Everything that is known about this play comes from a handwritten summary kept in the Bibliothèque nationale de France (French national library), in the Soleinne collection (Ms FR 9313). According to Françoise Rubellin, who published the text, it was most likely written by Valois d’Orville. The date on the manuscript (23 June 1736) is surprising, since the Foire Saint-Laurent (Saint-Laurent Fair) only began a few days after, on June 27.

At the Foire Saint-Laurent, Polichinelle is conversing with a Poète (Poet), Monsieur de la Rimaille (Mister of the Doggerel), about how low the pay for writers is. A Chanteuse (Female singer) offers to join Polichinelle’s troupe, but she changes her mind when she learns that singers are hidden behind a piece of cloth in puppet theatres. A Marchand (Merchant) is looking for his wife, who is being unfaithful to him with a shop boy; a Petite Fille (Young Girl) is looking for her mother, who left her for a young man; this young girl herself goes to see a “petit jeune homme” (a little young man) whom she is acquainted with. Gros Thomas (Fat Thomas), a famous barker and tooth puller, arrives.