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。