The Meunier Family Barn
1.1. The Farm Animals
Maurice the Horse
The workhorse of the Meunier family farm. Maurice will often be called upon to pull the family wagon for the Meunier family’s visits to the village. Although skeptical of any plans of mischief, he is willing to help his fellow members of La Troupe de Sabots if it requires pulling a heavy wagon. Proud to be Québécois, Maurice shows his French-Canadian pride with his red voyager hat. Although he gets along with all the animals, his best friend is the one-eyed barn cat, Marquis de Montcalm.
Henri the Sheep
The cigar-smoking, red wine-drinking sheep of the farm. Henri will frequently instigate mischief with Claude the Pig. However, he prefers to fade back into the background once trouble begins so he can “supervise” while smoking his cigars and drinking his wine.
Claude the Pig
Dapper Claude is the best-dressed member of La Troupe de Sabots. A bit of a runt, he is also the smallest of La Troupe. Claude is often the brains behind the latest mischievous plans of La Troupe de Sabots. Unfortunately for Claude, his small size results in him frequently getting tossed in the air when trouble begins.
Hélène the Cow: Hélène is a black and white cow, whereas her sister, Pauline, is red and white. While Hélène is not very bright, she has an intuitive sense of the world around her. She often understands things that are beyond the grasp of her fellow La Troupe members.
Pauline: Pauline is not much smarter than her sister Hélène, but she sees herself as the “boss cow” of the farm. Being a new mother of Mirabelle has made Pauline feel even more “bossy” than usual. She and Hélène are willing to get in trouble if it allows them to show off to their fellow La Troupe members.
Isabelle the Goat
Isabelle is a bundle of energy and charges headlong into trouble. Isabelle is quite willing to get the mischief moving with a quick kick. Isabelle is also fascinated by mechanical things like motorized bicycles and traction engines.
Marquis de Montcalm the Cat
Called “Monty” by the Meunier children, he is the oldest member of La Troupe de Sabots. A cat with lots of pride; he hates being called Monty and prefers his full name of Marquis de Montcalm. His eye patch and general scruffiness testify to his pugnacious nature when defending his fellow La Troupe members. Montcalm is happiest on Madame Meunier’s shoulder or lap. His best animal friend is Maurice the Horse and he often rides on his shoulders for adventures in the village of Saint-Honoré.
Walter
Elphage Meunier’s Waterloo Boy Traction Engine, known as Walter by La Troupe de Sabots. The animals of La Troupe believe that Walter is a living, mechanical horse.