Arlequin disembarks on an unknown land after a long boat journey. He puts on a coat made of animal skin as a precaution and with the hope of fooling animals. A wild cat sees him and walks towards him. Arlequin imitates his language and behaviour, going as far as climbing a tree. Meanwhile, Asdrubal and Pied-de-Biche (Crowbar) are hunting the wild cat to bring his head to the court. They look up and see two silhouettes perched in the tree. When Arlequin talks to them, they think that he is a talking animal. Intrigued, they watch him get down from the tree. Arlequin reveals his true identity and catches the hunter’s attention with the cheerful tale of his adventures. Asdrubal and Pied-de-Biche are charmed by his wit and decide to make him king, for it is very rare to find a man in the kingdom of the Ogres. Starving, Arlequin demands a meal. The whole court starts thinking about what dinner to make for him and where to find human flesh. Arlequin finds out that he is supposed to eat human meat and orders Pierrot to fetch a pot and a bean. However, the Ogres bring a pot with the intention of cooking their new king–Arlequin–in it. Two Parisians, Scaramouche and Tape-Dur, arrive at this moment: they recognise Arlequin and save him. Scaramouche declares that he and the king “will subscribe the Ogres to the thirty-two sous restaurants of the Palais-Royal” so that they definitely renounce human flesh.

Young audiences

des Essarts Emmanuel

France

Paris

Printed

Kingdoms

Savage

King

Meals

Cannibalism

Restaurant

Return

Comical

Fantasy

Alfred des Essarts, illustration for Le Naufrage d'Arlequin

French

Arlecchino

Chambellan

Hunter

Pierrot

Cook

Kitchen boy

Young woman

Ogre

Ogress

Aside

Disguised character (false identity)

Chorus

Off-stage noise

Stabbing

Le Naufrage d’Arlequin

Arlequin in a shipwreck

Wanting to enjoy a quiet dinner with his friends, Galimar gives his servants, Guignol and Cadet, five francs and permission to stay out until midnight, so they decide to go to a restaurant. Meanwhile, Fanchette and Gnafron recount the pranks Guignol has played on them: leaving a restaurant without paying the bill, and borrowing a watch only to pawn it. To get their own back, they decide to set a trap for him by leaving an abandoned baby in his care. But Galimar adopts the child and gives Guignol and Cadet a hundred francs to find a nanny for him. Fanchette and Gnafron force Guignol to pay them back.

Le Naufrage d’Arlequin

Les Mésaventures de Fanchette

L'enfant abandonné