The child poked his head through the opening of the kennel

“Andre! Andre! Said Mr Guerin, what are you doing there, my poor child ? ”
Before fully awakening, the little one let out one of those big sighs, which are but stifled tears, and he half opened his eyes, only to close them again immediately, saying: “Leave me here Dad, oh! I am afraid, I am so afraid.”
— My dear, I can not leave you inside this hole; your mother is worried about you, she sent me out to look for you; unfortunately I can’t come and get you, I could never get inside there. And he held out his hand to him, encouraging him, trying to get him to move in his direction. The child, lying flat on his belly, crawled forward and poked his head through the opening of the kennel, then he took a frightened look at the yard.
“Where are they ?” He whispered.
Mr. Guerin understood his enigmatic question and replied that George and Alice were in their rooms, well cared for by their mothers.
“Are they dead ?” Said the little boy in an almost imperceptible voice.
— Of course not, my poor child, his father replied, we certainly hope they’ll recover; come on and go to see Mariette, she’ll give you dinner, then you’ll sleep in your bed, and better than in this kennel. And while speaking, Mr. Guerin had managed to get Andre out and had put the toddler back on his feet, before leading him towards the house.
 
Extract from Fortune good and bad, by E. d’Erwin, illustrated by H. Castelli, 1877.