
In the bustling streets of Montmartre, a celebrated clown named Bichot finds himself with an unexpected free evening after the circus fire is extinguished. Still in his lanky costume, he decides to wander the narrow lanes with Juzaine, a lively girl he has taken under his wing. Their stroll through the winding alleys captures the vivid atmosphere of early‑twentieth‑century Paris, blending the circus’s lingering magic with the everyday rhythm of the city.
At a quiet corner of Rue Gabrielle they encounter Gringalette, a thin, hungry child whose parents have vanished under mysterious circumstances. Bichot’s playful bravado softens into genuine concern as he learns of her solitude and lack of food. He invites her to join them at a modest café, sharing sausages, sauerkraut, and warm drinks. The simple act of generosity forms an unlikely bond among the three, hinting at adventures and challenges that await them in the heart of the Parisian night.
Language
fr
Duration
~3 hours (218K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This book was produced from scanned images of public domain material from the Google Print project.)
Release date
2013-09-21
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1867–1905
A provocative French writer of the fin de siècle, he mixed fiction, essays, and sharp cultural arguments with a taste for controversy. Though often remembered for scandalous books, his work also reflects the restless literary and political currents of late 19th-century France.
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