"Maurin des Maures" by Jean Aicard is a novel published in 1908. This "heroic-comic" tale follows Maurin, a rustic poacher who outwits the gendarmes pursuing him through the Maures mountains of Provence. Written with a Provençal accent and spirit, the story captures the free-wheeling humor of traditional French storytelling. At its heart lies a rivalry between Maurin and gendarme Martello Alessandri, both competing for the love of the same woman, Tonia la Corsoise.