OnsomegrandstateoccasionIforgotwhatthekingdeterminedtohaveamasquerade，andwheneveramasqueradeoranythingofthatkind，occurredatourcourt，thenthetalents，bothofHop-FrogandTrippettaweresuretobecalledintoplay。Hop-Frog，inespecial，wassoinventiveinthewayofgettinguppageants，suggestingnovelcharacters，andarrangingcostumes，formaskedballs，thatnothingcouldbedone，itseems，withouthisassistance。
Thenightappointedforthefetehadarrived。Agorgeoushallhadbeenfittedup，underTrippetta’seye，witheverykindofdevicewhichcouldpossiblygiveeclattoamasquerade。Thewholecourtwasinafeverofexpectation。Asforcostumesandcharacters，itmightwellbesupposedthateverybodyhadcometoadecisiononsuchpoints。Manyhadmadeuptheirmindsastowhatrolestheyshouldassumeaweek，orevenamonth，inadvance；and，infact，therewasnotaparticleofindecisionanywhereexceptinthecaseofthekingandhissevenminsters。WhytheyhesitatedInevercouldtell，unlesstheydiditbywayofajoke。Moreprobably，theyfounditdifficult，onaccountofbeingsofat，tomakeuptheirminds。Atallevents，timeflew；and，asalastresorttheysentforTrippettaandHop-Frog。
Whenthetwolittlefriendsobeyedthesummonsofthekingtheyfoundhimsittingathiswinewiththesevenmembersofhiscabinetcouncil；butthemonarchappearedtobeinaveryillhumor。HeknewthatHop-Frogwasnotfondofwine，foritexcitedthepoorcripplealmosttomadness；andmadnessisnocomfortablefeeling。Butthekinglovedhispracticaljokes，andtookpleasureinforcingHop-Frogtodrinkandasthekingcalledit
’tobemerry。’
“Comehere，Hop-Frog。”saidhe，asthejesterandhisfriendenteredtheroom；“swallowthisbumpertothehealthofyourabsentfriends，[hereHop-Frogsighed，]andthenletushavethebenefitofyourinvention。Wewantcharacterscharacters，mansomethingnoveloutoftheway。
Weareweariedwiththiseverlastingsameness。Come，drink！thewinewillbrightenyourwits。”
Hop-Frogendeavored，asusual，togetupajestinreplytotheseadvancesfromtheking；buttheeffortwastoomuch。Ithappenedtobethepoordwarf’sbirthday，andthecommandtodrinktohis’absentfriends’forcedthetearstohiseyes。Manylarge，bitterdropsfellintothegobletashetookit，humbly，fromthehandofthetyrant。
“Ah！ha！ha！”roaredthelatter，asthedwarfreluctantlydrainedthebeaker。“Seewhataglassofgoodwinecando！Why，youreyesareshiningalready！”
Poorfellow！hislargeeyesgleamed，ratherthanshone；fortheeffectofwineonhisexcitablebrainwasnotmorepowerfulthaninstantaneous。Heplacedthegobletnervouslyonthetable，andlookedrounduponthecompanywithahalfinsanestare。Theyallseemedhighlyamusedatthesuccessoftheking’s’joke。’
“Andnowtobusiness。”saidtheprimeminister，averyfatman。
“Yes。”saidtheKing；“Comelendusyourassistance。Characters，myfinefellow；westandinneedofcharactersallofusha！ha！ha！”andasthiswasseriouslymeantforajoke，hislaughwaschorusedbytheseven。
Hop-Frogalsolaughedalthoughfeeblyandsomewhatvacantly。
“Come，come。”saidtheking，impatiently，“haveyounothingtosuggest？”
“Iamendeavoringtothinkofsomethingnovel。”repliedthedwarf，abstractedly，forhewasquitebewilderedbythewine。
“Endeavoring！”criedthetyrant，fiercely；“whatdoyoumeanbythat？Ah，Iperceive。YouareSulky，andwantmorewine。Here，drinkthis！”andhepouredoutanothergobletfullandofferedittothecripple，whomerelygazedatit，gaspingforbreath。
“Drink，Isay！”shoutedthemonster，“orbythefiends-“
Thedwarfhesitated。Thekinggrewpurplewithrage。Thecourtierssmirked。Trippetta，paleasacorpse，advancedtothemonarch’sseat，and，fallingonherkneesbeforehim，imploredhimtospareherfriend。
Thetyrantregardedher，forsomemoments，inevidentwonderatheraudacity。Heseemedquiteatalosswhattodoorsayhowmostbecominglytoexpresshisindignation。Atlast，withoututteringasyllable，hepushedherviolentlyfromhim，andthrewthecontentsofthebrimminggobletinherface。
Thepoorgirlgotupthebestshecould，and，notdaringeventosigh，resumedherpositionatthefootofthetable。
Therewasadeadsilenceforabouthalfaminute，duringwhichthefallingofaleaf，orofafeather，mighthavebeenheard。Itwasinterruptedbyalow，butharshandprotractedgratingsoundwhichseemedtocomeatoncefromeverycorneroftheroom。
“Whatwhatwhatareyoumakingthatnoisefor？”demandedtheking，turningfuriouslytothedwarf。
Thelatterseemedtohaverecovered，ingreatmeasure，fromhisintoxication，andlookingfixedlybutquietlyintothetyrant’sface，merelyejaculated：
“II？Howcouldithavebeenme？”
“Thesoundappearedtocomefromwithout。”observedoneofthecourtiers。
“Ifancyitwastheparrotatthewindow，whettinghisbilluponhiscage-wires。”
“True。”repliedthemonarch，asifmuchrelievedbythesuggestion；“but，onthehonorofaknight，Icouldhaveswornthatitwasthegrittingofthisvagabond’steeth。”
Hereuponthedwarflaughedthekingwastooconfirmedajokertoobjecttoanyone’slaughing，anddisplayedasetoflarge，powerful，andveryrepulsiveteeth。Moreover，heavowedhisperfectwillingnesstoswallowasmuchwineasdesired。Themonarchwaspacified；andhavingdrainedanotherbumperwithnoveryperceptibleilleffect，Hop-Frogenteredatonce，andwithspirit，intotheplansforthemasquerade。
“Icannottellwhatwastheassociationofidea。”observedhe，verytranquilly，andasifhehadnevertastedwineinhislife，“butjustafteryourmajesty，hadstruckthegirlandthrownthewineinherface
justafteryourmajestyhaddonethis，andwhiletheparrotwasmakingthatoddnoiseoutsidethewindow，therecameintomymindacapitaldiversiononeofmyowncountryfrolicsoftenenactedamongus，atourmasquerades：buthereitwillbenewaltogether。Unfortunately，however，itrequiresacompanyofeightpersonsand-“
“Hereweare！”criedtheking，laughingathisacutediscoveryofthecoincidence；“eighttoafractionIandmysevenministers。Come！whatisthediversion？”
“Wecallit。”repliedthecripple，“theEightChainedOurang-Outangs，anditreallyisexcellentsportifwellenacted。”
“Wewillenactit。”remarkedtheking，drawinghimselfup，andloweringhiseyelids。
“Thebeautyofthegame。”continuedHop-Frog，“liesinthefrightitoccasionsamongthewomen。”
“Capital！”roaredinchorusthemonarchandhisministry。
“Iwillequipyouasourang-outangs。”proceededthedwarf；“leaveallthattome。Theresemblanceshallbesostriking，thatthecompanyofmasqueraderswilltakeyouforrealbeastsandofcourse，theywillbeasmuchterrifiedasastonished。”
“Oh，thisisexquisite！”exclaimedtheking。“Hop-Frog！Iwillmakeamanofyou。”
“Thechainsareforthepurposeofincreasingtheconfusionbytheirjangling。Youaresupposedtohaveescaped，enmasse，fromyourkeepers。
Yourmajestycannotconceivetheeffectproduced，atamasquerade，byeightchainedourang-outangs，imaginedtoberealonesbymostofthecompany；andrushinginwithsavagecries，amongthecrowdofdelicatelyandgorgeouslyhabitedmenandwomen。Thecontrastisinimitable！”
“Itmustbe。”saidtheking：andthecouncilarosehurriedlyasitwasgrowinglate，toputinexecutiontheschemeofHop-Frog。
Hismodeofequippingthepartyasourang-outangswasverysimple，buteffectiveenoughforhispurposes。Theanimalsinquestionhad，attheepochofmystory，veryrarelybeenseeninanypartofthecivilizedworld；andastheimitationsmadebythedwarfweresufficientlybeast-likeandmorethansufficientlyhideous，theirtruthfulnesstonaturewasthusthoughttobesecured。
Thekingandhisministerswerefirstencasedintight-fittingstockinetshirtsanddrawers。Theywerethensaturatedwithtar。Atthisstageoftheprocess，someoneofthepartysuggestedfeathers；butthesuggestionwasatonceoverruledbythedwarf，whosoonconvincedtheeight，byoculardemonstration，thatthehairofsuchabruteastheourang-outangwasmuchmoreefficientlyrepresentedbyflu。Athickcoatingofthelatterwasaccordinglyplastereduponthecoatingoftar。Alongchainwasnowprocured。First，itwaspassedaboutthewaistoftheking，andtied，thenaboutanotheroftheparty，andalsotied；thenaboutallsuccessively，inthesamemanner。Whenthischainingarrangementwascomplete，andthepartystoodasfarapartfromeachotheraspossible，theyformedacircle；andtomakeallthingsappearnatural，Hop-Frogpassedtheresidueofthechainintwodiameters，atrightangles，acrossthecircle，afterthefashionadopted，atthepresentday，bythosewhocaptureChimpanzees，orotherlargeapes，inBorneo。
Thegrandsalooninwhichthemasqueradewastotakeplace，wasacircularroom，verylofty，andreceivingthelightofthesunonlythroughasinglewindowattop。Atnighttheseasonforwhichtheapartmentwasespeciallydesigneditwasilluminatedprincipallybyalargechandelier，dependingbyachainfromthecentreofthesky-light，andlowered，orelevated，bymeansofacounter-balanceasusual；butinordernottolookunsightly
thislatterpassedoutsidethecupolaandovertheroof。
ThearrangementsoftheroomhadbeenlefttoTrippetta’ssuperintendence；
but，insomeparticulars，itseems，shehadbeenguidedbythecalmerjudgmentofherfriendthedwarf。Athissuggestionitwasthat，onthisoccasion，thechandelierwasremoved。Itswaxendrippingswhich，inweathersowarm，itwasquiteimpossibletopreventwouldhavebeenseriouslydetrimentaltotherichdressesoftheguests，who，onaccountofthecrowdedstateofthesaloon，couldnotallbeexpectedtokeepfromoutitscentre；thatistosay，fromunderthechandelier。Additionalsconcesweresetinvariouspartsofthehall，outofthewar，andaflambeau，emittingsweetodor，wasplacedintherighthandofeachoftheCaryaides[Caryatides]thatstoodagainstthewallsomefiftyorsixtyaltogether。
Theeightourang-outangs，takingHop-Frog’sadvice，waitedpatientlyuntilmidnightwhentheroomwasthoroughlyfilledwithmasqueradersbeforemakingtheirappearance。Nosoonerhadtheclockceasedstriking，however，thantheyrushed，orratherrolledin，alltogetherfortheimpedimentsoftheirchainscausedmostofthepartytofall，andalltostumbleastheyentered。
Theexcitementamongthemasqueraderswasprodigious，andfilledtheheartofthekingwithglee。Ashadbeenanticipated，therewerenotafewoftheguestswhosupposedtheferocious-lookingcreaturestobebeastsofsomekindinreality，ifnotpreciselyourang-outangs。Manyofthewomenswoonedwithaffright；andhadnotthekingtakentheprecautiontoexcludeallweaponsfromthesaloon，hispartymightsoonhaveexpiatedtheirfrolicintheirblood。Asitwas，ageneralrushwasmadeforthedoors；butthekinghadorderedthemtobelockedimmediatelyuponhisentrance；and，atthedwarf’ssuggestion，thekeyshadbeendepositedwithhim。
Whilethetumultwasatitsheight，andeachmasqueraderattentiveonlytohisownsafetyfor，infact，therewasmuchrealdangerfromthepressureoftheexcitedcrowd，thechainbywhichthechandelierordinarilyhung，andwhichhadbeendrawnuponitsremoval，mighthavebeenseenverygraduallytodescend，untilitshookedextremitycamewithinthreefeetofthefloor。
Soonafterthis，thekingandhissevenfriendshavingreeledaboutthehallinalldirections，foundthemselves，atlength，initscentre，and，ofcourse，inimmediatecontactwiththechain。Whiletheywerethussituated，thedwarf，whohadfollowednoiselesslyattheirheels，incitingthemtokeepupthecommotion，tookholdoftheirownchainattheintersectionofthetwoportionswhichcrossedthecirclediametricallyandatrightangles。Here，withtherapidityofthought，heinsertedthehookfromwhichthechandelierhadbeenwonttodepend；and，inaninstant，bysomeunseenagency，thechandelier-chainwasdrawnsofarupwardastotakethehookoutofreach，and，asaninevitableconsequence，todragtheourang-outangstogetherincloseconnection，andfacetoface。