During a May Day, as peasants are dancing and singing, Polichinelle chases them with blows of his stick. In the meantime, it is discovered that it is his twentieth birthday. Happy to be finally of age, he orders his servant to organise a feast. Shortly after, he encounters Crocofante, a sword fighter who suggests that he enlists to serve the State. However, Polichinelle prefers his stick and immoral pleasures to a sword and honour. Crocofante is offended and challenges him to a duel. Polichinelle agrees, but only after the feast, which turns into a real “bastonnade” (stick beating) where he insults his father and other guests. Soon after, Polichinelle kills the servants Alain and Nerina, accuses Crocofante, and has him arrested in his stead.

Young audiences

des Essarts Emmanuel

France

Paris

Printed

Party

Peasant

Birthday

Contempt

Cheekiness

Death

Prosecution

Devil

Comical

Alfred des Essarts, illustration for La Jeunesse de Polichinelle, 1863.

French

Father

Polichinelle

Soldier

Butler

Nurse

Young woman

Magistrato

Peasant (female)

Chorus

Blow-with-a-stick

Aside

Song

Death on stage

Character invisible to some of the other characters

Apparition of the Devil

Final intervention of the devil

Epilogue

La Jeunesse de Polichinelle

Polichinelle's Youth

Two inhabitants from Gotham run into each other on a bridge. The first inhabitant asks the second one where he is going and what he is about to do. The second one answers that he is going to Gotham, and the first one adds that he is headed to Nottingham to buy sheep. After many misunderstandings, the second citizen states that he will forbid the first one to cross the bridge upon his return. They both fight with wooden sticks without actually hitting each other, and they raise a cloud of dust. A third inhabitant arrives with a donkey that carries sacks of wheat grains. He makes fun of them, and asks them to empty the sacks into the river to explain that their heads are as empty as these bags.

La Jeunesse de Polichinelle

The Three Men of Gotham

A Blithering Interlude for Burattini