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Updated: September 2, 2025
"I suppose Houpet and the others will come after us," said Jeanne, rather anxiously. But just as she uttered the words a rather shrill crow made both Hugh and her stop short and look up to the top. They saw Houpet and the others standing round the edge of the hole.
"One, two, three;" and with "three" he gave a tremendous tug a much more tremendous tug than was required, for, to his surprise, the stone yielded at once without the slightest resistance, and back they all fell, one on the top of the other, Hugh, Jeanne, Houpet, Nibble, Grignan, and the two chickens!
Houpet gave another crow, in which the two chickens joined him, and then suddenly the stone was shut down the two children found themselves alone in this strange place, leading to they knew not where! Jeanne gave a little cry Hugh, too, for a moment was rather startled, but he soon recovered himself. "Jeanne," he said, "it must be all right. I don't think we need be frightened.
Up on the box, in the coachman's place, you understand, holding with an air of the utmost importance in one claw a pair of yellow silk reins, his tufted head surmounted by a gold-laced livery hat, which, however, must have had a hole in the middle to let the tuft through, for there it was in all its glory waving over the hat like a dragoon's plume, sat, or stood rather, Houpet; while, standing behind, holding on each with one claw to the back of the carriage, like real footmen, were the two other chickens.
Houpet hopped forward and stood at the top of the steps crowing softly. "He means that we're to go down," said Hugh. "Shall we?" "Of course," said Jeanne. "I'm not a bit afraid. We won't have any fun if we don't go on." "Well then," said Hugh, "I'll go first as I'm a boy, just in case, you know, Jeanne, of our meeting anything disagreeable." So down he went, Jeanne following close after.
It's a beautiful country, any way, and did you ever see anything so sweet as the little carriage they've sent for us, and wasn't it nice to see Houpet and all the others?" "Yes," said Hugh, "very. But whom do you mean by 'they, Jeanne?" "Oh dear, dear!" exclaimed Jeanne, "what a terrible boy you are. Do leave off asking questions, and let us have fun.
So they kissed and made friends. But still it seemed very queer to Hugh. Till now Jeanne had always been eager to talk about the tapestry castle, and full of fancies about Dudu and Houpet and the rest of the animals, and anxious to hear Hugh's dreams.
Onwards quietly stepped the little procession, Houpet first, his tuft waving as usual, with a comfortable air of importance and satisfaction; then Nibble and Grignan abreast hand-in-hand, I was going to have said; next Hugh and Jeanne; with the two attendant chickens behind bringing up the rear. "I wonder where they are going to take us to," said Hugh in a low voice.
"Still, it's a very queer place. I wish Dudu, or Houpet, or some of them, had come with us!" They set off on their climb up the steep spiral staircase. So narrow it was, that going hand-in-hand was out of the question. "It's worse than the staircase down to the frogs' country," said Jeanne. Hugh looked at her triumphantly. "There now, Jeanne, you do remember," he said.
"Poor Houpet!" she repeated, as she ran across the tapestry room to the uncurtained window; "I am sure he must have been very sad without me all day. He has such a loving heart. The others are nice too, but not half so loving. And Grignan has no heart at all; I suppose tortoises never have; only he is very comical, which is nearly as nice.
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