The cook Pauline questions Guignol, a hussar, about the date of their wedding, as he has been courting her for a year. The colonel catches them and is displeased with Guignol. Guignol, in turn, reveals that he heard the colonel, while asleep, uttering vows of love to a certain Marie. Shortly afterwards, Amélie, the colonel's daughter, intervenes to ask why her piano teacher is absent.Later, the colonel receives a visit from a countess who has come to ask him why her son, Amélie's piano teacher, has been dismissed, and informs him that he has fallen ill and is in danger of dying. The colonel explains that he decided to separate them because of their young age, to prevent them from falling in love with each other. The countess replies that it is too late, then recounts an episode from the colonel's life: twenty-two years earlier, when he was known as Julien, he and a young girl named Marie were in love. But Marie's father forced her to marry a count. Realising that the Countess is none other than Marie, the Colonel decides to allow Amélie and Marie's son to marry. He leaves with them to go to the young man's bedside. Guignol, after several unsuccessful attempts, kills a cat that was threatening to eat a canary in its cage. Before leaving, the colonel tells him and Pauline that they can marry when he returns and that he will take care of the dowry: he wants everyone around him to be happy.

Glove-puppet

Not specified

Josserand père Louis

France

Lyon

Manuscript

Servant

Military

Meals

Love

Remembrance

Wedding

Comical

Didactic

French

Le Colonel (The Colonel)

Colonel

Guignol

Countess

Daughter

Cook

Canari

Off-stage noise

Military exercise

Story

Scene of recognition

Plot twist

Blow-with-a-stick

Fight with an animal

Final dance

Julien et Marie

Julian and Mary