Synopsis

Prologue
Carnival makes his seasonal return to the court of the world's greatest monarch (the unnamed Louis XIV). He encourages his followers to distract the greatest of kings from his glorious labors.

Entrée I: The Spaniards (Les Espagnols)
A miserable Spaniard complains that he is dying of love, while his two friends try to convince him that love brings joy, not sorrow.

Entrée II: Barbacola
A village schoolmaster named Barbacola boasts about his many talents and scolds his pupils for their tardiness.

Entrée III: The Gypsies (Les Egyptiens)
Two gypsies encourage their followers to banish care and embrace pleasure. Glory and fame mean nothing without love; singing, dancing, and laughing are the best ways to enjoy life.

Entrée IV: Monsieur de Pourceaugnac
Pourceaugnac, an Italian bourgeois accused by two women of polygamy, demands justice. He seeks advice from two lawyers in turn, explaining that he has never been married even once, but the lawyers only cite legal precedents which prove that polygamy is a hanging offense. Reduced to despair by their uselessness, Pourceaugnac complains bitterly to the God of Love, whereupon two quack doctors try to cheer him up with their antics and medical remedies.

Entrée V: The Italians (Les Italiens)
A young woman who has long resisted love, discovers how sweet are its pains. Her lover points out that youth is fleeting and should be enjoyed while it lasts; she lets herself imagine the rigors of a wintry old age. Their musings are interrupted.

Entrée VI: The Turkish Ceremony (La Cérémonie Turque)
Monsieur Jourdain, a rich bourgeois who apes the nobility, is hoodwinked into believing that the son of the Grand Turk wants to marry his daughter. But in order for him to deserve such an honor, he must go through the ritual of becoming a Mamamouchi.

Entrée VII: The Newlyweds (Les Nouveaux Mariés)
Three serenaders tell a newlywed couple that Love can't be counted on to show up at weddings, even when he has been invited.

Entrée VIII: The Bohemians (Les Bohémiens)
A gypsy begs for relief from the pains of love.

Entrée IX:
Gallantry joins Carnival in transforming the harshness of winter into a time of pleasure and celebration.