is signed, when the German officers finally leave the chateau. At the end of the story, it is revealed that Rachel herself has been hiding in the bell tower, ringing the bell as a sign of her personal triumph over the Germans. Themes Like many of Maupassant's stories, Mademoisele Fifi explores the theme of contrasting the French and the Germans. The German officers in the novel are all outrageous stereotypes; they all sport beards, have blond or bright red hair, and are depicted as pompous, uncultured men. Fifi himself combines the worst stereotypes of the Germans; he is violent, immoral, arrogant, and takes great delight in pointlessly smashing priceless antiques and objets d'art in the chateau. The German soldiers in the novel are portrayed as blindly obeying any orders and remaining stoically obedient at all times, whilst at the same time being fairly unprofessional soldiers, two of them being killed by accident whilst searching for Rachel after the party. Adaptations Maupassant's story has been adapted for the stage. There is Oscar Méténier's play of 1896, as well as Russian composer César Cui's opera based on both the story and the play. It has also been adapted to film, serving as part of the inspiration for Val Lewton's 1944 film Mademoiselle Fifi. Ada Galsworthy published an English translation Mademoiselle Fifi and Other Stories in 1919. References External links Free audiobook : Mademoiselle Fifi (in French) Mlle Fifi: nouveaux contes, hathitrust.org Mademoiselle Fifi and twelve other stories, hathitrust.org 1882 short stories Short stories by Guy de Maupassant Franco-Prussian War fiction Short stories adapted into films