“Pixy’s mane is prettier than the lion’s,” said Fritz.  “Oh, my Pixy!”

“Yesterday it was your gold-piece, now it is Pixy,” grumbled Franz impatiently.  “You should be glad that your dog is running in the open air, instead of being fastened up in a cage.”

“Yes, I am glad of that, but, oh, I cannot keep from crying when I think of the street boys, and how they may chase him.”

“Come to this cage, boys,” called Mrs. Steiner, “I wish you to see a lion that I once held in my arms and petted as if it were a kitten.  He is now a great, grown lion, but he was born in this garden, and crowds came to see him and some people would give the keeper a fee to be allowed to take it in their arms.  No one would dare to touch him now.”

“Except myself,” said the keeper who came up that moment, put his hand in the cage and combed the long mane with his fingers.

“Is he always so tame?” asked Paul.

“Yes, except at meal time; then they are hungry and show their native ferocity; I would not dare to put my hand in his cage then.  If you will come here at five o’clock, you will see him fed.”

They promised to come, then went to see the panther, the hyena, and the wolves; and then Mrs. Steiner called them to go to the great pavilion where the monkeys lived and played as merrily as if in their native haunts; running over the branches of the tree in the centre and swinging from the ropes, chattering, grinning, teasing each other, and making themselves generally amusing to the many spectators who crowded about their pavilion.

“I never imagined so many in one place,” said Fritz, “and they are flying past and around each other so fast that it makes one’s head giddy to watch them.  I like that little fellow that is so playful and good-natured.  Now a lady has given him a lump of sugar; and oh, see that bigger monkey has taken it from him and eaten it.  That is a shame!”

Fritz was so interested in the cunning little creature that he was glad when the lady gave him another lump of sugar which he put quickly in his mouth, swelling out his jaw in a comical manner while his little, sharp eyes were watching the other monkey.  But alas! the old tyrant rushed down upon him, took the sugar out of his mouth, and put it in his own, and slapped the little one he had robbed right and left.

“Oh, it is certainly a shame,” said Fritz, and he took off his hat, and put it under his arm while he wiped his heated forehead; when in a flash the little monkey he had so pitied rushed down, grasped his hat, drew it through the rungs and was up on the branches almost before Fritz knew it was gone.

“Oh, Aunt Fanny, he took my hat while I was looking at the big one eating the sugar.  Oh, see! he is tearing off the blue ribbon band, and biting pieces out of the rim and dropping them down for the little monkeys,” and tears rolled down Fritz’s cheeks.