During a May Day, as peasants are dancing and singing, Polichinelle chases them with blows of his stick. In the meantime, it is discovered that it is his twentieth birthday. Happy to be finally of age, he orders his servant to organise a feast. Shortly after, he encounters Crocofante, a sword fighter who suggests that he enlists to serve the State. However, Polichinelle prefers his stick and immoral pleasures to a sword and honour. Crocofante is offended and challenges him to a duel. Polichinelle agrees, but only after the feast, which turns into a real “bastonnade” (stick beating) where he insults his father and other guests. Soon after, Polichinelle kills the servants Alain and Nerina, accuses Crocofante, and has him arrested in his stead.

Young audiences

des Essarts Emmanuel

France

Paris

Printed

Party

Peasant

Birthday

Contempt

Cheekiness

Death

Prosecution

Devil

Comical

Alfred des Essarts, illustration for La Jeunesse de Polichinelle, 1863.

French

Father

Polichinelle

Soldier

Butler

Nurse

Young woman

Magistrato

Peasant (female)

Chorus

Blow-with-a-stick

Aside

Song

Death on stage

Character invisible to some of the other characters

Apparition of the Devil

Final intervention of the devil

Epilogue

La Jeunesse de Polichinelle

Polichinelle's Youth

Madelon is angry with her husband Guignol. Because of his laziness, the garden has turned into a jungle, the harvest has been pitiful, and they have no food to feed the children. Gnafron promises that he will speak with Guignol. He tries to convince his friend to at least repair the spade, but Guignol thinks only of napping and eating. Gnafron then tells him about the magician he has just met. The magician promises Guignol a bountiful harvest, which will require no efforts as he will use herbicides. Guignol is skeptical, but the magician uses hypnosis on him and Gnafron. Now that he is free to act as he pleases, the magician summons his master – the Devil. With the help of his imps, the Devil sprays herbicides all over the land, and turns it into a desert. Madelon comes in with a gigantic cabbage. The magician attempts to convince her that this cabbage is far better than the old ones and that, when everything will taste the same, everyone will think the same and there will be no problems anymore. Madelon drives out the magician. The garden becomes wild again and Guignol wakes up – happy to find everything as it was before. He wishes to cultivate the garden, but Madelon asks him to leave it as it is. When Gnafron wakes up, he and Guignol come to the conclusion that one should be wary of all magicians.