The highly suggestive title has led to much speculation, with some theories suggesting it ridicules rival critics; however, without the composer's own testimony, it remains an enigma. What is certain, at least, is that upon hearing this title and the actual music (the braying sound produced by the violin), French people immediately associate it with a donkey. Therefore, the safest interpretation is that the title refers to a guessing game about animals. However, in France, the donkey is actually synonymous with slowness or dullness. In French schools, a 'donkey's cap' was once a form of punishment for disobedient students who failed to do their homework. This involved making them wear a cap shaped like donkey ears and stand in a corner of the classroom. Since the title includes 'personages' (or 'characters'), it is possible that it depicts someone being made to wear a donkey's cap and paraded in a carnival procession. If so, it would be a public humiliation, quite degrading, suggesting there was someone the composer intensely disliked. As this piece was originally written for a private gathering, those involved might have smirked, thinking, 'Ah, that's about him/her,' as they listened, but now, it remains a mystery.