I took a detour to the chestnut tree to get a closer look. Tiny spikes of blossom had appeared, rising an inch or two above the leaves on the lower limbs as well as higher up. Among the blossoming trees, colorful wildflowers and greening canopy, however, the happiest sign of spring was the return of water to Bethesda Fountain.

A group of boys from the Emolior Academy in the Bronx came by. “You guys got time for a hula today?”

“Ain’t got no money.”

“No problem,” I said. “Hulas are free.” Well, the boys were having none of it; they sat down with their classmates on the south side benches. As I continued to play, a boy got up and walked over. Soon he was dancing. Before long, 5 kids were rocking out to “The Hukilau Song,” free of charge, of course.

A woman from the UK came by to take my picture. “Did you get it?” I said. “Good. Now how about a hula?” And hula she did. When we were done, she gave me a kiss on the cheek, and put a ten-spot into my case.

Two girls, having finished their lunch, policed the area and tipped Mr. Ukulele a dollar each for their mealtime entertainment. The accordion lady, pushed out of the arcade by the Boyd family, could be heard pumping out the “Theme from the Godfather” way too close to me. I ignored her as well as I could, focusing on the few people in my quadrant. A man gave me a buck, as if to validate my restraint.

Three young women sat down near me. One of them, Hanna from Westchester PA, told me she also played the uke. Naturally, I handed her mine to see what she could do. She sang a 3-chord song I didn’t know. Her friends named the artist, a name I’d never heard. “That’s it,” she said, handing me back my uke, then digging 2 singles out of her purse. “Thanks a lot.”

A mom pushing a baby carriage stopped to sit and listen. She took her son out and bounced him around to the music. After a while, she gave him a dollar to give to me. He waddled over, laid down the bill and waddled back.

Two young men walked purposefully toward me. One of them dropped a dollar. I said, “Thanks, man.”

“Sure thing.”

The day had started off cool, but by the time I packed up, with $17 in my pocket, it had warmed into another beautiful spring day.