The children heard the lovely sound of a low horn.
"What's that?" asked Mandy.
"It's the hunting horn.
The hunt is about to begin!" Helene yelled.
"Everyone goes hunting with the king.
Everyone but the servants, of course."
A man with a pack of dogs appeared.
The dogs were barking and pulling at their leashes.
"What are they hunting?" asked Vinnie.
"Most likely fox," Helene said.
Another horn rang out.
They heard horses trotting.
"Do they hunt every day?" asked Mandy.
"Of course!" said Helene.
"Hunting is the king's favorite sport.
Yesterday he got a deer."
Mandy burned with anger.
She whispered to Vinnie, "Hunting is not a sport!
It's killing poor animals!"
Helene took Mandy's hand.
"Since the king is out hunting, I'll show you the palace," she said.
The children all ran into the palace.
"Ooh!" said Mandy.
"Wow!" said Vinnie.
"Shh!" said Helene.
"If you want to see it all, you have to be quiet."
Everything in the palace sparkled.
Paintings of the king were on the walls and ceilings.
The furniture was covered in gold and velvet.
"There are about 700 rooms in Versailles," Helene explained.
She stopped in front of huge double doors.
Helene looked around.
She wanted to make sure no one was watching.
"And this room is the most beautiful of all!" cried Helene.
"It's my favorite!"
She opened the double doors wide.
Vinnie and Mandy followed her inside.
Their mouths dropped open.
It was a large hall.
There were 17 glass doors that looked out to the gardens.
On the walls were large decorated mirrors.
"This is the Hall of Mirrors.
It has 357 mirrors!" said Helene.
"King Louis meets very important people in here.
I make believe this is my dancing room."
Helene twirled across the floor.
She did not see two guards with long spears enter the hall.
"You children!" one shouted.
"In the name of His Royal Highness, stop!"
"Uh-oh!" Helene stopped dancing.
"Follow me!"
Helene led the children down a hallway.
Along the walls, gold statues held up crystal lights.
"Stop!" yelled the other guard.
The guards ran after them.
"What happens if they catch us?" asked Vinnie.
"Don't worry," giggled Helene.
"We can get away through the gardens.
But we'll have to hide first!"
Helene turned a corner and went into a room.
Lace and ostrich feathers were everywhere.
A group of women sat sewing.
One woman saw the children.
"Are the guards chasing you again, Helene?" she smiled.
Helene blew the woman a kiss.
Then she led the children out another door.
Helene ducked into another room.
"How does she know this place so well?" gasped Mandy.
Vinnie hurried right behind.
He wondered the same thing.
Suddenly, he bumped into a woman, and her head rolled off.
"Ahhh!" he screamed.