Le disgrazie de Arlechin (The misfortunes of Harlequin) is part of a series of puppet plays, Raccolta di commediole, released by G. Chiopris, a publishing house from Trieste. The theme of the play echoes that of texts written for actor theatre, and is meant for a family audience. Here, the characters do not align with those of the Commedia dell’arte; for instance, Faccanapa is a broker and Arlecchino is a shopkeeper.

Arlecchino, a shopkeeper from Bergamo, travels to Venice to marry Angiola, Pantalone’s daughter. During the journey, as he is sleeping in a shed, he is robbed and caught in a fire. He loses both the money and the paperwork needed for the wedding. Pantalone discusses with Tartaglia who asks him if his son Florindo could marry Angiola, but Pantalone says that she is already betrothed to Arlecchino. Tartaglia repeats this to Florindo, who is still determined to marry Angiola. He asks Faccanapa for help. Faccanapa intercepts Arlecchino and, using various ploys, diverts him from Pantalone’s and Angiola’s house. He is first awarded the token of recognition that was meant for Pantalone, then, he shows Arlecchino the asylum and says that he has to go there; he then makes him believe that his betrothed is an ill beggar; he then seizes Arlecchino’s ring so as to sell it and tells him that, in order to get the money, he has to go to the prison. Finally, he has him arrested for possessing a weapon, which was hidden in his bag by Faccanapa, and he makes him bribe the guards to be freed. To pull it all off, Faccapana introduces himself under a new name every time, and tells Arlecchino that, even though he looks like the wrongdoer who has just tricked him, he is just someone who wants to help him. Arlecchino believes him every time.

As all of this happens, Florindo convinces Pantalone that he is Arlecchino, and marries Angiola. In the end, Faccanapa puts Arlecchino in a bag to get rid of him once and for all. However, Pantalone realises that something is wrong, and a free Arlecchino tells his version of the story. Florindo and Faccanapa explain that they did all of this to defend the love between Angiola and Florindo. Pantalone decides to solve the problem, and make Arlecchino marry his daughter’s servant, Colombina, with whom Faccanapa is in love; Florindo will find him another wife.