The Baronne (Baroness) is on her balcony, waiting for the chimney sweeps. When they arrive, they give her a price which she rejects. The Baron also refuses to have the chimneys swept. But the Baronne insists, and the chimney sweeps begin to work and sing a song which the Baronne deems disrespectful. Furious, she grabs a chamber pot; she ties it to a brass wire, which also goes through the hat of one of the chimney sweeps, and goes back to the balcony. When the chimney sweeps leave the house and begin to sing again, the wire is pulled: the chamber pot falls on the head of one of the chimney sweeps, where his hat was.

Shadow theatre

Young audiences

France

Versailles

Printed

House

Chimney sweep

Cheekiness

Farce

Chamber pot

Comical

Farcical

La fermière coquette et Madame la Baronne. Shadow figures to cut out. Printed by Dembour et Gangel, Metz, s.d.

French

Baroness

Baron

Chimney sweeper

Situation comedy

Song

Booby trap

Madame la Baronne

Madam the Baroness

In a conversation between Cassandre and his servant Pierrot, we learn that the entire world has been disrupted: a “fluide tournant” (turning fluid) has been discovered, and people are in a frenzy of trying to make things turn. A “société d’honneur” (honour society) even offers Cassandre the prestigious title of “Chef des Tontonmanes” (Leader of the Tontonmanes). However, after eight days of experiments at his home, no concluding results were obtained. Desperate, Cassandre orders Pierrot to publish an advertisement: he will give his daughter’s hand and his cash register’s key to the first man who will succeed in “making something - anything - turn”. Colombine, Cassandre’s daughter, enters the stage in tears. She is in love with Arlequin but her father categorically opposes their union. Shortly after, Arlequin reassures Colombine: he has a plan to overcome this obstacle. Meanwhile, Tournesol (Sunflower), an odd man, arrives and introduces himself as a “professeur de Tontonmanie” (teacher of Tontonmanie). Actually, Tournesol was desperate and about to kill himself when he heard of Pierrot’s advertisement. The prospect of marrying a young woman and gaining a case full of money is an unhoped chance for him of finding a new will to live. Tournesol starts a conversation with Cassandre and offers to make the house turn to prove how well he masters this turning fluid. However, Cassandre is scared of his house collapsing, and flatly refuses. The situation is now very tense: Tournesol promises to carry out his threat and demands Colombine’s hand as well as the key to the case. Then, Arlequin, dressed as a magician, enters the stage. He makes a bottle of wine and a pâté dance, and then, a table starts talking. When Tournesol tries to find out the secret to this miracle, he is mysteriously hit. Arlequin convinces Cassandre that he is gifted with a mental strength that can make things happen: everytime that Cassandre moves his hands or feet, Tournesol is hit (actually by a very discreet Arlequin). After being hit several times, the humiliated Tournesol runs away. Shortly after, a Marchand (Merchant) arrives at Cassandre’s house and demands damages: his china and objects made of glass have started to dance. Despite this, Cassandre is happy and believes in his miraculous mental gift. Colombine can marry her beloved Arlequin.