The mathematician Laensbergh is angry at his colleague Nostradamus for getting the seasons mixed up in his almanac. To take revenge on him, he joins forces with Aigrefine, the allegory of the previous year: she is jealous because Nostradamus abandoned her and fell under the spell of Follette, who represents the current year. The peddlers of almanacs summoned by Aigrefine abduct Follette and lock her in the dungeon of the castle of Gaillardin – a friend of Laensbergh. With the help of De la Pierre, Nostradamus releases Follette. He urges her to hide in the Observatory, but she is chased by Aigrefine, Laensbergh and Gaillardin. The four of them end up in an accident when crossing a ford; Follette comes back alone, with the help of Alix, Nostradamus’s servant. Nostradamus and Follette celebrate having gotten rid of their enemies. The play ends with a dance of the Four Seasons.

Rod and string marionette

Not specified

Taconet Toussaint-Gaspard

France

Paris

Manuscript

People and history

Almanach

Seasons

Cycle of the year

Mathematician

Magic

Breaking out

Accident

Parodistic

French

Nostradamus

Peddler

Love rivalry

Aria

Ballet

In the Valais canton, the sun rises over a pathway and a small wooden house. The mountains appear in the background. It is spring; the goatherd’s horn can be heard in the valley and the goats come running. The village of Savièze comes to life: the girls riding on mules’ backs go to work in the vineyard, two women are chatting, the pigs try to run away from the farmers,… A family of English tourists goes on a walk guided by Lord Quick, who is leading his daughters as a shepherd guides his flock… A storm breaks out in the valley, forcing the tourists, the shepherds and the animals to seek shelter. After the storm, the hikers finish climbing the high mountain and a chamois hunt resumes. Bells and prayers can be heard as a procession slowly walks towards the old chapel of Savièze: the women, the penitents, the priests, the altar children and the elderly are all part of it. The village finally celebrates Christmas before falling asleep under the snow.

Shadow theatre

All audiences

Switzerland

Geneva

Printed outline

Mountain

Storm

Bucolic

Christmas

Alps

Tourism

Nature

Realist

Lyrical

Comical

Outline of Henri van Muyden's Goatherd for En Valais, copied in Le Sapajou.