Although Louis enjoys his work at Camp Kookooskoos, he often finds himself homesick and thinking of his family and Serena. He still takes pleasure in his music, however, and the rest of the summer passes quickly. At the end of the season, Mr. Brickle pays him $100 for his work. Louis places this money in a waterproof pouch he adds to the collection of objects around his neck. On the last day of camp, Louis asks Sam friend for advice on what to do next. After some thought, Sam suggests that Louis fly to Boston and find work on the Swan Boat.

Louis also asks Sam for an important favor that will allow him to more fully play his trumpet. He has been able to play the camp’s bugle calls using “combinations of do, mi, and sol,” but his webbed feet have prevented him from using the trumpet’s three valves (111). With Sam’s help, Louis cuts his right foot webbing in two places so that he can move his three toes independently. The next day, the campers leave and Louis stays behind for three more weeks, waiting for his flight feathers to grow in and practicing songs on his trumpet.

Having listened to songs all summer, he is familiar with jazz, country-and-western, rock, and classical music. Thoughts of playing these songs fill him with ambition, and during his time alone, he composes a love song to Serena. When he is finally ready to leave, he notices how much harder it is to fly after acquiring “all these possessions” (116), yet he realizes that he needs these objects in order to win Serena’s hand, pay his father’s debts, communicate with people, and show his gratitude to others. 

Louis feels an affinity for Boston from the moment he arrives and lands in the Public Garden, a park he spots from the air. On the lake, a man sells tickets to passengers waiting to ride the Swan Boat. Louis greets the Boatman by playing a note on his trumpet and uses his slate and chalk to communicate his need for work. The Boatman agrees to a trial run—Louis’s job will be to swim in front of the boat and play his horn. Louis waits for passengers to board the boat before he leads the way.

He first plays a note that “rang loud and clear and stirred everyone’s blood” and then plays a variety of songs for the passengers, including “Gentle on My Mind” and “Ol’ Man River” (121). The people on the boat are excited and happy, and one boy even calls him Louis after Louis Armstrong. Hearing this, he uses the slate to affirm that Louis is his actual name, which causes even more excitement among the passengers. Seeing how popular Louis is, the Boatman hires him on the spot at a salary of $100 a week.

Out of curiosity, the Boatman asks Louis why he is interested in money, and Louis responds that he is in debt. The Boatman takes this answer at face value, Louis begins his job, and the Swan Boat becomes more popular than ever, each boat filled to capacity. Louis enjoys his job entertaining the people and the Boatman is quite pleased with the increased business. At the end of the day, he asks Louis where he plans to sleep, worried that Louis might have problems if he sleeps on the lake. He suggests Louis book a room at the Ritz Carlton hotel across the street. Louis is not thrilled by the prospect, but agrees because he thinks it might be “an interesting experience” (124). He is also relieved to have a good job.

At the Ritz, the Boatman and Louis encounter some difficulty from the clerk, who adamantly states that the hotel “doesn’t take birds” (125). The Boatman argues that since the hotel takes celebrities like Elizabeth Taylor and Queen Elizabeth, it should also take Louis who, that afternoon, “created a sensation in the Public Garden” and “plays like the great Armstrong” (126). The clerk inquires whether Louis has any luggage or lice, which the Boatman takes offense to. Louis, for his part, confirms on his slate that he has “[n]o lice” (127). At this point, three young girls enter the lobby and rush Louis for his autograph. When Louis sees the clerk’s resolve is weakening, he performs “There’s a Small Hotel” on his trumpet and charms “everyone who could hear” with a “moment of sheer magic” (128). The clerk finally capitulates upon hearing the Boatman vouch to pay Louis’s bill the following morning.

After Louis signs the register, a bellboy escorts him to his room. Louis tips the bellboy, explores his room, and takes a refreshing bath. He then calls up room service and orders twelve watercress sandwiches, which arrive on a rolling cart with cutlery, a linen napkin, and other accouterments. While Louis enjoys the Ritz, he also feels pangs of loneliness at the thought of his family, friends, and Serena. He reads an article in the evening newspaper describing his afternoon performance in the Public Garden, and writes a letter to Sam Beaver. Using a piece of hotel stationary, Louis updates Sam on his new job and encloses the news clipping.

Finally, while settling down in the bathtub, Louis plays his love song, only to have the telephone ring with a message that “[t]he Ritz does not allow its guests to play brass instruments in the bedrooms” (137). He puts his trumpet away and falls asleep to thoughts of Red Rock Lakes and Serena.