"Do you not recognize your king?"
A man pushed his face close to Mandy.
"This is King Louis XIV!
He is the greatest king in the world!"
"Louis who?" Vinnie whispered to Mandy.
She pinched his arm to make him keep quiet.
"That's enough, my Duke," the king said.
"The children will go to their work now."
King Louis waved his hand and walked away very slowly.
His followers moved as slow as snails too.
Vinnie giggled and pointed to their pointy shoes.
"No wonder they can't walk fast," he said.
"Shh!" said Mandy.
The women wore long full skirts.
The men wore wide lace neckties and long coats.
Both the men and women wore big curly wigs.
"Didn't you hear the king?
Go to your work!" the gardener shouted again.
His voice was back now that the king had moved on.
"But, sir, we do not know where to go," said Mandy.
"We . . . uh . . . we are new here."
The old man sighed and pointed to the next building.
"Go inside to the kitchen and ask for Mary!"
The children thanked him.
Vinnie and Mandy headed for the kitchen.
But someone was watching them.
"So we're in France.
Then this place must be—," Mandy began.
"Versailles!" A girl jumped out from behind some tomato plants.
"Ahhh!" Vinnie and Mandy screamed.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" the girl giggled.
She was about Mandy's age.
"I'm Helene." She pointed to the old man.
"He is my father.
He's the gardener of the king's kitchen garden."
The children introduced themselves.
"Do you work here at Versailles?" asked Vinnie.
Helene nodded.
"I was born here," she said.
"My family lives here to serve the king."
"What about school?" asked Mandy.
Helene laughed loudly.
"You're so funny, Mandy.
I don't go to school.
You are new here.
Let me show you around."
The children saw orange trees and more gardens along the way.
"How many gardens are there?" asked Vinnie.
He was already tired of walking.
"Lots and lots," giggled Helene.
"And we have over 1,300 fountains, 300 statues and vases, and . . ."
"What?" Vinnie stared at her.
"There are 1,300 fountains?"
He was thinking of the fountain in the photo.
"How will we ever find the right one to get us home?" he wondered to himself.
Mandy was thinking of something else.
"And all of this is for just one person?" she asked.
"Yes, it's all for the king of France.
He can have whatever he wants."
Helene smiled again.
"Where do your parents work at Versailles?"
"Uh, well . . ." Vinnie thought quickly.
He remembered that Dad went to buy something for the roof.
"Our parents are working on the roof."
Helene looked up at the top of the palace.
She seemed puzzled.
"Maybe we can look for them later," she said, shrugging.
Vinnie and Mandy looked at each other and smiled.