As a conversation goes on between Cassandre and Pierrot (his servant), we find out that Arlequin wishes to marry Isabelle, Cassandre’s daughter. However, Cassandre wants her to marry someone else. Pierrot takes advantage of the conversation to talk about the rumours going around in town regarding a witch. Cassandre, sceptical, does not believe them. Later, Arlequin relates having met an elderly lady who turned out to be a witch. Shortly afterwards, the lady appears and promises Arlequin a magic power if he becomes her spouse. He refuses and runs away with Isabelle. Suddenly, l’Amour (Love), the Bon Génie (Good Genius), appears in front of Arlequin and Isabelle. He recommends that Arlequin searches for a hazel branch that will be their talisman. However, their plan is soon exposed: the whole Caverne du Sabbat (Sabbath Cave) quickly discovers Arlequin’s intentions. At the same time, Cassandre and Pierrot start looking for Isabelle and Arlequin. In the end, Arlequin manages to get the magical talisman and finds Isabelle. Pierrot and Cassandre, still looking for Isabelle, fall into the earth where an enchanted broom relentlessly chases them, but they escape it.
 Arlequin and Isabelle are still running away while Cassandre and Pierrot keep trying to catch them. However, it is almost midnight: the witch’s powers over Arlequin will soon disappear. At the last moment, the witch manages to capture the lovers, but the Génie appears and reminds her that the evil hour has come. Powerless, she disappears. The Génie promises to take Arlequin and Isabelle to a city full of happiness, and to bring Cassandre and Pierrot as well.

String marionette

Young audiences

France

Paris

Manuscript

Servant

Father-daughter relationship

Wedding

Love

Sorcery

Talisman

Sword

Magic

Chasing

Happiness

Comical

Fantasy

Le Balai de la Sorcière, first page of the manuscript.

French

Cassandra

Arlecchino

Pierrot

Daughter

Genie

Witch

Aside

Music

Magical disappearance

Prologue

Apparition of a genie

Initiatory quest

Apparition

Blow

Apparition of demons

Chase

Visual pun

Demons dance

Object magically appearing

Le Balai de la Sorcière

The Witch's Broom

Polichinelle and Pierrot earn their living as woodcutters in a forest. The Genie of Benevolence and Charity appears to them in the guise of an old, hungry beggar. Against Polichinelle's advice, Pierrot shares their meagre meal with him. To reward him, the Genie gives Pierrot a magic wand (the ‘talisman’) that will grant all his wishes, provided they are just. But Pierrot, satisfied with his lot, desires nothing. He therefore grants Polichinelle's wishes: to eat and drink abundantly, to wear fine clothes and to be transported home to impress his wife. Meanwhile, in the Polichinelle cottage, Mrs Polichinelle complains to her neighbour, Mrs Gripanchu, about her husband's violence and laziness, and consoles herself by drinking wine. Polichinelle then bursts in, gets angry with his wife and violently chases Mrs Gripanchu away. Mrs Polichinelle tries to appease her husband. Pierrot arrives and tries to calm the couple down, but Polichinelle takes his wand and hits his wife with it. The Devil then appears and carries Mrs Polichinelle away, much to her husband's satisfaction.
Polichinelle then encourages Pierrot to use the magic wand to break into the house of Gripouillard, a crooked financier, and learn from him how to become rich. Pierrot and Polichinelle appear in his living room during his dinner. Gripouillard wants to flee, but Pierrot touches him with the talisman, wishing him to become virtuous. Transformed, the financier donates all his possessions to Polichinelle and Pierrot. While Pierrot rejoices at having brought justice, Polichinelle wants to take advantage of Gripouillard's riches. He grabs the talisman and wishes for Pierrot to be sent five hundred feet underground. Pierrot finds himself locked up in the kingdom of a Gnome who believes he has come to steal his riches. Finally convinced of Pierrot's honesty, the Gnome agrees to release him, on condition that Pierrot promises to use his talisman to transform him into the Genie of the Air. Once at the top of the magic mountain, Pierrot invokes the Genie of Good to ask for his help. The Genie tells Pierrot that he can only recover his talisman by changing Polichinelle's true nature through kindness. Through a vision, he shows him Polichinelle settled in the Manor of Eagles, where he now calls himself the Count of Polinel. Pierrot goes to the manor, where he finds Gripouillard in rags but happy.
The ruthless Polichinelle has Pierrot arrested and wants to have him hanged. The Genie of Good then appears and frees Pierrot. Far from repenting, Polichinelle threatens the Genie with the talisman, but the Genie transports Pierrot and Polichinelle to the Palace of the Genies. Polichinelle is condemned to be taken to Hell by the Devil. Pierrot asks the Genie to fulfil his promise to the Gnome, but the Genie refuses and replies that if the Gnome wants to steal, he should become a financier. The Genies organise a grand celebration in honour of Pierrot, the only good man, and the play ends on a high note.