Perrin was the inventor of the wonderful map on which Selika recognized Madagascar.

They took the characters there in order to justify the term Africanne applied to the heroine.

They also introduced the Brahmin religion to Madagascar in order to avoid moving the characters to India where the fourth act should take place.

The first performance was imminent when they found that the work was too long.

So they cut out an original ballet where a savage beat a tom-tom, and they cut and fitted together mercilessly.