Catalysterium, a fake doctor, breaks into the Niflanguille's house and diagnoses the couple and their servant with a supposedly fatal disease. He asks them to stay in bed, eats their food and prescribes very expensive medicines (in fact water) to rob them. Mr. Niflanguille finds out about the scam and gets his money back. Cataclysterium is beaten by the Niflanguille and their servant and forced to take an oath to give up medicine forever.

Glove-puppet

All audiences

France

Paris

Duranty Louis Émile Edmond

Printed

False doctor

Medicine

Illness

Health

Medicines

Brandy

Swindler

Punishment

Money

Satire of medicine

Parody of medical language

Syringe

Farce

Satirical

French

Niflanguille

Domestique

Lazzi

Headbutt

Blow-with-a-stick

Chase

Les Drogues de Cataclysterium

Cataclysterium's Drugs

The rich Niflanguille goes to buy a bag of coal. He comes across the hungry Pierrot, who asks for his help in vain. The coalman cheats Niflanguille out of the weight of the bag. Pierrot hides in the bag and beats up the coalman, Niflanguille and the servant. Back home, Niflanguille looks for a sword to pierce the recalcitrant bag, but Pierrot gets it out in time and forces the servant to take his place. While Niflanguille pierces the bag and his servant with it, Pierrot runs away with a bag of money. A Gendarme wants to hang Niflanguille for murder, Pierrot for theft and the coalman for swindling. Pierrot kills the Gendarme and puts him in the sack, which he throws away, while Niflanguille flees through the window. Pierrot kills the coalman to avoid sharing the money, then orders wine which he pays for by beating the innkeeper with a stick. The Commissaire arrives with Niflanguille; he hangs Pierrot, but confiscates the money to punish the bad rich man.

Charcoal

Hunger

Poverty

Swindling

Trade

Deception

Contempt

Hanging

Bad rich

Didactic

Pierrot

Le Charbonnier

Gendarme

Commissioner

Hidden character

Running gag

Hanging scene

Le Sac de charbon

The Bag of Coal

Fleeing his wife, Polichinelle steals a charlatan's cabriolet with Pierrot. First he wins the trust of the population with free advice, then he launches a subscription for a phantom financial company. When the shareholders demand their money, he sends them away with good words and blows, until the Public itself comes to threaten him directly. Mrs. Polichinelle offers to take care of the punishment. Terrified, Polichinelle flees into the forest. Abandoned by Pierrot, he walks to Hell. There, he tries to swindle Death and stands up to the Devil who, in desperation, goes looking for Mrs. Polichinelle. She brings her husband home firmly, with the approval of the audience.

Finance

Hell

Marriage hell

Forest

Public

Perseverance in Evil

Satire of Capitalism

Bossy woman

Escape

Comical

Ironic

Le Charlatan

Charlatan

Polichinelle

Tenant

Lady

Peasant

Cassandre

Shopkeeper

Colombina

Valet

Death

Devil

Intervention of the audience

Devil's apparition

Plot twist

L'Homme au cabriolet

the man with a cabriolet

Casper is accused by a farmer of stealing his hay and the cart and cow that went with it. He tries to bargain over the compensation and settles the matter with a stick. In court, he insults the judge and beats the policeman. The peasant asks for him to be hanged, but Casper finds out and hangs him instead. Then he beats the policeman again. The judge wants him tortured and executed, but Casper beats him to death.