While the Countess von Eichenfels is running to the aid of her husband, who is seriously wounded at the end of a victorious campaign, their only child Heinrich is taken from his cradle by a Gypsy woman, old Juta. Eight years later, Heinrich escapes from the cave where he was held captive by the gypsy band, while the Gypsies are out robbing on the highways. He finds refuge with Menrad, a hermit and a former comrade-in-arms of the Count's squire, Hannes. In pursuit of the robbers, he stops at the hermitage and, with Menrad's help, surprises the two Gypsies who were looking for Heinrich. In the meantime, Juta has been arrested and has confessed everything to the Count. Hannes and Menrad bring Heinrich back to his parents after eight years in captivity.

String marionette

Young audiences

Pocci Franz von

Germany

Munich

Printed

Infant

Family

Gypsies

Cavern

Lost child

Thief

Dramatic

German

Count

Countess

Hermit

Prologue

Song

Story

Monologue

Running away

Transforming scenery

Heinrich von Eichenfels

The tailor Bock lodges a complaint with the mayor Salzmaier against Kasperl, his tenant, for night-time disturbances. Salzmaier wants to put him in prison, but Kasperl, warned by his clerk friend Spritzler, pretends to be Garibaldi, entering the Tyrol leading 50,000 men. He takes up residence in Salzmaier's house, flirts with his wife Margarethe and drinks so much beer... that everyone recognises him: the play ends with a general brawl.

Excessive drinking

Beer

Spousal abuse

Italy

Army

Seduction

Comical

Burlesque

Satirical

Ein politisches Trauerspiel, aus dem Italienischen übersetzt

Clerk

Kasperl

Madame Kasperl

Tailor

Innkeeper

In der Ferne das Garibaldische Armeekorps

Inn scene

Political allegory

Parody of formal language

Word for another

Dialect

Macaronism

Disguise

Brawl

Kasperl als Garibaldi

Kasperl as Garibaldi

The story takes place in Grenada at the beginning of the 16th century. Juan Ramero, a former soldier in the army of Isabella the Catholic, is now a bellringer in a church in town. On the twentieth anniversary of the Reconquista, the inhabitants of Grenada gift a bell made with gold and silver to the old mosque, which was turned into a Catholic church, so that Juan Ramero can ring it to celebrate this anniversary. But Saïd le Maure (the Moor Saïd), who fought Juan Ramero, comes back to avenge himself. He accuses him of having stripped him of his house and of having killed his son. Since then, he became a magician by making a deal with the devil Satanas, and he took advantage of the gullibility of Lola, the servant, to get into the house. In fact, Saïd’s son is not dead – on the day of the last battle between Christians and Muslims, Juan Ramero came across three men fighting over the baby’s crib. Juan Ramero saved him, baptised him under the name Andrès and raised him as his son. However, Saïd knows nothing about this and wants to kill Juan Ramero, his daughter Carmen and Andrès, whom he believes to be Ramero’s son. He makes a deal with Satanas, who grants him the power to transform humans. Saïd chases Juan Ramero and his children in the desert, where he turns Carmen into a myrtle and Andrès into a roebuck. Juan Ramero reveals the whole truth to Saïd. To redeem himself, the latter calls upon Azaël -Satanas’ enemy – who gives the children their original form back. They all make peace and go back to Grenada to start a new life.

Not specified

France

Paris

Manuscript

Orientalism

Bell

Love

Religion

Revenge

Friendship

Foundling

Exile

Fantastic

Fantasy

Adolphe Joly, La Cloche du diable (title page)

French

Devil

Magic spell

Incantation

Comic distortion of language

Aside

Apparition of the Devil

Metamorphosis

Aria

La Cloche du diable

The devil's Bell

The Emperor is moved by the sadness of Guerrino il Meschino, who learnt about his origins through the perfidious Brunoro: when he was an infant, some privateers took him away from his parents, who were left at the mercy of the waves. The Emperor convokes an Enchanter who reveals to Guerrino that he must go to the Trees of the Sun in order to find his parents. He leaves with his squires, Faggiolino and Giuppino. The journey is not easy and Guerrino has to overcome many obstacles, such as the encounter with a cannibal whom he manages to kill. Once he has arrived at the Trees of the Sun, Guerrino manages to communicate with the Oracle of the Sun, whose voice tells him about his noble origins and explains that, in order to find his parents, who are still alive, he needs to head west. Guerrino and his squires are helped by the Solitario (“Solitary”), who tells them to find the fairy Alcina. There, Guerrino risks being caught in her net: Alcina does everything she can to seduce him and make him stay forever in her enchanted garden. But Guerrino comes back to his senses, threatens her with his sword, and she transforms into a statue. Alcina’s statue reveals that Guerrino’s parents are living in prison, in a state of famine. Guerrino resumes his journey and finally arrives at Taranto, where he helps his cousin Antinisca, Queen of Taranto, fight the villainous Saracen prince, Nadar. It is he who has usurped the throne of Durazzo, stealing it from Milone, Guerrino’s father, and who has separated the prince from his parents. Antinisca and Guerrino fall in love. The Queen gives Guerrino permission to search Taranto’s prisons for his parents, and to free them if he finds them, which he does. When Nadar learns about it, he abducts Guerrino’s parents again. Guerrino, with the help of his friend Alessandro, attacks Durazzo and finally manages to kill Nadar. The kingdom is handed over to Milone, and everyone joyfully celebrates the wedding of Guerrino and Antinisca.

Glove-puppet

Bologna

Handwritten summary

Filiation

Quest

Journey

Power

Fairy

Epic

Italian

Guerrino detto il Meschino Agl'alberi del Sole Alla grotta della Fata Alcina Con Faggiolino suo scudiero

Emperor

Prince

Princess

Astrologer

Fagiolino

Page

Guerrino il Meschino

Cannibal

Valet

Priest

Voice

Alcina

Maid

Snake

Queen

Father

Mother

Head of the Guard

King

Soldier

Dragon

Unexpected turn of events

Fight

Enchantment

Release of a prisoner

Talking animal

Fight with an animal

Change of social status

Statue coming to life

Nursery rhyme

Final wedding

Guerrino Meschino

Polichinelle finds himself without any money, and his house has been burnt down by the Prussiens (Prussians). Pierrot’s situation is even worse: the Prussiens burnt down his mill and killed his wife and kids. Polichinelle wants to enroll in the army so as not to starve to death. The two friends go for drinks at Mère Bacanale’s cabaret. The Sergent (Sergeant) lets La Grenade (the Grenade) stand guard. A first Soldat prussien (Prussian Soldier) arrives, and La Grenade kills him with a bayonet. A second Soldat prussien wounds La Grenade before running away. The Cantinière (Dinner Lady) gives La Grenade something to drink, takes his rifle and stands guard in her stead. She kills the Soldat prussien that was coming back, and tells what just happened to the Sergent and Polichinelle. The Sergent tells her that she will be honoured, and he lets Polichinelle stand guard. Polichinelle fights the Prussiens and kills them all, including Bismarck and the king of Prussia, Guillaume Ier (William I). The Diable (Devil) takes the corpses away.

Guérin André-Paul-Julien

Bordeaux

Typewriting

Dead for the homeland

War crime

Female warrior

Conscription

Heroic

André Guérin, Les Prussiens en France

Polichinelle

Pierrot

Sergeant

Grenadier

General

Napoléon III

Otto von Bismarck

Guillaume I

Canterbury worker

Prussian

Comical foreign accent

Death on stage

Hidden character

Les Prussiens en France

The Prussians in France

On the road to Amiens, Lafleur is arrested by a sentry. He explains who he is and his friend Blaise appears at this moment; he has been following him since Querrieu, thinking that Lafleur would enroll in the army. When Lafleur hears that his friend wants to become a soldier, he joins him, deciding that he will fulfill his duty after the war. Once recruited, the two friends stand guard at the entrance of the Querrieu woods. All of a sudden, they hear noises, coming from a spy on his way to inform general Manteuffel of what the French are planning. Lafleur stops him, but general Faidherbe, who has just arrived with his soldiers, tells him to release the spy, because the French do not do things the same way as the German. Catherine, Lafleur’s wife, had to flee Querrieu after it was destroyed by the Prussians. While crossing the woods, she is arrested by the Prussians who assault and abduct her. Lafleur, who has heard the cries, arrives too late to defend his spouse. The colonel arrives with his soldiers who have heard the cannon shots. Lafleur points to the direction in which the Prussians went. A battle begins. The colonel, hit by a bullet, hands leadership over to Lafleur. Believing that his wife is dead, Lafleur fights the Prussian army mercilessly, until he is wounded too. The battle ends when Blaise brings the living Catherine to Lafleur. Faldherbe announces that the French have won and that Lafleur is a French hero. Catherine asks to follow her husband on the battlefields and the general grants her permission. The musicians play the Marseillaise. Everyone sings and shouts “Vive la France!”.

Rod marionette

Amiens

Woman battered and kidnapped

Marseillaise

Brave woman

Heroism

Picard language

Lafleur

Blaise

Sentinelle

Louis Faidherbe

Spy (man)

Colonel

Battlefield scene

Apotheosis

Final song

El Bataille ed Querriu

The Battle of Querrieu

Rosa – the keeper of the “Zum Golden Stern” inn – wants her daughter Analies to marry Kasper, the waiter, so that he does not go to war and can protect the inn. But Analies hesitates. She A Zouave, who promises her a rich life after the war, courts her. Kasperl is disappointed and enlists in the Prussian army. After arresting a Jewish spy, he receives a bonus and finds favour with his major who makes him his Fourierschütz (a soldier assigned to an officer for protection and personal service). Kasperl follows his regiment and arrives near Sedan, where he meets Analies again. She has been abandoned in the middle of a battlefield by the Zouave, who was sick of her. She wants to go back to Kasperl. The major forces them to marry. Analies agrees on the spot, but Kasperl has reservations about it: what if she leaves him again? Analies promises to be faithful and Kasperl agrees to marry her. Kasperl’s major must escort prisoners to Strasbourg. Kasperl and Analies go back to the inn. Rosa was worried about her daughter’s and her waiter’s fates. The wedding is celebrated with dances, while rows of prisoners parade outside the inn.

Electronic text

Money

Anti-Semitism

Nationalism

Loyalty in love

Kasperls kriegerische Heldenthaten

Fiancée

Waiter

Fourierschütz

Zouave

Prisoner

Captain

Lieutenant

Auxiliary

Shopkeeper

Schoolteacher

Surgeon

Batman

Love rivalry

Beating with a broom

Dance

Die Schlacht bei Sedan am 2 September 1870

The Battle of Sedan on 2 September 1870

Clotilde wants to follow her husband everywhere he goes. When he sets off for Madagascar with his battalion, she embarks on the ship on a bicycle. Her parents send Guignol – their servant – after her. To arrive in Madagascar before Clotilde does, Guignol invents a flying machine, which combines a hot-air ballon and a bicycle, led by a pigeon. In Madagascar, Maxime fails to convince his wife to return to France. Guignol, who has been brought inside the camp, relates that his machine has frightened the Hovas, allowing him to make it safely to the camp. He leaves in search of two missing sentries. Clotilde decides to go with him, and they are both captured by the Hovas. In Tananarive, the queen of Madagascar stands firm against the French, but she fears that they will bomb the city. Maxime has come to negotiate the surrender of Tananarive. When he hears that Clotilde and Guignol have been captured, the queen presents him with two options: either he modifies the terms of the peace agreement or Clotilde and Guignol are sentenced to death. Clotilde asks Maxime to prioritise the conquest of Tananarive over her life. Guignol convinces the queen to release him and Clotilde. Then the bombing of Tananarive forces the queen to surrender. Maxime reunites with his wife, who is safe and sound.