dy knows
me."

"But if it's you who finds them?"

"Well, in that case we'll go shares and I'll put thirty down for him
now."

"Make it forty."

"No, for what he'll do for me that isn't possible."

"What do you want him to do for you? For good legs, he's got good legs;
for good arms, he's got good arms. I hold to what I said before. What
are you going to do with him?"

Then the old man looked at Barberin mockingly, then emptied his glass
slowly:

"He's just to keep me company. I'm getting old and at night I get a bit
lonesome. When one is tired it's nice to have a child around."

"Well, for that I'm sure his legs are strong enough."

"Oh, not too much so, for he must also dance and jump and walk, and then
walk and jump again. He'll take his place in Signor Vitalis' traveling
company."

"Where's this company?"

"I am Signor Vitalis, and I'll show you the company right here."

With this he opened the sheepskin and took out a strange animal which he
held on his left arm, pressed against his chest. This was the animal
that had several times raised the sheepskin, but it was not a little dog
as I had thought. I found no name to give to this strange creature,
which I saw for the first time. I looked at it in astonishment. It was
dressed in a red coat trimmed with gold braid, but its arms and legs
were bare, for they really were arms and legs, and not paws, but they
were covered with a black, hairy skin, they were not white or pink. The
head which was as large as a clenched fist was wide and short, the
turned-up nose had spreading nostrils, and the lips were yellow. But
what struck me more than anything, were the two eyes, close to each
other, which glittered like glass.

"Oh, the ugly monkey!" cried Barberin.

A monkey! I opened my eyes still wider. So this was a monkey, for
although I had never seen a monkey, I had heard of them. So this little
tiny creature that looked like a black baby was a monkey!

"This is the star of my company," said Signor Vitalis. "This is Mr.
Pretty-Heart. Now, Pretty-Heart,"--turning to the animal--"make your bow
to the society."

The monkey put his hand to his lips and threw a kiss to each of us.

"Now," continued Signor Vitalis, holding out his hand to the white
spaniel, "the next. Signor Capi will have the honor of introducing his
friends to the esteemed company here present."

The spaniel, who up till this moment had not made a movement, jumped up
quickly, and standing o