The boys understood that she meant that they must go on foot; and were well satisfied.

“Our horse at home eats oats,” remarked Franz, “and loves sugar.  Every morning, when papa is ready to ride to the forest mamma goes to the gate with him, with a lump of sugar for Betty, and always says, ’Now, Betty, be a good little horse to-day and bring your master safely home to his wife and children this evening.  Do you understand?’ and she does really seem to understand and neighs gently as much as to say ‘I will.’”

“Can you go out alone, do you think, or do you wish me to go with you?” asked Mrs. Steiner when breakfast was finished.

“I am sure we could go alone,” replied Fritz.  “If we get lost we will ask the way to 37 Bornheimer street.”

They put on their straw hats for the march, and Pixy, who evidently thought that they were going home, sprang up in delight, and was so full of frolic that Fritz could scarcely fasten the cord to his collar.

“Now, are you going out without one of you thinking of something you have left undone?” asked Mrs. Steiner gently.  “Will you not write one line to your parents to tell them of your safe arrival?”

“Yes, truly we forgot it,” and the three looked at each other, then laid aside their hats.  Fritz ran to his satchel for paper and envelopes, but his aunt told him that post-cards would be sufficient and supplied them with three, saying that they could write letters later.

“Would it not be better to wait and get scenery cards?” asked the thoughtful Paul; “scenes of something we will see while we are out to-day?”

“No, write now, and just a few words that your parents may get them this evening.  It may perhaps save them sleepless nights.”

The triplets sat down immediately to the business of writing home.  Franz wrote so large that he could only get upon it the few words:  “My dear father and mother and sister:  We got safely to Frankfort last evening.”

Fritz, with his usual frugality, used but a third part of his postal, and Paul took the middle course, and neatly filled his card.

CHAPTER V

FRITZ IN TROUBLE

When the boys had finished writing their postals, they bade Mrs. Steiner good morning and set out to see what they could of Frankfort without a helper, and their first aim was to find a letter box.  They had nearly reached one when Franz noticed that he had not written the address upon his postal.  He saw no remedy but to go back and mount the long flight of steps to correct his mistake.  But a gentleman who was also about to post a letter comforted him by the assurance that his parents would receive it if the address were written with a pencil, and loaned him one, to the great satisfaction of the whole party.

“And now, my boy,” added the gentleman when they heard the postal rattle into the box, “remember to always direct a letter, postal or package clearly, and correctly and then look again at the address before dropping it into the box.”