A wealthy baker chef asks his cousin the apothecary to help him poison Pierrot, who is constantly robbing and assaulting him. When this plan fails, he sends his dog after the thief, but Pierrot kills the dog. Knowing that Pierrot has always wanted to learn pastry-making, the baker pretends to take him on as an apprentice to get revenge. But Pierrot plays many tricks. The gendarme, who has come to arrest him, is swindled, then hanged in the villain's place. Pierrot kills the baker and the apothecary, as a worthy disciple of Polichinelle.

Glove-puppet

All audiences

France

Paris

Duranty Louis Émile Edmond

Printed

Pastry

Theft

Money

Wickedness

Poison

Learning

Hanging

Revenge

Criminal

Perseverance in Evil

Cruelty

Cruelty to an animal

Death of the dog

Fighting an animal

Farcical

French

Pierrot

Pastry chef

Apothecary

Gendarme

Blow-with-a-stick

Headbutt

Fight with an animal

Lazzi

Back Stroke

Hanging scene

Pierrot et le pâtissier

Pierrot and the baker

The king's daughter is to be married, but she will only marry a man who is both rich and intelligent. Known for his wit, Arlequin arrives at the palace, only to be beaten back with a stick by the Swiss guard at the entrance. Desperate, he confides his misadventure to a beggar, who suggests that he should become rich by setting up a business in beating people with sticks. Arlequin decides to do so. The customers, who come in great numbers, make his fortune. But Arlequin, increasingly revolted by their wickedness, ends up beating his customers with a stick. Rich enough and threatened with hanging by the Commissaire, he gives his business to Pierrot for free. Pierrot hangs the Commissaire, who has come to hang him, and comes to ask Arlequin for an explanation. Thanks to his wealth and wit, Arlequin is able to marry the princess and have Pierrot appointed as the new Commissaire.

Wealth

Witty man

Blows with a stick

Trade

Discord

Scruples

Satirical

Comical

Arlecchino

Swiss

Beggar

Peasant

Cassandre

Commissioner

Herald

Le Marchand de coups de bâton

Merchant of blows-with-a-stick

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.

Young audiences

Germany

Sonneberg

Justice

Retribution

Punishment

Gallows

Torture

Police

Jail

Court

Prosecution

Violence

Assassination

Embezzlement

Silliness

Insubordination

Ironic

German

Kasperl

Judge

Policeman

Address to the public

Versified passages

Flying machine

Parodic trial

Stichomythia

Foul language register

Comic Equivocation

Murder on stage

Epilogue

Casper soll ins Gefängnis kommen

Casper must go to jail

After a prologue in which Casper announces, among other things, that he is going to cut off the ears of children who are not well-behaved, the performance begins. Casper announces that, out of boredom, he wants to become a soldier. He shows his insubordination towards the non-commissioned officer who undertakes to train him by beating him with sticks. The non-commissioned officer sends him to the devil, who arrives: Casper kills him. He returns to his wife, announcing that he will be a general. She hits him with a broom, takes his stick back and they fight.