As in Le Sac de Charbon, and even more so in Le Mariage forcé, Duranty presents a fierce, lively, sly and violent Pierrot who wants to compete with Polichinelle in terms of nastiness. The numerous didascalies indicate that the scenes are mainly based on a sequence of traditional gags (lazzi) for glove puppets (blows with the head, blows with the stick, chase...) which imply vivacity and virtuosity in the execution of the play routines by the puppeteer.

A wealthy baker chef asks his cousin the apothecary to help him poison Pierrot, who is constantly robbing and assaulting him. When this plan fails, he sends his dog after the thief, but Pierrot kills the dog. Knowing that Pierrot has always wanted to learn pastry-making, the baker pretends to take him on as an apprentice to get revenge. But Pierrot plays many tricks. The gendarme, who has come to arrest him, is swindled, then hanged in the villain's place. Pierrot kills the baker and the apothecary, as a worthy disciple of Polichinelle.