The Battle of Querrieu between the Northern French army, commanded by general Faidherbe, and the Prussian army, commanded by general Mateuffel, took place on the 20th of December 1870, only a few kilometers from Querrieu, a small village near Amiens. Édouard David’s play follows the historical facts, but he presents the war in a comical manner, through the eyes of the characters Lafleur and of his stooge Blaise: “…the war is a great massacre of innocents, but the difference is that your bullet is sent back to you if you missed your shot, and your enemies try not to miss theirs.”

The play El Bataille ed Querriu is one of the first puppet plays written by Édouard David. According to the author, his play was performed for the first time in the 1880s by Amiens puppeteer Casimir Clabault, also known as Zacharie or Jacharie, whose Théâtre du Franc Picard was one of the most famous puppet theatres in Amiens. The play rapidly became a traditional play of the Cabotans’ repertoire. The oldest performance documented by the press was put on the 7th of February 1899, at the Théâtre des Cabotans. Édouard David was the voice actor for the character Lafleur.

On the road to Amiens, Lafleur is arrested by a sentry. He explains who he is and his friend Blaise appears at this moment; he has been following him since Querrieu, thinking that Lafleur would enroll in the army. When Lafleur hears that his friend wants to become a soldier, he joins him, deciding that he will fulfill his duty after the war. Once recruited, the two friends stand guard at the entrance of the Querrieu woods. All of a sudden, they hear noises, coming from a spy on his way to inform general Manteuffel of what the French are planning. Lafleur stops him, but general Faidherbe, who has just arrived with his soldiers, tells him to release the spy, because the French do not do things the same way as the German.

Catherine, Lafleur’s wife, had to flee Querrieu after it was destroyed by the Prussians. While crossing the woods, she is arrested by the Prussians who assault and abduct her. Lafleur, who has heard the cries, arrives too late to defend his spouse. The colonel arrives with his soldiers who have heard the cannon shots. Lafleur points to the direction in which the Prussians went. A battle begins. The colonel, hit by a bullet, hands leadership over to Lafleur. Believing that his wife is dead, Lafleur fights the Prussian army mercilessly, until he is wounded too. The battle ends when Blaise brings the living Catherine to Lafleur.

Faldherbe announces that the French have won and that Lafleur is a French hero. Catherine asks to follow her husband on the battlefields and the general grants her permission. The musicians play the Marseillaise. Everyone sings and shouts “Vive la France!”.