Wiltrud and Scohlint, the bad witches, make Princess Röslein (or Dornröslein, “Thorn Flower”) fall asleep, along with the whole court of King Purpur and of Queen Hermelin, by pricking her finger on a distaff when she turns fifteen. The fairy Sconea mitigates the curse by promising that it will turn into a blessing. Years later, the knight Minnamunt finds the bewitched castle, defeats the giant Schlafdorn (“Sleeping Thorn”) who was guarding the gates and wakes the princess and her court.

String marionette

Young audiences

Pocci Franz von

Germany

Munich

Printed

Romanticism

Poetry

Sorcery

Philosophy

Childhood

Adult

Nature

Mechanization

Heroism

Sleep

Shakespeare

Fantasy

Humorous

Illustration by Franz von Pocci for the original edition of the play

German

Queen

Prince

Poet

Valet

Fairy

Old woman

Herald

Giant

Song

Metatheatre

Monologue

Apparition

Versified passages

Address to the public

Word for another

Talking at cross-purposes

Talking animal

Fight

Transforming scenery

Current affairs

Dornröslein

Sleeping Beauty

Having graduated from the University of Heidelberg, Anselme has become an assistant at old Hans’s toyshop, in Nuremberg, in order to grow closer to his employer’s daughter, Wilhelmine, whom he secretly loves. The son of the adviser Paykul also courts her. The Jew Mardochée sells them dolls which look like little women sleeping, and he says that they come from the Moon. In the evening, when Anselme is alone, Queen Lunaria and her companions wake up and tell him that they have come from the Moon. Anselme protects them from the monster Angramanyou, genie of underground fire, by delivering toys to him instead. Spiders threaten the women of the Moon, then different objects (household utensils, balloons) become animated, introduce themselves one after the other and dance. Anselme confesses his love to Lunaria, who grows and reveals herself to be Wilhelmine, the two women having been mistaken for one another in a dream. With Hans’s permission, Anselme and Wilhelmine decide to get married.

Glove-puppet

All audiences

Maurice Sand (Maurice Sand)

France

Nohant

Moon

Dream

Impossible love

Doll

Genie

Shyness

Comical

Fantastic

Frontispiece for the volume containing the play Jouets et Mystères

French

Merchant (man)

Baroness

Young girl

Maid

Spider

Balai

Plumeau

Brosse

Balloon

Love rivalry

Engulfment

Ballet

Dance

One character replaced by another

Plot twist

Apparition of a genie

Chorus

Prosopopoeia

Jouets et mystères

Toys and Mysteries

The Nain jaune (yellow dwarf) wants to marry Fleur de Bois, a princess, but she turns him down. To avenge himself, the Nain, with the help of Satan, puts the king, the princess and everyone in the palace to sleep, and he promises to come back in a year. Yvon, a young man described as “not very rich but lazy”, begs a Prêtre (Priest) for money. The Prêtre turns into a genie and gives him an enchanted sword so he can save the princess. He and his servant fight the Nain, the Géant Romular (Giant Romular) and Satan, and enter the castle. Once inside the castle, Yvon cuts the king’s beard with the sword to deliver him from the sleeping spell. When the king wakes up, he gives Yvon his daughter Fleur de Bois as a wife.

Not specified

Lille

Handwritten outline

Devil

Wedding

Magic object

Sword

Beard

Unrequited love

Enchantment

Domestic servant

Satan

Dwarf

Priest

Knight

Black Man

Snake

Improvised dialogue

Avista

Apparition of the Devil

Yvon, ou la Barbe d'Acier

Yvon, or the Iron Beard

Gretl complains about Casperl's absence, as he always comes home late and very drunk. When he finally arrives, she gets angry and wishes he would go to the Gold Star or the Silver Moon (these are the names of the taverns Casperl frequents) and never return. Her wish seems to come true when a small gold star appears to Casperl asleep and takes him against his will to the moon. At the end of an adventurous journey through different regions of the sky, Casperl is welcomed by the moon; but, exhausted, he falls asleep. When he wakes up, he is in his bed. Did his cosmic journey ever take place? No matter: Casperl resumes his tour of the taverns on behalf of the drinkers' association founded the day before and which has elected him inspector of drinking establishments.

Dornröslein

Jouets et mystères

Yvon, ou la Barbe d'Acier

Casperls Mondfahrt

Ein Casperlerlebnis in 3 Aufzügen