The keeper, hearing the laughter, came at once, and with a pole knocked the hat out of the monkey’s hands, and although many little black fingers clutched it as it lay a second on the floor, it was brought to the rungs by the pole and Fritz secured it.  But little remained of the rim, and what there was of it was ragged; and when he put it on, peals of laughter from the spectators sent him crying to his aunt.  But alas! she too was laughing, and the boy felt that his last friend had gone over to the enemy.

“Oh, little Fritz!” she said, trying in vain to look sympathizing and serious, “there is one kind of bird they can add to their collection to-day and that is the pechrogel, for surely you, poor child, are that unlucky bird.  But never mind; your luck will change; your Pixy will come back, and I will buy you a new straw hat.”

“Yes, but we must go away from here.  It makes me sick to see the people laughing at me.”

“Yes, we will go and see the birds.  That is my favorite place in all the garden.”

On their way, they passed the cage where serpents of every kind were twisting and squirming about, among them the terrible boa-constrictor, and the python; but Mrs. Steiner could not look at them, and asked the boys to stay but a little while, but they could halt at the tanks of the South American alligator, the rhinoceros, the great turtle, and the hippopotamus; all animals which the boys had never seen except in pictures and were of wonderful interest to them.

The bird enclosure was truly an attractive place.  Among the branches overhead were many kinds of small birds singing, chirping and chattering, and Mrs. Steiner pointed out several which should have been acquaintances of the Odenwald boys, but to her surprise they did not appear to know their names.

“I am ashamed that I, a forester’s son, and living in the country all my life, do not know the names of our native song birds, but know the foreign ones from seeing them in pictures,” said Franz.  They gazed long at the wise looking owls who were blinking on a wall of masonry, which represented an old tower; then turned their attention to the swan and spoonbills, and other aquatic fowl sporting in the clear water of the lake, while on the shore marched the stately flamingoes, resembling red-coated soldiers.

On a rocky point rested an eagle, and upon another a Golden Condor spread its great wings.

“Oh, see!” cried Fritz, “here comes a great elephant carrying an organ in his trunk.  See, he is setting it down; now he is turning the crank and playing a beautiful waltz.”

Of all the new and interesting things they had seen, this was the greatest delight to the boys; and their delight was not dampened by having the animal musician hold out his trunk for pay.  Fritz gave him one of his beloved nickels, which was immediately passed to the keeper, and when Mrs. Steiner gave him a sweet bun which she had brought in her pocket especially for him, he put it in his capacious mouth and swallowed it with evident relish.