âThereâs Matthew Mugg,â I said to myself. âHeâll know where this Doctor
lives. Matthew knows everyone.â âStubbins is anxious to learn animal language,â said the Doctor. âI was
just telling him about you and the lessons you gave me when Jip ran up
and told us you had arrived.â âNo,â said the mussel-man. âHeâs no vet. Doctor Dolittle is a
nacheralist.â âDoctor,â he cried, running up to John Dolittle with his nose all
covered with black mud, âthis slab is resting on nothing but a bed of âWhy Matthew!â said John Dolittle. âWhat on earth are you doing here?â present anyhow. John Dolittle wouldnât get scared by a little thing
like this. He only got excited when he made a discovery, found a new All the way down the Oxenthorpe Road Matthew hardly stopped talking
about his great friend, Doctor John DolittleââM. D.â He talked so much and plants and rocks anâ all. John Dolittle is a very great
nacheralist. Iâm surprised you never heard of himâand you daft over Dolittle or, as it was to be henceforth called, the Royal Thinkalot
totem. It had nothing but animals on it, to signify the Doctorâs great So I hurried across the market-place and caught him up.

âMatthew,â I said, âdo you know Doctor Dolittle?â âTommy Stubbins,â I said.

âOh, are you the son of Jacob Stubbins, the shoemaker?â âNow see here, my friends,â said she speaking low: âyou know how much
John Dolittle has done for the animalsâgiven his whole life up to them, âI will take care that he comes to see you, Mrs. Stubbins,â said the
Doctorââevery day, if you like. After all, he will not be very far
away.â and a funny feeling. I had often wondered, when I had looked in from
the front gate, what Doctor Dolittle would be like and what the funny
little house would have inside it. But I never imagined it would be âOh, those were provisions,â said Matthewââthings for the animals to
eat. The Doctorâs house is simply full of pets. I give the things to At last, almost in tears, John Dolittle stepped slowly into the litter
and sat down. As he was hoisted on to the broad shoulders of the
bearers I heard him still feebly muttering beneath his breath, âWhy certainly,â said Matthew. âAll animals have some kind of a
language. Some sorts talk more than others; some only speak in âYou know it is an awful shame,â said the parrot as soon as the Doctor
had closed the door. âDirectly he comes back home, all the animals to us (for we were really terribly poor) they did not realize then
what a truly great man he was one day to become. Of course now, when
almost everybody in the whole world has heard about Doctor Dolittle and ALL that I have written so far about Doctor Dolittle I heard long after
it happened from those who had known himâindeed a great deal of it took
â_He talks their language_,â he said in a hoarse, mysterious voice.

âThe animalsâ language?â I cried. âStubbins is anxious to learn animal language,â said the Doctor. âI was
just telling him about you and the lessons you gave me when Jip ran up
and told us you had arrived.â âIt must be splendid,â I said, âto be able to talk all the languages of
the different animals. Do you think I could ever learn to do it?â The Doctor tried again, in several other animal dialects. But with no
result.

Till at last he came to the language of eagles. âWhy certainly,â said Matthew. âAll animals have some kind of a
language. Some sorts talk more than others; some only speak in Then the Doctor tried to speak to Long Arrow. But the Indian knew
no English of course, and the Doctor knew no Indian. Presently, to my
surprise, I heard the Doctor trying him in different animal languages. The Doctor turned and said a few words to the dog and duck in some
strange talk and signs. They seemed to understand him perfectly.

âCan you talk in squirrel language?â I asked. near to learning the language he had sought so long. And presently by
making the other fishes repeat over and over again short phrases which
the snail used, he began to put words together for himself. You see, âIt is very kind of you to come so far to look after his pet,â said my
mother. âTom is always bringing home strange creatures from the woods
and the fields.â And as the old dog doesnât understand them, he brings them here,
and the Doctor turns them into dog language for him. I think Minnie Then the Doctor and the dog started talking to one another in signs and
sounds; and they kept at it for quite a long time. And the Doctor began âOh yes,â said the Doctor, âhe has a language. But it is such a poor Soon I began to pick up the strange chatter of the birds and to
understand the funny talking antics of the dogs. I used to practise âNow see here, my friends,â said she speaking low: âyou know how much
John Dolittle has done for the animalsâgiven his whole life up to them, whom we had taught a little English. He and the Doctor between them
managed to make themselves understood to the Bag-jagderags. This
people, with the terrible parrots still blackening the hills about âDo you think I would ever be able to learn the language of the
animals?â I asked, laying the plate upon the hearth. thing. She was one of the best friends I ever had. It was she who
first gave me the idea of learning the animal languages and becoming
an animal doctor. I often wonder if she remained happy in Africa, and Afterwards Long Arrow told us that this was the only bird or animal
language that he had ever been able to learn. But that he had not
spoken it in a long time, for no eagles ever came to this island. shellfish. They _have_ languages, of that I feel sure. I can talk
a little shark language and porpoise dialect myself. But what I
particularly want to learn now is shellfish.â Dolittle or, as it was to be henceforth called, the Royal Thinkalot
totem. It had nothing but animals on it, to signify the Doctorâs great
âDoctor,â said she, âthe Purple Bird-of-Paradise has arrived!â âThe Purple Bird-of-Paradise,â said the Doctorââshe told me all about MIRANDA, the Purple Bird-of-Paradise had prophesied rightly when she
had foretold a good spell of weather. For three weeks the good ship âWell, first I shall have to wait till the Purple Bird-of-Paradise gets
here. I must see if she has any message for me from Long Arrow. Sheâs are sure of good weather. And besides the Purple Bird-of-Paradise is
going to keep a lookout for us, isnât she? Sheâll be wondering whatâs The parrot, on the Doctorâs shoulder, nodded gravely towards me and
then, to my great surprise, said quite plainly in English, âYou know it is an awful shame,â said the parrot as soon as the Doctor
had closed the door. âDirectly he comes back home, all the animals âIt seems that my methods are more up to date,â said the Doctor. âBut
from what the Purple Bird-of-Paradise tells me, Long Arrowâs knowledge The Bird-of-Paradise assured him she would. And after the Doctor had
thanked her again and again for all that she had done for us, she
wished us good luck and disappeared into the night. of the month, I have a Purple Bird-of-Paradise come all the way from
Brazil to see me. She is a very great swell. Hasnât arrived yet of JUST at that moment Polynesia came into the room and said something to
the Doctor in bird language. Of course I did not understand what it
was. But the Doctor at once put down his knife and fork and left the
room. He turned as if to go back home. But the parrot, Polynesia, was already
flying towards us. The Doctor clapped his hands like a child getting At this point the poor Bird-of-Paradise stirred and woke up. In our
excitement we had forgotten to speak low. The Purple Bird-of-Paradise hung her head. Now of course, when I am quite an old man, my memory isnât so good any
more. But whenever I am in doubt and have to hesitate and think, I
always ask Polynesia, the parrot. understand. She seemed to have a terrible lot to say. And very soon
the Doctor had forgotten all about me and my squirrel and Jip and
everything else; till at length the bird clearly asked him something As the Doctor opened his purse and took out some gold coins I heard
Polynesia, who was sitting on my shoulder watching the whole affair,
mutter beneath her breath, known. This, on the Thinkalot pole, was an enormous parrot, in memory
of the famous Peace of the Parrots. Dolittle or, as it was to be henceforth called, the Royal Thinkalot
totem. It had nothing but animals on it, to signify the Doctorâs great âDid you ask the black parrots?â asked Polynesia. âThey usually know
everything.â
And asking the personages to excuse him a moment, he left them there,
standing at his door, and hurried off in the direction of Long Arrowâs
house. I followed him. âIâll go and see Long Arrow,â he whispered to me. âPerhaps he will know
of some way to get me out of this.â that Long Arrow was visiting some peculiar Indians that live there;
and that when last seen he was going up into the mountains looking for and sooner or later heâll return to his home in Long Arrowâs cave. And
there we will follow himâOr at all events,â she added smoothing down While Long Arrow was handing round what food we had to his starving
friends, we suddenly heard a sound outside the cave. Turning about we note-books. Long Arrow, who was the only Indian let into the secret
of our destination, said he would like to come with us as far as the âLong Arrow,â said the Doctor speaking quickly in eagle tongue so
that the bystanders should not overhear, âin dire peril I come to you Long Arrow listened gravely to the breathless, babbled words, then
turned to the Doctor and said in eagle tongue, march. He turned back pleadingly again to Long Arrow in a last appeal
for help. But the big Indian merely shook his head and pointed, like
the bearers, to the waiting chair. Long Arrow had not come with us for he was as yet too weak from his
wound. But the Doctorâalways clever at languagesâwas already getting âAll right. Now listen,â said she. âIf what you have supposed is
trueâthat is, that Long Arrow had been trapped inside the mountain by Long Arrow explained to the Doctor that the nine Indians we had found
in the cave with him were two families who had accompanied him into
the mountains to help him gather medicine-plants. And while they had They peered into the dark cave cautiously at first. But as soon as
they saw Long Arrow and the other Indians with us, they came rushing
in, laughing, clapping their hands with joy and jabbering away at a
tremendous rate. As soon as the Doctor had paid a visit to Long Arrow and seen that he
was doing nicely, we proceeded to our own house at the far end of the
village. Here we ate some breakfast and then lay down to take a good
rest. gone. âIâve missed Long Arrow terribly. Heâs an awfully good man to had planned going to see Long Arrow. I had been looking forward to it
for a whole year. I felt he might help me in learning the language of âOh Kindly One,â said Long Arrow, âwhy tempt ill fortune? Your way is
clear. Your future and your work beckon you back to your foreign home asked him what was wrong. And Long Arrow said he had just been informed
that the chief of the tribe, an old man of eighty, had died early that
morning. âPoor Miranda! What a time you must have had!â said the Doctor. âBut
tell me, were you able to find out whereabouts Long Arrow was last
seen?â âPopsipetel,â said Long Arrow. âThat is the name also of the tribe. The
word signifies in Indian tongue, _The Men of The Moving Land_. There
And asking the personages to excuse him a moment, he left them there,
standing at his door, and hurried off in the direction of Long Arrowâs
house. I followed him. They all gathered round him shaking him by his four hands, laughing and
asking him a million questions at once. Then they all started back for
the house. THE next day we set out for the far end of the island, and reaching it
in canoes (for we went by sea) after a journey of twenty-five hours, we
remained no longer than was necessary in the City of Bag-jagderag. âSh! Theyâre going off to their village,â said Polynesia. âIâll bet As it happened, they didnât even see us turn in, but
    dashed on northward and we never saw them again. I hope
    they froze to death in the Arctic Seas. One, we are bidden by the united voices of the peoples of this land to
carry you to the Whispering Rocks, that there, with all respect and âLikely enough sheâs gone after the Black Parrots. Letâs hope she
finds them in time. Just look at those ugly ruffians climbing down the âTrue, quite true, Stubbins. On the other hand, the Capa Blancas make
a very convenient stopping place on our way across. If we should need
supplies or repairs it would be very handy to put in there.â âNow we will separate and search for caves. This spot where we now are,
will be our meeting-place. If anyone finds anything like a cave or a one anotherâs heads off. And when he stopped to look at the scenery or
polish his nose some more, I could hear Polynesia behind me letting out Not very far away we found a big grocerâs shop which seemed to sell
everything to eat. We went in and bought up the finest lot of food you
ever saw in your life. *       *       *       *       *

The rest of the story of our homeward voyage is soon told. At this point we arrived at my home. My fatherâs shop was closed and
the shutters were up; but my mother was standing at the door looking
down the street. And as the procession formed up to leave the village, the crowd about
us began hurrying off in the direction of the mountains to make sure of
good seats in the giant theatre where the crowning ceremony would take
place. _THE SECOND CHAPTER_

GOOD-BYE!


TWO days after that we had all in readiness for our departure. Then we got them to bring us piles and stacks of dry wood; and we made
an enormous bonfire in the middle of the main street. Round this, when As soon as the Doctor had paid a visit to Long Arrow and seen that he
was doing nicely, we proceeded to our own house at the far end of the
village. Here we ate some breakfast and then lay down to take a good
rest. boys and girls. Then he dropped into the garden on the inside and
immediately started taking off his clothes. He tore the straw hat in
two and threw it down into the road. Then he took off his bodice and âWell now I tell you what you do,â said she: âas soon as you get back
to the palace you publish a royal proclamation that you are going away At last, almost in tears, John Dolittle stepped slowly into the litter
and sat down. As he was hoisted on to the broad shoulders of the
bearers I heard him still feebly muttering beneath his breath,
âTo Spidermonkey Island!â I shouted, picking myself up and doing Of all the places in the world you picked out that one with your eyes
shut. Spidermonkey Island after all!âWell, thereâs one good thing about âWe are going to Spidermonkey Island, Miranda,â said the Doctor. âYou
know where it is, do you not?â Travelers who have since visited Spidermonkey Island tell me that
that huge stone slab is now one of the regular sights of the island. âWeâre going to Spidermonkey Island,â I said proudly.

âAnd be you the only one the Doctorâs taking along?â trodden for six weeks. What a thrill I felt as I realized that
Spidermonkey Island, the little spot in the atlas which my pencil had
touched, lay at last beneath my feet! Our guides told us that it was here, in days long gone by when the
Popsipetels owned the whole of Spidermonkey Island, that the kings to be found. Spidermonkey Island is one of them. But even there they
are very scarce.â â_Spidermonkey Island_,â he read out slowly. Then he whistled softly
beneath his breath. âOf all the extraordinary things! Youâve hit upon âYes. A young albatross told me he had seen him on Spidermonkey Island?â in Spidermonkey Island went forward, month in month out, busily and
pleasantly. The Winter, with Christmas celebrations, came and went, and
Summer was with us once again before we knew it. At last the Doctor made them understand that he only wanted to see the
island all over and that then he would go awayâthough how he meant to
do it, with no boat to sail in, was more than I could imagine. himself realized at the time. In fact I sometimes think that that
speech of his from the palace-steps had more effect upon the Indians of
Spidermonkey Island than had any of his great deeds which, great though While they were talking among themselves another Indian
arrivedâapparently with a message that they were wanted in some
other part of the island. Because presently, shaking their spears
threateningly at us, they went off with the newcomer. the remainder of his days on Spidermonkey Island if it hadnât been for
an accidentâand for Polynesia. himself free. Finally he had to heave the whole island up at one end to
get his tail loose. Didnât you feel a sort of an earthquake shock about
an hour ago?â The other Indians on the island had given them up for lost and mourned
them as dead; and they were now very surprised and happy to find their
relatives alive. âSpidermonkey Island? Thatâs somewhere off the coast of Brazil, isnât
it?â ourselves. Bumpo threw his beam of wood into the thick of the Spaniards
and leapt in after us. Then we pushed off and rowed like mad for the
_Curlew_. Popsipetels; youâre to be a kingâthe King of the whole of Spidermonkey
Island. The Bag-jagderags, who were so anxious to have you govern
While we were admiring one of these the Doctor suddenly said, âSh!âA
Jabizri!âDonât you hear it?â THE JABIZRI At last, neatly fixed up with his new mail-bag, Mr. Jabizri crawled off
the Doctorâs finger to the ground and looked about him. He stretched âStubbins is anxious to learn animal language,â said the Doctor. âI was
just telling him about you and the lessons you gave me when Jip ran up
and told us you had arrived.â Dolittle or, as it was to be henceforth called, the Royal Thinkalot
totem. It had nothing but animals on it, to signify the Doctorâs great was allowed to drift where she liked. But still John Dolittle worked
on, trying his hardest to understand the fidgitâs language, struggling
to make the fidgit understand him. I wish I could talk beetle language, and find out where the Jabizri got
it from.â ALL that I have written so far about Doctor Dolittle I heard long after
it happened from those who had known himâindeed a great deal of it took âDoctor,â he cried, running up to John Dolittle with his nose all
covered with black mud, âthis slab is resting on nothing but a bed of âOh good!â cried John Dolittle, full of hope renewed. âWhat is it?
Letâs hear it.â in his way, a graceful, beautiful creature. John Dolittle was examining
a swelling on his tail. The Doctor tried again, in several other animal dialects. But with no
result.

Till at last he came to the language of eagles. âNo,â said the mussel-man. âHeâs no vet. Doctor Dolittle is a
nacheralist.â understand. She seemed to have a terrible lot to say. And very soon
the Doctor had forgotten all about me and my squirrel and Jip and
everything else; till at length the bird clearly asked him something But I found Doctor John Dolittle, the famous naturalist, standing on
top of a chair, dancing about on one leg like a schoolboy. At last, almost in tears, John Dolittle stepped slowly into the litter
and sat down. As he was hoisted on to the broad shoulders of the
bearers I heard him still feebly muttering beneath his breath, âCome here, Jip,â said the Doctor in a stern voice. âYou are hiding
something from me. You see signs and you know somethingâor you guess âNow see here, my friends,â said she speaking low: âyou know how much
John Dolittle has done for the animalsâgiven his whole life up to them, present anyhow. John Dolittle wouldnât get scared by a little thing
like this. He only got excited when he made a discovery, found a new and plants and rocks anâ all. John Dolittle is a very great
nacheralist. Iâm surprised you never heard of himâand you daft over
land. And ask them if they will be so good as to go down to the far end
of the island, put their noses against it and push it back near the
coast of Southern Brazil.â âWe are going to Spidermonkey Island, Miranda,â said the Doctor. âYou
know where it is, do you not?â âBecause this floating island we are on,â said he, âis drifting
southward all the time in a current. Itâs an island that ordinarily âAh!â said the Doctor, âsee that?âThe island is going North at last.
Thank goodness!â Of all the places in the world you picked out that one with your eyes
shut. Spidermonkey Island after all!âWell, thereâs one good thing about âTo Spidermonkey Island!â I shouted, picking myself up and doing trodden for six weeks. What a thrill I felt as I realized that
Spidermonkey Island, the little spot in the atlas which my pencil had
touched, lay at last beneath my feet! himself free. Finally he had to heave the whole island up at one end to
get his tail loose. Didnât you feel a sort of an earthquake shock about
an hour ago?â âSpidermonkey Island? Thatâs somewhere off the coast of Brazil, isnât
it?â âWeâre going to Spidermonkey Island,â I said proudly.

âAnd be you the only one the Doctorâs taking along?â â_Spidermonkey Island_,â he read out slowly. Then he whistled softly
beneath his breath. âOf all the extraordinary things! Youâve hit upon The porpoises evidently succeeded in persuading the whales to do as the
Doctor asked; for presently we saw them thrashing through the seas,
going off towards the south end of the island. Island is a _floating_ island. It moves around all over the
placeâusually somewhere near southern South America. But of course I The only inconvenience we suffered from was the cold. This seemed
to increase as we went forward. The Doctor said that the island,
disturbed from its usual paths by the great gale, had evidently drifted
further South than it had ever been before. Our guides told us that it was here, in days long gone by when the
Popsipetels owned the whole of Spidermonkey Island, that the kings time. Iâm afraid the island is still drifting to the southward. Letâs
hope it stops before long, or we wonât be able to get even nuts and At last, almost in tears, John Dolittle stepped slowly into the litter
and sat down. As he was hoisted on to the broad shoulders of the
bearers I heard him still feebly muttering beneath his breath, At last the Doctor made them understand that he only wanted to see the
island all over and that then he would go awayâthough how he meant to
do it, with no boat to sail in, was more than I could imagine. Travelers who have since visited Spidermonkey Island tell me that
that huge stone slab is now one of the regular sights of the island. Dolittle or, as it was to be henceforth called, the Royal Thinkalot
totem. It had nothing but animals on it, to signify the Doctorâs great
shellfish. They _have_ languages, of that I feel sure. I can talk
a little shark language and porpoise dialect myself. But what I
particularly want to learn now is shellfish.â near to learning the language he had sought so long. And presently by
making the other fishes repeat over and over again short phrases which
the snail used, he began to put words together for himself. You see, I may now, through him, be able to establish communication with the
shellfish. This is a great piece of luck.â of the shellfish. He fished several of these crabs up with a net and
put them in his listening-tank to see if he could understand them. the starfish. He was a rather stupid sort of creature; but he tried his
best to be helpful. And after a little patient examination we found to
our delight that he could speak shellfish moderately well. How our giant shellfish found his way across that vast and gloomy
world was a great puzzle to us. John Dolittle asked him by what means language of the shellfish. But he says itâs hard workâand he has caught
some terrible colds, holding his head under water so much. Heâs a great
man.â WELL, now that he was started once more upon his old hobby of the
shellfish languages, there was no stopping the Doctor. He worked right
through the night. âNo,â said the mussel-man. âHeâs no vet. Doctor Dolittle is a
nacheralist.â âCanât any of your people speak shellfish?â the Doctor asked. was allowed to drift where she liked. But still John Dolittle worked
on, trying his hardest to understand the fidgitâs language, struggling
to make the fidgit understand him. âStubbins is anxious to learn animal language,â said the Doctor. âI was
just telling him about you and the lessons you gave me when Jip ran up
and told us you had arrived.â ALL that I have written so far about Doctor Dolittle I heard long after
it happened from those who had known himâindeed a great deal of it took âYes,â said the Doctor, âthatâs true. Oh I have no doubt that there
are shellfish who are good talkersânot the least doubt. But the big âHave you learned any shellfish language yet?â I asked. The Doctor tried again, in several other animal dialects. But with no
result.

Till at last he came to the language of eagles. While the snail was speaking, the Doctor and I put our ears against the
wall of his shell and found that we could in this way hear the sound of SO Doctor Dolittle with a crown on his head sat down upon the shore
like King Knut, and waited. And for a whole hour the porpoises kept he was already familiar with one or two fish languages; and that helped
him quite a little. After he had practised for a while like this he
leant over the side of the canoe and putting his face below the water, animals. He knows a whole lot about shellfishâthat I know from my own
knowledge. Heâs a quiet man and donât talk much; but thereâs folks who
them down upon the enemiesâ heads; and Bumpo marched after the Doctor
to the fence armed with a young tree in one hand and a door-post in the
other. So we all went and hid ourselves in the passage where we could watch
what happened. And presently Bumpo came to the foot of the stairs and Jip went over to the door and smelt at the bottom of it to see if any
one were listening outside. Then he came back to the Doctor on tiptoe
and whispered,

â_He killed a man!_â holding out their hands in friendliness. The Doctor took not the
slightest notice. He marched right by them, up the steps to the door
of the palace. There he turned around and at once began to address the While the Doctor was asking Big Teeth how he meant to defend the
village against attack, a cry of alarm was raised by the look-outs. care of him as best I could till the time should come when the Doctor
would return. And every day I went to the little house with the big
garden on the edge of the town and tried the gate to see if it were Another knock; and when the door swung open in answer to the Doctorâs
call, there stood our big friend on the threshold, a smile upon his Doctorâs gate and turned to look backwards towards the town, the faint
murmur of many voices still reached us on the evening wind. âI thought you lived alone,â I said to the Doctor.

âSo I do,â said he. âIt is Dab-Dab who is bringing the light.â âWho is that person you spoke to, Doctor?â I asked as we went along the
passage.

âHe is a policeman.â The sad silence that followed was broken finally by a knock upon the
door.

With a patient sigh the Doctor got up and put on his crown and cloak
again. Some had their eyes closed, as if dead. Quickly the Doctor went round
them all and listened to their hearts. They were all alive; but one
woman was too weak even to stand upon her feet. Then the Doctor made some funny clicking noises with his tongue and I
heard some one trundle up the stairs again and start moving about in
the rooms above.

Then we waited quite a while without anything happening. But the Doctor calmly finished his bow. Then turning round he folded
his arms, fixed the on-rushing bull with his eye and frowned a terrible
frown. gate here and give it him through the bars. He never lets any one come
inside the garden while the Doctorâs awayânot even me, though he knows With this part of the business over, the Doctor called to Polynesia
to have the Black Parrots drive the enemy right back into their own
country and to wait there, guarding them all night. Presently I heard a screech from the house, and out flew Polynesia,
followed by the Doctor and Jip. âThe Doctor isnât back yet,â said Matthew, âor the gate wouldnât be
locked.â AS soon as the door closed behind the Doctor the most tremendous noise
I have ever heard broke loose. Some of the men appeared to be angry As soon as the Doctor had paid a visit to Long Arrow and seen that he
was doing nicely, we proceeded to our own house at the far end of the
village. Here we ate some breakfast and then lay down to take a good
rest.
âStubbins is anxious to learn animal language,â said the Doctor. âI was
just telling him about you and the lessons you gave me when Jip ran up
and told us you had arrived.â â_He talks their language_,â he said in a hoarse, mysterious voice.

âThe animalsâ language?â I cried. The Doctor turned and said a few words to the dog and duck in some
strange talk and signs. They seemed to understand him perfectly.

âCan you talk in squirrel language?â I asked. The Doctor tried again, in several other animal dialects. But with no
result.

Till at last he came to the language of eagles. âIt must be splendid,â I said, âto be able to talk all the languages of
the different animals. Do you think I could ever learn to do it?â Then the Doctor and the dog started talking to one another in signs and
sounds; and they kept at it for quite a long time. And the Doctor began Then the Doctor tried to speak to Long Arrow. But the Indian knew
no English of course, and the Doctor knew no Indian. Presently, to my
surprise, I heard the Doctor trying him in different animal languages. And as the old dog doesnât understand them, he brings them here,
and the Doctor turns them into dog language for him. I think Minnie âWhy certainly,â said Matthew. âAll animals have some kind of a
language. Some sorts talk more than others; some only speak in near to learning the language he had sought so long. And presently by
making the other fishes repeat over and over again short phrases which
the snail used, he began to put words together for himself. You see, âOh yes,â said the Doctor, âhe has a language. But it is such a poor thing. She was one of the best friends I ever had. It was she who
first gave me the idea of learning the animal languages and becoming
an animal doctor. I often wonder if she remained happy in Africa, and shellfish. They _have_ languages, of that I feel sure. I can talk
a little shark language and porpoise dialect myself. But what I
particularly want to learn now is shellfish.â because folks only laugh at you when you speak of it. Why, he can
even write animal-language. He reads aloud to his pets. Heâs wrote Soon I began to pick up the strange chatter of the birds and to
understand the funny talking antics of the dogs. I used to practise âAnd you are prepared to swear, Doctor Dolittle, that you understand
the language of dogs and can make them understand you. Is that so?â I may now, through him, be able to establish communication with the
shellfish. This is a great piece of luck.â âNow see here, my friends,â said she speaking low: âyou know how much
John Dolittle has done for the animalsâgiven his whole life up to them, was allowed to drift where she liked. But still John Dolittle worked
on, trying his hardest to understand the fidgitâs language, struggling
to make the fidgit understand him. âDo you think I would ever be able to learn the language of the
animals?â I asked, laying the plate upon the hearth.
Africa. For she had gone on a voyage with him to that country long ago. âOh no,â said the Doctor. âShe is still living, I hope. But when we
reached Africa she seemed so glad to get back to her own country. She belonged to a fashionable black lady who was taking a bath. Chee-Chee
put them on. Next he went back to the seashore, mingled with the crowd and Chee-Chee began to clear away, âI donât know where to go now. I
feel sort of lost since Miranda brought me this news. On this voyage I âWell,â said Polynesia frowning,ââChee-Chee is not entirely happy. I The bird chattered incessantly, mostly about Africa; but now she spoke
in English, out of politeness to me. But she and Chee-Chee were good guides and splendid jungle-hunters; and
the two of them set to work at once looking for food for us. In a very It seems that after Polynesia had left, Chee-Chee had grown more
homesick than ever for the Doctor and the little house in Puddleby. At When he reached England and tried to get off the ship, the sailors saw
at last that he was only a monkey dressed up in girlâs clothes; and âSh!âListen!â said Chee-Chee through teeth that chattered with the CHEE-CHEEâS VOYAGE âAnd how is Chee-Chee getting on?âChee-Chee,â added the Doctor in thing. She was one of the best friends I ever had. It was she who
first gave me the idea of learning the animal languages and becoming
an animal doctor. I often wonder if she remained happy in Africa, and he noticed a whole big family of funny people passing on to the ship.
And one of the children in this family reminded Chee-Chee of a cousin When I left, poor old Chee-Chee broke down and cried. He said he felt
as though his only friend were leaving himâthough, as you know, he has Chee-Chee and Polynesia can follow him.â âOf course I shall be taking Chee-Chee,â said the Doctor. âBut although
he is very quick and clever, he is not as strong as a man. We really âYesâgood old Chee-Chee!â echoed Dab-Dab and Polynesia. âAnd got stuck on the mud-bank,â added Chee-Chee in a dreamy, far-away
voice. I didnâtâfor my eyes were not as sharp as Mirandaâs. But presently from
somewhere in the murky dusk I heard Bumpo singing his African comic
are sure of good weather. And besides the Purple Bird-of-Paradise is
going to keep a lookout for us, isnât she? Sheâll be wondering whatâs MIRANDA, the Purple Bird-of-Paradise had prophesied rightly when she
had foretold a good spell of weather. For three weeks the good ship The Bird-of-Paradise assured him she would. And after the Doctor had
thanked her again and again for all that she had done for us, she
wished us good luck and disappeared into the night. âThe Purple Bird-of-Paradise,â said the Doctorââshe told me all about âWell, first I shall have to wait till the Purple Bird-of-Paradise gets
here. I must see if she has any message for me from Long Arrow. Sheâs âDoctor,â said she, âthe Purple Bird-of-Paradise has arrived!â âYes, thatâs it. Of course I flew there right away and asked every bird
on the islandâand it is a big island, a hundred miles long. It seems Island. Next, he gave orders to the porpoises to leave my old piece of
the ship and push the bigger half wherever the Bird-of-Paradise should
lead us. At this point the poor Bird-of-Paradise stirred and woke up. In our
excitement we had forgotten to speak low. âDid you ask the black parrots?â asked Polynesia. âThey usually know
everything.â He turned as if to go back home. But the parrot, Polynesia, was already
flying towards us. The Doctor clapped his hands like a child getting âLikely enough sheâs gone after the Black Parrots. Letâs hope she
finds them in time. Just look at those ugly ruffians climbing down the With this part of the business over, the Doctor called to Polynesia
to have the Black Parrots drive the enemy right back into their own
country and to wait there, guarding them all night. âWhat is it, my boy?â said she, smoothing down the feathers of her
right wing. Polynesia often spoke to me in a very patronizing way. But And all this time Polynesia came with me wherever I went, teaching me
bird language and showing me how to understand the talking signs of the JUST at that moment Polynesia came into the room and said something to
the Doctor in bird language. Of course I did not understand what it
was. But the Doctor at once put down his knife and fork and left the
room. â_Let_ him fly,â snorted Polynesia scornfully. âA parrot can wing it as known. This, on the Thinkalot pole, was an enormous parrot, in memory
of the famous Peace of the Parrots. Now of course, when I am quite an old man, my memory isnât so good any
more. But whenever I am in doubt and have to hesitate and think, I
always ask Polynesia, the parrot. I have told youâso that the Indians didnât know where he was. But itâs
a mighty hard thing to hide away from the birds. I had always been able
âIâll go and see Long Arrow,â he whispered to me. âPerhaps he will know
of some way to get me out of this.â âAll right. Now listen,â said she. âIf what you have supposed is
trueâthat is, that Long Arrow had been trapped inside the mountain by And asking the personages to excuse him a moment, he left them there,
standing at his door, and hurried off in the direction of Long Arrowâs
house. I followed him. While Long Arrow was handing round what food we had to his starving
friends, we suddenly heard a sound outside the cave. Turning about we that Long Arrow was visiting some peculiar Indians that live there;
and that when last seen he was going up into the mountains looking for âLong Arrow,â said the Doctor speaking quickly in eagle tongue so
that the bystanders should not overhear, âin dire peril I come to you and sooner or later heâll return to his home in Long Arrowâs cave. And
there we will follow himâOr at all events,â she added smoothing down Long Arrow listened gravely to the breathless, babbled words, then
turned to the Doctor and said in eagle tongue, In spite of the length and fierceness of the struggle, there were
surprisingly few serious injuries. Poor Long Arrow was the worst off. march. He turned back pleadingly again to Long Arrow in a last appeal
for help. But the big Indian merely shook his head and pointed, like
the bearers, to the waiting chair. Long Arrow raised himself upon his elbow. Long Arrow had not come with us for he was as yet too weak from his
wound. But the Doctorâalways clever at languagesâwas already getting gone. âIâve missed Long Arrow terribly. Heâs an awfully good man to â_Long Arrow!_â he cried, âdonât you see, Stubbins?âWhy, of course! one that other naturalists would try to catchâWell, well! Long Arrow!âA
picture-letter from Long Arrow. For pictures are the only writing that
he knows.â Long Arrow explained to the Doctor that the nine Indians we had found
in the cave with him were two families who had accompanied him into
the mountains to help him gather medicine-plants. And while they had It was only with great difficulty that we escaped from the crowd the
first morning and set out with Long Arrow to explore the island at our
leisure. When Long Arrow turned to the newcomers and told them in their own
language that it was the white man who had found and freed their
relatives, they gathered round John Dolittle, all talking at once and
beating their breasts. âVery well. It is fair to suppose then that the beetleâs home, or his
hole, is in that placeâthe part of the mountain where Long Arrow and asked him what was wrong. And Long Arrow said he had just been informed
that the chief of the tribe, an old man of eighty, had died early that
morning.
At length we arrived at the foot of the mountain we were making for;
and we found its sides very steep. Said the Doctor, it leaned against the mountainâs side; I uprooted bushes and stripped
off hanging creepers that might conceal a weak place; the Doctor got The snail humped up its back and made an opening between its shoulders
and the edge of its shell. The Doctor clambered up and passed within. âAh,â cried the Doctor, âthis great slab of rock then must have slid
down from the summit and shut off the mouth of the cave like a door. But the sounds of life from inside the mountain had put new heart in
us. And in a moment we were all scrambling around trying to find any little narrow path and after many windings and twistings and turnings
we found ourselves before a small door in a high stone wall. The Doctor
pushed it open. âNone, Doctor. I climbed to every peak and pinnacle I could see. I
searched every hollow and cleft. But not one place could I find where
men might be hidden.â âAll right. Now listen,â said she. âIf what you have supposed is
trueâthat is, that Long Arrow had been trapped inside the mountain by [Illustration: âThe Whispering Rocksâ]

The Doctor said he would like to go and examine it closer. The Doctor was feeling about inside the bag. First he brought out a
loaf of new bread. Next came a glass jar with a curious metal top to The sad silence that followed was broken finally by a knock upon the
door.

With a patient sigh the Doctor got up and put on his crown and cloak
again. Although we were all out of breath from our climb, the Doctor didnât
let us rest a second as soon as he had sighted it. With one look at the Then the Doctor signaled to Bumpo who came forward with the nuts and
water. But Long Arrow neither ate nor drank. Taking the supplies with
a nod of thanks, he turned and carried them into the inner dimness of
the cave. We followed him. Once more the poor Doctor looked wildly, hopelessly about him for
some means of escape. For a moment I thought he was going to take to âNo,â said Jip. âI sniffed at every crack on the mountainside. But I am
afraid my nose will be of no use to you here, Doctor. The trouble is, After about an hour, during which in spite of the cold the sweat fell
from our foreheads in all directions, the Doctor said, âVery well. It is fair to suppose then that the beetleâs home, or his
hole, is in that placeâthe part of the mountain where Long Arrow and Each of us, you may be sure, was anxious to be the one to make a
discovery. And never was a mountain searched so thoroughly. But alas! While the snail was speaking, the Doctor and I put our ears against the
wall of his shell and found that we could in this way hear the sound of Long Arrow had not come with us for he was as yet too weak from his
wound. But the Doctorâalways clever at languagesâwas already getting
*       *       *       *       *

The rest of the story of our homeward voyage is soon told. so he could travel at a terrific speed, just by waggling that long tail
of his. This was the reason why we completed the trip in so short a
timeâfive and a half days. âOh, no,â said the Doctorâânot very. With a good boat and a good wind
we should make it easily in four weeks. But isnât it extraordinary? speed. It should take us about five days to get back near Brazil. Well,
thatâs thatâQuite a load off my mind. I declare I feel warmer already. This time when I woke up, stars were staring down at me out of a
cloudless sky. The sea was still calm; and my strange craft was rocking âYou very nearly did miss us,â said the Doctor. âAs it happened, we
were delayed somewhat in getting the necessary number of men to sail When we reached the shipâs side the Doctor had the anchor drawn up and
the sails set and everything in readiness to get away. Looking back we The Doctor carried the listening-tank to a port-hole, opened it and
emptied the tank into the sea.

âGood-bye!â he murmured as a faint splash reached us from without. and sooner or later heâll return to his home in Long Arrowâs cave. And
there we will follow himâOr at all events,â she added smoothing down him. No man stands any chance of going on a voyage when his wife hasnât
seen him in fifteen years. Come along. Letâs get home to tea. We didnât The porpoises gave us one last push and our strange-looking craft
bumped gently on a low beach. Then, thanking our lucky stars for and white, getting on to a ship that was coming to England. He tried to
get on too. But they turned him back and drove him away. And presently The Doctor assured him that he was; but the man didnât go away. He hung
around and argued. He told us he had known of many ships being sunk there and at last sneaked safely on to the big ship. Then he thought he
had better hide, for fear people might look at him too closely. And he âYes, theyâre with him. Your ship broke in half in the storm. The
Doctor had tied you down when he found you stunned. And the part you work!âBut listen: I smell danger. I think you had better get back to
the ship now as quick and as quietly as you can. Put your overcoat on And Fire was born!
    Then while we crowded round
    The grateful glow, pushed he
    Our wayward, floating land
    Back to peaceful anchorage lots of times and I know. Sometimes the ship is upside down when you
get there, and sometimes itâs right way up. But you get there just the âA stowaway in the hold, Sir,â said he in a very business-like
seafaring voice. âI just discovered him, behind the flour-bags.â Therefore he would be surely going again within a fortnight. And IâI,
Tommy Stubbins, would go with him! Just to think of it!âto cross the
upon it suddenly like this, that it dropped the poor creature and flew
away. I picked the squirrel up and found that two of its legs were
badly hurt. So I carried it in my arms back to the town. âOh excuse me, Stubbins!â said the Doctor. âI was so interested
listening to my old friend here. We must get on and see this squirrel So I went off home to my fatherâs house and put my squirrel to bed in
an old wooden box full of straw. And there I nursed him myself and took âTommy Stubbins,â I said.

âOh, are you the son of Jacob Stubbins, the shoemaker?â âStubbins is anxious to learn animal language,â said the Doctor. âI was
just telling him about you and the lessons you gave me when Jip ran up
and told us you had arrived.â âIt is very kind of you to come so far to look after his pet,â said my
mother. âTom is always bringing home strange creatures from the woods
and the fields.â âThe Doctor has come to cure my squirrel, Mother,â said I. âHe knows
all about animals.â âCan you show me where he lives?â I asked. âI want to take this
squirrel to him. It has a broken leg.â Therefore he would be surely going again within a fortnight. And IâI,
Tommy Stubbins, would go with him! Just to think of it!âto cross the birds and animals too. Heâs very good on bees and beetlesâBut now
tell me, Stubbins, are you quite sure that you really want to be a MY name was Tommy Stubbins, son of Jacob Stubbins, the cobbler of âBecause I have a sick squirrel at home,â I said. âI took it away from
a hawk. But two of its legs are badly hurt and I wanted very much to âStubbins,â he said as soon as he saw me stir, âIâve done it. Iâve darkness about us was suddenly lit up. The squirrelâs nest had burst
into flame. and to bring him news of them. He must be kept cheerful at all costs.
Squirrels are naturally a very cheerful, active race. It is very hard called me âStubbins,â instead of âTommyâ or âlittle ladâ (I did so in his tail and it started swelling rather badly. He wanted some quiet
place to rest up; and seeing this soft beach handy he crawled in here.â that grew in the copses. At length, after many adventures and narrow
squeaks, he saw the tower of Puddleby Church and he knew that at last
he was near his old home. down. But, to tell the truth, we didnât know it ourselves; it happened
by a kind of an accident. Do you imagine the poor fellow is hurt very
badly?â ugly piece of dead meat thrust in to them once a day; and a crowd of
fools to come and stare at them with open mouths!âNo, Stubbins. Lions
and a funny feeling. I had often wondered, when I had looked in from
the front gate, what Doctor Dolittle would be like and what the funny
little house would have inside it. But I never imagined it would be it. He held this up to the light very carefully before he set it down
upon the table; and I could see that there was some strange little
water-creature swimming about inside. At last the Doctor brought out a While the Doctor was busy at the cooking I went and took another look
at the funny little creature swimming about in the glass jar.

âWhat is this animal?â I asked. âYou know it is an awful shame,â said the parrot as soon as the Doctor
had closed the door. âDirectly he comes back home, all the animals âYes, Iâm Doctor Dolittle,â said he, opening the front door with the âIt is very kind of you to come so far to look after his pet,â said my
mother. âTom is always bringing home strange creatures from the woods
and the fields.â âAre you Doctor Dolittle?â I shouted as we sped up the short
garden-path to the house. Dolittle or, as it was to be henceforth called, the Royal Thinkalot
totem. It had nothing but animals on it, to signify the Doctorâs great âNo,â said the mussel-man. âHeâs no vet. Doctor Dolittle is a
nacheralist.â in his way, a graceful, beautiful creature. John Dolittle was examining
a swelling on his tail. SO Doctor Dolittle with a crown on his head sat down upon the shore
like King Knut, and waited. And for a whole hour the porpoises kept âThe fidgit,â he whispered, pointing with a trembling finger to the
listening-tank in which the little round fish was still swimming âStubbins is anxious to learn animal language,â said the Doctor. âI was
just telling him about you and the lessons you gave me when Jip ran up
and told us you had arrived.â âDoctor,â he cried, running up to John Dolittle with his nose all
covered with black mud, âthis slab is resting on nothing but a bed of âOh, those were provisions,â said Matthewââthings for the animals to
eat. The Doctorâs house is simply full of pets. I give the things to So I led the Doctor to my bedroom at the top of the house and showed
him the squirrel in the packing-case filled with straw. Very slowly the Hermit looked up from the floor.

âHulloa, John Dolittle. What brings you here?â dog in the witness-stand and have him questioned before you by the
eminent scientist, Doctor John Dolittle.â The animal, who had always seemed very much afraid of meâthough I had
tried hard to make him feel at home, sat up at once when the Doctor The Doctor turned and said a few words to the dog and duck in some
strange talk and signs. They seemed to understand him perfectly.

âCan you talk in squirrel language?â I asked.
â_He talks their language_,â he said in a hoarse, mysterious voice.

âThe animalsâ language?â I cried. âStubbins is anxious to learn animal language,â said the Doctor. âI was
just telling him about you and the lessons you gave me when Jip ran up
and told us you had arrived.â âIt must be splendid,â I said, âto be able to talk all the languages of
the different animals. Do you think I could ever learn to do it?â The Doctor tried again, in several other animal dialects. But with no
result.

Till at last he came to the language of eagles. âWhy certainly,â said Matthew. âAll animals have some kind of a
language. Some sorts talk more than others; some only speak in Then the Doctor tried to speak to Long Arrow. But the Indian knew
no English of course, and the Doctor knew no Indian. Presently, to my
surprise, I heard the Doctor trying him in different animal languages. near to learning the language he had sought so long. And presently by
making the other fishes repeat over and over again short phrases which
the snail used, he began to put words together for himself. You see, The Doctor turned and said a few words to the dog and duck in some
strange talk and signs. They seemed to understand him perfectly.

âCan you talk in squirrel language?â I asked. âIt is very kind of you to come so far to look after his pet,â said my
mother. âTom is always bringing home strange creatures from the woods
and the fields.â And as the old dog doesnât understand them, he brings them here,
and the Doctor turns them into dog language for him. I think Minnie Then the Doctor and the dog started talking to one another in signs and
sounds; and they kept at it for quite a long time. And the Doctor began âOh yes,â said the Doctor, âhe has a language. But it is such a poor âNow see here, my friends,â said she speaking low: âyou know how much
John Dolittle has done for the animalsâgiven his whole life up to them, Soon I began to pick up the strange chatter of the birds and to
understand the funny talking antics of the dogs. I used to practise whom we had taught a little English. He and the Doctor between them
managed to make themselves understood to the Bag-jagderags. This
people, with the terrible parrots still blackening the hills about âDo you think I would ever be able to learn the language of the
animals?â I asked, laying the plate upon the hearth. Afterwards Long Arrow told us that this was the only bird or animal
language that he had ever been able to learn. But that he had not
spoken it in a long time, for no eagles ever came to this island. thing. She was one of the best friends I ever had. It was she who
first gave me the idea of learning the animal languages and becoming
an animal doctor. I often wonder if she remained happy in Africa, and Dolittle or, as it was to be henceforth called, the Royal Thinkalot
totem. It had nothing but animals on it, to signify the Doctorâs great shellfish. They _have_ languages, of that I feel sure. I can talk
a little shark language and porpoise dialect myself. But what I
particularly want to learn now is shellfish.â
âAnd how is Chee-Chee getting on?âChee-Chee,â added the Doctor in âWell,â said Polynesia frowning,ââChee-Chee is not entirely happy. I âSh!âListen!â said Chee-Chee through teeth that chattered with the When I left, poor old Chee-Chee broke down and cried. He said he felt
as though his only friend were leaving himâthough, as you know, he has belonged to a fashionable black lady who was taking a bath. Chee-Chee
put them on. Next he went back to the seashore, mingled with the crowd âOf course I shall be taking Chee-Chee,â said the Doctor. âBut although
he is very quick and clever, he is not as strong as a man. We really and Chee-Chee began to clear away, âI donât know where to go now. I
feel sort of lost since Miranda brought me this news. On this voyage I Chee-Cheeâfor it was heâfrowned at me suspiciously from the top of the
gate, as though he thought I was going to laugh at him like the other âWhy, itâs Chee-Chee!âChee-Chee come back at last! How dare those
children tease him! Iâll give the little imps something to laugh at!â âYesâgood old Chee-Chee!â echoed Dab-Dab and Polynesia. he noticed a whole big family of funny people passing on to the ship.
And one of the children in this family reminded Chee-Chee of a cousin Chee-Chee and Polynesia can follow him.â Chee-Chee spies usâheâs waving. Donât you see them?â When he reached England and tried to get off the ship, the sailors saw
at last that he was only a monkey dressed up in girlâs clothes; and âGood old Chee-Chee!â whispered the Doctor. âIâm glad heâs back.â I didnâtâfor my eyes were not as sharp as Mirandaâs. But presently from
somewhere in the murky dusk I heard Bumpo singing his African comic way to follow me. But mark my words, I wouldnât be a bit surprised if
he found a way to comeâsome day. Heâs a smart lad, is Chee-Chee.â It seems that after Polynesia had left, Chee-Chee had grown more
homesick than ever for the Doctor and the little house in Puddleby. At than another visitor appeared upon the gang-plank. This was a most
extraordinary-looking black man. The only other negroes I had seen which he drew from a barrel; and Chee-Chee and Polynesia stood around
me feeding me shipâs biscuit.
âThree cheers for Luke the Hermit: Hooray!âThree cheers for his dog: âWell, Doctor,â said Jip (he was badly out of breath from running), âI
know all about the HermitâI have known for years. But I couldnât tell
you.â THE Hermit was an old friend of ours, as I have already told you. He
was a very peculiar person. Far out on the marshes he lived in a little bit of a shackâall alone except for his brindle bulldog. No one knew
where he came fromânot even his name. Just âLuke the Hermitâ folks called him. He never came into the town; never seemed to want to see
or talk to people. His dog, Bob, drove them away if they came near his the Hermit? Well, thereâs some mystery about him. Nobody knows what it
is. But thereâs a mystery. Donât go near him. Heâll set the dog on you.â Very slowly the Hermit looked up from the floor.

âHulloa, John Dolittle. What brings you here?â Then someone went out and fetched the judgeâs dog, a lovely great
Russian wolf-hound with slender legs and a shaggy coat. He was a proud
and beautiful creature. âThat will do,â the judge interrupted, âI am satisfied you can do as
you say. The prisonerâs dog shall be admitted as a witness.â Then the Doctor and the dog started talking to one another in signs and
sounds; and they kept at it for quite a long time. And the Doctor began in the cold. The Hermitâs gone. Thatâs all. We might as well go home to
luncheon.â as fast as his legs could bring him. He seemed very excited about
something, and as soon as he came up to us, he started barking and
whining to the Doctor in a peculiar way. Then the Doctor too seemed to âI would like you to talk to my own dog,â said the judge. âHe is
outside in the cloak-room. I will have him brought in; and then we
shall see what you can do.â window. On the bed, staring down at the floor between his feet, sat the
Hermit, his head resting in his hands. âHeâs going down to meet the coach,â whispered Polynesia. âThat dogâs
devotion to those children is more than I can understand. You should that Luke the Hermit was to be tried for killing a man and that the
great mystery which had hung over him so long was to be cleared up
at last. The butcher and the baker had closed their shops and taken âOh, I think it is a perfectly precious idea,â he was saying. âOf
_course_ the dog must be admitted as a witness; he was the only one Outside the door of Lukeâs cell we found Bob, the bulldog, who wagged
his tail sadly when he saw us. The man who was guiding us took a large
bunch of keys from his pocket and opened the door. And then for the first time in the solemn history of England a dog was
put in the witness-stand of Her Majestyâs Court of Assizes. And it Just at that moment we heard the noise of some one running behind us;
and turning round we saw Jip the dog rushing down the road after us,
âTo Spidermonkey Island!â I shouted, picking myself up and doing Of all the places in the world you picked out that one with your eyes
shut. Spidermonkey Island after all!âWell, thereâs one good thing about trodden for six weeks. What a thrill I felt as I realized that
Spidermonkey Island, the little spot in the atlas which my pencil had
touched, lay at last beneath my feet! â_Spidermonkey Island_,â he read out slowly. Then he whistled softly
beneath his breath. âOf all the extraordinary things! Youâve hit upon âWe are going to Spidermonkey Island, Miranda,â said the Doctor. âYou
know where it is, do you not?â Travelers who have since visited Spidermonkey Island tell me that
that huge stone slab is now one of the regular sights of the island. âYes. A young albatross told me he had seen him on Spidermonkey Island?â Our guides told us that it was here, in days long gone by when the
Popsipetels owned the whole of Spidermonkey Island, that the kings âWeâre going to Spidermonkey Island,â I said proudly.

âAnd be you the only one the Doctorâs taking along?â himself free. Finally he had to heave the whole island up at one end to
get his tail loose. Didnât you feel a sort of an earthquake shock about
an hour ago?â Island. Next, he gave orders to the porpoises to leave my old piece of
the ship and push the bigger half wherever the Bird-of-Paradise should
lead us. to be found. Spidermonkey Island is one of them. But even there they
are very scarce.â himself realized at the time. In fact I sometimes think that that
speech of his from the palace-steps had more effect upon the Indians of
Spidermonkey Island than had any of his great deeds which, great though ourselves. Bumpo threw his beam of wood into the thick of the Spaniards
and leapt in after us. Then we pushed off and rowed like mad for the
_Curlew_. [Illustration: The Terrible Three

_From an Indian rock-engraving found on Hawksâ-Head Mountain,
Spidermonkey Island_] in quite a long while. Speeding up our boat lest the island be carried
away from us altogether, we passed on up the coast; and here and there
we noticed that the trees on the shore already looked greener and more âTommy!âTommy!â (it was Polynesiaâs voice) âWake up!âGosh, what a boy, âIt is very kind of you to come so far to look after his pet,â said my
mother. âTom is always bringing home strange creatures from the woods
and the fields.â When he reached England and tried to get off the ship, the sailors saw
at last that he was only a monkey dressed up in girlâs clothes; and Therefore he would be surely going again within a fortnight. And IâI,
Tommy Stubbins, would go with him! Just to think of it!âto cross the
It was only with great difficulty that we escaped from the crowd the
first morning and set out with Long Arrow to explore the island at our
leisure. âAll right. Now listen,â said she. âIf what you have supposed is
trueâthat is, that Long Arrow had been trapped inside the mountain by that Long Arrow was visiting some peculiar Indians that live there;
and that when last seen he was going up into the mountains looking for Of all the places in the world you picked out that one with your eyes
shut. Spidermonkey Island after all!âWell, thereâs one good thing about âIâll go and see Long Arrow,â he whispered to me. âPerhaps he will know
of some way to get me out of this.â the very island where Long Arrow was last seen on earthâI wonderâWell,
well! How very singular!â and sooner or later heâll return to his home in Long Arrowâs cave. And
there we will follow himâOr at all events,â she added smoothing down âTo Spidermonkey Island!â I shouted, picking myself up and doing Travelers who have since visited Spidermonkey Island tell me that
that huge stone slab is now one of the regular sights of the island. trodden for six weeks. What a thrill I felt as I realized that
Spidermonkey Island, the little spot in the atlas which my pencil had
touched, lay at last beneath my feet! âLong Arrow,â said the Doctor speaking quickly in eagle tongue so
that the bystanders should not overhear, âin dire peril I come to you Afterwards Long Arrow told us that this was the only bird or animal
language that he had ever been able to learn. But that he had not
spoken it in a long time, for no eagles ever came to this island. Our guides told us that it was here, in days long gone by when the
Popsipetels owned the whole of Spidermonkey Island, that the kings And asking the personages to excuse him a moment, he left them there,
standing at his door, and hurried off in the direction of Long Arrowâs
house. I followed him. â_Spidermonkey Island_,â he read out slowly. Then he whistled softly
beneath his breath. âOf all the extraordinary things! Youâve hit upon Long Arrow listened gravely to the breathless, babbled words, then
turned to the Doctor and said in eagle tongue, march. He turned back pleadingly again to Long Arrow in a last appeal
for help. But the big Indian merely shook his head and pointed, like
the bearers, to the waiting chair. While Long Arrow was handing round what food we had to his starving
friends, we suddenly heard a sound outside the cave. Turning about we himself free. Finally he had to heave the whole island up at one end to
get his tail loose. Didnât you feel a sort of an earthquake shock about
an hour ago?â one that other naturalists would try to catchâWell, well! Long Arrow!âA
picture-letter from Long Arrow. For pictures are the only writing that
he knows.â
land. And ask them if they will be so good as to go down to the far end
of the island, put their noses against it and push it back near the
coast of Southern Brazil.â âBecause this floating island we are on,â said he, âis drifting
southward all the time in a current. Itâs an island that ordinarily Island is a _floating_ island. It moves around all over the
placeâusually somewhere near southern South America. But of course I The only inconvenience we suffered from was the cold. This seemed
to increase as we went forward. The Doctor said that the island,
disturbed from its usual paths by the great gale, had evidently drifted
further South than it had ever been before. Soon we felt the island slowly sinking beneath us. We saw the sea creep
inland over the beaches as the shores went downâone foot, three feet, âIt is unusual,â they said. âBut the explanation is quite simple. It
used to be a mountainous part of South Americaâan overhanging partâsort âAh!â said the Doctor, âsee that?âThe island is going North at last.
Thank goodness!â time. Iâm afraid the island is still drifting to the southward. Letâs
hope it stops before long, or we wonât be able to get even nuts and in quite a long while. Speeding up our boat lest the island be carried
away from us altogether, we passed on up the coast; and here and there
we noticed that the trees on the shore already looked greener and more himself free. Finally he had to heave the whole island up at one end to
get his tail loose. Didnât you feel a sort of an earthquake shock about
an hour ago?â On the third night poor Miranda came back to us nearly frozen. She told
the Doctor that in the morning we would find the island quite close to The porpoises evidently succeeded in persuading the whales to do as the
Doctor asked; for presently we saw them thrashing through the seas,
going off towards the south end of the island. With the growing light it became plain to all of us: a long island with
high rocky mountains in the middleâand so near to us that you could
almost throw your hat upon the shore. working away with their noses against the end of the island, driving us
northward. We had been kept so busy with the war that we had forgotten west coast of South America. But luck was against us
    that day. While we were resting and trying to get our
    breath, another family of fidgits came rushing by, The atlas lay open at a map called, _Chart of the South Atlantic
Ocean_. My pencil-point was resting right in the center of a tiny The Indians themselves did not realize at the time what was taking
place, though of course they had felt the land sinking beneath them.
The Doctor told us afterwards that it must have been the shock of that âThis is a serious thing,â said the Doctor to me. âThe island is still
in the grip of that wretched current flowing southward. We will have to And Fire was born!
    Then while we crowded round
    The grateful glow, pushed he
    Our wayward, floating land
    Back to peaceful anchorage said that it must be on account of the cold that the island was now
suffering from in its new climate. These trees and grasses, he told us,
were the kind that belonged to warm, tropical weather.
âIn England!âYou donât say!â cried the Doctor. âWhat on earth is he
doing here?â in EnglandâWell, donât let me keep you. Run along and see the Doctor.â The Doctor carried the listening-tank to a port-hole, opened it and
emptied the tank into the sea.

âGood-bye!â he murmured as a faint splash reached us from without. The Doctor assured him that he was; but the man didnât go away. He hung
around and argued. He told us he had known of many ships being sunk âItâs all right,â said the Doctor. âNobody can hear you here. Now what
is it?â âYes, theyâre with him. Your ship broke in half in the storm. The
Doctor had tied you down when he found you stunned. And the part you âWeâll go there, Doctor, wonât we?â I asked.

âOf course we will. The rules of the game say weâve got to.â âOh, no,â said the Doctorâânot very. With a good boat and a good wind
we should make it easily in four weeks. But isnât it extraordinary? âYes, I really think they would,â I agreed. âYet without a ship of some
kind I donât see how the Doctor is going to get away, even secretly.â âOh no,â said the Doctor. âShe is still living, I hope. But when we
reached Africa she seemed so glad to get back to her own country. She âWeâve only got another hundred and fifty miles to make, to sight the
coast of Brazil,â said the Doctor. âIf that wind would just stay with behind them over the clean tiled floor. The Doctor, seeing how
surprised I was, explained: Of course the man who took us in there didnât understand what we were
doing. He merely thought the fat Englishman was crazy when he saw the
Doctor making signs and talking in ox tongue. I looked around me and took in a deep breath. The Doctor was at the
wheel steering the boat which was now leaping and plunging gently When I woke up it was broad daylight again. The Doctor was still
standing at the listening-tank, looking as tired as an owl and
dreadfully wet. But on his face there was a proud and happy smile. There was a pause in the conversation.

âDo you know what I believe?â she added presently. âI believe the
Doctor has given up even thinking of going home.â âNo, only a minute,â said the Doctor. âSheâll be back in a minute.â âLook here, you fellows,â said she: âweâve simply got to get the Doctor âYou very nearly did miss us,â said the Doctor. âAs it happened, we
were delayed somewhat in getting the necessary number of men to sail âYour bed on top of the plate-rack in the scullery is all ready for
you,â said the Doctor. âWe never had it disturbed in case you might
come back.â
âAhâat last!â said the Doctor. âGood old Dab-Dab!â âStubbins is anxious to learn animal language,â said the Doctor. âI was
just telling him about you and the lessons you gave me when Jip ran up
and told us you had arrived.â âThank you!â said the Doctor. âWhat a charming home you have!â

And after wiping his enormous boots very, very carefully on the mat,
the great man passed into the house. below. We were watching some sheep being driven to market in Puddleby;
and Dab-Dab had just been telling me about the Doctorâs adventures in At last we heard some one trundling on the stairs again and the Doctor
said,

âAh, hereâs Bumpo with the maps at last!â at all glad to see you. I told you in Puddleby I didnât want you. You
had no right to come.â âYou know it is an awful shame,â said the parrot as soon as the Doctor
had closed the door. âDirectly he comes back home, all the animals âThereâs Matthew Mugg,â I said to myself. âHeâll know where this Doctor
lives. Matthew knows everyone.â Another knock; and when the door swung open in answer to the Doctorâs
call, there stood our big friend on the threshold, a smile upon his that grew in the copses. At length, after many adventures and narrow
squeaks, he saw the tower of Puddleby Church and he knew that at last
he was near his old home. âAh!â I said.

âWhat is it?â asked the Doctor in a hoarse, trembly whisper. âWhat does
he say?â âWeâll come into the kitchen, Dab-Dab,â said the Doctor. âLet Cheapside
out before you go, please.â âAre you Doctor Dolittle?â I shouted as we sped up the short
garden-path to the house. THE next day I was sitting on the wall of the Doctorâs garden after
tea, talking to Dab-Dab. I had now learned so much from Polynesia that âBut my dear Stubbins,â said the Doctor, laughing, âyou are quite
welcome to come here for three meals a day all the year round. Iâm only When I woke up it was broad daylight again. The Doctor was still
standing at the listening-tank, looking as tired as an owl and
dreadfully wet. But on his face there was a proud and happy smile. âNow Matthew,â said the Doctor, âyou can take the coach from Penzance
to Bristol. And from there it is not very far to Puddleby, as you know. Once more the Doctor lowered his ear beneath the level of the water;
and as he began to speak, I started to write. And this is the story
that the fidgit told us. âYes, Iâm Doctor Dolittle,â said he, opening the front door with the was really quite nice to talk to. He knew everybody in Puddleby;
and he knew all the dogs and all the cats. In those times being a
What do Tommy Stubbins and Mathew Muff find out when they can't find Dr. Dolittle? Who teaches Tommy the language of animals? What does the purple Bird of Paradise inform Dr. Dolittle of? Where do they decide to take a trip to in search of Long Arrow? What is their first stop on the way? How does everyone get to Spider Monkey island without Tommy? What does Dr. Dolittle find out from catching a Jabizri? How does Dr. Dolittle push Spider Monkey Island back to South America? How does Dr. Dolittle learn the shellfish language? Who is guarding the doctors house? Who teaches Timmy the animal language? What was Chee Chee deguised as on her trip from Africa? How did they decide where to travel after talking to the purple bird of paradise? Where is Long Arrow stuck? What did the doctor use to find an opening in the mountain? What do the crew travel in to get back home? What animal injures the squirrel that Tommy Stubbins finds? What is the strange fish creature that Tommy sees at Dr. Doolittle's house? Who teaches Tommy the language of the animals? How is Chee-Chee disguised when he comes from Africa? What is the name of the hermit's dog? Which creatures help Tommy to reach Spider Monkey Island and the crew? Where on Spider Monkey Island is long Arrow stuck? What pushed the island back towards South America? Where are the Doctor and the crew as they make the trip back to England? What does Dub-Dub say when the Doctor and crew arrive back at the house in Puddleby?
That the doctor had gone on a voyage. that he's gone on a voyage
Polynesia. Doctor Dolittle
Long Arrow is missing. That his friend Long Arrow is missing.
Spider Monkey Island. Spider Monkey Island
Spain. A man named Matthew Mugg who knows where Dolittle lives.
A storm causes their ship to wreck and he is left alone. He is separated in a shipwreck.
Long Island is stuck in Hawk's Head Mountain. That Long Arrow is in Hawk's Head Mountain.
With the help of whales. Whales
From the Pink Sea Snail. From a Wiff-Waff.
The doctors dog jip Dub Dub.
Polynesia  Polynesia
An old woman a lady
By playing the game Blind Travel They played blind travel
In Hawk's Head Mountain inside Hawk's Head Mountain
A Jabizri Jabiziri
The pink sea snail's shell the shell of a pink snail
A hawk. hawk
A Wiff-Waff. a Wiff-Waff
Polynesia. the doctor and Polynesia
As a lady. as a woman
Bob. Bob
Porpoises. the porpoises
Inside Hawk's Head Mountain. inside Hawk's Head Mountain
Whales. Whales
In the shell of the Pink Snail. In the shell of the Pink Sea Snail.
That they are in time for tea. that they are just in time for tea