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.

String marionette

Not specified

France

Paris

Manuscript

Orientalism

Bell

Love

Religion

Revenge

Friendship

Foundling

Exile

Fantastic

Fantasy

Comical

Dramatic

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

Cuccoli Angelo

Italy

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

Innkeeper

Valet

Priest

Hermit

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

Parody of formal language

Nursery rhyme

Dialect

Final wedding

Guerrino Meschino

The knight Huldbrand gets lost on a stormy night by a lake and finds refuge with fishermen. He falls in love with the foundling Undine. The girl is in fact a mermaid, cursed by her people to dissolve into a wave if she is rejected by men, and to join them underwater if her true identity becomes known. Huldbrand marries Undine, but offends Berthalda, the adopted daughter of Prince Heinrich. When Heinrich visits Huldbrand, the fishermen recognise Berthalda for the child they had lost, but Berthalda rejects them with contempt. Heinrich banishes her from his presence. In despair, advised by the water genie Kühleborn, Berthalda publicly reveals Undine's identity and Heinrich curses her and Huldbrand. Huldbrand refuses, however, to abandon his wife and she takes him with her to live among her people under the waters, in a crystal palace.

Young audiences

Pocci Franz von

Germany

Munich

Printed

Storm

Fishing

Hospitality

Wedding

Contempt

Faithfulness

Paganism

Christianity

Mermaid

Parodistic

German

Génie des eaux

Ondine

Knight

Kasperl

Duke

Cook

Trump blower

Light effects

Chorus

Song

Sung scenes

Transforming scenery

Scene of recognition

Brawl

Address to the public

Board

Undine, die Wassernixe

Ondine, the water nymph

The Devil Alfredo is in love with Colombine and wants to marry her, but he has cold hands. Arlequin is supposed to help him solve his problem. Before entering the puppet booth, the puppeteer informs the audience that, while tidying up his puppets, he found among them the puppet of a little rabbit, an abandoned orphan. So as not to leave it alone, he takes it with him on tour, placing it in a basket at the entrance to the puppet theatre, which is the devil's house. When the curtain opens, Colombina discovers the foundling: how will she hide it and protect it from the Devil? Meanwhile, the devil decides that to get rid of his cold hands, he must buy a pair of rabbit fur gloves.... Despite his attempts to harm Ginetto, the devil is ultimately defeated and transformed into an onion.

All audiences

Brunello Gigio

Mogliano Veneto

Childhood

Protection

Tenderness

House

Rabbit

Orphan

Humorous

Arlecchino

Harlequin

Colombina

Colombine

Comical regional accent

Avista

Surprise effect

Silent play

Un trovatello a casa del diavolo

An orphan in the devil's house

Ginetto the rabbit is going through an important stage in his growth: his first birthday. However, the devil Alfredo wants to steal the gift that the puppeteer has prepared for Ginetto, “a pair of hands as soft and warm as bread”, hoping to win the love of Colombina, who refuses to marry him because he has cold hands. The devil almost succeeds in his plan, but is fatally transformed into an onion upon contact with water. Colombina cries over the loss of her future husband; Ginetto is sad because his party has been ruined and he no longer wants to grow up. In the end, however, Ginetto grows up and laughs when he thinks about how much he cried because he wanted to remain a child forever.

La Cloche du diable

Guerrino Meschino

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

Undine, die Wassernixe

Un trovatello a casa del diavolo

Trovatello Due

Festa di compleanno