Contes de Caliban

In a quiet rural province where dwindling birthrates have become a public concern, the narrator introduces Yan Béjarec, a septuagenarian once famed as “the child‑maker.” With his striking, almost mythic beard and a reputation for turning infertility into new life, Béjarec becomes a living counterpoint to the grim calculations of Malthusian thought. The townsfolk, from magistrates to stage‑coach preachers, debate his moral standing, while the narrator paints him as a simple, generous soul whose very presence seems to defy the era’s demographic anxieties.

The story’s first act follows Béjarec’s involvement with the sister‑twins Marie‑Anne and Anne‑Marie, whose divergent fates spark a secret scheme. When Anne‑Marie’s infertility threatens her family’s future, Marie‑Anne enlists Béjarec’s help, resulting in a concealed conception that brings joy to the household and whispers of his prowess through the countryside. A daring wager at a local cabaret further cements his legend, hinting at more uncanny exploits to come.