Cast

Néméa: Princess, daughter of the King.
Zéphoris: Fisherman.
Mossoul: King of Goa.
Kadoor: Minister & Cousin of the King.
Zizel: thuggish acquaintance of Zéphoris.
Piféar: Fisherman, friend of Zéphoris.
Zélide: Sister of Zéphoris.

Act 1

After an overture (which has survived in the concert hall), the curtain opens on a picturesque scene on the seashore at dawn. Women come down to the sea to wake the fishermen husbands who are asleep on the sands. One of the men, Piféar, searches for his friend Zéphoris, with whom he likes to go fishing. But the young man is only interested in pearls and treasures. When he casts his nets, he rejects the fish that he has caught and continues to look only for pearls. Piféar is not impressed as fish are needed to stay alive. Zizel arrives looking along the coast. He has come to pocket all the money he can as he is an extortionist. Zélide, sister of Zéphoris gives Zizel her last pieces of money and there is nothing left in the moneybag of Zéphoris. Zéphoris explains that he is looking only for pearls and treasures to please a beautiful unknown young women whom he has saved from drowning before she ran away to save her pride. Alone, Piféar sees Kadoor, Minister and cousin of the King, arrive and give a message to a ship at sea. He is seeking three pieces of gold because he has a price on his head. The King and his daughter arrive. Kadoor intrigues to marry Néméa but she wants only to marry the one who saved her from drowning. With menaces, Kadoor obtains from Zélide, the sister of Zéphoris the story of how Zéphoris saved the life of Néméa and then passes himself off as the saviour. The King is surprised and Néméa is desolated. Zéphoris is without hope and stretching himself out on the sand writes, 'If I Were King', and falls asleep. Returning from his walk along the sands, the King comes across the sleeping Zéphoris and his inscription in the sand. He decides to transport the fisherman to the palace and make him King for a day as he thinks it will be both amusing and instructive.

Act 2

The throne room at the palace. Zéphoris is placed in the King's bed and the King has ordered that everyone salute him as king when he awakes and that they obey his orders. Zéphoris wakes with a start and believes that he is still in a dream. Helped by the real King, he starts ruling seriously. He orders that Zizel be punished with a beating and the money he has be given back to each of the fishermen and to Zélide because she is the most virtuous young woman there. Sensing a plot, he orders that the army return to wage war against the enemy and he orders that Piféar be arrested for smuggling. Pleased with his work as King, he then tells Néméa that he is really her saviour and organises a banquet to celebrate his marriage to her. Kadoor places a sleeping drug in his glass and then pretends once more to be the real fiancé of Néméa

Act 3

The setting is a fisherman's cabin. Zéphoris wakes and is once again full of bitterness. Néméa arrives to beg forgiveness for the trick played on him by her father and then Kadoor comes in to execute him for his alleged perjury over the saving of Néméa. Néméa prevents Kadoor from carrying through his plan and the treasonous nature of Kadoor is discovered. He has been passing messages on the high seas to the Portuguese fleet which would help them defeat the Goan army. War breaks out. The Portuguese are defeated thanks to the intuition and courage in battle of Zéphoris and he becomes a national hero. The King blesses his marriage to the Princess Néméa.