THE
StoryofDOCTORDOLITTLE
BEINGTHE
HISTORYOFHISPECULIARLIFE
ATHOMEANDASTONISHINGADVENTURES
INFOREIGNPARTSNEVERBEFOREPRINTED。
TO
ALLCHILDREN
CHILDRENINYEARSANDCHILDRENINHEART
IDEDICATETHISSTORY
Therearesomeofusnowreachingmiddleagewhodiscoverthemselvestobelamentingthepastinonerespectifinnoneother，thattherearenobookswrittennowforchildrencomparablewiththoseofthirtyyearsago。I
saywrittenFORchildrenbecausethenewpsychologicalbusinessofwritingABOUTthemasthoughtheyweresmallpillsorhatchedinsomeespeciallyscientificmethodisextremelypopulartoday。Writingforchildrenratherthanaboutthemisverydifficultaseverybodywhohastrieditknows。Itcanonlybedone，Iamconvinced，bysomebodyhavingagreatdealofthechildinhisownoutlookandsensibilities。Suchwastheauthorof\"TheLittleDuke\"and\"TheDoveintheEagle’sNest，\"suchtheauthorof\"AFlatironforaFarthing，\"and\"TheStoryofaShortLife。\"Such，aboveall，theauthorof\"AliceinWonderland。\"Grownupsimaginethattheycandothetrickbyadoptingbabylanguageandtalkingdowntotheirverycriticalaudience。Thereneverwasagreatermistake。
Theimaginationoftheauthormustbeachild’simaginationandyetmaturelyconsistent，sothattheWhiteQueenin\"Alice，\"forinstance，isseenjustasachildwouldseeher，butshecontinuesalwaysherselfthroughallherdistressingadventures。Thesupremetouchofthewhiterabbitpullingonhiswhiteglovesashehastensisagainabsolutelythechild’svision，butthewhiterabbitasguideandintroducerofAlice’sadventuresbelongstomaturegrowninsight。
Geniusesarerareand，withoutbeingatallanunduepraiseroftimespast，onecansaywithouthesitationthatuntiltheappearanceofHughLofting，thesuccessorofMissYonge，Mrs。
Ewing，Mrs。GattyandLewisCarrollhadnotappeared。IrememberthedelightwithwhichsomesixmonthsagoIpickedupthefirst\"Dolittle\"bookintheHampshirebookshopatSmithCollegeinNorthampton。OneofMr。
Lofting’spictureswasquiteenoughforme。
ThepicturethatIlighteduponwhenIfirstopenedthebookwastheoneofthemonkeysmakingachainwiththeirarmsacrossthegulf。
ThenIlookedfurtheranddiscoveredBumporeadingfairystoriestohimself。AndthenlookedagainandtherewasapictureofJohnDolittle’shouse。
ButpicturesarenotenoughalthoughmostauthorsdrawsobadlythatifoneofthemhappenstohavethegeniusforlinethatMr。Loftingshowstheremustbe，onefeels，somethinginhiswritingaswell。Thereis。Youcannotreadthefirstparagraphofthebook，whichbeginsintherightway\"Onceuponatime\"withoutknowingthatMr。Loftingbelievesinhisstoryquiteasmuchasheexpectsyouto。Thatisthefirstessentialforastoryteller。Thenyoudiscoverasyoureadonthathehastherighteyefortherightdetail。Whatchild—inquiringmindcouldresistthisintriguingsentencetobefoundonthesecondpageofthebook：
\"Besidesthegold—fishinthepondatthebottomofhisgarden，hehadrabbitsinthepantry，whitemiceinhispiano，asquirrelinthelinenclosetandahedgehoginthecellar。\"
AndthenwhenyoureadalittlefurtheryouwilldiscoverthattheDoctorisnotmerelyapegonwhomtohangexcitingandvariousadventuresbutthatheishimselfamanoforiginalandlivelycharacter。Heisaverykindly，generousman，andanyonewhohaseverwrittenstorieswillknowthatitismuchmoredifficulttomakekindly，generouscharactersinterestingthanunkindlyandmeanones。ButDolittleisinteresting。Itisnotonlythatheisquaintbutthatheiswiseandknowswhatheisabout。Thereader，howeveryoung，whomeetshimgetsverysoonasensethatifhewereintrouble，notnecessarilymedical，hewouldgotoDolittleandaskhisadviceaboutit。Dolittleseemstoextendhishandfromthepageandgraspthatofhisreader，andIcanseehimgoingdownthecenturiesakindofPiedPiperwiththousandsofchildrenathisheels。Butnotonlyisheadarlingandaliveandcrediblebuthiscreatorhasalsomanagedtoinvesteverybodyelseinthebookwiththesamekindoflife。
Nowthisbusinessofgivinglifetoanimals，makingthemtalkandbehavelikehumanbeings，isanextremelydifficultone。LewisCarrollabsolutelyconqueredthedifficulties，butI
amnotsurethatanyoneafterhimuntilHughLoftinghasreallymanagedthetrick；eveninsuchamasterpieceas\"TheWindintheWillows\"
wearenotquiteconvinced。JohnDolittle’sfriendsareconvincingbecausetheircreatorneverforcesthemtodeserttheirowncharacteristics。Polynesia，forinstance，isnaturalfromfirsttolast。ShereallydoescareabouttheDoctorbutshecaresasabirdwouldcare，havingalwayssomeplacetowhichsheisgoingwhenherbusinesswithherfriendsisover。AndwhenMr。Loftinginventsfantasticanimalshegivesthemakindofcrediblepossibilitywhichisextraordinarilyconvincing。Itwillbeimpossibleforanyonewhohasreadthisbooknottobelieveintheexistenceofthepushmi—pullyu，whowouldbecredibleenoughevenweretherenodrawingofit，butthepictureonpage145
settlesthematterofhistruthonceandforall。
Infactthisbookisaworkofgeniusand，asalwayswithworksofgenius，itisdifficulttoanalyzetheelementsthathavegonetomakeit。Thereispoetryhereandfantasyandhumor，alittlepathosbut，aboveall，anumberofcreationsinwhoseexistenceeverybodymustbelievewhethertheybechildrenoffouroroldmenofninetyorprosperousbankersofforty—five。I
don’tknowhowMr。Loftinghasdoneit；I
don’tsupposethatheknowshimself。Thereitis——thefirstrealchildren’sclassicsince\"Alice。\"
HUGHWALPOLE。
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
IPUDDLEBY
IIANIMALLANGUAGE
IIIMOREMONEYTROUBLES
IVAMESSAGEFROMAFRICA
VTHEGREATJOURNEY
VIPOLYNESIAANDTHEKING
VIITHEBRIDGEOFAPES
VIIITHELEADEROFTHELIONS
IXTHEMONKEYSCOUNCIL
XTHERARESTANIMALOFALL
XITHEBLACKPRINCE
XIIMEDICINEANDMAGIC
XIIIREDSAILSANDBLUEWINGS
XIVTHERATSWARNING
XVTHEBARBARYDRAGON
XVITOO—TOO，THELISTENER
XVIITHEOCEANGOSSIPS
XVIIISMELLS
XIXTHEROCK
XXTHEFISHERMAN’STOWN
XXIHOMEAGAIN
THESTORYOFDOCTORDOLITTLE
THESTORYOF
DOCTORDOLITTLE
THEFIRSTCHAPTER
PUDDLEBY
ONCEuponatime，manyyearsagowhenourgrandfatherswerelittlechildren——therewasadoctor；andhisnamewasDolittle——
JohnDolittle，M。D。\"M。D。\"meansthathewasaproperdoctorandknewawholelot。
Helivedinalittletowncalled，Puddleby—
on—the—Marsh。Allthefolks，youngandold，knewhimwellbysight。Andwheneverhewalkeddownthestreetinhishighhateveryonewouldsay，\"TheregoestheDoctor!——He’sacleverman。\"Andthedogsandthechildrenwouldallrunupandfollowbehindhim；andeventhecrowsthatlivedinthechurch—towerwouldcawandnodtheirheads。
Thehousehelivedin，ontheedgeofthetown，wasquitesmall；buthisgardenwasverylargeandhadawidelawnandstoneseatsandweeping—willowshangingover。Hissister，SarahDolittle，washousekeeperforhim；buttheDoctorlookedafterthegardenhimself。
Hewasveryfondofanimalsandkeptmanykindsofpets。Besidesthegold—fishinthepondatthebottomofhisgarden，hehadrabbitsinthepantry，whitemiceinhispiano，asquirrelinthelinenclosetandahedgehoginthecellar。
Hehadacowwithacalftoo，andanoldlamehorse—twenty—fiveyearsofage——andchickens，andpigeons，andtwolambs，andmanyotheranimals。ButhisfavoritepetswereDab—Dabtheduck，Jipthedog，Gub—Gubthebabypig，Polynesiatheparrot，andtheowlToo—Too。
Hissisterusedtogrumbleaboutalltheseanimalsandsaidtheymadethehouseuntidy。
AndonedaywhenanoldladywithrheumatismcametoseetheDoctor，shesatonthehedgehogwhowassleepingonthesofaandnevercametoseehimanymore，butdroveeverySaturdayallthewaytoOxenthorpe，anothertowntenmilesoff，toseeadifferentdoctor。
Thenhissister，SarahDolittle，cametohimandsaid，\"John，howcanyouexpectsickpeopletocomeandseeyouwhenyoukeepalltheseanimalsinthehouse？It’safinedoctorwouldhavehisparlorfullofhedgehogsandmice!That’sthefourthpersonagetheseanimalshavedrivenaway。SquireJenkinsandtheParsonsaytheywouldn’tcomenearyourhouseagain——nomatterhowsicktheyare。Wearegettingpoorereveryday。Ifyougoonlikethis，noneofthebestpeoplewillhaveyouforadoctor。\"
\"ButIliketheanimalsbetterthanthe`bestpeople’，\"saidtheDoctor。
\"Youareridiculous，\"saidhissister，andwalkedoutoftheroom。
So，astimewenton，theDoctorgotmoreandmoreanimals；andthepeoplewhocametoseehimgotlessandless。Tillatlasthehadnooneleft——excepttheCat’s—meat—Man，whodidn’tmindanykindofanimals。ButtheCat’s—meatManwasn’tveryrichandheonlygotsickonceayear——atChristmas—time，whenheusedtogivetheDoctorsixpenceforabottleofmedicine。
Sixpenceayearwasn’tenoughtoliveon——
eveninthosedays，longago；andiftheDoctorhadn’thadsomemoneysavedupinhismoney—
box，nooneknowswhatwouldhavehappened。
Andhekeptongettingstillmorepets；andofcourseitcostalottofeedthem。Andthemoneyhehadsavedupgrewlittlerandlittler。
Thenhesoldhispiano，andletthemiceliveinabureau—drawer。Butthemoneyhegotforthattoobegantogo，sohesoldthebrownsuitheworeonSundaysandwentonbecomingpoorerandpoorer。
Andnow，whenhewalkeddownthestreetinhishighhat，peoplewouldsaytooneanother，\"TheregoesJohnDolittle，M。D。!TherewasatimewhenhewasthebestknowndoctorintheWestCountry——Lookathimnow——Hehasn’tanymoneyandhisstockingsarefullofholes!\"
Butthedogsandthecatsandthechildrenstillranupandfollowedhimthroughthetown——thesameastheyhaddonewhenhewasrich。
THESECONDCHAPTER
ANIMALLANGUAGE
IThappenedonedaythattheDoctorwassittinginhiskitchentalkingwiththeCat’s—meat—Manwhohadcometoseehimwithastomach—ache。
\"Whydon’tyougiveupbeingapeople’sdoctor，andbeananimal—doctor？\"
askedtheCat’s—meat—Man。
Theparrot，Polynesia，wassittinginthewindowlookingoutattherainandsingingasailor—songtoherself。
Shestoppedsingingandstartedtolisten。
\"Yousee，Doctor，\"theCat’s—meat—Manwenton，\"youknowallaboutanimals——muchmorethanwhattheseherevetsdo。Thatbookyouwrote——aboutcats，why，it’swonderful!Ican’treadorwritemyself——ormaybe_I_’Dwritesomebooks。Butmywife，Theodosia，she’sascholar，sheis。Andshereadyourbooktome。Well，it’swonderful——that’sallcanbesaid——wonderful。
Youmighthavebeenacatyourself。Youknowthewaytheythink。Andlisten：youcanmakealotofmoneydoctoringanimals。Doyouknowthat？Yousee，I’dsendalltheoldwomenwhohadsickcatsordogstoyou。Andiftheydidn’tgetsickfastenough，IcouldputsomethinginthemeatIsell’emtomake’emsick，see？\"
\"Oh，no，\"saidtheDoctorquickly。\"Youmustn’tdothat。Thatwouldn’tberight。\"
\"Oh，Ididn’tmeanrealsick，\"answeredtheCat’s—meat—Man。\"Justalittlesomethingtomakethemdroopy—likewaswhatIhadreferenceto。Butasyousay，maybeitain’tquitefairontheanimals。Butthey’llgetsickanyway，becausetheoldwomenalwaysgive’emtoomuchtoeat。Andlook，allthefarmers’roundaboutwhohadlamehorsesandweaklambs——
they’dcome。Beananimal—doctor。\"
WhentheCat’s—meat—ManhadgonetheparrotflewoffthewindowontotheDoctor’stableandsaid，\"Thatman’sgotsense。That’swhatyououghttodo。Beananimal—doctor。Givethesillypeopleup——iftheyhaven’tbrainsenoughtoseeyou’rethebestdoctorintheworld。Takecareofanimalsinstead——THEY’llsoonfinditout。
Beananimal—doctor。\"
\"Oh，thereareplentyofanimal—doctors，\"saidJohnDolittle，puttingtheflower—potsoutsideonthewindow—silltogettherain。
\"Yes，thereAREplenty，\"saidPolynesia。\"Butnoneofthemareanygoodatall。Nowlisten，Doctor，andI’lltellyousomething。Didyouknowthatanimalscantalk？\"
\"Iknewthatparrotscantalk，\"saidtheDoctor。
\"Oh，weparrotscantalkintwolanguages——
people’slanguageandbird—language，\"saidPolynesiaproudly。\"IfIsay，`Pollywantsacracker，’youunderstandme。Buthearthis：
Ka—kaoi—ee，fee—fee？\"
\"GoodGracious!\"criedtheDoctor。\"Whatdoesthatmean？\"
\"Thatmeans，`Istheporridgehotyet？’——inbird—language。\"
\"My!Youdon’tsayso!\"saidtheDoctor。
\"Younevertalkedthatwaytomebefore。\"
\"Whatwouldhavebeenthegood？\"saidPolynesia，dustingsomecracker—crumbsoffherleftwing。\"Youwouldn’thaveunderstoodmeifIhad。\"
\"Tellmesomemore，\"saidtheDoctor，allexcited；andherushedovertothedresser—drawerandcamebackwiththebutcher’sbookandapencil。\"Nowdon’tgotoofast——andI’llwriteitdown。Thisisinteresting——veryinteresting——somethingquitenew。GivemetheBirds’
A。B。C。first——slowlynow。\"
SothatwasthewaytheDoctorcametoknowthatanimalshadalanguageoftheirownandcouldtalktooneanother。Andallthatafternoon，whileitwasraining，Polynesiasatonthekitchentablegivinghimbirdwordstoputdowninthebook。
Attea—time，whenthedog，Jip，camein，theparrotsaidtotheDoctor，\"See，HE’Stalkingtoyou。\"
\"Lookstomeasthoughhewerescratchinghisear，\"saidtheDoctor。
\"Butanimalsdon’talwaysspeakwiththeirmouths，\"saidtheparrotinahighvoice，raisinghereyebrows。\"Theytalkwiththeirears，withtheirfeet，withtheirtails——witheverything。
Sometimestheydon’tWANTtomakeanoise。Doyouseenowthewayhe’stwitchinguponesideofhisnose？\"
\"What’sthatmean？\"askedtheDoctor。
\"Thatmeans，`Can’tyouseethatithasstoppedraining？’\"Polynesiaanswered。\"Heisaskingyouaquestion。Dogsnearlyalwaysusetheirnosesforaskingquestions。\"
Afterawhile，withtheparrot’shelp，theDoctorgottolearnthelanguageoftheanimalssowellthathecouldtalktothemhimselfandunderstandeverythingtheysaid。Thenhegaveupbeingapeople’sdoctoraltogether。
AssoonastheCat’s—meat—ManhadtoldeveryonethatJohnDolittlewasgoingtobecomeananimal—doctor，oldladiesbegantobringhimtheirpetpugsandpoodleswhohadeatentoomuchcake；andfarmerscamemanymilestoshowhimsickcowsandsheep。
Onedayaplow—horsewasbroughttohim；
andthepoorthingwasterriblygladtofindamanwhocouldtalkinhorse—language。
\"Youknow，Doctor，\"saidthehorse，\"thatvetoverthehillknowsnothingatall。Hehasbeentreatingmesixweeksnow——forspavins。
WhatIneedisSPECTACLES。Iamgoingblindinoneeye。There’snoreasonwhyhorsesshouldn’twearglasses，thesameaspeople。Butthatstupidmanoverthehillneverevenlookedatmyeyes。Hekeptongivingmebigpills。
Itriedtotellhim；buthecouldn’tunderstandawordofhorse—language。WhatIneedisspectacles。\"
\"Ofcourse——ofcourse，\"saidtheDoctor。
\"I’llgetyousomeatonce。\"
\"Iwouldlikeapairlikeyours，\"saidthehorse——\"onlygreen。They’llkeepthesunoutofmyeyeswhileI’mplowingtheFifty—AcreField。\"
\"Certainly，\"saidtheDoctor。\"Greenonesyoushallhave。\"
\"Youknow，thetroubleis，Sir，\"saidtheplow—horseastheDoctoropenedthefrontdoortolethimout——\"thetroubleisthatANYBODY
thinkshecandoctoranimals——justbecausetheanimalsdon’tcomplain。Asamatteroffactittakesamuchcleverermantobeareallygoodanimal—doctorthanitdoestobeagoodpeople’sdoctor。Myfarmer’sboythinksheknowsallabouthorses。Iwishyoucouldseehim——hisfaceissofathelooksasthoughhehadnoeyes——andhehasgotasmuchbrainasapotato—bug。
Hetriedtoputamustard—plasteronmelastweek。\"
\"Wheredidheputit？\"askedtheDoctor。
\"Oh，hedidn’tputitanywhere——onme，\"saidthehorse。\"Heonlytriedto。Ikickedhimintotheduck—pond。\"
\"Well，well!\"saidtheDoctor。
\"I’maprettyquietcreatureasarule，\"saidthehorse——\"verypatientwithpeople——don’tmakemuchfuss。Butitwasbadenoughtohavethatvetgivingmethewrongmedicine。
Andwhenthatred—facedboobystartedtomonkeywithme，Ijustcouldn’tbearitanymore。\"
\"Didyouhurttheboymuch？\"askedtheDoctor。
\"Oh，no，\"saidthehorse。\"Ikickedhimintherightplace。Thevet’slookingafterhimnow。Whenwillmyglassesbeready？\"
\"I’llhavethemforyounextweek，\"saidtheDoctor。\"ComeinagainTuesday——Goodmorning!\"
ThenJohnDolittlegotafine，bigpairofgreenspectacles；andtheplow—horsestoppedgoingblindinoneeyeandcouldseeaswellasever。
Andsoonitbecameacommonsighttoseefarm—animalswearingglassesinthecountryroundPuddleby；andablindhorsewasathingunknown。
Andsoitwaswithalltheotheranimalsthatwerebroughttohim。Assoonastheyfoundthathecouldtalktheirlanguage，theytoldhimwherethepainwasandhowtheyfelt，andofcourseitwaseasyforhimtocurethem。
NowalltheseanimalswentbackandtoldtheirbrothersandfriendsthattherewasadoctorinthelittlehousewiththebiggardenwhoreallyWASadoctor。Andwheneveranycreaturesgotsick——notonlyhorsesandcowsanddogs——butallthelittlethingsofthefields，likeharvest—miceandwater—voles，badgersandbats，theycameatoncetohishouseontheedgeofthetown，sothathisbiggardenwasnearlyalwayscrowdedwithanimalstryingtogetintoseehim。
Thereweresomanythatcamethathehadtohavespecialdoorsmadeforthedifferentkinds。
Hewrote\"HORSES\"overthefrontdoor，\"COWS\"overthesidedoor，and\"SHEEP\"onthekitchendoor。Eachkindofanimalhadaseparatedoor——eventhemicehadatinytunnelmadeforthemintothecellar，wheretheywaitedpatientlyinrowsfortheDoctortocomeroundtothem。
Andso，inafewyears’time，everylivingthingformilesandmilesgottoknowaboutJohnDolittle，M。D。AndthebirdswhoflewtoothercountriesinthewintertoldtheanimalsinforeignlandsofthewonderfuldoctorofPuddleby—on—the—Marsh，whocouldunderstandtheirtalkandhelpthemintheirtroubles。
Inthiswayhebecamefamousamongtheanimals——
allovertheworld——betterknowneventhanhehadbeenamongthefolksoftheWestCountry。Andhewashappyandlikedhislifeverymuch。
OneafternoonwhentheDoctorwasbusywritinginabook，Polynesiasatinthewindow——
asshenearlyalwaysdid——lookingoutattheleavesblowingaboutinthegarden。
Presentlyshelaughedaloud。
\"Whatisit，Polynesia？\"askedtheDoctor，lookingupfromhisbook。
\"Iwasjustthinking，\"saidtheparrot；andshewentonlookingattheleaves。
\"Whatwereyouthinking？\"
\"Iwasthinkingaboutpeople，\"saidPolynesia。
\"Peoplemakemesick。Theythinkthey’resowonderful。Theworldhasbeengoingonnowforthousandsofyears，hasn’tit？Andtheonlythinginanimal—languagethatPEOPLEhavelearnedtounderstandisthatwhenadogwagshistailhemeans`I’mglad!’——It’sfunny，isn’tit？Youaretheveryfirstmantotalklikeus。
Oh，sometimespeopleannoymedreadfully——
suchairstheyputon——talkingabout`thedumbanimals。’DUMB!——Huh!WhyIknewamacawoncewhocouldsay`Goodmorning!’insevendifferentwayswithoutonceopeninghismouth。Hecouldtalkeverylanguage——andGreek。Anoldprofessorwithagraybeardboughthim。Buthedidn’tstay。Hesaidtheoldmandidn’ttalkGreekright，andhecouldn’tstandlisteningtohimteachthelanguagewrong。
Ioftenwonderwhat’sbecomeofhim。Thatbirdknewmoregeographythanpeoplewilleverknow。——PEOPLE，Golly!Isupposeifpeopleeverlearntofly——likeanycommonhedge—
sparrow——weshallneverheartheendofit!\"
\"You’reawiseoldbird，\"saidtheDoctor。
\"Howoldareyoureally？Iknowthatparrotsandelephantssometimeslivetobevery，veryold。\"
\"Icanneverbequitesureofmyage，\"saidPolynesia。\"It’seitherahundredandeighty—
threeorahundredandeighty—two。ButI
knowthatwhenIfirstcameherefromAfrica，KingCharleswasstillhidingintheoak—tree——
becauseIsawhim。Helookedscaredtodeath。\"
THETHIRDCHAPTER
MOREMONEYTROUBLES
ANDsoonnowtheDoctorbegantomakemoneyagain；andhissister，Sarah，boughtanewdressandwashappy。SomeoftheanimalswhocametoseehimweresosickthattheyhadtostayattheDoctor’shouseforaweek。Andwhentheyweregettingbettertheyusedtositinchairsonthelawn。
Andoftenevenaftertheygotwell，theydidnotwanttogoaway——theylikedtheDoctorandhishousesomuch。Andheneverhadthehearttorefusethemwhentheyaskediftheycouldstaywithhim。Sointhiswayhewentongettingmoreandmorepets。
Oncewhenhewassittingonhisgardenwall，smokingapipeintheevening，anItalianorgan—
grindercameroundwithamonkeyonastring。
TheDoctorsawatoncethatthemonkey’scollarwastootightandthathewasdirtyandunhappy。SohetookthemonkeyawayfromtheItalian，gavethemanashillingandtoldhimtogo。Theorgan—grindergotawfullyangryandsaidthathewantedtokeepthemonkey。
ButtheDoctortoldhimthatifhedidn’tgoawayhewouldpunchhimonthenose。JohnDolittlewasastrongman，thoughhewasn’tverytall。SotheItalianwentawaysayingrudethingsandthemonkeystayedwithDoctorDolittleandhadagoodhome。Theotheranimalsinthehousecalledhim\"Chee—Chee\"——
whichisacommonwordinmonkey—language，meaning\"ginger。\"
Andanothertime，whenthecircuscametoPuddleby，thecrocodilewhohadabadtooth—
acheescapedatnightandcameintotheDoctor’sgarden。TheDoctortalkedtohimincrocodile—languageandtookhimintothehouseandmadehistoothbetter。Butwhenthecrocodilesawwhatanicehouseitwas——withallthedifferentplacesforthedifferentkindsofanimals——hetoowantedtolivewiththeDoctor。
Heaskedcouldn’thesleepinthefish—pondatthebottomofthegarden，ifhepromisednottoeatthefish。Whenthecircus—mencametotakehimbackhegotsowildandsavagethathefrightenedthemaway。Buttoeveryoneinthehousehewasalwaysasgentleasakitten。
Butnowtheoldladiesgrewafraidtosendtheirlap—dogstoDoctorDolittlebecauseofthecrocodile；andthefarmerswouldn’tbelievethathewouldnoteatthelambsandsickcalvestheybroughttobecured。SotheDoctorwenttothecrocodileandtoldhimhemustgobacktohiscircus。Butheweptsuchbigtears，andbeggedsohardtobeallowedtostay，thattheDoctorhadn’tthehearttoturnhimout。
SothentheDoctor’ssistercametohimandsaid，\"John，youmustsendthatcreatureaway。
Nowthefarmersandtheoldladiesareafraidtosendtheiranimalstoyou——justaswewerebeginningtobewelloffagain。Nowweshallberuinedentirely。Thisisthelaststraw。I
willnolongerbehousekeeperforyouifyoudon’tsendawaythatalligator。\"
\"Itisn’tanalligator，\"saidtheDoctor——\"it’sacrocodile。\"
\"Idon’tcarewhatyoucallit，\"saidhissister。
\"It’sanastythingtofindunderthebed。I
won’thaveitinthehouse。\"
\"Buthehaspromisedme，\"theDoctoranswered，\"thathewillnotbiteanyone。Hedoesn’tlikethecircus；andIhaven’tthemoneytosendhimbacktoAfricawherehecomesfrom。Hemindshisownbusinessandonthewholeisverywellbehaved。Don’tbesofussy。\"
\"ItellyouIWILLNOThavehimaround，\"saidSarah。\"Heeatsthelinoleum。Ifyoudon’tsendhimawaythisminuteI’ll——I’llgoandgetmarried!\"
\"Allright，\"saidtheDoctor，\"goandgetmarried。Itcan’tbehelped。\"Andhetookdownhishatandwentoutintothegarden。
SoSarahDolittlepackedupherthingsandwentoff；andtheDoctorwasleftallalonewithhisanimalfamily。
Andverysoonhewaspoorerthanhehadeverbeenbefore。Withallthesemouthstofill，andthehousetolookafter，andnoonetodothemending，andnomoneycomingintopaythebutcher’sbill，thingsbegantolookverydifficult。ButtheDoctordidn’tworryatall。
\"Moneyisanuisance，\"heusedtosay。
\"We’dallbemuchbetteroffifithadneverbeeninvented。Whatdoesmoneymatter，solongaswearehappy？\"
Butsoontheanimalsthemselvesbegantogetworried。AndoneeveningwhentheDoctorwasasleepinhischairbeforethekitchen—firetheybegantalkingitoveramongthemselvesinwhispers。Andtheowl，Too—Too，whowasgoodatarithmetic，figureditoutthattherewasonlymoneyenoughlefttolastanotherweek——
iftheyeachhadonemealadayandnomore。
Thentheparrotsaid，\"Ithinkwealloughttodothehouseworkourselves。Atleastwecandothatmuch。Afterall，itisforoursakesthattheoldmanfindshimselfsolonelyandsopoor。\"
Soitwasagreedthatthemonkey，Chee—Chee，wastodothecookingandmending；thedogwastosweepthefloors；theduckwastodustandmakethebeds；theowl，Too—Too，wastokeeptheaccounts，andthepigwastodothegardening。TheymadePolynesia，theparrot，housekeeperandlaundress，becauseshewastheoldest。
Ofcourseatfirsttheyallfoundtheirnewjobsveryhardtodo——allexceptChee—Chee，whohadhands，andcoulddothingslikeaman。Buttheysoongotusedtoit；andtheyusedtothinkitgreatfuntowatchJip，thedog，sweepinghistailoverthefloorwitharagtiedontoitforabroom。AfteralittletheygottodotheworksowellthattheDoctorsaidthathehadneverhadhishousekeptsotidyorsocleanbefore。
Inthiswaythingswentalongallrightforawhile；butwithoutmoneytheyfounditveryhard。
Thentheanimalsmadeavegetableandflowerstalloutsidethegarden—gateandsoldradishesandrosestothepeoplethatpassedbyalongtheroad。
Butstilltheydidn’tseemtomakeenoughmoneytopayallthebills——andstilltheDoctorwouldn’tworry。Whentheparrotcametohimandtoldhimthatthefishmongerwouldn’tgivethemanymorefish，hesaid，\"Nevermind。Solongasthehenslayeggsandthecowgivesmilkwecanhaveomelettesandjunket。Andthereareplentyofvegetablesleftinthegarden。TheWinterisstillalongwayoff。Don’tfuss。ThatwasthetroublewithSarah——shewouldfuss。IwonderhowSarah’sgettingon——anexcellentwoman——insomeways——Well，well!\"
Butthesnowcameearlierthanusualthatyear；andalthoughtheoldlamehorsehauledinplentyofwoodfromtheforestoutsidethetown，sotheycouldhaveabigfireinthekitchen，mostofthevegetablesinthegardenweregone，andtherestwerecoveredwithsnow；andmanyoftheanimalswerereallyhungry。
THEFOURTHCHAPTER
AMESSAGEFROMAFRICA
THATWinterwasaverycoldone。AndonenightinDecember，whentheywereallsittingroundthewarmfireinthekitchen，andtheDoctorwasreadingaloudtothemoutofbookshehadwrittenhimselfinanimal—language，theowl，Too—Too，suddenlysaid，\"Sh!What’sthatnoiseoutside？\"
Theyalllistened；andpresentlytheyheardthesoundofsomeonerunning。Thenthedoorflewopenandthemonkey，Chee—Chee，ranin，badlyoutofbreath。
\"Doctor!\"hecried，\"I’vejusthadamessagefromacousinofmineinAfrica。Thereisaterriblesicknessamongthemonkeysoutthere。
Theyareallcatchingit——andtheyaredyinginhundreds。Theyhaveheardofyou，andbegyoutocometoAfricatostopthesickness。\"
\"Whobroughtthemessage？\"askedtheDoctor，takingoffhisspectaclesandlayingdownhisbook。
\"Aswallow，\"saidChee—Chee。\"Sheisoutsideontherain—butt。\"
\"Bringherinbythefire，\"saidtheDoctor。
\"Shemustbeperishedwiththecold。TheswallowsflewSouthsixweeksago!\"
Sotheswallowwasbroughtin，allhuddledandshivering；andalthoughshewasalittleafraidatfirst，shesoongotwarmedupandsatontheedgeofthemantelpieceandbegantotalk。
WhenshehadfinishedtheDoctorsaid，\"IwouldgladlygotoAfrica——especiallyinthisbitterweather。ButI’mafraidwehaven’tmoneyenoughtobuythetickets。Getmethemoney—box，Chee—Chee。\"
Sothemonkeyclimbedupandgotitoffthetopshelfofthedresser。
Therewasnothinginit——notonesinglepenny!
\"Ifeltsuretherewastwopenceleft，\"saidtheDoctor。
\"ThereWAS，\"saidtheowl。\"Butyouspentitonarattleforthatbadger’sbabywhenhewasteething。\"
\"DidI？\"saidtheDoctor——\"dearme，dearme!Whatanuisancemoneyis，tobesure!
Well，nevermind。PerhapsifIgodowntotheseasideIshallbeabletoborrowaboatthatwilltakeustoAfrica。Iknewaseamanoncewhobroughthisbabytomewithmeasles。
Maybehe’lllendushisboat——thebabygotwell。\"
SoearlythenextmorningtheDoctorwentdowntotheseashore。Andwhenhecamebackhetoldtheanimalsitwasallright——thesailorwasgoingtolendthemtheboat。
Thenthecrocodileandthemonkeyandtheparrotwereverygladandbegantosing，becausetheyweregoingbacktoAfrica，theirrealhome。AndtheDoctorsaid，\"Ishallonlybeabletotakeyouthree——withJipthedog，Dab—Dabtheduck，Gub—Gubthepigandtheowl，Too—Too。Therestoftheanimals，likethedormiceandthewater—volesandthebats，theywillhavetogobackandliveinthefieldswheretheywereborntillwecomehomeagain。ButasmostofthemsleepthroughtheWinter，theywon’tmindthat——andbesides，itwouldn’tbegoodforthemtogotoAfrica。\"
Sothentheparrot，whohadbeenonlongsea—
voyagesbefore，begantellingtheDoctorallthethingshewouldhavetotakewithhimontheship。
\"Youmusthaveplentyofpilot—bread，\"shesaid——\"`hardtack’theycallit。Andyoumusthavebeefincans——andananchor。\"
\"Iexpecttheshipwillhaveitsownanchor，\"
saidtheDoctor。
\"Well，makesure，\"saidPolynesia。\"Becauseit’sveryimportant。Youcan’tstopifyouhaven’tgotananchor。Andyou’llneedabell。\"
\"What’sthatfor？\"askedtheDoctor。
\"Totellthetimeby，\"saidtheparrot。\"Yougoandringiteveryhalf—hourandthenyouknowwhattimeitis。Andbringawholelotofrope——italwayscomesinhandyonvoyages。\"
Thentheybegantowonderwheretheyweregoingtogetthemoneyfromtobuyallthethingstheyneeded。
\"Oh，botherit!Moneyagain，\"criedtheDoctor。\"Goodness!IshallbegladtogettoAfricawherewedon’thavetohaveany!I’llgoandaskthegrocerifhewillwaitforhismoneytillIgetback——No，I’llsendthesailortoaskhim。\"
Sothesailorwenttoseethegrocer。Andpresentlyhecamebackwithallthethingstheywanted。
Thentheanimalspackedup；andaftertheyhadturnedoffthewatersothepipeswouldn’tfreeze，andputuptheshutters，theyclosedthehouseandgavethekeytotheoldhorsewholivedinthestable。AndwhentheyhadseenthattherewasplentyofhayinthelofttolastthehorsethroughtheWinter，theycarriedalltheirluggagedowntotheseashoreandgotontotheboat。
TheCat’s—meat—Manwastheretoseethemoff；andhebroughtalargesuet—puddingasapresentfortheDoctorbecause，hesaidhehadbeentold，youcouldn’tgetsuet—puddingsinforeignparts。
Assoonastheywereontheship，Gub—Gub，thepig，askedwherethebedswere，foritwasfouro’clockintheafternoonandhewantedhisnap。SoPolynesiatookhimdownstairsintotheinsideoftheshipandshowedhimthebeds，setallontopofoneanotherlikebook—shelvesagainstawall。
\"Why，thatisn’tabed!\"criedGub—Gub。
\"That’sashelf!\"
\"Bedsarealwayslikethatonships，\"saidtheparrot。\"Itisn’tashelf。Climbupintoitandgotosleep。That’swhatyoucall`abunk。’\"
\"Idon’tthinkI’llgotobedyet，\"saidGub—
Gub。\"I’mtooexcited。Iwanttogoupstairsagainandseethemstart。\"
\"Well，thisisyourfirsttrip，\"saidPolynesia。
\"Youwillgetusedtothelifeafterawhile。\"
Andshewentbackupthestairsoftheship，hummingthissongtoherself，I’veseentheBlackSeaandtheRedSea；
IroundedtheIsleofWight；
IdiscoveredtheYellowRiver，AndtheOrangetoobynight。
NowGreenlanddropsbehindagain，AndIsailtheoceanBlue。
I’mtiredofallthesecolors，Jane，SoI’mcomingbacktoyou。
Theywerejustgoingtostartontheirjourney，whentheDoctorsaidhewouldhavetogobackandaskthesailorthewaytoAfrica。
Buttheswallowsaidshehadbeentothatcountrymanytimesandwouldshowthemhowtogetthere。
SotheDoctortoldChee—Cheetopulluptheanchorandthevoyagebegan。
THEFIFTHCHAPTER
THEGREATJOURNEY
NOWforsixwholeweekstheywentsailingonandon，overtherollingsea，followingtheswallowwhoflewbeforetheshiptoshowthemtheway。Atnightshecarriedatinylantern，sotheyshouldnotmissherinthedark；
andthepeopleontheothershipsthatpassedsaidthatthelightmustbeashootingstar。
AstheysailedfurtherandfurtherintotheSouth，itgotwarmerandwarmer。Polynesia，Chee—Cheeandthecrocodileenjoyedthehotsunnoend。TheyranaboutlaughingandlookingoverthesideoftheshiptoseeiftheycouldseeAfricayet。
Butthepigandthedogandtheowl，Too—
Too，coulddonothinginsuchweather，butsatattheendoftheshipintheshadeofabigbarrel，withtheirtongueshangingout，drinkinglemonade。
Dab—Dab，theduck，usedtokeepherselfcoolbyjumpingintotheseaandswimmingbehindtheship。Andeveryonceinawhile，whenthetopofherheadgottoohot，shewoulddiveundertheshipandcomeupontheotherside。
Inthisway，too，sheusedtocatchherringsonTuesdaysandFridays——wheneverybodyontheboatatefishtomakethebeeflastlonger。
WhentheygotneartotheEquatortheysawsomeflying—fishescomingtowardsthem。AndthefishesaskedtheparrotifthiswasDoctorDolittle’sship。Whenshetoldthemitwas，theysaidtheywereglad，becausethemonkeysinAfricaweregettingworriedthathewouldnevercome。Polynesiaaskedthemhowmanymilestheyhadyettogo；andtheflying—fishessaiditwasonlyfifty—fivemilesnowtothecoastofAfrica。
Andanothertimeawholeschoolofporpoisescamedancingthroughthewaves；andtheytooaskedPolynesiaifthiswastheshipofthefa—
mousdoctor。Andwhentheyheardthatitwas，theyaskedtheparrotiftheDoctorwantedanythingforhisjourney。
AndPolynesiasaid，\"Yes。Wehaverunshortofonions。\"
\"Thereisanislandnotfarfromhere，\"saidtheporpoises，\"wherethewildonionsgrowtallandstrong。Keepstraighton——wewillgetsomeandcatchuptoyou。\"
Sotheporpoisesdashedawaythroughthesea。Andverysoontheparrotsawthemagain，comingupbehind，draggingtheonionsthroughthewavesinbignetsmadeofseaweed。
Thenextevening，asthesunwasgoingdowntheDoctorsaid，\"Getmethetelescope，Chee—Chee。Ourjourneyisnearlyended。VerysoonweshouldbeabletoseetheshoresofAfrica。\"
Andabouthalfanhourlater，sureenough，theythoughttheycouldseesomethinginfrontthatmightbeland。Butitbegantogetdarkeranddarkerandtheycouldn’tbesure。
Thenagreatstormcameup，withthunderandlightning。Thewindhowled；theraincamedownintorrents；andthewavesgotsohightheysplashedrightovertheboat。
PresentlytherewasabigBANG!Theshipstoppedandrolledoveronitsside。
\"What’shappened？\"askedtheDoctor，comingupfromdownstairs。
\"I’mnotsure，\"saidtheparrot；\"butIthinkwe’reship—wrecked。Telltheducktogetoutandsee。\"
SoDab—Dabdivedrightdownunderthewaves。Andwhenshecameupshesaidtheyhadstruckarock；therewasabigholeinthebottomoftheship；thewaterwascomingin；
andtheyweresinkingfast。
\"WemusthaverunintoAfrica，\"saidtheDoctor。\"Dearme，dearme!——Well——wemustallswimtoland。\"
ButChee—CheeandGub—Gubdidnotknowhowtoswim。
\"Gettherope!\"saidPolynesia。\"Itoldyouitwouldcomeinhandy。Where’sthatduck？
Comehere，Dab—Dab。Takethisendoftherope，flytotheshoreandtieitontoapalm—
tree；andwe’llholdtheotherendontheshiphere。Thenthosethatcan’tswimmustclimbalongtheropetilltheyreachtheland。That’swhatyoucalla`life—line。’\"
Sotheyallgotsafelytotheshore——someswimming，someflying；andthosethatclimbedalongtheropebroughttheDoctor’strunkandhandbagwiththem。
Buttheshipwasnogoodanymore——withthebigholeinthebottom；andpresentlytheroughseabeatittopiecesontherocksandthetimbersfloatedaway。
Thentheyalltookshelterinanicedrycavetheyfound，highupinthecliffs，tillthestormwasover。
Whenthesuncameoutnextmorningtheywentdowntothesandybeachtodrythemselves。
\"DearoldAfrica!\"sighedPolynesia。\"It’sgoodtogetback。Justthink——it’llbeahundredandsixty—nineyearsto—morrowsinceIwashere!Andithasn’tchangedabit!Sameoldpalm—trees；sameoldredearth；sameoldblackants!There’snoplacelikehome!\"
Andtheothersnoticedshehadtearsinhereyes——
shewassopleasedtoseehercountryonceagain。
ThentheDoctormissedhishighhat；forithadbeenblownintotheseaduringthestorm。
SoDab—Dabwentouttolookforit。Andpresentlyshesawit，alongwayoff，floatingonthewaterlikeatoy—boat。
Whensheflewdowntogetit，shefoundoneofthewhitemice，veryfrightened，sittinginsideit。
\"Whatareyoudoinghere？\"askedtheduck。
\"YouweretoldtostaybehindinPuddleby。\"
\"Ididn’twanttobeleftbehind，\"saidthemouse。\"IwantedtoseewhatAfricawaslike——Ihaverelativesthere。SoIhidinthebaggageandwasbroughtontotheshipwiththehard—tack。WhentheshipsankIwasterriblyfrightened——becauseIcannotswimfar。I
swamaslongasIcould，butIsoongotallexhaustedandthoughtIwasgoingtosink。Andthen，justatthatmoment，theoldman’shatcamefloatingby；andIgotintoitbecauseIdidnotwanttobedrowned。\"
SotheducktookupthehatwiththemouseinitandbroughtittotheDoctorontheshore。
Andtheyallgatheredroundtohavealook。
\"That’swhatyoucalla`stowaway，’\"saidtheparrot。
Presently，whentheywerelookingforaplaceinthetrunkwherethewhitemousecouldtravelcomfortably，themonkey，Chee—Chee，suddenlysaid，\"Sh!Ihearfootstepsinthejungle!\"
Theyallstoppedtalkingandlistened。Andsoonablackmancamedownoutofthewoodsandaskedthemwhattheyweredoingthere。
\"MynameisJohnDolittle——M。D。，\"saidtheDoctor。\"IhavebeenaskedtocometoAfricatocurethemonkeyswhoaresick。\"
\"YoumustallcomebeforetheKing，\"saidtheblackman。
\"Whatking？\"askedtheDoctor，whodidn’twanttowasteanytime。
\"TheKingoftheJolliginki，\"themananswered。\"Alltheselandsbelongtohim；andallstrangersmustbebroughtbeforehim。Followme。\"
Sotheygathereduptheirbaggageandwentoff，followingthemanthroughthejungle。
THESIXTHCHAPTER
POLYNESIAANDTHEKING
WHENtheyhadgonealittlewaythroughthethickforesttheycametoawide，clearspace；andtheysawtheKing’spalacewhichwasmadeofmud。
ThiswaswheretheKinglivedwithhisQueen，Ermintrude，andtheirson，PrinceBumpo。ThePrincewasawayfishingforsalmonintheriver。ButtheKingandQueenweresittingunderanumbrellabeforethepalacedoor。AndQueenErmintrudewasasleep。
WhentheDoctorhadcomeuptothepalacetheKingaskedhimhisbusiness；andtheDoctortoldhimwhyhehadcometoAfrica。
\"Youmaynottravelthroughmylands，\"saidtheKing。\"Manyyearsagoawhitemancametotheseshores；andIwasverykindtohim。
Butafterhehaddugholesinthegroundtogetthegold，andkilledalltheelephantstogettheirivorytusks，hewentawaysecretlyinhisship——
withoutsomuchassaying`Thankyou。’NeveragainshallawhitemantravelthroughthelandsofJolliginki。\"
ThentheKingturnedtosomeoftheblackmenwhowerestandingnearandsaid，\"Takeawaythismedicine—man——withallhisanimals，andlockthemupinmystrongestprison。\"
SosixoftheblackmenledtheDoctorandallhispetsawayandshutthemupinastonedungeon。Thedungeonhadonlyonelittlewindow，highupinthewall，withbarsinit；andthedoorwasstrongandthick。
Thentheyallgrewverysad；andGub—Gub，thepig，begantocry。ButChee—Cheesaidhewouldspankhimifhedidn’tstopthathorriblenoise；andhekeptquiet。
\"Areweallhere？\"askedtheDoctor，afterhehadgotusedtothedimlight。
\"Yes，Ithinkso，\"saidtheduckandstartedtocountthem。
\"Where’sPolynesia？\"askedthecrocodile。
\"Sheisn’there。\"
\"Areyousure？\"saidtheDoctor。\"Lookagain。
Polynesia!Polynesia!Whereareyou？\"
\"Isupposesheescaped，\"grumbledthecrocodile。
\"Well，that’sjustlikeher!——Sneakedoffintothejungleassoonasherfriendsgotintotrouble。\"
\"I’mnotthatkindofabird，\"saidtheparrot，climbingoutofthepocketinthetailoftheDoctor’scoat。\"Yousee，I’msmallenoughtogetthroughthebarsofthatwindow；andIwasafraidtheywouldputmeinacageinstead。
SowhiletheKingwasbusytalking，IhidintheDoctor’spocket——andhereIam!That’swhatyoucalla`ruse，’\"shesaid，smoothingdownherfeatherswithherbeak。
\"GoodGracious!\"criedtheDoctor。
\"You’reluckyIdidn’tsitonyou。\"
\"Nowlisten，\"saidPolynesia，\"to—night，assoonasitgetsdark，Iamgoingtocreepthroughthebarsofthatwindowandflyovertothepalace。Andthen——you’llsee——I’llsoonfindawaytomaketheKingletusalloutofprison。\"
\"Oh，whatcanYOUdo？\"saidGub—Gub，turninguphisnoseandbeginningtocryagain。
\"You’reonlyabird!\"
\"Quitetrue，\"saidtheparrot。\"ButdonotforgetthatalthoughIamonlyabird，ICANTALK
LIKEAMAN——andIknowthesepeople。\"
Sothatnight，whenthemoonwasshiningthroughthepalm—treesandalltheKing’smenwereasleep，theparrotslippedoutthroughthebarsoftheprisonandflewacrosstothepalace。
Thepantrywindowhadbeenbrokenbyatennisballtheweekbefore；andPolynesiapoppedinthroughtheholeintheglass。
SheheardPrinceBumposnoringinhisbed—
roomatthebackofthepalace。Thenshetip—
toedupthestairstillshecametotheKing’sbedroom。Sheopenedthedoorgentlyandpeepedin。
TheQueenwasawayatadancethatnightathercousin’s；buttheKingwasinbedfastasleep。
Polynesiacreptin，verysoftly，andgotunderthebed。
Thenshecoughed——justthewayDoctorDolittleusedtocough。Polynesiacouldmimicanyone。
TheKingopenedhiseyesandsaidsleepily：
\"Isthatyou，Ermintrude？\"（HethoughtitwastheQueencomebackfromthedance。）
Thentheparrotcoughedagain——loud，likeaman。AndtheKingsatup，wideawake，andsaid，\"Who’sthat？\"
\"IamDoctorDolittle，\"saidtheparrot——justthewaytheDoctorwouldhavesaidit。
\"Whatareyoudoinginmybedroom？\"criedtheKing。\"Howdareyougetoutofprison!
Whereareyou？——Idon’tseeyou。\"
Buttheparrotjustlaughed——along，deepjollylaugh，liketheDoctor’s。
\"Stoplaughingandcomehereatonce，soI
canseeyou，\"saidtheKing。
\"FoolishKing!\"answeredPolynesia。\"HaveyouforgottenthatyouaretalkingtoJohnDolittle，M。D。——themostwonderfulmanonearth？
Ofcourseyoucannotseeme。Ihavemademyselfinvisible。ThereisnothingIcannotdo。
Nowlisten：Ihavecomehereto—nighttowarnyou。Ifyoudon’tletmeandmyanimalstravelthroughyourkingdom，Iwillmakeyouandallyourpeoplesicklikethemonkeys。ForIcanmakepeoplewell：andIcanmakepeopleill——
justbyraisingmylittlefinger。Sendyoursoldiersatoncetoopenthedungeondoor，oryoushallhavemumpsbeforethemorningsunhasrisenonthehillsofJolliginki。\"
ThentheKingbegantotrembleandwasverymuchafraid。
\"Doctor，\"hecried，\"itshallbeasyousay。
Donotraiseyourlittlefinger，please!\"Andhejumpedoutofbedandrantotellthesoldierstoopentheprisondoor。
Assoonashewasgone，Polynesiacreptdownstairsandleftthepalacebythepantrywindow。
ButtheQueen，whowasjustlettingherselfinatthebackdoorwithalatch—key，sawthepar—
rotgettingoutthroughthebrokenglass。AndwhentheKingcamebacktobedshetoldhimwhatshehadseen。
ThentheKingunderstoodthathehadbeentricked，andhewasdreadfullyangry。HehurriedbacktotheprisonatonceButhewastoolate。Thedoorstoodopen。
Thedungeonwasempty。TheDoctorandallhisanimalsweregone。
THESEVENTHCHAPTER
THEBRIDGEOFAPES
QUEENERMINTRUDEhadneverinherlifeseenherhusbandsoterribleashegotthatnight。Hegnashedhisteethwithrage。Hecalledeverybodyafool。Hethrewhistooth—brushatthepalacecat。Herushedroundinhisnight—shirtandwokeupallhisarmyandsentthemintothejungletocatchtheDoctor。
Thenhemadeallhisservantsgotoo——hiscooksandhisgardenersandhisbarberandPrinceBumpo’stutor——eventheQueen，whowastiredfromdancinginapairoftightshoes，waspackedofftohelpthesoldiersintheirsearch。
AllthistimetheDoctorandhisanimalswererunningthroughtheforesttowardstheLandoftheMonkeysasfastastheycouldgo。
Gub—Gub，withhisshortlegs，soongottired；
andtheDoctorhadtocarryhim——whichmadeitprettyhardwhentheyhadthetrunkandthehand—bagwiththemaswell。
TheKingoftheJolliginkithoughtitwouldbeeasyforhisarmytofindthem，becausetheDoctorwasinastrangelandandwouldnotknowhisway。Buthewaswrong；becausethemonkey，Chee—Chee，knewallthepathsthroughthejungle——bettereventhantheKing’smendid。AndheledtheDoctorandhispetstotheverythickestpartoftheforest——aplacewherenomanhadeverbeenbefore——andhidthemallinabighollowtreebetweenhighrocks。
\"Wehadbetterwaithere，\"saidChee—Chee，\"tillthesoldiershavegonebacktobed。ThenwecangoonintotheLandoftheMonkeys。\"
Sotheretheystayedthewholenightthrough。
TheyoftenheardtheKing’smensearchingandtalkinginthejungleroundabout。Buttheywerequitesafe，fornooneknewofthathiding—placebutChee—Chee——noteventheothermonkeys。
Atlast，whendaylightbegantocomethroughthethickleavesoverhead，theyheardQueenErmintrudesayinginaverytiredvoicethatitwasnouselookinganymore——thattheymightaswellgobackandgetsomesleep。
Assoonasthesoldiershadallgonehome，Chee—CheebroughttheDoctorandhisanimalsoutofthehiding—placeandtheysetofffortheLandoftheMonkeys。
Itwasalong，longway；andtheyoftengotverytired——especiallyGub—Gub。Butwhenhecriedtheygavehimmilkoutofthecocoanutswhichhewasveryfondof。
Theyalwayshadplentytoeatanddrink；
becauseChee—CheeandPolynesiaknewallthedifferentkindsoffruitsandvegetablesthatgrowinthejungle，andwheretofindthem——likedatesandfigsandground—nutsandgingerandyams。Theyusedtomaketheirlemonadeoutofthejuiceofwildoranges，sweetenedwithhoneywhichtheygotfromthebees’nestsinhollowtrees。Nomatterwhatitwastheyaskedfor，Chee—CheeandPolynesiaalwaysseemedtobeabletogetitforthem——orsomethinglikeit。
TheyevengottheDoctorsometobaccooneday，whenhehadfinishedwhathehadbroughtwithhimandwantedtosmoke。
Atnighttheysleptintentsmadeofpalm—
leaves，onthick，softbedsofdriedgrass。Andafterawhiletheygotusedtowalkingsuchalotanddidnotgetsotiredandenjoyedthelifeoftravelverymuch。
Buttheywerealwaysgladwhenthenightcameandtheystoppedfortheirresting—time。
ThentheDoctorusedtomakealittlefireofsticks；andaftertheyhadhadtheirsupper，theywouldsitrounditinaring，listeningtoPolynesiasingingsongsaboutthesea，ortoChee—
Cheetellingstoriesofthejungle。
AndmanyofthetalesthatChee—Cheetoldwereveryinteresting。Becausealthoughthemonkeyshadnohistory—booksoftheirownbeforeDoctorDolittlecametowritethemforthem，theyremembereverythingthathappensbytellingstoriestotheirchildren。AndChee—Cheespokeofmanythingshisgrandmotherhadtoldhim——talesoflong，long，longago，beforeNoahandtheFlood——ofthedayswhenmendressedinbear—skinsandlivedinholesintherockandatetheirmuttonraw，becausetheydidnotknowwhatcookingwas——havingneverseenafire。
