Long after all the sorrow and joy have turned to dust, the narrator can finally tell the strange adventure of his companion Meaulnes. On a freezing afternoon, Meaulnes set out with a horse and trap from La Belle-Étoile on the road to Vierzon, intending only to fetch grandparents Charpentier in time for four o'clock. Wrapped in a blanket against the bitter cold, he passed through the deserted village of La Motte where he hesitated at a fork in the road and mistakenly chose the narrower left path.
After asking for directions from a carrier who apparently did not understand him, Meaulnes continued through the vast frozen countryside until he dozed off under his heavy woolen cape. When the biting cold finally woke him up, he noticed the landscape had completely transformed into small green meadows, ditches of flowing ice under high fences, and an increasingly narrow, rutted path. Realizing the horse had slowed down and was now limping on a hind leg, he immediately jumped out to examine the animal and discovered a stone firmly wedged in its hoof.
Struggling with the skittish horse while hampered by the vehicle, Meaulnes hurt his head against the footboard and scraped his knee against the wheel before he managed to extract the stubborn stone with his pocket knife. When he finally stood up, he was stunned to discover that night was already falling. Although any other person would have immediately turned back to avoid getting lost, Meaulnes reasoned that he was already too far from La Motte and felt an intense, stubborn desire to push forward regardless of the obstacles.
He whipped the horse into a fast trot as darkness completely consumed the narrow, ravined trail where dead branches snapped loudly in the wheels. As pitch-black night set in, Meaulnes felt a momentary pang in his heart thinking about the warm dining room at Sainte-Agathe where everyone was gathered at that exact hour. This initial regret quickly shifted into a mix of anger, stubborn pride, and a deep, unexpected joy at having escaped his ordinary life without even planning it.