairs to the attic. Right there, on the right, are two cribs; At the head of each of them, clothes are neatly folded on a chair. When the curtain rises, Tyltil and Mytil sleep sweetly in their beds. Mother Til straightens their blankets for the night for the last time and, bending over them, admires their serene sleep, then waves her hand to Father Til, who at that moment pokes his head through the ajar door. Putting a finger to her lips as a sign that he should not disturb the silence, she turns off the lamp and tiptoes out the door to the right. The stage is plunged into darkness for some time, then gradually increasing light begins to break through the cracks of the shutters. The lamp on the table lights up by itself. Children wake up and sit up in their beds..."

Translation: Nikolay Lyubimov