Chickenhare and the Secret of the Groundhog (Hopper et le secret de la marmotte)

Will any of you ever actually understand

that my species was never designed for running.

Come on, Abe, running keeps you fit and extends your life expectancy.

On this last point, I can only agree with you.

My life expectancy will considerably shorten the second I'll stop running.

If my calculations are correct, the palace of King Zamban is the next left.

Well, I calculate that you can't calculate.

Nice, let me know when they're gone!

I won't last long.

-Stay put Abe! -Oh, I'm not going anywhere!

Meg, on my signal, step on the gas!

-Wait, what?! -Are you sure about this?

-Now! -Alrighty, brace yourselves.

Oh boy...

-Well done Meg! Now, hang on to me! -Why??

Am I dead now? Is this heaven?

Woow, the palace of Zamban!

The King who raised culinary art to the status of the art of living.

If you ask me, those people have been more successful at the art of dying.

He had one of his magi design a utensil

that would allow him to swallow any type of food,

whether poisonous or spoiled, without suffering the slightest inconvenience:

The Holy Spork.

We'll need to climb.

Go ahead, I'll wait for you here.

Oh, don't bother.

Hey, is that my whip?!

Crolloq!

Oh, glad to see you still remember me, Megan...

After leaving me for dead.

What? No. I only left you... But you were definitely alive.

True, but while searching for the Fountain of Middle Age all alone,

I might add, I fell into a pit and was trapped there for five years,

forced to subsist on tiny insects and tinier grubs.

The only thing that kept me alive was dreaming about this very moment...

What about the tiny insects and tinier grubs?

Oh sorry, it's your own backstory.

-Flash them all! -I haven't recharged yet.

Wow! I can't believe you're right here in front of me. I read all about you.

Oh, by the way, I'm Chickenhare.

Ohhh, I know who you are, Chickenhare.

I too read all about you and Meg's exploits... Blablabla.

I'm right here.

Well, it's time for Crolloq to come back into the spotlight.

I've been in the shallows long enough.

No hard feelings Meg!

You'll eventually get used to it you know,

me outdoing you on future treasure hunts and all...

Crolloq is back!

-Well done boss! -You're the best!

Miggie, Rolf, let's go!

-Okay boss!! -Okay boss!!

Don't worry Meg, we can't win them all.

It's not that, it's... More complicated...

Well at least for once the ground isn't shaking.

No traps, deadly things or cliches of the kind.

Which is rather good news.

I can't believe that you were friends with the great Crolloq!

She was on my top three adventurers when I was a kid.

Believe me, being around her every day wasn't so nice...

Abe? What are you holding?? Is it...

Guys, are you okay?

Yeah, we're fine! What is this stuff?

Tiny letters?!

Oh yes, I remember! My mother used to cook it for me, and made it with...

Burning hot tomato sauce!

Abe! What's under the dome? Anything useful?

Yuck, it's a stuffed tomato. I would say... 3000 years old.

"Only a full stomach will stop the flow of abundance."

Wowowowo, I'm not gonna eat that!

Come on, Abe! If it really is the Holy Spork you won't feel the difference!

You can do it, come on!

That's it, you got this!

Close your eyes and do it!

Do it!!

Do it now!

I've had worse.

-Aaaabe! -Aaaabe!

Aaahhh, it's not working!!

What? But my stomach is full!!

A weighing scale? Ooooh, I get it!

Guys! It was just a matter of weight!

Oh right, hold on!

Hang on guys!

You're the one that needs to hang on!!!

I clearly think this is the Universe telling us that

we should stop adventuring and open a restaurant together instead...

-Are you kidding me? -We're going to do this forever!

-They're back! -They're back, they're back!

Chickenhare! Chickenhare! Chickenhare! Chickenhare!

Oooh, he looked at me!

What are you talking about?! We made eye contact!

And you would want to trade this for a restaurant?

Maybe the restaurant can wait... A little.

-Hey dad! -Son, you're back!

-Come give your old man a hug! -Come on dad...!

How was it? Did you find it?

-Did you find the Holy Spork? -You tell me!!

Ooohoho, absolutely stunning!!

Dad, everything okay?

Oh, it's a fake! I knew it! I've got three words for you guys...

rest... au... rant.

We need to talk. Tonight.

Son, how much do you know

about the Groundhog with the Backward-Facing-Face?

They say it gives someone the ability to change one thing from the past.

And that's one of the most powerful artifacts in the world.

That's right!

Eons ago, Queen Ingrid the Indecisive ruled much of the known world.

She was paralyzed by fears that she could make wrong decisions.

And she remembered the Groundhog's ability to see the future.

You mean like the ability to tell if spring will come early, eh?

Yes! She decided to find a way to alter that power

so that they can see and change the past.

All the groundhogs were captured for her to conduct her experiments.

She spent years on it but eventually, she figured it out.

And the Groundhog with the Backward- Facing-Face was born...

Able to change a specific thing from our past and thus, change the present.

What did Queen Ingrid change?

That was all the irony... Knowing that

the Groundhog would only be able to change one thing from the past,

she became even more obsessed about the past itself.

She constantly fretted about what to change. And...

She slowly went mad. And never used it.

And... That's how the Groundhog was lost to the world.

My great-great-grandfather created a file in our royal archives.

I've never read anything about the Groundhog's legend.

That's because... Well, I stole the file.

-What?! You stole it, Dad? -What!! That one is terrible!!

I was worried that my brother Lapin

would use it to make it like I was never born...

So that he could become king.

Over the years, I studied the file,

trying to find any clue that would reveal the Groundhog's location.

There was a piece of parchment that had nothing but three holes in it.

I used every known process to reveal anything at all.

-What did you want to change? -Nothing.

I wanted to destroy the Groundhog.

Because changing the past is a power that nobody should possess.

It could change the world as we know it.

Well, a world without chocolate liquor candies would suit me perfectly.

Queen Ingrid was very close cousins with King Zamban.

I remembered that when I saw the symbol at the bottom of the Spork...

What if their great treasures were linked?

You mean that the combined magic of those two artifacts could reveal...

Come on! There are three holes in this parchment.

Just put the spork in! What's the point of keeping this suspense going?

Just admit that you're totally excited about it!

-Never! -Young people...!

Ooh, the Isle of Idle Hands?!

-Sounds actually kind of relaxing... -Look!!

Stand watch when the sky's last alight

All will be revealed in plain sight

Impressive how poetry stands the test of time.

Anyway if the Hamster of Darkness taught me anything,

it's that an X always marks the spot.

And I don't see any...

Abe's right.

The only thing I know about this island is that Carl lives here, in Hilly-City.

Wait, Carl... the Cartographer?

Oh, how convenient!

Indeed! Then hopefully he'll be able to help us with this map.

Help us?

I think it's time I came out of retirement

and joined you guys on an adventure.

You know, make sure you're not getting too cocky.

We'd love to have you. If you think you can keep up.

Don't you worry about me, son.

I forgot more about adventuring than you guys know!

I have to host the diplomats from Zanubi later this week.

But as soon as they're gone, we'll leave.

Ok guys! Are we all set?

Sure thing, Chickenhare. We increased the difficulty level as you asked.

We made it as tough as possible!

You might wanna be extra careful with the rotating cactus!

Oh yep, this one's pretty vicious!

Sure will!

And what's the next adventure on your bucket list by the way?

Sorry guys, but if I tell you, I'll have to kill you!

He's joking, right?

Let's go!!

Chickenhare, I need to talk to you.

Gina, right? You're an archivist.

I'm sorry but I have to train right now.

It's urgent. I don't know where to start...

As my dad always tells me, "don't think, just blurt"

-I'm your sister Chickenhare! -What??!

Maybe we should stop the training?

Ouch!!

Oh, I'll take that as a yes.

I'm not King Peter's daughter.

I'm the daughter of your real father...

What do you mean?

Your birth father.

How can you be my sister? You're not a...

A chickenhare? It's true, you are quite unique.

Those feathers...

I have a sister!

Oh... Oh my gosh, I have so many questions!!

But first, let me tell you why I'm here.