Published for the first time by Duranty in the 1863 edition of his Théâtre des marionnettes du Jardin des Tuileries (Tuileries Garden Puppet Theatre), La Poule noire (The Black Hen) is a play in three parts; its plot is filled with twists and turns and spectacular effects. Polichinelle and Pierrot, always up to no good, go after a Sorcier (Sorcerer) and end up punished, either directly or indirectly. They both suffer curses, humiliations and abuse inflicted by the Sorciers (Sorcerers), the Diable (Devil), a Cocher (Coachman) or a Charcutier (Pork butcher); however, their behaviour never improves. On the contrary, Polichinelle strikes the final blow, and takes revenge for everything that has happened to him by killing the Sorcier. In his introduction to the play, Duranty, with his characteristic satirical panache, warned us: sorcerers and other wizards are excessively naive, as they are men of power quickly reduced to nothing as soon as they are deprived of their lucky charm in which, they believe, lies their power.

With the hope of finding some gold, Pierrot and Polichinelle break into the Sorcier’s (Sorcerer) house, but they are caught by a Poule noire (Black Hen) that attacks them. Polichinelle runs away with the Poule, but Pierrot, trapped, hides in a cauldron. Panicked, the Sorcier calls his colleagues for help, and they all try to bring the Poule back using a potion prepared in the cauldron. Pierrot moves around in the cauldron (which makes the Sorciers run away) and uncovers himself. To punish him, the Sorcier turns his head into that of a donkey. Meanwhile, Polichinelle is starving and kills the Poule, making it disappear: the Diable (Devil) appears in its stead. To punish Polichinelle, the Diable gives him the head of a red donkey. Polichinelle and Pierrot come back and threaten the Sorcier into giving them their appearance back; the Sorcier tells them that he lost his powers when he lost his Poule. Pierrot searches through the Sorcier’s potions and finds a cream that gives him his head back. However, the Sorcier runs away with the cream, chased by Pierrot. A Cocher (Coachman) arrives, thinks that Polichinelle is gorgeous, whips him and wants to hitch him to his cart. Polichinelle defends himself with his stick and the Cocher runs away. Desperate to get his head back, Polichinelle tries another one of the Sorcier’s creams, but his head turns into that of a pig. A Charcutier (Pork butcher) sees Polichinelle and is in awe of the talking pig; Polichinelle thinks that he is insane and chases him away with his stick. Pierrot comes back with the remedy, and Polichinelle gets his real head back. Polichinelle leaves with Pierrot and encounters the Sorcier: he kills him with a single blow of a stick.