It turned out to be a somewhat disappointing excursion, not that this was the fault of the zoo. It really was quite a nice place, in Carter’s estimation. The sun, however, was still beating down, and the vast majority of the animals were nowhere in sight. Apparently, to escape the heat, most had taken to the shade, where they lay hidden from view for their afternoon siestas.With few exceptions, the only wildlife he saw were the pictures of the featured animals on display outside of each paddock. As his tour of the zoo neared its end, he was heartened to at least find the lion moving about the front of its enclosure. It was a magnificent beast, and Carter sat down on the bench opposite the cage to watch it for a few minutes, hoping it might give a roar or do something memorable. He was much let down, therefore, when all the lion did was open its mouth wide and yawn before flopping down on its side in the shade.There it lay, panting, with the flies buzzing all about.

The highlight of Carter’s day came a moment later, when a little girl of perhaps eight years passed by the cage with her parents. She stopped, took one look at the lion, and turned back to her parents, her eyes wide in amazement.

“Che puuuzza!” the child cried out, holding her nose. What a stink!

Her little face and the sound of her voice were so sweet that Carter could not help bursting out in laughter, as did the girl’s parents. She was of course quite right.The animal certainly was giving off a decidedly malodorous air. The king of beasts, however, remained indifferent to her having pointed out the fact. There was not much else to see, so the couple and the child moved on. Carter was ready to leave, as well, for he had had his fill for one day of somnambulant creatures of the wild.

After consulting his guidebook for someplace new to see, Carter left the zoo and walked out of the park in the direction of the Piazza di Spagna and its famous steps. Carter could not imagine what the big deal about an outdoor staircase might be, but according to his map the place was not far away, so there was no harm in going to take a look. Indeed, after just a few minutes’ walk he found himself there, standing at the top of the grand, sweeping staircase that was the Spanish Steps. Lined with flowers at every level, the stairs descended to a small fountain at the center of the little piazza below. A collection of people as colorful as the flowers sat all about on the steps or strolled around the fountain, enjoying their Sunday. Down on the piazza, some youngsters were kicking a soccer ball, while others chased each other around. There was talk and laughter and music in the air.