wn again, something like
a little umbrella. No doubt he was a very rare and wonderful chicken,
and if I were clever about chickens I would be able to tell you all his
remarkable points. But that I cannot do. I can only say he was the
queerest-looking creature that ever pecked about a poultry-yard, and how
it came to pass that Jeanne admired him so, I cannot tell you either.

"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. As for Dudu, I
really cannot say, he is so stuck up, as if he knew better than any one
else. Ah, there he is, the old fellow! Well, Dudu," she called out, as
if the raven could have heard her so far off and through the closely
shut window; "well, Dudu, how are you to-day, my dear sir? How do you
like the snow and the cold?"

Dudu calmly continued his promenade up and down the terrace. Jeanne
could clearly distinguish his black shape against the white ground.

"I am going downstairs to see mamma, Dudu," she went on. "I love mamma
very much, but I wish she wasn't my mother at all, but my sister. I wish
she was turned into a little girl to play with me, and that papa was
turned into a little boy. How funny he would look with his white hair,
wouldn't he, Dudu? Oh, you stupid Dudu, why won't you speak to me? I
wish you would come up here; there's a beautiful castle and garden in
the tapestry, where you would have two peacocks to play with;" for just
at that moment the moon, passing from under a cloud, lighted up one side
of the tapestry, which, as Jeanne said, represented a garden with
various curious occupants. And as the wavering brightness caught the
grotesque figures in turn, it really seemed to the little girl as if
they moved. Half pleased, half startled at the fancy, she clapped her
hands.

"Dudu, Dudu," she cried, "the peacocks want you to come; they're
beginning to jump about;" and almost as she said the words a loud croak
from the raven sounded in her ears, and turning round, there, to her
amazement, she saw Dudu standing on the ledge of the window outside,
his bright eyes shining, his black wings flapping, just as if he would
say,

"Let me in, Mademoiselle, let me in. Why do you mock me by calling me if