The Fairy Doll
In the original libretto, the story takes place in a Parisian toy shop in the 1830s. The curtain rises on the everyday life of a shop selling mechanical dolls. Assistants keep order while the owner attends to his work. A postman delivers letters, a messenger demands a tip, and a maid arrives asking for a doll to be repaired. The shopkeeper restores the toy. A merchant enters with his wife and daughter. The child becomes fascinated with a baby doll and insists on buying it. During the commotion, another doll is accidentally activated, startling them. After disagreements over prices, they leave. A commissioner arrives with news that a wealthy Englishman will soon visit. Sir James Plumpstershire, his wife, and their children enter the shop. The owner presents various dolls dressed in costumes representing different nations, each performing characteristic dances, including Tirolean Ländler, Chinese Polka, Spanish Dance, Japanese Mazurka and the Harlequin’s Tarantella.The highlight is the Fairy Doll, who performs a waltz. The Englishman is delighted and purchases her before leaving with his family. After closing time, the shop is locked and the lights are extinguished. At midnight, the Fairy Doll emerges and, with a wave of her wand, brings all the dolls to life. The shop fills with magical light as the dolls dance and celebrate. At one point, the shopkeeper and his assistant return, having heard noises, but everything appears normal. Once they leave again, the dolls resume their festivities, honoring the Fairy Doll as their queen. As dawn approaches, they return to their original positions before the shop reopens.