It is Anouilh's first play, and was written in collaboration with Jean Aurenche.
It was performed by the Compagnons de l'Arc-en-ciel in 1948 in Paris, and adapted for the screen and filmed in 1985.
[1] Humulus was not able to speak, until a doctor gave him the ability to say one word a day.
After months of painful silence, he decides to save up enough words to compose a declaration of his love.
Suddenly afraid that he might lose his chance, he cries out to her, "Je vous aime!” In response the girl reaches into her purse, takes out an enormous ear trumpet, explains that she is hard of hearing, and says, “Will you please repeat that?”.