However, Giono himself explained in a 1957 letter to an official of the city of Digne: Sorry to disappoint you, but Elzéard Bouffier is a fictional person.
V roce 1957 však Giono sám napsal úředníkovi z města Digne: „Musím Vás zklamat, ale Elzéard Bouffier je fiktivní postava.