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diff --git a/old/dolit10.txt b/old/dolit10.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d0528d9 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/dolit10.txt @@ -0,0 +1,4460 @@ +*The Project Gutenberg Etext of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting* +#1 in our series by Hugh Lofting + + +Copyright laws are changing all over the world, be sure to check +the copyright laws for your country before posting these files!! + +Please take a look at the important information in this header. +We encourage you to keep this file on your own disk, keeping an +electronic path open for the next readers. Do not remove this. + + +**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** + +**Etexts Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** + +*These Etexts Prepared By Hundreds of Volunteers and Donations* + +Information on contacting Project Gutenberg to get Etexts, and +further information is included below. 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FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS*Ver.04.29.93*END* + + + + + +Scanned by Charles Keller for Tina with +OmniPage Professional OCR software +donated by Caere Corporation, 1-800-535-7226. +Contact Mike Lough <Mikel@caere.com> + + + +THE +Story of +DOCTOR DOLITTLE +BEING THE +HISTORY OF HIS PECULIAR LIFE +AT HOME AND ASTONISHING ADVENTURES +IN FOREIGN PARTS NEVER BEFORE PRINTED. + +TO +ALL CHILDREN +CHILDREN IN YEARS AND CHILDREN IN HEART +I DEDICATE THIS STORY + + + + + +There are some of us now reaching +middle age who discover themselves to be +lamenting the past in one respect if in none other, +that there are no books written now for children +comparable with those of thirty years ago. I +say written FOR children because the new +psychological business of writing ABOUT them as though +they were small pills or hatched in some +especially scientific method is extremely popular +today. Writing for children rather than about +them is very difficult as everybody who has tried +it knows. It can only be done, I am convinced, +by somebody having a great deal of the child +in his own outlook and sensibilities. Such was +the author of "The Little Duke" and "The +Dove in the Eagle's Nest," such the author of +"A Flatiron for a Farthing," and "The Story +of a Short Life." Such, above all, the author of +"Alice in Wonderland." Grownups imagine +that they can do the trick by adopting baby +language and talking down to their very critical +audience. There never was a greater mistake. +The imagination of the author must be a child's +imagination and yet maturely consistent, so that +the White Queen in "Alice," for instance, is +seen just as a child would see her, but she +continues always herself through all her distressing +adventures. The supreme touch of the white +rabbit pulling on his white gloves as he hastens +is again absolutely the child's vision, but the +white rabbit as guide and introducer of Alice's +adventures belongs to mature grown insight. + +Geniuses are rare and, without being at all +an undue praiser of times past, one can say without +hesitation that until the appearance of Hugh +Lofting, the successor of Miss Yonge, Mrs. +Ewing, Mrs. Gatty and Lewis Carroll had not +appeared. I remember the delight with which +some six months ago I picked up the first +"Dolittle" book in the Hampshire bookshop at +Smith College in Northampton. One of Mr. +Lofting's pictures was quite enough for me. +The picture that I lighted upon when I first +opened the book was the one of the monkeys +making a chain with their arms across the gulf. +Then I looked further and discovered Bumpo +reading fairy stories to himself. And then +looked again and there was a picture of John +Dolittle's house. + +But pictures are not enough although most +authors draw so badly that if one of them happens +to have the genius for line that Mr. Lofting +shows there must be, one feels, something in his +writing as well. There is. You cannot read the +first paragraph of the book, which begins in the +right way "Once upon a time" without knowing +that Mr. Lofting believes in his story quite +as much as he expects you to. That is the first +essential for a story teller. Then you discover +as you read on that he has the right eye for the +right detail. What child-inquiring mind could +resist this intriguing sentence to be found on the +second page of the book: + + +"Besides the gold-fish in the pond at the bottom +of his garden, he had rabbits in the pantry, +white mice in his piano, a squirrel in the linen +closet and a hedgehog in the cellar." + +And then when you read a little further you +will discover that the Doctor is not merely a +peg on whom to hang exciting and various +adventures but that he is himself a man of original +and lively character. He is a very kindly, +generous man, and anyone who has ever written +stories will know that it is much more difficult +to make kindly, generous characters interesting +than unkindly and mean ones. But Dolittle is +interesting. It is not only that he is quaint but +that he is wise and knows what he is about. The +reader, however young, who meets him gets very +soon a sense that if he were in trouble, not +necessarily medical, he would go to Dolittle and ask +his advice about it. Dolittle seems to extend +his hand from the page and grasp that of his +reader, and I can see him going down the +centuries a kind of Pied Piper with thousands of +children at his heels. But not only is he a +darling and alive and credible but his creator has +also managed to invest everybody else in the +book with the same kind of life. + +Now this business of giving life to animals, +making them talk and behave like human +beings, is an extremely difficult one. Lewis Carroll +absolutely conquered the difficulties, but I +am not sure that anyone after him until Hugh +Lofting has really managed the trick; even in +such a masterpiece as "The Wind in the Willows" +we are not quite convinced. John Dolittle's +friends are convincing because their creator +never forces them to desert their own +characteristics. Polynesia, for instance, is natural +from first to last. She really does care about +the Doctor but she cares as a bird would care, +having always some place to which she is going +when her business with her friends is over. And +when Mr. Lofting invents fantastic animals he +gives them a kind of credible possibility which +is extraordinarily convincing. It will be +impossible for anyone who has read this book not +to believe in the existence of the pushmi-pullyu, +who would be credible enough even were there +no drawing of it, but the picture on page 145 +settles the matter of his truth once and for all. + +In fact this book is a work of genius and, as +always with works of genius, it is difficult to +analyze the elements that have gone to make +it. There is poetry here and fantasy and humor, +a little pathos but, above all, a number of +creations in whose existence everybody must believe +whether they be children of four or old men of +ninety or prosperous bankers of forty-five. I +don't know how Mr. Lofting has done it; I +don't suppose that he knows himself. There it +is--the first real children's classic since "Alice." +HUGH WALPOLE. + + + +CONTENTS + +INTRODUCTION + +I PUDDLEBY +II ANIMAL LANGUAGE +III MORE MONEY TROUBLES +IV A MESSAGE FROM AFRICA +V THE GREAT JOURNEY +VI POLYNESIA AND THE KING +VII THE BRIDGE OF APES +VIII THE LEADER OF THE LIONS +IX THE MONKEYS COUNCIL +X THE RAREST ANIMAL OF ALL +XI THE BLACK PRINCE +XII MEDICINE AND MAGIC +XIII RED SAILS AND BLUE WINGS +XIV THE RATS WARNING +XV THE BARBARY DRAGON +XVI TOO-TOO, THE LISTENER +XVII THE OCEAN GOSSIPS +XVIII SMELLS +XIX THE ROCK +XX THE FISHERMAN'S TOWN +XXI HOME AGAIN + + + + +THE STORY OF DOCTOR DOLITTLE + + + +THE STORY OF +DOCTOR DOLITTLE + +THE FIRST CHAPTER + +PUDDLEBY + +ONCE upon a time, many years ago when our grandfathers were +little children--there was a doctor; and his name was Dolittle-- +John Dolittle, M.D. "M.D." means that he was a proper doctor +and knew a whole lot. + +He lived in a little town called, Puddleby- +on-the-Marsh. All the folks, young and old, +knew him well by sight. And whenever he +walked down the street in his high hat everyone +would say, "There goes the Doctor!--He's +a clever man." And the dogs and the children +would all run up and follow behind him; and +even the crows that lived in the church-tower +would caw and nod their heads. + +The house he lived in, on the edge of the +town, was quite small; but his garden was very +large and had a wide lawn and stone seats and +weeping-willows hanging over. His sister, +Sarah Dolittle, was housekeeper for him; but +the Doctor looked after the garden himself. + +He was very fond of animals and kept many +kinds of pets. Besides the gold-fish in the pond +at the bottom of his garden, he had rabbits in +the pantry, white mice in his piano, a squirrel +in the linen closet and a hedgehog in the cellar. +He had a cow with a calf too, and an old lame +horse-twenty-five years of age--and chickens, +and pigeons, and two lambs, and many other +animals. But his favorite pets were Dab-Dab +the duck, Jip the dog, Gub-Gub the baby pig, +Polynesia the parrot, and the owl Too-Too. + +His sister used to grumble about all these +animals and said they made the house untidy. +And one day when an old lady with rheumatism +came to see the Doctor, she sat on the hedgehog +who was sleeping on the sofa and never came +to see him any more, but drove every Saturday +all the way to Oxenthorpe, another town ten +miles off, to see a different doctor. + +Then his sister, Sarah Dolittle, came to him +and said, + +"John, how can you expect sick people to +come and see you when you keep all these animals +in the house? It's a fine doctor would have +his parlor full of hedgehogs and mice! That's +the fourth personage these animals have driven +away. Squire Jenkins and the Parson say they +wouldn't come near your house again--no matter +how sick they are. We are getting poorer +every day. If you go on like this, none of the +best people will have you for a doctor." + +"But I like the animals better than the `best +people'," said the Doctor. + +"You are ridiculous," said his sister, and +walked out of the room. + +So, as time went on, the Doctor got more and +more animals; and the people who came to see +him got less and less. Till at last he had no one +left--except the Cat's-meat-Man, who didn't +mind any kind of animals. But the Cat's-meat +Man wasn't very rich and he only got sick once +a year--at Christmas-time, when he used to give +the Doctor sixpence for a bottle of medicine. + +Sixpence a year wasn't enough to live on-- +even in those days, long ago; and if the Doctor +hadn't had some money saved up in his money- +box, no one knows what would have happened. + +And he kept on getting still more pets; and of +course it cost a lot to feed them. And the money +he had saved up grew littler and littler. + +Then he sold his piano, and let the mice live +in a bureau-drawer. But the money he got for +that too began to go, so he sold the brown suit +he wore on Sundays and went on becoming +poorer and poorer. + +And now, when he walked down the street +in his high hat, people would say to one another, +"There goes John Dolittle, M.D.! There was a +time when he was the best known doctor in the +West Country--Look at him now--He hasn't +any money and his stockings are full of holes!" + +But the dogs and the cats and the children +still ran up and followed him through the town +--the same as they had done when he was rich. + + + +THE SECOND CHAPTER + +ANIMAL LANGUAGE + +IT happened one day that the Doctor was sitting in his kitchen talking +with the Cat's-meat-Man who had come to see him with a stomach-ache. + +"Why don't you give up being a people's doctor, and be an animal-doctor?" +asked the Cat's-meat-Man. + +The parrot, Polynesia, was sitting in the window +looking out at the rain and singing a sailor-song to herself. +She stopped singing and started to listen. + +"You see, Doctor," the Cat's-meat-Man went +on, "you know all about animals--much more +than what these here vets do. That book you +wrote--about cats, why, it's wonderful! I can't +read or write myself--or maybe _I_'D write some +books. But my wife, Theodosia, she's a scholar, +she is. And she read your book to me. Well, +it's wonderful--that's all can be said--wonderful. +You might have been a cat yourself. You +know the way they think. And listen: you can +make a lot of money doctoring animals. Do +you know that? You see, I'd send all the old +women who had sick cats or dogs to you. And +if they didn't get sick fast enough, I could put +something in the meat I sell 'em to make 'em +sick, see?" + +"Oh, no," said the Doctor quickly. "You +mustn't do that. That wouldn't be right." + +"Oh, I didn't mean real sick," answered the +Cat's-meat-Man. "Just a little something to +make them droopy-like was what I had reference +to. But as you say, maybe it ain't quite +fair on the animals. But they'll get sick +anyway, because the old women always give 'em too +much to eat. And look, all the farmers 'round +about who had lame horses and weak lambs-- +they'd come. Be an animal-doctor." + +When the Cat's-meat-Man had gone the +parrot flew off the window on to the Doctor's table +and said, + +"That man's got sense. That's what you +ought to do. Be an animal-doctor. Give the +silly people up--if they haven't brains enough +to see you're the best doctor in the world. Take +care of animals instead--THEY'll soon find it out. +Be an animal-doctor." + +"Oh, there are plenty of animal-doctors," said +John Dolittle, putting the flower-pots outside on +the window-sill to get the rain. + +"Yes, there ARE plenty," said Polynesia. "But +none of them are any good at all. Now listen, +Doctor, and I'll tell you something. Did you +know that animals can talk?" + +"I knew that parrots can talk," said the Doctor. + +"Oh, we parrots can talk in two languages-- +people's language and bird-language," said +Polynesia proudly. "If I say, `Polly wants a +cracker,' you understand me. But hear this: +Ka-ka oi-ee, fee-fee?" + +"Good Gracious!" cried the Doctor. "What +does that mean?" + +"That means, `Is the porridge hot yet?'--in +bird-language." + +"My! You don't say so!" said the Doctor. +"You never talked that way to me before." + +"What would have been the good?" said +Polynesia, dusting some cracker-crumbs off her +left wing. "You wouldn't have understood me +if I had." + +"Tell me some more," said the Doctor, all +excited; and he rushed over to the dresser-drawer +and came back with the butcher's book and a +pencil. "Now don't go too fast--and I'll write +it down. This is interesting--very interesting +--something quite new. Give me the Birds' +A.B.C. first--slowly now." + +So that was the way the Doctor came to know +that animals had a language of their own and +could talk to one another. And all that afternoon, +while it was raining, Polynesia sat on the +kitchen table giving him bird words to put down +in the book. + +At tea-time, when the dog, Jip, came in, the +parrot said to the Doctor, "See, HE'S talking to +you." + +"Looks to me as though he were scratching +his ear," said the Doctor. + +"But animals don't always speak with their +mouths," said the parrot in a high voice, raising +her eyebrows. "They talk with their ears, +with their feet, with their tails--with everything. +Sometimes they don't WANT to make a +noise. Do you see now the way he's twitching +up one side of his nose?" + +"What's that mean?" asked the Doctor. + +"That means, `Can't you see that it has +stopped raining?'" Polynesia answered. "He +is asking you a question. Dogs nearly always +use their noses for asking questions." + +After a while, with the parrot's help, the +Doctor got to learn the language of the animals +so well that he could talk to them himself and +understand everything they said. Then he gave +up being a people's doctor altogether. + +As soon as the Cat's-meat-Man had told every +one that John Dolittle was going to become an +animal-doctor, old ladies began to bring him +their pet pugs and poodles who had eaten too +much cake; and farmers came many miles to +show him sick cows and sheep. + +One day a plow-horse was brought to him; +and the poor thing was terribly glad to find a +man who could talk in horse-language. + +"You know, Doctor," said the horse, "that +vet over the hill knows nothing at all. He has +been treating me six weeks now--for spavins. +What I need is SPECTACLES. I am going blind +in one eye. There's no reason why horses +shouldn't wear glasses, the same as people. But +that stupid man over the hill never even looked +at my eyes. He kept on giving me big pills. +I tried to tell him; but he couldn't understand +a word of horse-language. What I need is +spectacles." + +"Of course--of course," said the Doctor. +"I'll get you some at once." + +"I would like a pair like yours," said the +horse--"only green. They'll keep the sun out +of my eyes while I'm plowing the Fifty-Acre +Field." + +"Certainly," said the Doctor. "Green ones +you shall have." + +"You know, the trouble is, Sir," said the +plow-horse as the Doctor opened the front door +to let him out--"the trouble is that ANYBODY +thinks he can doctor animals--just because the +animals don't complain. As a matter of fact +it takes a much cleverer man to be a really good +animal-doctor than it does to be a good people's +doctor. My farmer's boy thinks he knows all +about horses. I wish you could see him--his +face is so fat he looks as though he had no eyes +--and he has got as much brain as a potato-bug. +He tried to put a mustard-plaster on me last +week." + +"Where did he put it?" asked the Doctor. + +"Oh, he didn't put it anywhere--on me," said +the horse. "He only tried to. I kicked him +into the duck-pond." + +"Well, well!" said the Doctor. + +"I'm a pretty quiet creature as a rule," said +the horse--"very patient with people--don't +make much fuss. But it was bad enough to +have that vet giving me the wrong medicine. +And when that red-faced booby started to +monkey with me, I just couldn't bear it any +more." + +"Did you hurt the boy much?" asked the Doctor. + +"Oh, no," said the horse. "I kicked him in +the right place. The vet's looking after him +now. When will my glasses be ready?" + +"I'll have them for you next week," said +the Doctor. "Come in again Tuesday--Good +morning!" + +Then John Dolittle got a fine, big pair of +green spectacles; and the plow-horse stopped +going blind in one eye and could see as well as +ever. + +And soon it became a common sight to see +farm-animals wearing glasses in the country +round Puddleby; and a blind horse was a thing +unknown. + +And so it was with all the other animals that +were brought to him. As soon as they found +that he could talk their language, they told him +where the pain was and how they felt, and of +course it was easy for him to cure them. + +Now all these animals went back and told +their brothers and friends that there was a doctor +in the little house with the big garden who +really WAS a doctor. And whenever any creatures +got sick--not only horses and cows and +dogs--but all the little things of the fields, like +harvest-mice and water-voles, badgers and bats, +they came at once to his house on the edge of the +town, so that his big garden was nearly always +crowded with animals trying to get in to see him. + +There were so many that came that he had to +have special doors made for the different kinds. +He wrote "HORSES" over the front door, +"COWS" over the side door, and "SHEEP" on +the kitchen door. Each kind of animal had a +separate door--even the mice had a tiny tunnel +made for them into the cellar, where they +waited patiently in rows for the Doctor to come +round to them. + +And so, in a few years' time, every living +thing for miles and miles got to know about +John Dolittle, M.D. And the birds who flew +to other countries in the winter told the animals +in foreign lands of the wonderful doctor +of Puddleby-on-the-Marsh, who could understand +their talk and help them in their troubles. +In this way he became famous among the animals-- +all over the world--better known even +than he had been among the folks of the West +Country. And he was happy and liked his life +very much. + +One afternoon when the Doctor was busy +writing in a book, Polynesia sat in the window-- +as she nearly always did--looking out at +the leaves blowing about in the garden. +Presently she laughed aloud. + +"What is it, Polynesia?" asked the Doctor, +looking up from his book. + +"I was just thinking," said the parrot; and +she went on looking at the leaves. + +"What were you thinking?" + +"I was thinking about people," said Polynesia. +"People make me sick. They think they're so +wonderful. The world has been going on now +for thousands of years, hasn't it? And the only +thing in animal-language that PEOPLE have +learned to understand is that when a dog wags +his tail he means `I'm glad!'--It's funny, isn't +it? You are the very first man to talk like us. +Oh, sometimes people annoy me dreadfully-- +such airs they put on--talking about `the dumb +animals.' DUMB!--Huh! Why I knew a +macaw once who could say `Good morning!' in +seven different ways without once opening his +mouth. He could talk every language--and +Greek. An old professor with a gray beard +bought him. But he didn't stay. He said the +old man didn't talk Greek right, and he couldn't +stand listening to him teach the language wrong. +I often wonder what's become of him. That +bird knew more geography than people will ever +know.--PEOPLE, Golly! I suppose if people +ever learn to fly--like any common hedge- +sparrow--we shall never hear the end of it!" + +"You're a wise old bird," said the Doctor. +"How old are you really? I know that parrots +and elephants sometimes live to be very, very old." + +"I can never be quite sure of my age," said +Polynesia. "It's either a hundred and eighty- +three or a hundred and eighty-two. But I +know that when I first came here from Africa, +King Charles was still hiding in the oak-tree-- +because I saw him. He looked scared to death." + + + +THE THIRD CHAPTER + +MORE MONEY TROUBLES + +AND soon now the Doctor began to make money +again; and his sister, Sarah, bought a new +dress and was happy. Some of the animals +who came to see him were so sick that they had +to stay at the Doctor's house for a week. And +when they were getting better they used to sit in +chairs on the lawn. + +And often even after they got well, they did +not want to go away--they liked the Doctor +and his house so much. And he never had the +heart to refuse them when they asked if they +could stay with him. So in this way he went +on getting more and more pets. + +Once when he was sitting on his garden wall, +smoking a pipe in the evening, an Italian organ- +grinder came round with a monkey on a string. +The Doctor saw at once that the monkey's collar +was too tight and that he was dirty and +unhappy. So he took the monkey away from the +Italian, gave the man a shilling and told him +to go. The organ-grinder got awfully angry +and said that he wanted to keep the monkey. +But the Doctor told him that if he didn't go +away he would punch him on the nose. John +Dolittle was a strong man, though he wasn't +very tall. So the Italian went away saying rude +things and the monkey stayed with Doctor +Dolittle and had a good home. The other +animals in the house called him "Chee-Chee"-- +which is a common word in monkey-language, +meaning "ginger." + +And another time, when the circus came to +Puddleby, the crocodile who had a bad tooth- +ache escaped at night and came into the Doctor's +garden. The Doctor talked to him in +crocodile-language and took him into the house +and made his tooth better. But when the crocodile +saw what a nice house it was--with all the +different places for the different kinds of +animals--he too wanted to live with the Doctor. +He asked couldn't he sleep in the fish-pond at +the bottom of the garden, if he promised not +to eat the fish. When the circus-men came to +take him back he got so wild and savage that +he frightened them away. But to every one in +the house he was always as gentle as a kitten. + +But now the old ladies grew afraid to send +their lap-dogs to Doctor Dolittle because of the +crocodile; and the farmers wouldn't believe that +he would not eat the lambs and sick calves they +brought to be cured. So the Doctor went to +the crocodile and told him he must go back +to his circus. But he wept such big tears, and +begged so hard to be allowed to stay, that the +Doctor hadn't the heart to turn him out. + +So then the Doctor's sister came to him and said, +"John, you must send that creature away. +Now the farmers and the old ladies are afraid +to send their animals to you--just as we were +beginning to be well off again. Now we shall +be ruined entirely. This is the last straw. I +will no longer be housekeeper for you if you +don't send away that alligator." + +"It isn't an alligator," said the Doctor--"it's +a crocodile." + +"I don't care what you call it," said his sister. +"It's a nasty thing to find under the bed. I +won't have it in the house." + +"But he has promised me," the Doctor +answered, "that he will not bite any one. He +doesn't like the circus; and I haven't the money +to send him back to Africa where he comes +from. He minds his own business and on the +whole is very well behaved. Don't be so fussy." + +"I tell you I WILL NOT have him around," said +Sarah. "He eats the linoleum. If you don't send +him away this minute I'll--I'll go and get married!" + +"All right," said the Doctor, "go and get +married. It can't be helped." And he took +down his hat and went out into the garden. + +So Sarah Dolittle packed up her things and +went off; and the Doctor was left all alone with +his animal family. + +And very soon he was poorer than he had +ever been before. With all these mouths to fill, +and the house to look after, and no one to do +the mending, and no money coming in to pay +the butcher's bill, things began to look very +difficult. But the Doctor didn't worry at all. + +"Money is a nuisance," he used to say. +"We'd all be much better off if it had never +been invented. What does money matter, so +long as we are happy?" + +But soon the animals themselves began to get +worried. And one evening when the Doctor +was asleep in his chair before the kitchen-fire +they began talking it over among themselves in +whispers. And the owl, Too-Too, who was +good at arithmetic, figured it out that there was +only money enough left to last another week-- +if they each had one meal a day and no more. + +Then the parrot said, "I think we all ought +to do the housework ourselves. At least we can +do that much. After all, it is for our sakes that +the old man finds himself so lonely and so poor." + +So it was agreed that the monkey, Chee-Chee, +was to do the cooking and mending; the dog +was to sweep the floors; the duck was to dust +and make the beds; the owl, Too-Too, was to +keep the accounts, and the pig was to do the +gardening. They made Polynesia, the parrot, +housekeeper and laundress, because she was the oldest. + +Of course at first they all found their new +jobs very hard to do--all except Chee-Chee, who +had hands, and could do things like a man. But +they soon got used to it; and they used to think +it great fun to watch Jip, the dog, sweeping +his tail over the floor with a rag tied onto it for +a broom. After a little they got to do the work +so well that the Doctor said that he had never +had his house kept so tidy or so clean before. + +In this way things went along all right for a +while; but without money they found it very hard. + +Then the animals made a vegetable and flower +stall outside the garden-gate and sold radishes +and roses to the people that passed by along the road. + +But still they didn't seem to make enough +money to pay all the bills--and still the Doctor +wouldn't worry. When the parrot came to +him and told him that the fishmonger wouldn't +give them any more fish, he said, + +"Never mind. So long as the hens lay eggs +and the cow gives milk we can have omelettes +and junket. And there are plenty of vegetables +left in the garden. The Winter is still a long +way off. Don't fuss. That was the trouble +with Sarah--she would fuss. I wonder how +Sarah's getting on--an excellent woman--in +some ways--Well, well!" + +But the snow came earlier than usual that +year; and although the old lame horse hauled +in plenty of wood from the forest outside the +town, so they could have a big fire in the kitchen, +most of the vegetables in the garden were gone, +and the rest were covered with snow; and many +of the animals were really hungry. + + + +THE FOURTH CHAPTER + +A MESSAGE FROM AFRICA + +THAT Winter was a very cold one. And one night in December, +when they were all sitting round the warm fire in the +kitchen, and the Doctor was reading aloud to them out of +books he had written himself in animal-language, the owl, +Too-Too, suddenly said, "Sh! What's that noise outside?" + +They all listened; and presently they heard +the sound of some one running. Then the door +flew open and the monkey, Chee-Chee, ran in, +badly out of breath. + +"Doctor!" he cried, "I've just had a message +from a cousin of mine in Africa. There is a +terrible sickness among the monkeys out there. +They are all catching it--and they are dying +in hundreds. They have heard of you, and beg +you to come to Africa to stop the sickness." + +"Who brought the message?" asked the Doctor, +taking off his spectacles and laying down +his book. + +"A swallow," said Chee-Chee. "She is +outside on the rain-butt." + +"Bring her in by the fire," said the Doctor. +"She must be perished with the cold. The swallows +flew South six weeks ago!" + +So the swallow was brought in, all huddled +and shivering; and although she was a little +afraid at first, she soon got warmed up and sat +on the edge of the mantelpiece and began to talk. + +When she had finished the Doctor said, + +"I would gladly go to Africa--especially in +this bitter weather. But I'm afraid we haven't +money enough to buy the tickets. Get me the +money-box, Chee-Chee." + +So the monkey climbed up and got it off the +top shelf of the dresser. + +There was nothing in it--not one single penny! + +"I felt sure there was twopence left," said the Doctor. + +"There WAS," said the owl. "But you spent +it on a rattle for that badger's baby when he +was teething." + +"Did I?" said the Doctor--"dear me, dear +me! What a nuisance money is, to be sure! +Well, never mind. Perhaps if I go down to +the seaside I shall be able to borrow a boat that +will take us to Africa. I knew a seaman once +who brought his baby to me with measles. +Maybe he'll lend us his boat--the baby got well." + +So early the next morning the Doctor went +down to the seashore. And when he came back +he told the animals it was all right--the sailor +was going to lend them the boat. + +Then the crocodile and the monkey and the +parrot were very glad and began to sing, +because they were going back to Africa, their real +home. And the Doctor said, + +"I shall only be able to take you three--with +Jip the dog, Dab-Dab the duck, Gub-Gub the +pig and the owl, Too-Too. The rest of the animals, +like the dormice and the water-voles and +the bats, they will have to go back and live in +the fields where they were born till we come +home again. But as most of them sleep through +the Winter, they won't mind that--and besides, +it wouldn't be good for them to go to Africa." + +So then the parrot, who had been on long sea- +voyages before, began telling the Doctor all the +things he would have to take with him on the ship. + +"You must have plenty of pilot-bread," she +said--"`hard tack' they call it. And you must +have beef in cans--and an anchor." + +"I expect the ship will have its own anchor," +said the Doctor. + +"Well, make sure," said Polynesia. "Because +it's very important. You can't stop if you +haven't got an anchor. And you'll need a bell." + +"What's that for?" asked the Doctor. + +"To tell the time by," said the parrot. "You +go and ring it every half-hour and then you +know what time it is. And bring a whole lot of +rope--it always comes in handy on voyages." + +Then they began to wonder where they were +going to get the money from to buy all the +things they needed. + +"Oh, bother it! Money again," cried the +Doctor. "Goodness! I shall be glad to get to +Africa where we don't have to have any! I'll +go and ask the grocer if he will wait for his +money till I get back--No, I'll send the sailor +to ask him." + +So the sailor went to see the grocer. And presently +he came back with all the things they wanted. + +Then the animals packed up; and after they +had turned off the water so the pipes wouldn't +freeze, and put up the shutters, they closed the +house and gave the key to the old horse who +lived in the stable. And when they had seen +that there was plenty of hay in the loft to last +the horse through the Winter, they carried all +their luggage down to the seashore and got on +to the boat. + +The Cat's-meat-Man was there to see them +off; and he brought a large suet-pudding as a +present for the Doctor because, he said he had +been told, you couldn't get suet-puddings in +foreign parts. + +As soon as they were on the ship, Gub-Gub, +the pig, asked where the beds were, for it was +four o'clock in the afternoon and he wanted +his nap. So Polynesia took him downstairs into +the inside of the ship and showed him the beds, +set all on top of one another like book-shelves +against a wall. + +"Why, that isn't a bed!" cried Gub-Gub. +"That's a shelf!" + +"Beds are always like that on ships," said the +parrot. "It isn't a shelf. Climb up into it and +go to sleep. That's what you call `a bunk.'" + +"I don't think I'll go to bed yet," said Gub- +Gub. "I'm too excited. I want to go upstairs +again and see them start." + +"Well, this is your first trip," said Polynesia. +"You will get used to the life after a while." +And she went back up the stairs of the ship, +humming this song to herself, + + +I've seen the Black Sea and the Red Sea; + I rounded the Isle of Wight; +I discovered the Yellow River, + And the Orange too by night. +Now Greenland drops behind again, + And I sail the ocean Blue. +I'm tired of all these colors, Jane, + So I'm coming back to you. + + +They were just going to start on their journey, +when the Doctor said he would have to go back +and ask the sailor the way to Africa. + +But the swallow said she had been to that +country many times and would show them how +to get there. + +So the Doctor told Chee-Chee to pull up the +anchor and the voyage began. + + + +THE FIFTH CHAPTER + +THE GREAT JOURNEY + +NOW for six whole weeks they went sailing on and on, over +the rolling sea, following the swallow who flew before the +ship to show them the way. At night she carried a tiny +lantern, so they should not miss her in the dark; +and the people on the other ships that passed +said that the light must be a shooting star. + +As they sailed further and further into the +South, it got warmer and warmer. Polynesia, +Chee-Chee and the crocodile enjoyed the hot +sun no end. They ran about laughing and looking +over the side of the ship to see if they could +see Africa yet. + +But the pig and the dog and the owl, Too- +Too, could do nothing in such weather, but +sat at the end of the ship in the shade of a big +barrel, with their tongues hanging out, drinking +lemonade. + +Dab-Dab, the duck, used to keep herself cool +by jumping into the sea and swimming behind +the ship. And every once in a while, when +the top of her head got too hot, she would dive +under the ship and come up on the other side. +In this way, too, she used to catch herrings on +Tuesdays and Fridays--when everybody on the +boat ate fish to make the beef last longer. + +When they got near to the Equator they saw +some flying-fishes coming towards them. And +the fishes asked the parrot if this was Doctor +Dolittle's ship. When she told them it was, they +said they were glad, because the monkeys in +Africa were getting worried that he would never +come. Polynesia asked them how many miles +they had yet to go; and the flying-fishes said +it was only fifty-five miles now to the coast of +Africa. + +And another time a whole school of porpoises +came dancing through the waves; and they too +asked Polynesia if this was the ship of the fa- +mous doctor. And when they heard that it was, +they asked the parrot if the Doctor wanted +anything for his journey. + +And Polynesia said, "Yes. We have run +short of onions." + +"There is an island not far from here," said +the porpoises, "where the wild onions grow tall +and strong. Keep straight on--we will get +some and catch up to you." + +So the porpoises dashed away through the +sea. And very soon the parrot saw them again, +coming up behind, dragging the onions through +the waves in big nets made of seaweed. + +The next evening, as the sun was going down +the Doctor said, + +"Get me the telescope, Chee-Chee. Our +journey is nearly ended. Very soon we should +be able to see the shores of Africa." + +And about half an hour later, sure enough, +they thought they could see something in front +that might be land. But it began to get darker +and darker and they couldn't be sure. +Then a great storm came up, with thunder +and lightning. The wind howled; the rain +came down in torrents; and the waves got so +high they splashed right over the boat. + +Presently there was a big BANG! The ship +stopped and rolled over on its side. + +"What's happened?" asked the Doctor, +coming up from downstairs. + +"I'm not sure," said the parrot; "but I think +we're ship-wrecked. Tell the duck to get out +and see." + +So Dab-Dab dived right down under the +waves. And when she came up she said they +had struck a rock; there was a big hole in the +bottom of the ship; the water was coming in; +and they were sinking fast. + +"We must have run into Africa," said the +Doctor. "Dear me, dear me!--Well--we must +all swim to land." + +But Chee-Chee and Gub-Gub did not know +how to swim. + +"Get the rope!" said Polynesia. "I told you +it would come in handy. Where's that duck? +Come here, Dab-Dab. Take this end of the +rope, fly to the shore and tie it on to a palm- +tree; and we'll hold the other end on the ship +here. Then those that can't swim must climb +along the rope till they reach the land. That's +what you call a `life-line.'" + +So they all got safely to the shore--some +swimming, some flying; and those that climbed +along the rope brought the Doctor's trunk and +handbag with them. + +But the ship was no good any more--with the +big hole in the bottom; and presently the rough +sea beat it to pieces on the rocks and the timbers +floated away. + +Then they all took shelter in a nice dry cave +they found, high up in the cliffs, till the storm +was over. + +When the sun came out next morning they +went down to the sandy beach to dry themselves. + +"Dear old Africa!" sighed Polynesia. "It's +good to get back. Just think--it'll be a +hundred and sixty-nine years to-morrow since I was +here! And it hasn't changed a bit! Same old +palm-trees; same old red earth; same old black +ants! There's no place like home!" + +And the others noticed she had tears in her eyes-- +she was so pleased to see her country once again. + +Then the Doctor missed his high hat; for it +had been blown into the sea during the storm. +So Dab-Dab went out to look for it. And presently +she saw it, a long way off, floating on the +water like a toy-boat. + +When she flew down to get it, she found one +of the white mice, very frightened, sitting +inside it. + +"What are you doing here?" asked the duck. +"You were told to stay behind in Puddleby." + +"I didn't want to be left behind," said the +mouse. "I wanted to see what Africa was like +--I have relatives there. So I hid in the baggage +and was brought on to the ship with the +hard-tack. When the ship sank I was terribly +frightened--because I cannot swim far. I +swam as long as I could, but I soon got all +exhausted and thought I was going to sink. And +then, just at that moment, the old man's hat came +floating by; and I got into it because I did not +want to be drowned." + +So the duck took up the hat with the mouse in +it and brought it to the Doctor on the shore. +And they all gathered round to have a look. + +"That's what you call a `stowaway,'" said the parrot. + +Presently, when they were looking for a place +in the trunk where the white mouse could travel +comfortably, the monkey, Chee-Chee, suddenly said, + +"Sh! I hear footsteps in the jungle!" + +They all stopped talking and listened. And +soon a black man came down out of the woods +and asked them what they were doing there. + +"My name is John Dolittle--M. D.," said the +Doctor. "I have been asked to come to Africa +to cure the monkeys who are sick." + +"You must all come before the King," said +the black man. + +"What king?" asked the Doctor, who didn't +want to waste any time. + +"The King of the Jolliginki," the man +answered. "All these lands belong to him; and all +strangers must be brought before him. Follow me." + +So they gathered up their baggage and went +off, following the man through the jungle. + + + +THE SIXTH CHAPTER + +POLYNESIA AND THE KING + +WHEN they had gone a little way through +the thick forest they came to a wide, clear +space; and they saw the King's palace which +was made of mud. + +This was where the King lived with his +Queen, Ermintrude, and their son, Prince +Bumpo. The Prince was away fishing for salmon +in the river. But the King and Queen +were sitting under an umbrella before the palace +door. And Queen Ermintrude was asleep. + +When the Doctor had come up to the palace +the King asked him his business; and the Doctor +told him why he had come to Africa. + +"You may not travel through my lands," said +the King. "Many years ago a white man came +to these shores; and I was very kind to him. +But after he had dug holes in the ground to get +the gold, and killed all the elephants to get their +ivory tusks, he went away secretly in his ship-- +without so much as saying `Thank you.' Never +again shall a white man travel through the lands +of Jolliginki." + +Then the King turned to some of the black +men who were standing near and said, "Take +away this medicine-man--with all his animals, +and lock them up in my strongest prison." + +So six of the black men led the Doctor and +all his pets away and shut them up in a stone +dungeon. The dungeon had only one little window, +high up in the wall, with bars in it; and +the door was strong and thick. + +Then they all grew very sad; and Gub-Gub, +the pig, began to cry. But Chee-Chee said he +would spank him if he didn't stop that horrible +noise; and he kept quiet. + +"Are we all here?" asked the Doctor, after +he had got used to the dim light. + +"Yes, I think so," said the duck and started +to count them. + +"Where's Polynesia?" asked the crocodile. +"She isn't here." + +"Are you sure?" said the Doctor. "Look again. +Polynesia! Polynesia! Where are you?" + +"I suppose she escaped," grumbled the crocodile. +"Well, that's just like her!--Sneaked off into +the jungle as soon as her friends got into trouble." + +"I'm not that kind of a bird," said the parrot, +climbing out of the pocket in the tail of the +Doctor's coat. "You see, I'm small enough to +get through the bars of that window; and I was +afraid they would put me in a cage instead. +So while the King was busy talking, I hid in +the Doctor's pocket--and here I am! That's +what you call a `ruse,'" she said, smoothing +down her feathers with her beak. + +"Good Gracious!" cried the Doctor. +"You're lucky I didn't sit on you." + +"Now listen," said Polynesia, "to-night, as +soon as it gets dark, I am going to creep through +the bars of that window and fly over to the +palace. And then--you'll see--I'll soon find +a way to make the King let us all out of prison." + +"Oh, what can YOU do?" said Gub-Gub, +turning up his nose and beginning to cry again. +"You're only a bird!" + +"Quite true," said the parrot. "But do not +forget that although I am only a bird, I CAN TALK +LIKE A MAN--and I know these people." + +So that night, when the moon was shining +through the palm-trees and all the King's men +were asleep, the parrot slipped out through the +bars of the prison and flew across to the palace. +The pantry window had been broken by a tennis +ball the week before; and Polynesia popped +in through the hole in the glass. + +She heard Prince Bumpo snoring in his bed- +room at the back of the palace. Then she tip- +toed up the stairs till she came to the King's +bedroom. She opened the door gently and +peeped in. + +The Queen was away at a dance that night +at her cousin's; but the King was in bed fast +asleep. + +Polynesia crept in, very softly, and got under +the bed. + +Then she coughed--just the way Doctor +Dolittle used to cough. Polynesia could mimic +any one. + +The King opened his eyes and said sleepily: +"Is that you, Ermintrude?" (He thought it +was the Queen come back from the dance.) + +Then the parrot coughed again--loud, like a +man. And the King sat up, wide awake, and +said, "Who's that?" + +"I am Doctor Dolittle," said the parrot--just +the way the Doctor would have said it. + +"What are you doing in my bedroom?" cried +the King. "How dare you get out of prison! +Where are you?--I don't see you." + +But the parrot just laughed--a long, deep +jolly laugh, like the Doctor's. + +"Stop laughing and come here at once, so I +can see you," said the King. + +"Foolish King!" answered Polynesia. "Have +you forgotten that you are talking to John +Dolittle, M.D.--the most wonderful man on earth? +Of course you cannot see me. I have made myself +invisible. There is nothing I cannot do. +Now listen: I have come here to-night to warn +you. If you don't let me and my animals travel +through your kingdom, I will make you and all +your people sick like the monkeys. For I can +make people well: and I can make people ill-- +just by raising my little finger. Send your +soldiers at once to open the dungeon door, or you +shall have mumps before the morning sun has +risen on the hills of Jolliginki." + +Then the King began to tremble and was +very much afraid. + +"Doctor," he cried, "it shall be as you say. +Do not raise your little finger, please!" And he +jumped out of bed and ran to tell the soldiers +to open the prison door. + +As soon as he was gone, Polynesia crept +downstairs and left the palace by the pantry window. + +But the Queen, who was just letting herself +in at the backdoor with a latch-key, saw the par- +rot getting out through the broken glass. And +when the King came back to bed she told him +what she had seen. + +Then the King understood that he had been +tricked, and he was dreadfully angry. He hurried +back to the prison at once + +But he was too late. The door stood open. +The dungeon was empty. The Doctor and all +his animals were gone. + + + +THE SEVENTH CHAPTER + +THE BRIDGE OF APES + +QUEEN ERMINTRUDE had never in her life seen her husband +so terrible as he got that night. He gnashed his teeth +with rage. He called everybody a fool. He threw his +tooth-brush at the palace cat. He rushed round +in his night-shirt and woke up all his army and +sent them into the jungle to catch the Doctor. +Then he made all his servants go too--his cooks +and his gardeners and his barber and Prince +Bumpo's tutor--even the Queen, who was tired +from dancing in a pair of tight shoes, was packed +off to help the soldiers in their search. + +All this time the Doctor and his animals were +running through the forest towards the Land of +the Monkeys as fast as they could go. + +Gub-Gub, with his short legs, soon got tired; +and the Doctor had to carry him--which made +it pretty hard when they had the trunk and the +hand-bag with them as well. + +The King of the Jolliginki thought it would +be easy for his army to find them, because the +Doctor was in a strange land and would not +know his way. But he was wrong; because the +monkey, Chee-Chee, knew all the paths through +the jungle--better even than the King's men +did. And he led the Doctor and his pets to the +very thickest part of the forest--a place where +no man had ever been before--and hid them all +in a big hollow tree between high rocks. + +"We had better wait here," said Chee-Chee, +"till the soldiers have gone back to bed. Then +we can go on into the Land of the Monkeys." + +So there they stayed the whole night through. + +They often heard the King's men searching +and talking in the jungle round about. But +they were quite safe, for no one knew of that +hiding-place but Chee-Chee--not even the +other monkeys. + +At last, when daylight began to come through +the thick leaves overhead, they heard Queen +Ermintrude saying in a very tired voice that it +was no use looking any more--that they might +as well go back and get some sleep. + +As soon as the soldiers had all gone home, +Chee-Chee brought the Doctor and his animals +out of the hiding-place and they set off for the +Land of the Monkeys. + +It was a long, long way; and they often got +very tired--especially Gub-Gub. But when he +cried they gave him milk out of the cocoanuts +which he was very fond of. + +They always had plenty to eat and drink; +because Chee-Chee and Polynesia knew all the +different kinds of fruits and vegetables that grow +in the jungle, and where to find them--like +dates and figs and ground-nuts and ginger and +yams. They used to make their lemonade out of +the juice of wild oranges, sweetened with honey +which they got from the bees' nests in hollow +trees. No matter what it was they asked for, +Chee-Chee and Polynesia always seemed to be +able to get it for them--or something like it. +They even got the Doctor some tobacco one day, +when he had finished what he had brought with +him and wanted to smoke. + +At night they slept in tents made of palm- +leaves, on thick, soft beds of dried grass. And +after a while they got used to walking such a lot +and did not get so tired and enjoyed the life of +travel very much. + +But they were always glad when the night +came and they stopped for their resting-time. +Then the Doctor used to make a little fire of +sticks; and after they had had their supper, they +would sit round it in a ring, listening to +Polynesia singing songs about the sea, or to Chee- +Chee telling stories of the jungle. + +And many of the tales that Chee-Chee told +were very interesting. Because although the +monkeys had no history-books of their own +before Doctor Dolittle came to write them for +them, they remember everything that happens by +telling stories to their children. And Chee-Chee +spoke of many things his grandmother had told +him--tales of long, long, long ago, before Noah +and the Flood--of the days when men dressed +in bear-skins and lived in holes in the rock and +ate their mutton raw, because they did not know +what cooking was--having never seen a fire. +And he told them of the Great Mammoths and +Lizards, as long as a train, that wandered over +the mountains in those times, nibbling from the +tree-tops. And often they got so interested +listening, that when he had finished they found +their fire had gone right out; and they had to +scurry round to get more sticks and build a new +one. + +Now when the King's army had gone back +and told the King that they couldn't find the +Doctor, the King sent them out again and told +them they must stay in the jungle till they caught +him. So all this time, while the Doctor and his +animals were going along towards the Land of +the Monkeys, thinking themselves quite safe, +they were still being followed by the King's men. +If Chee-Chee had known this, he would most +likely have hidden them again. But he didn't +know it. + +One day Chee-Chee climbed up a high rock +and looked out over the tree-tops. And when +he came down he said they were now quite close +to the Land of the Monkeys and would soon +be there. + +And that same evening, sure enough, they saw +Chee-Chee's cousin and a lot of other monkeys, +who had not yet got sick, sitting in the trees by +the edge of a swamp, looking and waiting for +them. And when they saw the famous doctor +really come, these monkeys made a tremendous +noise, cheering and waving leaves and swinging +out of the branches to greet him. + +They wanted to carry his bag and his trunk +and everything he had--and one of the bigger +ones even carried Gub-Gub who had got tired +again. Then two of them rushed on in front to +tell the sick monkeys that the great doctor had +come at last. + +But the King's men, who were still following, +had heard the noise of the monkeys cheering; +and they at last knew where the Doctor was, +and hastened on to catch him. + +The big monkey carrying Gub-Gub was coming +along behind slowly, and he saw the Captain +of the army sneaking through the trees. +So he hurried after the Doctor and told him to +run. + +Then they all ran harder than they had ever +run in their lives; and the King's men, coming +after them, began to run too; and the Captain +ran hardest of all. + +Then the Doctor tripped over his medicine- +bag and fell down in the mud, and the Captain +thought he would surely catch him this time. + +But the Captain had very long ears--though +his hair was very short. And as he sprang forward +to take hold of the Doctor, one of his ears +caught fast in a tree; and the rest of the army +had to stop and help him. + +By this time the Doctor had picked himself +up, and on they went again, running and running. +And Chee-Chee shouted, + +"It's all right! We haven't far to go now!" + +But before they could get into the Land of +the Monkeys, they came to a steep cliff with a +river flowing below. This was the end of the +Kingdom of Jolliginki; and the Land of the +Monkeys was on the other side--across the +river. + +And Jip, the dog, looked down over the edge +of the steep, steep cliff and said, + +"Golly! How are we ever going to get across?" + +"Oh, dear!" said Gub-Gub. "The King's +men are quite close now--Look at them! I am +afraid we are going to be taken back to prison +again." And he began to weep. + +But the big monkey who was carrying the +pig dropped him on the ground and cried out +to the other monkeys. + +"Boys--a bridge! Quick!--Make a bridge! +We've only a minute to do it. They've got the +Captain loose, and he's coming on like a deer. +Get lively! A bridge! A bridge!" + +The Doctor began to wonder what they were going +to make a bridge out of, and he gazed around +to see if they had any boards hidden any place. + +But when he looked back at the cliff, there, +hanging across the river, was a bridge all ready +for him--made of living monkeys! For while +his back was turned, the monkeys--quick as a +flash--had made themselves into a bridge, just +by holding hands and feet. + +And the big one shouted to the Doctor, "Walk +over! Walk over--all of you--hurry!" + +Gub-Gub was a bit scared, walking on such +a narrow bridge at that dizzy height above the +river. But he got over all right; and so did all +of them. + +John Dolittle was the last to cross. And just +as he was getting to the other side, the King's +men came rushing up to the edge of the cliff. + +Then they shook their fists and yelled with +rage. For they saw they were too late. The +Doctor and all his animals were safe in the Land +of the Monkeys and the bridge was pulled across +to the other side. + +Then Chee-Chee turned to the Doctor and +said, + +"Many great explorers and gray-bearded +naturalists have lain long weeks hidden in the +jungle waiting to see the monkeys do that trick. +But we never let a white man get a glimpse of it +before. You are the first to see the famous +`Bridge of Apes.'" + +And the Doctor felt very pleased. + + + +THE EIGHTH CHAPTER + +THE LEADER OF THE LIONS + +JOHN DOLITTLE now became dreadfully, awfully busy. +He found hundreds and thousands of monkeys sick--gorillas, +orangoutangs, chimpanzees, dog-faced baboons, marmosettes, +gray monkeys, red ones--all kinds. And many had died. + +The first thing he did was to separate the +sick ones from the well ones. Then he got +Chee-Chee and his cousin to build him a little +house of grass. The next thing: he made all +the monkeys who were still well come and be +vaccinated. + +And for three days and three nights the +monkeys kept coming from the jungles and the +valleys and the hills to the little house of grass, +where the Doctor sat all day and all night, +vaccinating and vaccinating. + +Then he had another house made--a big one, +with a lot of beds in it; and he put all the sick +ones in this house. + +But so many were sick, there were not enough +well ones to do the nursing. So he sent +messages to the other animals, like the lions and the +leopards and the antelopes, to come and help +with the nursing. + +But the Leader of the Lions was a very proud +creature. And when he came to the Doctor's +big house full of beds he seemed angry and +scornful. + +"Do you dare to ask me, Sir?" he said, glaring +at the Doctor. "Do you dare to ask me--ME, +THE KING OF BEASTS, to wait on a lot of dirty +monkeys? Why, I wouldn't even eat them +between meals!" + +Although the lion looked very terrible, the +Doctor tried hard not to seem afraid of him. + +"I didn't ask you to eat them," he said quietly. +"And besides, they're not dirty. They've all +had a bath this morning. YOUR coat looks as +though it needed brushing--badly. Now +listen, and I'll tell you something: the day may +come when the lions get sick. And if you don't +help the other animals now, the lions may +find themselves left all alone when THEY are +in trouble. That often happens to proud people." + +"The lions are never IN trouble--they only +MAKE trouble," said the Leader, turning up his +nose. And he stalked away into the jungle, feeling +he had been rather smart and clever. + +Then the leopards got proud too and said +they wouldn't help. And then of course the +antelopes--although they were too shy and timid +to be rude to the Doctor like the lion--THEY +pawed the ground, and smiled foolishly, and said +they had never been nurses before. + +And now the poor Doctor was worried frantic, +wondering where he could get help enough +to take care of all these thousands of monkeys +in bed. + +But the Leader of the Lions, when he got +back to his den, saw his wife, the Queen Lioness, +come running out to meet him with her hair +untidy. + +"One of the cubs won't eat," she said. "I +don't know WHAT to do with him. He hasn't +taken a thing since last night." + +And she began to cry and shake with nervousness-- +for she was a good mother, even though +she was a lioness. + +So the Leader went into his den and looked +at his children--two very cunning little cubs, +lying on the floor. And one of them seemed +quite poorly. + +Then the lion told his wife, quite proudly, +just what he had said to the Doctor. And she got +so angry she nearly drove him out of the den. +"You never DID have a grain of sense!" she +screamed. "All the animals from here to the +Indian Ocean are talking about this wonderful +man, and how he can cure any kind of sickness, +and how kind he is--the only man in the whole +world who can talk the language of the animals! +And now, NOW--when we have a sick baby on +our hands, you must go and offend him! You +great booby! Nobody but a fool is ever rude +to a GOOD doctor. You--," and she started pulling +her husband's hair. + +"Go back to that white man at once," she +yelled, "and tell him you're sorry. And take +all the other empty-headed lions with you-- +and those stupid leopards and antelopes. Then +do everything the Doctor tells you. Work +hard! And perhaps he will be kind enough +to come and see the cub later. Now be off!-- +HURRY, I tell you! You're not fit to be a father!" + +And she went into the den next door, where another +mother-lion lived, and told her all about it. + +So the Leader of the Lions went back to the +Doctor and said, "I happened to be passing this +way and thought I'd look in. Got any help yet?" + +"No," said the Doctor. "I haven't. +And I'm dreadfully worried." + +"Help's pretty hard to get these days," said +the lion. "Animals don't seem to want to work +any more. You can't blame them--in a way. +...Well, seeing you're in difficulties, I don't +mind doing what I can--just to oblige you-- +so long as I don't have to wash the creatures. +And I have told all the other hunting animals +to come and do their share. The leopards +should be here any minute now.... Oh, and +by the way, we've got a sick cub at home. I +don't think there's much the matter with him +myself. But the wife is anxious. If you are +around that way this evening, you might take +a look at him, will you?" + +Then the Doctor was very happy; for all the +lions and the leopards and the antelopes and +the giraffes and the zebras--all the animals of +the forests and the mountains and the plains +--came to help him in his work. There were +so many of them that he had to send some away, +and only kept the cleverest. + +And now very soon the monkeys began to +get better. At the end of a week the big house +full of beds was half empty. And at the end +of the second week the last monkey had got well. + +Then the Doctor's work was done; and he +was so tired he went to bed and slept for three +days without even turning over. + + + +THE NINTH CHAPTER + +THE MONKEYS' COUNCIL + +CHEE-CHEE stood outside the Doctor's door, keeping everybody +away till he woke up. Then John Dolittle told the +monkeys that he must now go back to Puddleby. + +They were very surprised at this; for they +had thought that he was going to stay with them +forever. And that night all the monkeys got +together in the jungle to talk it over. + +And the Chief Chimpanzee rose up and said, + +"Why is it the good man is going away? Is +he not happy here with us?" + +But none of them could answer him. + +Then the Grand Gorilla got up and said, + +"I think we all should go to him and ask him +to stay. Perhaps if we make him a new house +and a bigger bed, and promise him plenty of +monkey-servants to work for him and to make +life pleasant for him--perhaps then he will +not wish to go." + + +Then Chee-Chee got up; and all the others +whispered, "Sh! Look! Chee-Chee, the great +Traveler, is about to speak!" + +And Chee-Chee said to the other monkeys, + +"My friends, I am afraid it is useless to ask +the Doctor to stay. He owes money in Puddleby; +and he says he must go back and pay it." + +And the monkeys asked him, "What is MONEY?" + + +Then Chee-Chee told them that in the Land of the +White Men you could get nothing without money; +you could DO nothing without money--that it was +almost impossible to LIVE without money. + +And some of them asked, "But can you not +even eat and drink without paying?" + +But Chee-Chee shook his head. And then he +told them that even he, when he was with the +organ-grinder, had been made to ask the +children for money. + +And the Chief Chimpanzee turned to the Oldest +Orangoutang and said, "Cousin, surely these Men +be strange creatures! Who would wish to live +in such a land? My gracious, how paltry!" + +Then Chee-Chee said, + +"When we were coming to you we had no +boat to cross the sea in and no money to buy +food to eat on our journey. So a man lent us +some biscuits; and we said we would pay him +when we came back. And we borrowed a boat +from a sailor; but it was broken on the rocks +when we reached the shores of Africa. Now +the Doctor says he must go back and get the +sailor another boat--because the man was poor +and his ship was all he had." + +And the monkeys were all silent for a while, +sitting quite still upon the ground and thinking +hard. + +At last the Biggest Baboon got up and said, + +"I do not think we ought to let this good man +leave our land till we have given him a fine +present to take with him, so that he may know +we are grateful for all that he has done for us." + +And a little, tiny red monkey who was +sitting up in a tree shouted down, + +"I think that too!" + +And then they all cried out, making a great +noise, "Yes, yes. Let us give him the finest +present a White Man ever had!" + +Now they began to wonder and ask one another +what would be the best thing to give him. +And one said, "Fifty bags of cocoanuts!" +And another--"A hundred bunches of bananas!-- +At least he shall not have to buy his fruit in the +Land Where You Pay to Eat!" + +But Chee-Chee told them that all these +things would be too heavy to carry so far and +would go bad before half was eaten. + +"If you want to please him," he said, "give +him an animal. You may be sure he will be +kind to it. Give him some rare animal they +have not got in the menageries." + +And the monkeys asked him, "What are +MENAGERIES?" + +Then Chee-Chee explained to them that +menageries were places in the Land of the +White Men, where animals were put in cages +for people to come and look at. And the +monkeys were very shocked and said to one +another, + +"These Men are like thoughtless young ones--stupid +and easily amused. Sh! It is a prison he means." + +So then they asked Chee-Chee what rare +animal it could be that they should give the +Doctor--one the White Men had not seen before. +And the Major of the Marmosettes asked, + +"Have they an iguana over there?" + +But Chee-Chee said, "Yes, there is one in the +London Zoo." + +And another asked, "Have they an okapi?" + +But Chee-Chee said, "Yes. In Belgium, +where my organ-grinder took me five years ago, +they had an okapi in a big city they call Antwerp." + +And another asked, "Have they a pushmi-pullyu?" + +Then Chee-Chee said, "No. No White Man +has ever seen a pushmi-pullyu. Let us +give him that." + + + +THE TENTH CHAPTER + +THE RAREST ANIMAL OF ALL + +PUSHMI-PULLYUS are now extinct. That means, there aren't +any more. But long ago, when Doctor Dolittle was alive, +there were some of them still left in the deepest jungles +of Africa; and even then they were very, very scarce. +They had no tail, *but a head at each end, +and sharp horns on each head. They were very +shy and terribly hard to catch. The black men +get most of their animals by sneaking up behind +them while they are not looking. But you could +not do this with the pushmi-pullyu--because, +no matter which way you came towards him, he +was always facing you. And besides, only one +half of him slept at a time. The other head +was always awake--and watching. This was +why they were never caught and never seen in +Zoos. Though many of the greatest huntsmen +and the cleverest menagerie-keepers spent years +of their lives searching through the jungles +in all weathers for pushmi-pullyus, not a single +one had ever been caught. Even then, years +ago, he was the only animal in the world with +two heads. + +Well, the monkeys set out hunting for this +animal through the forest. And after they had +gone a good many miles, one of them found +peculiar footprints near the edge of a river; +and they knew that a pushmi-pullyu must be +very near that spot. + +Then they went along the bank of the river +a little way and they saw a place where the +grass was high and thick; and they guessed that +he was in there. + +So they all joined hands and made a great +circle round the high grass. The pushmi- +pullyu heard them coming; and he tried hard +to break through the ring of monkeys. But he +couldn't do it. When he saw that it was no +use trying to escape, he sat down and waited to +see what they wanted. + +They asked him if he would go with Doctor Dolittle +and be put on show in the Land of the White Men. + +But he shook both his heads hard and said, +"Certainly not!" + +They explained to him that he would not be +shut up in a menagerie but would just be looked +at. They told him that the Doctor was a very +kind man but hadn't any money; and people +would pay to see a two-headed animal and the +Doctor would get rich and could pay for the +boat he had borrowed to come to Africa in. + +But he answered, "No. You know how shy +I am--I hate being stared at." And he almost +began to cry. + +Then for three days they tried to persuade +him. + +And at the end of the third day he said he +would come with them and see what kind of a +man the Doctor was, first. + +So the monkeys traveled back with the +pushmi-pullyu. And when they came to where +the Doctor's little house of grass was, they +knocked on the door. + +The duck, who was packing the trunk, said, +"Come in!" + +And Chee-Chee very proudly took the animal +inside and showed him to the Doctor. + +"What in the world is it?" asked John +Dolittle, gazing at the strange creature. + +"Lord save us!" cried the duck. "How does +it make up its mind?" + +"It doesn't look to me as though it had any," +said Jip, the dog. + +"This, Doctor," said Chee-Chee, "is the +pushmi-pullyu--the rarest animal of the African +jungles, the only two-headed beast in the +world! Take him home with you and your +fortune's made. People will pay any money to +see him." + +"But I don't want any money," said the Doctor. + +"Yes, you do," said Dab-Dab, the duck. +"Don't you remember how we had to pinch +and scrape to pay the butcher's bill in +Puddleby? And how are you going to get the +sailor the new boat you spoke of--unless we +have the money to buy it?" + + +"I was going to make him one," said the Doctor. + +"Oh, do be sensible!" cried Dab-Dab. +"Where would you get all the wood and the +nails to make one with?--And besides, what are +we going to live on? We shall be poorer than +ever when we get back. Chee-Chee's perfectly +right: take the funny-looking thing along, do!" + +"Well, perhaps there is something in what you say," +murmured the Doctor. "It certainly would make +a nice new kind of pet. But does the er-- +what-do-you-call-it really want to go abroad?" + +"Yes, I'll go," said the pushmi-pullyu who +saw at once, from the Doctor's face, that he was +a man to be trusted. "You have been so kind +to the animals here--and the monkeys tell me +that I am the only one who will do. But you +must promise me that if I do not like it in the +Land of the White Men you will send me +back." + +"Why, certainly--of course, of course," said +the Doctor. "Excuse me, surely you are +related to the Deer Family, are you not?" + +"Yes," said the pushmi-pullyu--"to the +Abyssinian Gazelles and the Asiatic Chamois +--on my mother's side. My father's great- +grandfather was the last of the Unicorns." + +"Most interesting!" murmured the Doctor; +and he took a book out of the trunk which Dab- +Dab was packing and began turning the pages. +"Let us see if Buffon says anything--" + +"I notice," said the duck, "that you only talk +with one of your mouths. Can't the other head +talk as well?" + +"Oh, yes," said the pushmi-pullyu. "But I +keep the other mouth for eating--mostly. In +that way I can talk while I am eating without +being rude. Our people have always been very +polite." + +When the packing was finished and everything +was ready to start, the monkeys gave a +grand party for the Doctor, and all the animals +of the jungle came. And they had pineapples +and mangoes and honey and all sorts of good +things to eat and drink. + +After they had all finished eating, the Doctor +got up and said, + +"My friends: I am not clever at speaking +long words after dinner, like some men; and I +have just eaten many fruits and much honey. +But I wish to tell you that I am very sad at +leaving your beautiful country. Because I have +things to do in the Land of the White Men, I +must go. After I have gone, remember never +to let the flies settle on your food before you +eat it; and do not sleep on the ground when the +rains are coming. I--er--er--I hope you will +all live happily ever after." + +When the Doctor stopped speaking and sat +down, all the monkeys clapped their hands a +long time and said to one another, "Let it be +remembered always among our people that he +sat and ate with us, here, under the trees. +For surely he is the Greatest of Men!" + +And the Grand Gorilla, who had the strength +of seven horses in his hairy arms, rolled a great +rock up to the head of the table and said, + +"This stone for all time shall mark the spot." + +And even to this day, in the heart of the +Jungle, that stone still is there. And monkey- +mothers, passing through the forest with their +families, still point down at it from the branches +and whisper to their children, "Sh! There it is-- +look--where the Good White Man sat and ate food +with us in the Year of the Great Sickness!" + +Then, when the party was over, the Doctor +and his pets started out to go back to the seashore. +And all the monkeys went with him as +far as the edge of their country, carrying his +trunk and bags, to see him off. + + + +THE ELEVENTH CHAPTER + +THE BLACK PRINCE + +BY the edge of the river they stopped and said farewell. + +This took a long time, because all those thousands +of monkeys wanted to shake John Dolittle by the hand. + +Afterwards, when the Doctor and his pets +were going on alone, Polynesia said, + +"We must tread softly and talk low as we +go through the land of the Jolliginki. If the +King should hear us, he will send his soldiers +to catch us again; for I am sure he is still very +angry over the trick I played on him." + +"What I am wondering," said the Doctor, +"is where we are going to get another boat to +go home in.... Oh well, perhaps we'll find +one lying about on the beach that nobody is +using. `Never lift your foot till you come to +the stile.'" + +One day, while they were passing through +a very thick part of the forest, Chee-Chee went +ahead of them to look for cocoanuts. And +while he was away, the Doctor and the rest of +the animals, who did not know the jungle-paths +so well, got lost in the deep woods. They wandered +around and around but could not find +their way down to the seashore. + +Chee-Chee, when he could not see them +anywhere, was terribly upset. He climbed high +trees and looked out from the top branches to +try and see the Doctor's high hat; he waved and +shouted; he called to all the animals by name. +But it was no use. They seemed to have +disappeared altogether. + +Indeed they had lost their way very badly. +They had strayed a long way off the path, and +the jungle was so thick with bushes and +creepers and vines that sometimes they could hardly +move at all, and the Doctor had to take out +his pocket-knife and cut his way along. They +stumbled into wet, boggy places; they got all +tangled up in thick convolvulus-runners; they +scratched themselves on thorns, and twice they +nearly lost the medicine-bag in the under-brush. +There seemed no end to their troubles; and +nowhere could they come upon a path. + +At last, after blundering about like this for +many days, getting their clothes torn and their +faces covered with mud, they walked right into +the King's back-garden by mistake. The King's +men came running up at once and caught them. + +But Polynesia flew into a tree in the garden, +without anybody seeing her, and hid herself. +The Doctor and the rest were taken before the King. + +"Ha, ha!" cried the King. "So you are +caught again! This time you shall not escape. +Take them all back to prison and put double +locks on the door. This White Man shall scrub +my kitchen-floor for the rest of his life!" + +So the Doctor and his pets were led back to +prison and locked up. And the Doctor was told +that in the morning he must begin scrubbing the +kitchen-floor. + +They were all very unhappy. + +"This is a great nuisance," said the Doctor. +"I really must get back to Puddleby. That +poor sailor will think I've stolen his ship if I +don't get home soon.... I wonder if those +hinges are loose." + +But the door was very strong and firmly +locked. There seemed no chance of getting out. +Then Gub-Gub began to cry again. + +All this time Polynesia was still sitting in the +tree in the palace-garden. She was saying nothing +and blinking her eyes. + +This was always a very bad sign with +Polynesia. Whenever she said nothing and blinked +her eyes, it meant that somebody had been making +trouble, and she was thinking out some way +to put things right. People who made trouble +for Polynesia or her friends were nearly always +sorry for it afterwards. + +Presently she spied Chee-Chee swinging +through the trees still looking for the Doctor. +When Chee-Chee saw her, he came into her +tree and asked her what had become of him. + +"The Doctor and all the animals have been +caught by the King's men and locked up again," +whispered Polynesia. "We lost our way in the +jungle and blundered into the palace-garden by +mistake." + +"But couldn't you guide them?" asked Chee- +Chee; and he began to scold the parrot for +letting them get lost while he was away looking +for the cocoanuts. + +"It was all that stupid pig's fault," said +Polynesia. "He would keep running off the +path hunting for ginger-roots. And I was kept +so busy catching him and bringing him back, +that I turned to the left, instead of the right, +when we reached the swamp.--Sh!--Look! +There's Prince Bumpo coming into the garden! +He must not see us.--Don't move, whatever you do!" + +And there, sure enough, was Prince Bumpo, +the King's son, opening the garden-gate. He +carried a book of fairy-tales under his arm. He +came strolling down the gravel-walk, humming +a sad song, till he reached a stone seat right +under the tree where the parrot and the monkey +were hiding. Then he lay down on the seat +and began reading the fairy-stories to himself. + +Chee-Chee and Polynesia watched him, +keeping very quiet and still. + +After a while the King's son laid the book +down and sighed a weary sigh. + +"If I were only a WHITE prince!" said he, with +a dreamy, far-away look in his eyes. + +Then the parrot, talking in a small, high +voice like a little girl, said aloud, + +"Bumpo, some one might turn thee into a +white prince perchance." + +The King's son started up off the seat and +looked all around. + +"What is this I hear?" he cried. "Methought +the sweet music of a fairy's silver voice rang +from yonder bower! Strange!" + +"Worthy Prince," said Polynesia, keeping +very still so Bumpo couldn't see her, "thou sayest +winged words of truth. For 'tis I, Tripsitinka, +the Queen of the Fairies, that speak to +thee. I am hiding in a rose-bud." + +"Oh tell me, Fairy-Queen," cried Bumpo, +clasping his hands in joy, "who is it can turn +me white?" + +"In thy father's prison," said the parrot, +"there lies a famous wizard, John Dolittle by +name. Many things he knows of medicine and +magic, and mighty deeds has he performed. +Yet thy kingly father leaves him languishing +long and lingering hours. Go to him, brave +Bumpo, secretly, when the sun has set; and +behold, thou shalt be made the whitest prince that +ever won fair lady! I have said enough. I +must now go back to Fairyland. Farewell!" + +"Farewell!" cried the Prince. "A thousand thanks, +good Tripsitinka!" + +And he sat down on the seat again with a +smile upon his face, waiting for the sun to set. + + + +THE TWELFTH CHAPTER + +MEDICINE AND MAGIC + +VERY, very quietly, making sure that no one should see +her, Polynesia then slipped out at the back of the tree +and flew across to the prison. + +She found Gub-Gub poking his nose through +the bars of the window, trying to sniff the +cooking-smells that came from the palace- +kitchen. She told the pig to bring the Doctor +to the window because she wanted to speak to +him. So Gub-Gub went and woke the Doctor +who was taking a nap. + +"Listen," whispered the parrot, when John +Dolittle's face appeared: "Prince Bumpo is +coming here to-night to see you. And you've +got to find some way to turn him white. But +be sure to make him promise you first that he +will open the prison-door and find a ship for +you to cross the sea in." + +"This is all very well," said the Doctor. +"But it isn't so easy to turn a black man white. +You speak as though he were a dress to be re- +dyed. It's not so simple. `Shall the leopard +change his spots, or the Ethiopian his skin,' you +know?" + +"I don't know anything about that," said +Polynesia impatiently. "But you MUST turn this +man white. Think of a way--think hard. +You've got plenty of medicines left in the bag. +He'll do anything for you if you change his +color. It is your only chance to get out of +prison." + +"Well, I suppose it MIGHT be possible," said +the Doctor. "Let me see--," and he went over +to his medicine-bag, murmuring something +about "liberated chlorine on animal-pigment-- +perhaps zinc-ointment, as a temporary measure, +spread thick--" + +Well, that night Prince Bumpo came secretly +to the Doctor in prison and said to him, + +"White Man, I am an unhappy prince. +Years ago I went in search of The Sleeping +Beauty, whom I had read of in a book. And +having traveled through the world many days, +I at last found her and kissed the lady very +gently to awaken her--as the book said I should. +'Tis true indeed that she awoke. But when +she saw my face she cried out, `Oh, he's black!' +And she ran away and wouldn't marry me--but +went to sleep again somewhere else. So I came +back, full of sadness, to my father's kingdom. +Now I hear that you are a wonderful magician +and have many powerful potions. So I come to +you for help. If you will turn me white, so +that I may go back to The Sleeping Beauty, I +will give you half my kingdom and anything +besides you ask." + +"Prince Bumpo," said the Doctor, looking +thoughtfully at the bottles in his medicine-bag, +"supposing I made your hair a nice blonde +color--would not that do instead to make you +happy?" + +"No," said Bumpo. "Nothing else will +satisfy me. I must be a white prince." + +"You know it is very hard to change the color +of a prince," said the Doctor--"one of the hardest +things a magician can do. You only want +your face white, do you not?" + +"Yes, that is all," said Bumpo. "Because I +shall wear shining armor and gauntlets of steel, +like the other white princes, and ride on a +horse." + +"Must your face be white all over?" asked the Doctor. + +"Yes, all over," said Bumpo--"and I would +like my eyes blue too, but I suppose that would +be very hard to do." + +"Yes, it would," said the Doctor quickly. +"Well, I will do what I can for you. You will +have to be very patient though--you know with +some medicines you can never be very sure. I +might have to try two or three times. You have +a strong skin--yes? Well that's all right. +Now come over here by the light--Oh, but before +I do anything, you must first go down to +the beach and get a ship ready, with food in it, +to take me across the sea. Do not speak a word +of this to any one. And when I have done as +you ask, you must let me and all my animals +out of prison. Promise--by the crown of Jolliginki!" + +So the Prince promised and went away to get +a ship ready at the seashore. + +When he came back and said that it was done, +the Doctor asked Dab-Dab to bring a basin. +Then he mixed a lot of medicines in the basin +and told Bumpo to dip his face in it. + +The Prince leaned down and put his face in +--right up to the ears. + +He held it there a long time--so long that +the Doctor seemed to get dreadfully anxious +and fidgety, standing first on one leg and then +on the other, looking at all the bottles he had +used for the mixture, and reading the labels on +them again and again. A strong smell filled +the prison, like the smell of brown paper +burning. + +At last the Prince lifted his face up out of the +basin, breathing very hard. And all the animals +cried out in surprise. + +For the Prince's face had turned as white as +snow, and his eyes, which had been mud-colored, +were a manly gray! + +When John Dolittle lent him a little looking- +glass to see himself in, he sang for joy and +began dancing around the prison. But the +Doctor asked him not to make so much noise +about it; and when he had closed his medicine-bag +in a hurry he told him to open the prison-door. + +Bumpo begged that he might keep the looking- +glass, as it was the only one in the Kingdom +of Jolliginki, and he wanted to look at himself +all day long. But the Doctor said he needed +it to shave with. + +Then the Prince, taking a bunch of copper +keys from his pocket, undid the great double +locks. And the Doctor with all his animals ran +as fast as they could down to the seashore; while +Bumpo leaned against the wall of the empty +dungeon, smiling after them happily, his big +face shining like polished ivory in the light of +the moon. + +When they came to the beach they saw +Polynesia and Chee-Chee waiting for them on the +rocks near the ship. + +"I feel sorry about Bumpo," said the Doctor. + +"I am afraid that medicine I used will never +last. Most likely he will be as black as ever +when he wakes up in the morning--that's one +reason why I didn't like to leave the mirror with +him. But then again, he MIGHT stay white--I +had never used that mixture before. To tell the +truth, I was surprised, myself, that it worked +so well. But I had to do something, didn't I? +--I couldn't possibly scrub the King's kitchen +for the rest of my life. It was such a dirty +kitchen!--I could see it from the prison- +window.--Well, well!--Poor Bumpo!" + +"Oh, of course he will know we were just +joking with him," said the parrot. + +"They had no business to lock us up," said Dab-Dab, +waggling her tail angrily. "We never did them any harm. +Serve him right, if he does turn black again! I hope it's +a dark black." + +"But HE didn't have anything to do with it," +said the Doctor. "It was the King, his father, +who had us locked up--it wasn't Bumpo's fault. +...I wonder if I ought to go back and apologize-- +Oh, well--I'll send him some candy +when I get to Puddleby. And who knows?-- +he may stay white after all." + +"The Sleeping Beauty would never have him, +even if he did," said Dab-Dab. "He looked +better the way he was, I thought. But he'd +never be anything but ugly, no matter what +color he was made." + +"Still, he had a good heart," said the Doctor +--"romantic, of course--but a good heart. +After all, `handsome is as handsome does.'" + +"I don't believe the poor booby found The +Sleeping Beauty at all," said Jip, the dog. +"Most likely he kissed some farmer's fat wife +who was taking a snooze under an apple-tree. +Can't blame her for getting scared! I wonder +who he'll go and kiss this time. Silly business!" + +Then the pushmi-pullyu, the white mouse, +Gub-Gub, Dab-Dab, Jip and the owl, Too-Too, +went on to the ship with the Doctor. But Chee- +Chee, Polynesia and the crocodile stayed behind, +because Africa was their proper home, the land +where they were born. + +And when the Doctor stood upon the boat, he +looked over the side across the water. And then +he remembered that they had no one with them +to guide them back to Puddleby. + +The wide, wide sea looked terribly big and +lonesome in the moonlight; and he began to +wonder if they would lose their way when they +passed out of sight of land. + +But even while he was wondering, they heard +a strange whispering noise, high in the air, +coming through the night. And the animals all +stopped saying Good-by and listened. + +The noise grew louder and bigger. It seemed +to be coming nearer to them--a sound like the +Autumn wind blowing through the leaves of a +poplar-tree, or a great, great rain beating down +upon a roof. + +And Jip, with his nose pointing and his tail +quite straight, said, + +"Birds!--millions of them--flying fast--that's it!" + +And then they all looked up. And there, +streaming across the face of the moon, like a +huge swarm of tiny ants, they could see thousands +and thousands of little birds. Soon the +whole sky seemed full of them, and still more +kept coming--more and more. There were so +many that for a little they covered the whole +moon so it could not shine, and the sea grew +dark and black--like when a storm-cloud passes +over the sun. + +And presently all these birds came down close, +skimming over the water and the land; and the +night-sky was left clear above, and the moon +shone as before. Still never a call nor a cry +nor a song they made--no sound but this great +rustling of feathers which grew greater now +than ever. When they began to settle on the +sands, along the ropes of the ship--anywhere +and everywhere except the trees--the Doctor +could see that they had blue wings and white +breasts and very short, feathered legs. As soon +as they had all found a place to sit, suddenly, +there was no noise left anywhere--all was quiet; +all was still. + +And in the silent moonlight John Dolittle +spoke: + +"I had no idea that we had been in Africa +so long. It will be nearly Summer when we +get home. For these are the swallows going +back. Swallows, I thank you for waiting for +us. It is very thoughtful of you. Now we need +not be afraid that we will lose our way upon the +sea.... Pull up the anchor and set the sail!" + +When the ship moved out upon the water, +those who stayed behind, Chee-Chee, Polynesia +and the crocodile, grew terribly sad. For never +in their lives had they known any one they liked +so well as Doctor John Dolittle of Puddleby-on- +the-Marsh. + +And after they had called Good-by to him +again and again and again, they still stood there +upon the rocks, crying bitterly and waving till +the ship was out of sight. + + + +THE THIRTEENTH CHAPTER + +RED SAILS AND BLUE WINGS + +SAILING homeward, the Doctor's ship had to pass the coast +of Barbary. This coast is the seashore of the Great Desert. +It is a wild, lonely place--all sand and stones. And it was +here that the Barbary pirates lived. + +These pirates, a bad lot of men, used to wait +for sailors to be shipwrecked on their shores. +And often, if they saw a boat passing, they would +come out in their fast sailing-ships and chase it. +When they caught a boat like this at sea, they +would steal everything on it; and after they had +taken the people off they would sink the ship +and sail back to Barbary singing songs and feeling +proud of the mischief they had done. Then +they used to make the people they had caught +write home to their friends for money. And if +the friends sent no money, the pirates often +threw the people into the sea. + +Now one sunshiny day the Doctor and Dab- +Dab were walking up and down on the ship +for exercise; a nice fresh wind was blowing the +boat along, and everybody was happy. Presently +Dab-Dab saw the sail of another ship a +long way behind them on the edge of the sea. +It was a red sail. + +"I don't like the look of that sail," said Dab- +Dab. "I have a feeling it isn't a friendly ship. +I am afraid there is more trouble coming to us." + +Jip, who was lying near taking a nap in the +sun, began to growl and talk in his sleep. + +"I smell roast beef cooking," he mumbled-- +"underdone roast beef--with brown gravy over it." + +"Good gracious!" cried the Doctor. "What's +the matter with the dog? Is he SMELLING in his +sleep--as well as talking?" + +"I suppose he is," said Dab-Dab. "All dogs +can smell in their sleep." + +"But what is he smelling?" asked the Doctor. + +"There is no roast beef cooking on our ship." +"No," said Dab-Dab. "The roast beef must +be on that other ship over there." + +"But that's ten miles away," said the Doctor. +"He couldn't smell that far surely!" + +"Oh, yes, he could," said Dab-Dab. "You ask him." + +Then Jip, still fast asleep, began to growl +again and his lip curled up angrily, showing +his clean, white teeth. + +"I smell bad men," he growled--"the worst +men I ever smelt. I smell trouble. I smell a +fight--six bad scoundrels fighting against one +brave man. I want to help him. Woof--oo--WOOF!" +Then he barked, loud, and woke himself up with +a surprised look on his face. + +"See!" cried Dab-Dab. "That boat is nearer now. +You can count its three big sails--all red. +Whoever it is, they are coming after us.... +I wonder who they are." + +"They are bad sailors," said Jip; "and their +ship is very swift. They are surely the pirates +of Barbary." + +"Well, we must put up more sails on our +boat," said the Doctor, "so we can go faster and +get away from them. Run downstairs, Jip, and +fetch me all the sails you see." + +The dog hurried downstairs and dragged up +every sail he could find. + +But even when all these were put up on the +masts to catch the wind, the boat did not go +nearly as fast as the pirates'--which kept coming +on behind, closer and closer. + +"This is a poor ship the Prince gave us," said +Gub-Gub, the pig--"the slowest he could find, +I should think. Might as well try to win a race +in a soup-tureen as hope to get away from them +in this old barge. Look how near they are now! +--You can see the mustaches on the faces of the +men--six of them. What are we going to do?" + +Then the Doctor asked Dab-Dab to fly up and +tell the swallows that pirates were coming after +them in a swift ship, and what should he do +about it. + +When the swallows heard this, they all came +down on to the Doctor's ship; and they told him +to unravel some pieces of long rope and make +them into a lot of thin strings as quickly as he +could. Then the ends of these strings were tied +on to the front of the ship; and the swallows +took hold of the strings with their feet and flew +off, pulling the boat along. + +And although swallows are not very strong +when only one or two are by themselves, it is +different when there are a great lot of them +together. And there, tied to the Doctor's ship, +were a thousand strings; and two thousand +swallows were pulling on each string--all terribly +swift fliers. + +And in a moment the Doctor found himself +traveling so fast he had to hold his hat on with +both hands; for he felt as though the ship itself +were flying through waves that frothed and +boiled with speed. + +And all the animals on the ship began to +laugh and dance about in the rushing air, for +when they looked back at the pirates' ship, they +could see that it was growing smaller now, +instead of bigger. The red sails were being left +far, far behind. + + + +THE FOURTEENTH CHAPTER + +THE RATS' WARNING + +DRAGGING a ship through the sea is hard work. And after +two or three hours the swallows began to get tired in the +wings and short of breath. Then they sent a message +down to the Doctor to say that they would have +to take a rest soon; and that they would pull the +boat over to an island not far off, and hide it in +a deep bay till they had got breath enough to go on. + +And presently the Doctor saw the island they +had spoken of. It had a very beautiful, high, +green mountain in the middle of it. + +When the ship had sailed safely into the bay +where it could not be seen from the open sea, +the Doctor said he would get off on to the island +to look for water--because there was none left +to drink on his ship. And he told all the animals +to get out too and romp on the grass to +stretch their legs. + +Now as they were getting off, the Doctor +noticed that a whole lot of rats were coming up +from downstairs and leaving the ship as well. +Jip started to run after them, because chasing +rats had always been his favorite game. But +the Doctor told him to stop. + +And one big black rat, who seemed to want +to say something to the Doctor, now crept forward +timidly along the rail, watching the dog +out of the corner of his eye. And after he had +coughed nervously two or three times, and +cleaned his whiskers and wiped his mouth, he +said, + +"Ahem--er--you know of course that all +ships have rats in them, Doctor, do you not?" + +And the Doctor said, "Yes." + +"And you have heard that rats always leave +a sinking ship?" + +"Yes," said the Doctor--"so I've been told." + +"People," said the rat, "always speak of it +with a sneer--as though it were something dis- +graceful. But you can't blame us, can you? +After all, who WOULD stay on a sinking ship, if +he could get off it?" + +"It's very natural," said the Doctor--"very +natural. I quite understand.... Was there-- +Was there anything else you wished to say?" + +"Yes," said the rat. "I've come to tell you +that we are leaving this one. But we wanted to +warn you before we go. This is a bad ship +you have here. It isn't safe. The sides aren't +strong enough. Its boards are rotten. Before +to-morrow night it will sink to the bottom of +the sea." + +"But how do you know?" asked the Doctor. + +"We always know," answered the rat. "The +tips of our tails get that tingly feeling--like +when your foot's asleep. This morning, at six +o'clock, while I was getting breakfast, my tail +suddenly began to tingle. At first I thought it +was my rheumatism coming back. So I went +and asked my aunt how she felt--you remember +her?--the long, piebald rat, rather skinny, who +came to see you in Puddleby last Spring with +jaundice? Well--and she said HER tail was +tingling like everything! Then we knew, for +sure, that this boat was going to sink in less than +two days; and we all made up our minds to +leave it as soon as we got near enough to any +land. It's a bad ship, Doctor. Don't sail in +it any more, or you'll be surely drowned.... +Good-by! We are now going to look for a good +place to live on this island." + +"Good-by!" said the Doctor. "And thank +you very much for coming to tell me. Very +considerate of you--very! Give my regards to +your aunt. I remember her perfectly.... +Leave that rat alone, Jip! Come here! Lie down!" + +So then the Doctor and all his animals went +off, carrying pails and saucepans, to look for +water on the island, while the swallows took +their rest. + +"I wonder what is the name of this island," +said the Doctor, as he was climbing up the +mountainside. "It seems a pleasant place. +What a lot of birds there are!" + +"Why, these are the Canary Islands," said +Dab-Dab. "Don't you hear the canaries singing?" + +The Doctor stopped and listened. + +"Why, to be sure--of course!" he said. +"How stupid of me! I wonder if they can tell +us where to find water." + +And presently the canaries, who had heard all +about Doctor Dolittle from birds of passage, +came and led him to a beautiful spring of cool, +clear water where the canaries used to take their +bath; and they showed him lovely meadows +where the bird-seed grew and all the other +sights of their island. + +And the pushmi-pullyu was glad they had +come; because he liked the green grass so much +better than the dried apples he had been eating +on the ship. And Gub-Gub squeaked for joy +when he found a whole valley full of wild +sugarcane. + +A little later, when they had all had plenty +to eat and drink, and were lying on their backs +while the canaries sang for them, two of the swallows +came hurrying up, very flustered and excited. + +"Doctor!" they cried, "the pirates have come +into the bay; and they've all got on to your ship. +They are downstairs looking for things to steal. +They have left their own ship with nobody on +it. If you hurry and come down to the shore, +you can get on to their ship--which is very fast +--and escape. But you'll have to hurry." + +"That's a good idea," said the Doctor--"splendid!" + +And he called his animals together at once, +said Good-by to the canaries and ran down to the beach. + +When they reached the shore they saw the +pirate-ship, with the three red sails, standing in +the water; and--just as the swallows had said +--there was nobody on it; all the pirates were +downstairs in the Doctor's ship, looking for +things to steal. + +So John Dolittle told his animals to walk very +softly and they all crept on to the pirate-ship. + + + +THE FIFTEENTH CHAPTER + +THE BARBARY DRAGON + +EVERYTHING would have gone all right if the pig had not caught +a cold in his head while eating the damp sugar-cane on the +island. This is what happened: + +After they had pulled up the anchor without a sound, +and were moving the ship very, very carefully out of the bay, +Gub-Gub suddenly sneezed so loud that the pirates +on the other ship came rushing upstairs to see +what the noise was. + +As soon as they saw that the Doctor was +escaping, they sailed the other boat right across +the entrance to the bay so that the Doctor could +not get out into the open sea. + +Then the leader of these bad men (who called +himself "Ben Ali, The Dragon") shook his fist +at the Doctor and shouted across the water, + +"Ha! Ha! You are caught, my fine friend! +You were going to run off in my ship, eh? But +you are not a good enough sailor to beat Ben +Ali, the Barbary Dragon. I want that duck +you've got--and the pig too. We'll have pork- +chops and roast duck for supper to-night. And +before I let you go home, you must make your +friends send me a trunk-full of gold." + +Poor Gub-Gub began to weep; and Dab-Dab +made ready to fly to save her life. But the owl, +Too-Too, whispered to the Doctor, + +"Keep him talking, Doctor. Be pleasant to +him. Our old ship is bound to sink soon--the +rats said it would be at the bottom of the sea +before to-morrow night--and the rats are never +wrong. Be pleasant, till the ship sinks under +him. Keep him talking." + +"What, until to-morrow night!" said the Doctor. +"Well, I'll do my best.... Let me see-- +What shall I talk about?" + +"Oh, let them come on," said Jip. "We can +fight the dirty rascals. There are only six of +them. Let them come on. I'd love to tell that +collie next door, when we get home, that I had bitten +a real pirate. Let 'em come. We can fight them." + +"But they have pistols and swords," said the +Doctor. "No, that would never do. I must +talk to him.... Look here, Ben Ali--" + +But before the Doctor could say any more, +the pirates began to sail the ship nearer, laughing +with glee, and saying one to another, "Who +shall be the first to catch the pig?" + +Poor Gub-Gub was dreadfully frightened; +and the pushmi-pullyu began to sharpen his +horns for a fight by rubbing them on the mast +of the ship; while Jip kept springing into the +air and barking and calling Ben Ali bad names +in dog-language. + +But presently something seemed to go wrong +with the pirates; they stopped laughing and +cracking jokes; they looked puzzled; something +was making them uneasy. + +Then Ben Ali, staring down at his feet, +suddenly bellowed out, + +"Thunder and Lightning!--Men, THE BOAT'S LEAKING!" + +And then the other pirates peered over the +side and they saw that the boat was indeed getting +lower and lower in the water. And one +of them said to Ben Ali, + +"But surely if this old boat were sinking we +should see the rats leaving it." + +And Jip shouted across from the other ship, + +"You great duffers, there are no rats there +to leave! They left two hours ago! `Ha, ha,' +to you, `my fine friends!'" + +But of course the men did not understand him. +Soon the front end of the ship began to go +down and down, faster and faster--till the boat +looked almost as though it were standing on its +head; and the pirates had to cling to the rails +and the masts and the ropes and anything to +keep from sliding off. Then the sea rushed +roaring in and through all the windows and the +doors. And at last the ship plunged right down +to the bottom of the sea, making a dreadful +gurgling sound; and the six bad men were left +bobbing about in the deep water of the bay. + +Some of them started to swim for the shores +of the island; while others came and tried to get +on to the boat where the Doctor was. But Jip +kept snapping at their noses, so they were afraid +to climb up the side of the ship. + +Then suddenly they all cried out in great fear, + +"THE SHARKS! The sharks are coming! Let us +get on to the ship before they eat us! Help, +help!--The sharks! The sharks!" + +And now the Doctor could see, all over the +bay, the backs of big fishes swimming swiftly +through the water. + +And one great shark came near to the ship, +and poking his nose out of the water he said to +the Doctor, + +"Are you John Dolittle, the famous animal- doctor?" + +"Yes," said Doctor Dolittle. "That is my +name." + +"Well," said the shark, "we know these +pirates to be a bad lot--especially Ben Ali. If they +are annoying you, we will gladly eat them up +for you--and then you won't be troubled any +more." + +"Thank you," said the Doctor. "This is +really most attentive. But I don't think it will +be necessary to eat them. Don't let any of them +reach the shore until I tell you--just keep them +swimming about, will you? And please make +Ben Ali swim over here that I may talk to +him." + +So the shark went off and chased Ben Ali over +to the Doctor. + +"Listen, Ben Ali," said John Dolittle, +leaning over the side. "You have been a very bad +man; and I understand that you have killed +many people. These good sharks here have just +offered to eat you up for me--and 'twould +indeed be a good thing if the seas were rid of you. +But if you will promise to do as I tell you, I +well let you go in safety." + +"What must I do?" asked the pirate, looking +down sideways at the big shark who was smelling +his leg under the water. + +"You must kill no more people," said the +Doctor; "you must stop stealing; you must +never sink another ship; you must give up being +a pirate altogether." + +"But what shall I do then?" asked Ben Ali. +"How shall I live?" + +"You and all your men must go on to this +island and be bird-seed-farmers," the Doctor +answered. "You must grow bird-seed for the +canaries." + +The Barbary Dragon turned pale with anger. +"GROW BIRD-SEED!" he groaned in disgust. +"Can't I be a sailor?" + +"No," said the Doctor, "you cannot. You +have been a sailor long enough--and sent many +stout ships and good men to the bottom of the +sea. For the rest of your life you must be la +peaceful farmer. The shark is waiting. Do +not waste any more of his time. Make up your +mind." + +"Thunder and Lightning!" Ben Ali +muttered--"BIRD-SEED!" Then he looked down +into the water again and saw the great fish +smelling his other leg. + +"Very well," he said sadly. "We'll be +farmers." + +"And remember," said the Doctor, "that if +you do not keep your promise--if you start +killing and stealing again, I shall hear of it, +because the canaries will come and tell me. +And be very sure that I will find a way to punish +you. For though I may not be able to sail +a ship as well as you, so long as the birds and +the beasts and the fishes are my friends, I do not +have to be afraid of a pirate chief--even though +he call himself `The Dragon of Barbary.' Now +go and be a good farmer and live in peace." + +Then the Doctor turned to the big shark, and +waving his hand he said, + +"All right. Let them swim safely to the land." + + + +THE SIXTEENTH CHAPTER + +TOO-TOO, THE LISTENER + +HAVING thanked the sharks again for their kindness, +the Doctor and his pets set off once more on their +journey home in the swift ship with the three red sails. + +As they moved out into the open sea, the +animals all went downstairs to see what their new +boat was like inside; while the Doctor leant on +the rail at the back of the ship with a pipe in his +mouth, watching the Canary Islands fade away +in the blue dusk of the evening. + +While he was standing there, wondering how +the monkeys were getting on--and what his +garden would look like when he got back to +Puddleby, Dab-Dab came tumbling up the +stairs, all smiles and full of news. + +"Doctor!" she cried. "This ship of the pi- +rates is simply beautiful--absolutely. The beds +downstairs are made of primrose silk--with +hundreds of big pillows and cushions; there are +thick, soft carpets on the floors; the dishes are +made of silver; and there are all sorts of good +things to eat and drink--special things; the +larder--well, it's just like a shop, that's all. +You never saw anything like it in your life-- +Just think--they kept five different kinds of +sardines, those men! Come and look.... Oh, +and we found a little room down there with the +door locked; and we are all crazy to get in and +see what's inside. Jip says it must be where the +pirates kept their treasure. But we can't open +the door. Come down and see if you can let +us in." + +So the Doctor went downstairs and he saw +that it was indeed a beautiful ship. He found +the animals gathered round a little door, all +talking at once, trying to guess what was inside. +The Doctor turned the handle but it wouldn't +open. Then they all started to hunt for the key. +They looked under the mat; they looked under +all the carpets; they looked in all the cupboards +and drawers and lockers--in the big chests in the +ship's dining-room; they looked everywhere. + +While they were doing this they discovered +a lot of new and wonderful things that the +pirates must have stolen from other ships: Kashmir +shawls as thin as a cobweb, embroidered +with flowers of gold; jars of fine tobacco from +Jamaica; carved ivory boxes full of Russian +tea; an old violin with a string broken and a +picture on the back; a set of big chess-men, +carved out of coral and amber; a walking-stick +which had a sword inside it when you pulled +the handle; six wine-glasses with turquoise +and silver round the rims; and a lovely great +sugar-bowl, made of mother o' pearl. But +nowhere in the whole boat could they find a key to +fit that lock. + +So they all came back to the door, and Jip +peered through the key-hole. But something +had been stood against the wall on the inside +and he could see nothing. + +While they were standing around, wondering +what they should do, the owl, Too-Too, +suddenly said, + +"Sh!--Listen!--I do believe there's some +one in there!" + +They all kept still a moment. Then the +Doctor said, + +"You must be mistaken, Too-Too. I don't +hear anything." + +"I'm sure of it," said the owl. "Sh!--There +it is again--Don't you hear that?" + +"No, I do not," said the Doctor. "What +kind of a sound is it?" + +"I hear the noise of some one putting his +hand in his pocket," said the owl. + +"But that makes hardly any sound at all," said +the Doctor. "You couldn't hear that out here." + +"Pardon me, but I can," said Too-Too. "I +tell you there is some one on the other side of +that door putting his hand in his pocket. Almost +everything makes SOME noise--if your ears +are only sharp enough to catch it. Bats can hear +a mole walking in his tunnel under the earth +--and they think they're good hearers. But we +owls can tell you, using only one ear, the color +of a kitten from the way it winks in the dark." + +"Well, well!" said the Doctor. "You +surprise me. That's very interesting.... Listen +again and tell me what he's doing now." + +"I'm not sure yet," said Too-Too, "if it's a +man at all. Maybe it's a woman. Lift me up +and let me listen at the key-hole and I'll soon +tell you." + +So the Doctor lifted the owl up and held him +close to the lock of the door. + +After a moment Too-Too said, + +"Now he's rubbing his face with his left +hand. It is a small hand and a small face. +It MIGHT be a woman--No. Now he pushes his +hair back off his forehead--It's a man all right." + +"Women sometimes do that," said the Doctor. + +"True," said the owl. "But when they do, +their long hair makes quite a different sound. +... Sh! Make that fidgety pig keep still. +Now all hold your breath a moment so I can +listen well. This is very difficult, what I'm +doing now--and the pesky door is so thick! Sh! +Everybody quite still--shut your eyes and don't breathe." + +Too-Too leaned down and listened again +very hard and long. + +At last he looked up into the Doctor's face +and said, + +"The man in there is unhappy. He weeps. +He has taken care not to blubber or sniffle, lest +we should find out that he is crying. But I +heard--quite distinctly--the sound of a tear +falling on his sleeve." + +"How do you know it wasn't a drop of water +falling off the ceiling on him?" asked Gub-Gub. +"Pshaw!--Such ignorance!" sniffed Too- +Too. "A drop of water falling off the ceiling +would have made ten times as much noise!" + +"Well," said the Doctor, "if the poor +fellow's unhappy, we've got to get in and see +what's the matter with him. Find me an axe, +and I'll chop the door down." + + + + +THE SEVENTEENTH CHAPTER + +THE OCEAN GOSSIPS + +RIGHT away an axe was found. And the Doctor soon chopped a +hole in the door big enough to clamber through. + +At first he could see nothing at all, it was so dark inside. +So he struck a match. + +The room was quite small; no window; the +ceiling, low. For furniture there was only one +little stool. All round the room big barrels +stood against the walls, fastened at the bottom +so they wouldn't tumble with the rolling of the +ship; and above the barrels, pewter jugs of all +sizes hung from wooden pegs. There was a +strong, winey smell. And in the middle of the +floor sat a little boy, about eight years old, +crying bitterly. + +"I declare, it is the pirates' rum-room!" +said Jip in a whisper. + +"Yes. Very rum!" said Gub-Gub. +"The smell makes me giddy." + +The little boy seemed rather frightened to +find a man standing there before him and all +those animals staring in through the hole in the +broken door. But as soon as he saw John +Dolittle's face by the light of the match, he stopped +crying and got up. + +"You aren't one of the pirates, are you?" he asked. + +And when the Doctor threw back his head +and laughed long and loud, the little boy smiled +too and came and took his hand. + +"You laugh like a friend," he said--"not +like a pirate. Could you tell me where my +uncle is?" + +"I am afraid I can't," said the Doctor. +"When did you see him last?" + +"It was the day before yesterday," said the +boy. "I and my uncle were out fishing in our +little boat, when the pirates came and caught +us. They sunk our fishing-boat and brought us +both on to this ship. They told my uncle that +they wanted him to be a pirate like them--for +he was clever at sailing a ship in all weathers. +But he said he didn't want to be a pirate, +because killing people and stealing was no work +for a good fisherman to do. Then the leader, +Ben Ali, got very angry and gnashed his teeth, +and said they would throw my uncle into the +sea if he didn't do as they said. They sent me +downstairs; and I heard the noise of a fight +going on above. And when they let me come up +again next day, my uncle was nowhere to be +seen. I asked the pirates where he was; but +they wouldn't tell me. I am very much afraid +they threw him into the sea and drowned him." + +And the little boy began to cry again. + +"Well now--wait a minute," said the Doctor. +"Don't cry. Let's go and have tea in the dining- +room, and we'll talk it over. Maybe your +uncle is quite safe all the time. You don't KNOW +that he was drowned, do you? And that's +something. Perhaps we can find him for you. First +we'll go and have tea--with strawberry-jam; +and then we will see what can be done." + +All the animals had been standing around +listening with great curiosity. And when they +had gone into the ship's dining-room and were +having tea, Dab-Dab came up behind the +Doctor's chair and whispered. + +"Ask the porpoises if the boy's uncle was +drowned--they'll know." + +"All right," said the Doctor, taking a second +piece of bread-and-jam. + +"What are those funny, clicking noises you +are making with your tongue?" asked the boy. + +"Oh, I just said a couple of words in duck- +language," the Doctor answered. "This is +Dab-Dab, one of my pets." + +"I didn't even know that ducks had a +language," said the boy. "Are all these other +animals your pets, too? What is that strange- +looking thing with two heads?" + +"Sh!" the Doctor whispered. "That is the +pushmi-pullyu. Don't let him see we're talking +about him--he gets so dreadfully embarrassed.... +Tell me, how did you come to be +locked up in that little room?" + +"The pirates shut me in there when they +were going off to steal things from another ship. +When I heard some one chopping on the door, +I didn't know who it could be. I was very +glad to find it was you. Do you think you will +be able to find my uncle for me?" + +"Well, we are going to try very hard," said +the Doctor. "Now what was your uncle like to +look at?" + +"He had red hair," the boy answered--"very +red hair, and the picture of an anchor tattooed +on his arm. He was a strong man, a kind uncle +and the best sailor in the South Atlantic. His +fishing-boat was called The Saucy Sally--a +cutter-rigged sloop." + +"What's `cutterigsloop'?" whispered Gub- +Gub, turning to Jip. + +"Sh!--That's the kind of a ship the man had," +said Jip. "Keep still, can't you?" + +"Oh," said the pig, "is that all? I thought +it was something to drink." + +So the Doctor left the boy to play with the +animals in the dining-room, and went upstairs +to look for passing porpoises. + +And soon a whole school came dancing and +jumping through the water, on their way to +Brazil. + +When they saw the Doctor leaning on the +rail of his ship, they came over to see how he +was getting on. + +And the Doctor asked them if they had seen +anything of a man with red hair and an anchor +tattooed on his arm. + +"Do you mean the master of The Saucy Sally?" +asked the porpoises. + +"Yes," said the Doctor. "That's the man. +Has he been drowned?" + +"His fishing-sloop was sunk," said the +porpoises--"for we saw it lying on the bottom of +the sea. But there was nobody inside it, because +we went and looked." + +"His little nephew is on the ship with me +here," said the Doctor. "And he is terribly +afraid that the pirates threw his uncle into the +sea. Would you be so good as to find out for +me, for sure, whether he has been drowned or +not?" + +"Oh, he isn't drowned," said the porpoises. +"If he were, we would be sure to have heard of +it from the deep-sea Decapods. We hear all +the salt-water news. The shell-fish call us `The +Ocean Gossips.' No--tell the little boy we are +sorry we do not know where his uncle is; but +we are quite certain he hasn't been drowned in +the sea." + +So the Doctor ran downstairs with the news +and told the nephew, who clapped his hands +with happiness. And the pushmi-pullyu took the +little boy on his back and gave him a ride round +the dining-room table; while all the other animals +followed behind, beating the dish-covers +with spoons, pretending it was a parade. + + + +THE EIGHTEENTH CHAPTER + +SMELLS + +YOUR uncle must now be FOUND," said the Doctor--"that is the +next thing--now that we know he wasn't thrown into the sea." + +Then Dab-Dab came up to him again and whispered, + +"Ask the eagles to look for the man. No living +creature can see better than an eagle. When they +are miles high in the air they can count the ants +crawling on the ground. Ask the eagles." + +So the Doctor sent one of the swallows off +to get some eagles. + +And in about an hour the little bird came +back with six different kinds of eagles: a Black +Eagle, a Bald Eagle, a Fish Eagle, a Golden +Eagle, an Eagle-Vulture, and a White-tailed +Sea Eagle. Twice as high as the boy they were, +each one of them. And they stood on the rail +of the ship, like round-shouldered soldiers all +in a row, stern and still and stiff; while their +great, gleaming, black eyes shot darting glances +here and there and everywhere. + +Gub-Gub was scared of them and got +behind a barrel. He said he felt as though those +terrible eyes were looking right inside of him +to see what he had stolen for lunch. + +And the Doctor said to the eagles, + +"A man has been lost--a fisherman with red +hair and an anchor marked on his arm. Would +you be so kind as to see if you can find him for +us? This boy is the man's nephew." + +Eagles do not talk very much. And all they +answered in their husky voices was, + +"You may be sure that we will do our best +--for John Dolittle." + +Then they flew off--and Gub-Gub came out +from behind his barrel to see them go. Up and +up and up they went--higher and higher and +higher still. Then, when the Doctor could only +just see them, they parted company and started +going off all different ways--North, East, +South and West, looking like tiny grains of +black sand creeping across the wide, blue sky. + +"My gracious!" said Gub-Gub in a hushed +voice. "What a height! I wonder they don't +scorch their feathers--so near the sun!" + +They were gone a long time. And when +they came back it was almost night. + +And the eagles said to the Doctor, + +"We have searched all the seas and all the +countries and all the islands and all the cities +and all the villages in this half of the world. +But we have failed. In the main street of +Gibraltar we saw three red hairs lying on a wheel- +barrow before a baker's door. But they were +not the hairs of a man--they were the hairs out +of a fur-coat. Nowhere, on land or water, could +we see any sign of this boy's uncle. And if WE +could not see him, then he is not to be seen.... +For John Dolittle--we have done our best." + +Then the six great birds flapped their big +wings and flew back to their homes in the +mountains and the rocks. + +"Well," said Dab-Dab, after they had gone, +"what are we going to do now? The boy's +uncle MUST be found--there's no two ways about +that. The lad isn't old enough to be knocking +around the world by himself. Boys aren't like +ducklings--they have to be taken care of till +they're quite old.... I wish Chee-Chee were +here. He would soon find the man. Good old +Chee-Chee! I wonder how he's getting on!" + +"If we only had Polynesia with us," said the +white mouse. "SHE would soon think of some +way. Do you remember how she got us all +out of prison--the second time? My, but she +was a clever one!" + +"I don't think so much of those eagle- +fellows,"said Jip. "They're just conceited. They +may have very good eyesight and all that; but +when you ask them to find a man for you, they +can't do it--and they have the cheek to come +back and say that nobody else could do it. +They're just conceited--like that collie in +Puddleby. And I don't think a whole lot of those +gossipy old porpoises either. All they could tell +us was that the man isn't in the sea. We don't +want to know where he ISN'T--we want to know +where he IS." + +"Oh, don't talk so much," said Gub-Gub. +"It's easy to talk; but it isn't so easy to find a +man when you have got the whole world to hunt +him in. Maybe the fisherman's hair has turned +white, worrying about the boy; and that was +why the eagles didn't find him. You don't +know everything. You're just talking. You +are not doing anything to help. You couldn't +find the boy's uncle any more than the eagles +could--you couldn't do as well." + +"Couldn't I?" said the dog. "That's all you +know, you stupid piece of warm bacon! I haven't +begun to try yet, have I? You wait and see!" + +Then Jip went to the Doctor and said, + +"Ask the boy if he has anything in his pockets +that belonged to his uncle, will you, please?" + +So the Doctor asked him. And the boy +showed them a gold ring which he wore on a +piece of string around his neck because it was +too big for his finger. He said his uncle gave +it to him when they saw the pirates coming. + +Jip smelt the ring and said, + +"That's no good. Ask him if he has +anything else that belonged to his uncle." + +Then the boy took from his pocket a great, +big red handkerchief and said, "This was my +uncle's too." + +As soon as the boy pulled it out, Jip shouted, + +"SNUFF, by Jingo!--Black Rappee snuff. +Don't you smell it? His uncle took snuff-- +Ask him, Doctor." + +The Doctor questioned the boy again; +and he said, "Yes. My uncle took a lot of +snuff." + +"Fine!" said Jip. "The man's as good as +found. 'Twill be as easy as stealing milk from +a kitten. Tell the boy I'll find his uncle for +him in less than a week. Let us go upstairs +and see which way the wind is blowing." + +"But it is dark now," said the Doctor. "You +can't find him in the dark!" + +"I don't need any light to look for a man who +smells of Black Rappee snuff," said Jip as he +climbed the stairs. "If the man had a hard +smell, like string, now--or hot water, it would +be different. But SNUFF!--Tut, tut!" + +"Does hot water have a smell?" asked the Doctor. + +"Certainly it has," said Jip. "Hot water +smells quite different from cold water. It is +warm water--or ice--that has the really difficult +smell. Why, I once followed a man for +ten miles on a dark night by the smell of the +hot water he had used to shave with--for the +poor fellow had no soap.... Now then, let +us see which way the wind is blowing. Wind is +very important in long-distance smelling. It +mustn't be too fierce a wind--and of course it +must blow the right way. A nice, steady, damp +breeze is the best of all.... Ha!--This wind +is from the North." + +Then Jip went up to the front of the ship +and smelt the wind; and he started muttering +to himself, + +"Tar; Spanish onions; kerosene oil; wet +raincoats; crushed laurel-leaves; rubber burning; +lace-curtains being washed--No, my mistake, +lace-curtains hanging out to dry; and foxes-- +hundreds of 'em--cubs; and--" + +"Can you really smell all those different +things in this one wind?" asked the Doctor. + +"Why, of course!" said Jip. "And those are +only a few of the easy smells--the strong ones. +Any mongrel could smell those with a cold in +the head. Wait now, and I'll tell you some of +the harder scents that are coming on this wind +--a few of the dainty ones." + +Then the dog shut his eyes tight, poked his +nose straight up in the air and sniffed hard with +his mouth half-open. + +For a long time he said nothing. He kept as +still as a stone. He hardly seemed to be breathing +at all. When at last he began to speak, it +sounded almost as though he were singing, sadly, +in a dream. + +"Bricks," he whispered, very low--"old +yellow bricks, crumbling with age in a garden- +wall; the sweet breath of young cows standing +in a mountain-stream; the lead roof of a dove- +cote--or perhaps a granary--with the mid-day +sun on it; black kid gloves lying in a bureau- +drawer of walnut-wood; a dusty road with a +horses' drinking-trough beneath the sycamores; +little mushrooms bursting through the rotting +leaves; and--and--and--" + +"Any parsnips?" asked Gub-Gub. + +"No," said Jip. "You always think of things +to eat. No parsnips whatever. And no snuff-- +plenty of pipes and cigarettes, and a few cigars. +But no snuff. We must wait till the wind +changes to the South." + +"Yes, it's a poor wind, that," said Gub-Gub. +"I think you're a fake, Jip. Who ever heard of +finding a man in the middle of the ocean just by +smell! I told you you couldn't do it." + +"Look here," said Jip, getting really angry. +"You're going to get a bite on the nose in a min- +ute! You needn't think that just because the +Doctor won't let us give you what you deserve, +that you can be as cheeky as you like!" + +"Stop quarreling!" said the Doctor--"Stop +it! Life's too short. Tell me, Jip, where do +you think those smells are coming from?" + +"From Devon and Wales--most of them," +said Jip--"The wind is coming that way." + +"Well, well!" said the Doctor. "You know +that's really quite remarkable--quite. I must +make a note of that for my new book. I wonder +if you could train me to smell as well as that.... +But no--perhaps I'm better off the way I am. +`Enough is as good as a feast,' they say. +Let's go down to supper. I'm quite hungry." + +"So am I," said Gub-Gub. + + + +THE NINETEENTH CHAPTER + +THE ROCK + +UP they got, early next morning, out of the silken beds; +and they saw that the sun was shining brightly and that +the wind was blowing from the South. + +Jip smelt the South wind for half an hour. Then he came +to the Doctor, shaking his head. + +"I smell no snuff as yet," he said. "We must wait +till the wind changes to the East." + +But even when the East wind came, at three o'clock +that afternoon, the dog could not catch the smell of snuff. + +The little boy was terribly disappointed and +began to cry again, saying that no one seemed +to be able to find his uncle for him. But all Jip +said to the Doctor was, + +"Tell him that when the wind changes to +the West, I'll find his uncle even though he be +in China--so long as he is still taking Black +Rappee snuff." + +Three days they had to wait before the West +wind came. This was on a Friday morning, +early--just as it was getting light. A fine rainy +mist lay on the sea like a thin fog. And the +wind was soft and warm and wet. + +As soon as Jip awoke he ran upstairs and +poked his nose in the air. Then he got most +frightfully excited and rushed down again to +wake the Doctor up. + +"Doctor!" he cried. "I've got it! Doctor! +Doctor! Wake up! Listen! I've got it! +The wind's from the West and it smells of nothing +but snuff. Come upstairs and start the ship--quick!" + +So the Doctor tumbled out of bed and went +to the rudder to steer the ship. + +"Now I'll go up to the front," said Jip; "and +you watch my nose--whichever way I point it, +you turn the ship the same way. The man cannot +be far off--with the smell as strong as +this. And the wind's all lovely and wet. Now +watch me!" + +So all that morning Jip stood in the front +part of the ship, sniffing the wind and pointing +the way for the Doctor to steer; while all the +animals and the little boy stood round with their +eyes wide open, watching the dog in wonder. + +About lunch-time Jip asked Dab-Dab to tell +the Doctor that he was getting worried and +wanted to speak to him. So Dab-Dab went and +fetched the Doctor from the other end of the +ship and Jip said to him, + +"The boy's uncle is starving. We must make +the ship go as fast as we can." + +"How do you know he is starving?" asked the Doctor. + +"Because there is no other smell in the West +wind but snuff," said Jip. "If the man were +cooking or eating food of any kind, I would +be bound to smell it too. But he hasn't even +fresh water to drink. All he is taking is snuff +--in large pinches. We are getting nearer to +him all the time, because the smell grows +stronger every minute. But make the ship go +as fast as you can, for I am certain that the +man is starving." + +"All right," said the Doctor; and he sent +Dab-Dab to ask the swallows to pull the ship, +the same as they had done when the pirates were +chasing them. + +So the stout little birds came down and once +more harnessed themselves to the ship. + +And now the boat went bounding through the +waves at a terrible speed. It went so fast that +the fishes in the sea had to jump for their lives +to get out of the way and not be run over. + +And all the animals got tremendously excited; +and they gave up looking at Jip and turned to +watch the sea in front, to spy out any land or +islands where the starving man might be. + +But hour after hour went by and still the ship +went rushing on, over the same flat, flat sea; and +no land anywhere came in sight. + +And now the animals gave up chattering and +sat around silent, anxious and miserable. The +little boy again grew sad. And on Jip's face +there was a worried look. + +At last, late in the afternoon, just as the sun +was going down, the owl, Too-Too, who +was perched on the tip of the mast, suddenly +startled them all by crying out at the top of his +voice, + +"Jip! Jip! I see a great, great rock in front +of us--look--way out there where the sky and +the water meet. See the sun shine on it--like +gold! Is the smell coming from there?" + +And Jip called back, + +"Yes. That's it. That is where the man is. +--At last, at last!" + +And when they got nearer they could see that +the rock was very large--as large as a big field. +No trees grew on it, no grass--nothing. The +great rock was as smooth and as bare as the back +of a tortoise. + +Then the Doctor sailed the ship right round +the rock. But nowhere on it could a man be +seen. All the animals screwed up their eyes +and looked as hard as they could; and John +Dolittle got a telescope from downstairs. + +But not one living thing could they spy-- +not even a gull, nor a star-fish, nor a shred of +sea-weed. + +They all stood still and listened, straining +their ears for any sound. But the only noise +they heard was the gentle lapping of the little +waves against the sides of their ship. + +Then they all started calling, "Hulloa, there! +--HULLOA!" till their voices were hoarse. +But only the echo came back from the rock. + +And the little boy burst into tears and said, + +"I am afraid I shall never see my uncle any +more! What shall I tell them when I get home!" + +But Jip called to the Doctor, + +"He must be there--he must--HE MUST! +The smell goes on no further. He must be +there, I tell you! Sail the ship close to the rock +and let me jump out on it." + +So the Doctor brought the ship as close as +he could and let down the anchor. Then he +and Jip got out of the ship on to the rock. + +Jip at once put his nose down close to the +ground and began to run all over the place. Up +and down he went, back and forth--zig-zagging, +twisting, doubling and turning. And +everywhere he went, the Doctor ran behind him, +close at his heels--till he was terribly out of +breath. + +At last Jip let out a great bark and sat down. +And when the Doctor came running up to him, +he found the dog staring into a big, deep hole in +the middle of the rock. + +"The boy's uncle is down there," said Jip +quietly. "No wonder those silly eagles couldn't +see him!--It takes a dog to find a man." + +So the Doctor got down into the hole, which +seemed to be a kind of cave, or tunnel, running +a long way under the ground. Then he struck +a match and started to make his way along the +dark passage with Jip following behind. + +The Doctor's match soon went out; and he +had to strike another and another and another. + +At last the passage came to an end; and the +Doctor found himself in a kind of tiny room +with walls of rock. + +And there, in the middle of the room, his +head resting on his arms, lay a man with very +red hair--fast asleep! + +Jip went up and sniffed at something lying +on the ground beside him. The Doctor stooped +and picked it up. It was an enormous snuff- +box. And it was full of Black Rappee! + + + + +THE TWENTIETH CHAPTER + +THE FISHERMAN'S TOWN + +GENTLY then--very gently, the Doctor woke the man up. + +But just at that moment the match went out again. +And the man thought it was Ben Ali coming back, +and he began to punch the Doctor in the dark. + +But when John Dolittle told him who it was, +and that he had his little nephew safe on his +ship, the man was tremendously glad, and said +he was sorry he had fought the Doctor. He +had not hurt him much though--because it was +too dark to punch properly. Then he gave the +Doctor a pinch of snuff. + +And the man told how the Barbary Dragon +had put him on to this rock and left him there, +when he wouldn't promise to become a pirate; +and how he used to sleep down in this hole +because there was no house on the rock to keep +him warm. + +And then he said, + +"For four days I have had nothing to eat or +drink. I have lived on snuff." + +"There you are!" said Jip. "What did I tell you?" + +So they struck some more matches and made +their way out through the passage into the daylight; +and the Doctor hurried the man down to +the boat to get some soup. + +When the animals and the little boy saw the +Doctor and Jip coming back to the ship with +a red-headed man, they began to cheer and yell +and dance about the boat. And the swallows +up above started whistling at the top of their +voices--thousands and millions of them--to +show that they too were glad that the boy's brave +uncle had been found. The noise they made +was so great that sailors far out at sea thought +that a terrible storm was coming. "Hark to +that gale howling in the East!" they said. + +And Jip was awfully proud of himself-- +though he tried hard not to look conceited. +When Dab-Dab came to him and said, "Jip, I +had no idea you were so clever!" he just tossed +his head and answered, + +"Oh, that's nothing special. But it takes a +dog to find a man, you know. Birds are no good +for a game like that." + +Then the Doctor asked the red-haired fisherman +where his home was. And when he had +told him, the Doctor asked the swallows to guide +the ship there first. + +And when they had come to the land which +the man had spoken of, they saw a little fishing- +town at the foot of a rocky mountain; and the +man pointed out the house where he lived. + +And while they were letting down the anchor, +the little boy's mother (who was also the man's +sister) came running down to the shore to meet +them, laughing and crying at the same time. +She had been sitting on a hill for twenty days, +watching the sea and waiting for them to +return. + +And she kissed the Doctor many times, so that +he giggled and blushed like a school-girl. And +she tried to kiss Jip too; but he ran away and +hid inside the ship. + +"It's a silly business, this kissing," he said. +"I don't hold by it. Let her go and kiss Gub- +Gub--if she MUST kiss something." + +The fisherman and his sister didn't want the +Doctor to go away again in a hurry. They +begged him to spend a few days with them. So +John Dolittle and his animals had to stay at +their house a whole Saturday and Sunday and +half of Monday. + +And all the little boys of the fishing-village +went down to the beach and pointed at the great +ship anchored there, and said to one another in +whispers, + +"Look! That was a pirate-ship--Ben Ali's +--the most terrible pirate that ever sailed the +Seven Seas! That old gentleman with the high +hat, who's staying up at Mrs. Trevelyan's, HE +took the ship away from The Barbary Dragon +--and made him into a farmer. Who'd have +thought it of him--him so gentle--like and all! +... Look at the great red sails! Ain't she the +wicked-looking ship--and fast?--My!" + +All those two days and a half that the Doctor +stayed at the little fishing-town the people kept +asking him out to teas and luncheons and dinners +and parties; all the ladies sent him boxes +of flowers and candies; and the village-band +played tunes under his window every night. + +At last the Doctor said, + +"Good people, I must go home now. You +have really been most kind. I shall always +remember it. But I must go home--for I have +things to do." + +Then, just as the Doctor was about to leave, +the Mayor of the town came down the street +and a lot of other people in grand clothes with +him. And the Mayor stopped before the house +where the Doctor was living; and everybody in +the village gathered round to see what was going +to happen. + +After six page-boys had blown on shining +trumpets to make the people stop talking, the +Doctor came out on to the steps and the Mayor +spoke. + +"Doctor John Dolittle," said he: "It is a +great pleasure for me to present to the man who +rid the seas of the Dragon of Barbary this little +token from the grateful people of our worthy +Town." + +And the Mayor took from his pocket a little +tissue-paper packet, and opening it, he handed +to the Doctor a perfectly beautiful watch with +real diamonds in the back. + +Then the Mayor pulled out of his pocket a +still larger parcel and said, + +"Where is the dog?" + +Then everybody started to hunt for Jip. And +at last Dab-Dab found him on the other side +of the village in a stable-yard, where all the +dogs of the country-side were standing round +him speechless with admiration and respect. + +When Jip was brought to the Doctor's side, +the Mayor opened the larger parcel; and inside +was a dog-collar made of solid gold! And a +great murmur of wonder went up from the village- +folk as the Mayor bent down and fastened +it round the dog's neck with his own hands. + +For written on the collar in big letters were +these words: "JIP-THE CLEVEREST DOG IN THE WORLD." + +Then the whole crowd moved down to the +beach to see them off. And after the red-haired +fisherman and his sister and the little boy had +thanked the Doctor and his dog over and over +and over again, the great, swift ship with the +red sails was turned once more towards Puddleby +and they sailed out to sea, while the village- +band played music on the shore. + + + +THE LAST CHAPTER + +HOME AGAIN + +MARCH winds had come and gone; April's showers were +over; May's buds had opened into flower; and the June sun +was shining on the pleasant fields, when John Dolittle at +last got back to his own country. + +But he did not yet go home to Puddleby. +First he went traveling through the land with +the pushmi-pullyu in a gipsy-wagon, stopping at +all the country-fairs. And there, with the acrobats +on one side of them and the Punch-and- +Judy show on the other, they would hang out +a big sign which read, "COME AND SEE THE +MARVELOUS TWO-HEADED ANIMAL FROM THE +JUNGLES OF AFRICA. Admission SIXPENCE." + +And the pushmi-pullyu would stay inside the +wagon, while the other animals would lie about +underneath. The Doctor sat in a chair in front +taking the sixpences and smiling on the people +as they went in; and Dab-Dab was kept busy +all the time scolding him because he would +let the children in for nothing when she wasn't +looking. + +And menagerie-keepers and circus-men came +and asked the Doctor to sell them the strange +creature, saying they would pay a tremendous +lot of money for him. But the Doctor always +shook his head and said. + +"No. The pushmi-pullyu shall never be shut +up in a cage. He shall be free always to come +and go, like you and me." + +Many curious sights and happenings they saw +in this wandering life; but they all seemed quite +ordinary after the great things they had seen +and done in foreign lands. It was very interesting +at first, being sort of part of a circus; +but after a few weeks they all got dreadfully +tired of it and the Doctor and all of them were +longing to go home. + +But so many people came flocking to the +little wagon and paid the sixpence to go inside and +see the pushmi-pullyu that very soon the Doctor +was able to give up being a showman. + +And one fine day, when the hollyhocks were +in full bloom, he came back to Puddleby a rich +man, to live in the little house with the big +garden. + +And the old lame horse in the stable was glad +to see him; and so were the swallows who had +already built their nests under the eaves of his +roof and had young ones. And Dab-Dab was +glad, too, to get back to the house she knew so +well--although there was a terrible lot of dusting +to be done, with cobwebs everywhere. + +And after Jip had gone and shown his golden +collar to the conceited collie next-door, he came +back and began running round the garden like +a crazy thing, looking for the bones he had +buried long ago, and chasing the rats out of the +tool-shed; while Gub-Gub dug up the horseradish +which had grown three feet high in the +corner by the garden-wall. + +And the Doctor went and saw the sailor who +had lent him the boat, and he bought two new +ships for him and a rubber-doll for his baby; +and he paid the grocer for the food he had lent +him for the journey to Africa. And he bought +another piano and put the white mice back in +it--because they said the bureau-drawer was +drafty. + +Even when the Doctor had filled the old +money-box on the dresser-shelf, he still had a +lot of money left; and he had to get three more +money-boxes, just as big, to put the rest in. + +"Money," he said, "is a terrible nuisance. +But it's nice not to have to worry." + +"Yes," said Dab-Dab, who was toasting +muffins for his tea, "it is indeed!" + +And when the Winter came again, and the +snow flew against the kitchen-window, the Doctor +and his animals would sit round the big, +warm fire after supper; and he would read aloud +to them out of his books. + +But far away in Africa, where the monkeys +chattered in the palm-trees before they went to +bed under the big yellow moon, they would say +to one another, + +"I wonder what The Good Man's doing now +--over there, in the Land of the White Men! +Do you think he ever will come back?" + +And Polynesia would squeak out from the vines, + +"I think he will--I guess he will--I hope he will!" + +And then the crocodile would grunt up at +them from the black mud of the river, + +"I'm SURE he will--Go to sleep!" + + + + +End of The Project Gutenberg Etext of Doctor Dolittle + |