The play Les Deux rats (The Two Rats) is part of the volume I Pupazzi published in 1866 and which is mainly composed of monologues (satirical and comical) in verses, each devoted to a different personality. The author specifies that it is a book compiling meditations, portraits of personalities and accounts of recent events, in which he proves his talent as an impersonator. The articulated silhouettes of the Pupazzi were faithful portraits of celebrities from the time; he gently mocked their appearance or intellectual character.

Lemercier de Neuville directed his hand-puppet booth alone, as an author, painter, set designer and stagehand. The Pupazzi first met with success during the evening of December 28, 1862 in the workshop of the photographer Étienne Carjat. The name Pupazzi was created that evening by accident, and is not related to Italian puppet theatre. The first performances used articulated silhouettes. A year after the performance of the Pupazzi on May 10, 1864, the painter Gustave Doré suggested for Lemercier de Neuville to start using glove-puppets and to add dialogues to his texts.

The plays are created around topical events, mainly political; the author thus denounced corrupt electoral practices in the play Les Deux rats.

Two rats, Monsieur le Rat Deschamps (literally, Mister the Rat From-the-countryside), an elector, and Monsieur le Rat Deville (literally, Mister the Rat From-the-city) - candidate in the election, attend a dinner party organised to secure votes. Deschamps questions Deville on a number of subjects, and especially on his oratorical skills. Deville admits to not being a real orator; he reveals that he only knows how to imitate the voice of others and immediately illustrates his abilities. However, Deschamps questions his honesty and declares: “Ayant trop de voix, vous n’aurez pas la mienne” (“You have too many voices, you will not have mine”; in French, “voix” means both “voices” and “vote”). Deville does not despair and, addressing the audience, asks for support.