... et toutes ses dents.
That was what the ad read last weekend: "Guignol is 200 years old and still has all his teeth". Guignol (pronounced "geen-yol" with a hard "g" and a long "o") is the name of the famous French puppet who was "born" in Lyon in 1808. Over the past two centuries, puppeteers have of course created their own unique versions and storylines for Monsieur Guignol, but in every episode there are puppets bashing each other over the head with sticks. It's rather like Punch & Judy, only in French. If you're a French in Action devotée, you'll recognize Guignol at the end of every episode!
So, we went with our neighbors and their kids to the Jardin d'Acclimatation to check out the 15 different Guignol shows that were playing for free (they have a regular Guignol show in their large theatre, but this was a special occasion), and also to let the kids play in the really excellent free playground (there are also some small amusement-park rides for those who wish to buy tickets, and other attractions like a driving range for you golfers). Here are a few highlights:
From the first show we saw.
This show had a bigger, fancier booth. The boys got bored quickly though, after sitting through the first show, so we moved on to something else.
After a couple of hours break from puppets to picnic and play, this was our last show and favorite: Guignol as Sadistic Doctor/Dentist. He bashes his patient over the head, and then proceeds to pull her tooth (which was nearly bigger than her entire head). When the next patient came in to get a tooth pulled, Dr. Guignol actually DID pull his head off!
