<P> The Baker's Wife and Cinderella meet again, and the Baker's Wife makes a desperate grab for her shoes, almost succeeding before Cinderella flees . The Baker and his wife reunite, now with three of the four items . The Baker admits that they will have to work together to fulfill the quest ("It Takes Two"). Jack arrives with a hen that lays golden eggs and attempts to buy Milky White back, but the cow suddenly keels over dead as midnight chimes . Again, the characters exchange morals ("Second Midnight"). The Witch discovers that the Prince has been visiting Rapunzel and begs Rapunzel to stay with her so she can protect her from the outside world ("Stay with Me"). When Rapunzel refuses, the Witch angrily cuts off Rapunzel's hair and banishes her to a desert . The Mysterious Man gives the Baker the money to buy another cow . Jack encounters Little Red Ridinghood, who is now sporting a wolf skin cape and a knife for protection, and tries to impress her by telling her about the kingdom of the Giant . When she refuses to believe him, he is goaded into returning once again to the Giant's home to steal a magic harp . </P> <P> Cinderella, returning from the last night of the festival, describes how the Prince had spread pitch on the stairs to prevent her from escaping . Caught between wanting to escape and wanting to stay, she eventually resolves to let the Prince decide, leaving him one of her slippers as a clue to her identity ("On the Steps of the Palace"). The Baker's Wife frantically tries to convince her to give up her other shoe, offering her the sixth magic bean in exchange for it . Cinderella throws the bean aside, but trades shoes with the Baker's Wife and flees, while unbeknownst to anyone a second beanstalk starts to grow . The Baker arrives with another cow; they now have all four items . The Prince's Steward grabs the slipper from the Baker's Wife, and they are fighting over it when a great crash is heard and Jack's mother runs in to report that a Giant seeking revenge from Jack for stealing his magic harp has fallen from the first beanstalk when Jack chopped it and is dead in her backyard . The Prince, more concerned with finding Cinderella, waves her off and departs with one of the slippers, giving the other to the Baker and his wife . Jack, to the relief of his mother, returns with the magic harp . The Witch discovers that the new cow is not pure white; it is covered with flour . However, the Witch is able to bring Milky White back to life and instructs the Baker and his Wife to feed the items to her . Jack tries to milk her, but no milk comes . The Baker's Wife admits that the hair is Rapunzel's, and the Witch furiously explains that the magic will not work because the Witch has already touched Rapunzel's hair, which is also why she had asked the Baker and his Wife to get the objects for her: she's not allowed to touch any of the objects . The Mysterious Man tells the Baker to feed the hair - like corn silk to the cow . Now Milky White gives milk which is the potion . The Witch reveals that the Mysterious Man is the Baker's father . The Witch drinks the potion, and suddenly the Mysterious Man falls dead, his reparation complete, the curse is broken, and the Witch is transformed into a beautiful young woman, reversing the effects of the curse of ugliness by which she was punished by her mother, because the Baker's father stole the beans from her, regaining her youth and beauty . </P> <P> Cinderella's Prince searches for the girl whose foot fits the slipper; the stepsisters try but can only get it on by cutting off parts of their feet ("Careful My Toe"). Cinderella appears, her foot fits the slipper, and she becomes the Prince's bride . Rapunzel has twins in the desert where her Prince finds her . The Witch attempts to curse the couple, only to find that though she gained her youth and beauty, her powers have been lost . At Cinderella's wedding to the Prince, Florinda and Lucinda are blinded by birds as they try to win Cinderella's favor . The Baker's Wife, very pregnant, thanks Cinderella for the slipper . Everyone is at the wedding . Everyone but the Witch and the stepsisters congratulate themselves on being able to live happily "Ever After," though they fail to notice another beanstalk growing sky - high...</P> <P> The Narrator introduces the action again: "Once Upon a Time...Later ." All the characters seem happy but are still wishing: The Baker and his Wife have their precious baby boy, but wish for more room and bicker over the Baker's unwillingness to hold his child; Jack and his mother are rich and well - fed, but Jack misses his kingdom in the sky; Cinderella is living with her Prince Charming in the Palace, but is getting bored . ("So Happy"). </P>

Who is blinded by birds at the end of act 1