Tarasconin Tartarin

by Alphonse Daudet

"Tarasconin Tartarin" by Alphonse Daudet is a novel written in 1872. In the Provençal town of Tarascon, hunting enthusiasts have eliminated all local game and resort to shooting their own caps for sport. When middle-aged Tartarin rashly expresses interest in hunting lions, the townspeople assume he's planning an expedition to Algeria. To save face, he embarks on a disastrous journey filled with con artists, absurd equipment, and comic misadventures, ultimately returning home penniless but claiming glory after an unexpected encounter with a tame lion.