Checkmate in three moves

I'm one of those players who doesn't care too much for chess problems.  In the typical problem, you're given the artificial task of achieving mate in "x" moves.  I always figured that if, in a given position, I have a dozen ways to mate in three moves, why even bother looking for mate in two moves? 

White to play and mate in three moves 

Alfred de Musset, 1849 (version)

But one of the Pandolfini exercises reminded me of this famous problem by the French dramatist Alfred de Musset.  Nifty!