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THE VOYAGES OF DOCTOR DOOLITTLE
One day Polynesia and I were talking in the library。 This was a fine
long room with a grand mantlepiece and the walls were covered from the
ceiling to the floor with shelves full of books： books of stories； books on
gardening； books about medicine； books of travel； these I lovedand
especially the Doctor's great atlas with all its maps of the different
countries of the world。
This afternoon Polynesia was showing me the books about animals
which John Dolittle had written himself。
〃My！〃 I said； 〃what a lot of books the Doctor has all the way around
the room！ Goodness！ I wish I could read！ It must be tremendously
interesting。 Can you read； Polynesia？〃
〃Only a little；〃 said she。 〃Be careful how you turn those pages don't
tear them。 No； I really don't get time enough for readingmuch。 That letter
there is a K and this is a B。〃
〃What does this word under the picture mean？〃 I asked。
〃Let me see；〃 she said； and started spelling it out。 〃B…A…B…O…O…N
that's MONKEY。 Reading isn't nearly as hard as it looks； once you know
the letters。〃
〃Polynesia；〃 I said； 〃I want to ask you something very important。〃
〃What is it； my boy？〃 said she； smoothing down the feathers of her
right wing。 Polynesia often spoke to me in a very patronizing way。 But I
did not mind it from her。 After all； she was nearly two hundred years old；
and I was only ten。
〃Listen；〃 I said； 〃my mother doesn't think it is right that I come here
for so many meals。 And I was going to ask you： supposing I did a whole
lot more work for the Doctor why couldn't I come and live here
altogether？ You see； instead of being paid like a regular gardener or
workman； I would get my bed and meals in exchange for the work I did。
What do you think？〃
〃You mean you want to be a proper assistant to the Doctor； is that it？〃
〃Yes。 I suppose that's what you call it；〃 I answered。 〃You know you
said yourself that you thought I could be very useful to him。〃
〃Well〃she thought a moment〃I really don't see why not。 But is this
what you want to be when you grow up； a naturalist？〃
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THE VOYAGES OF DOCTOR DOOLITTLE
〃Yes；〃 I said； 〃I have made up my mind。 I would sooner be a naturalist
than anything else in the world。〃
〃Humph！Let's go and speak to the Doctor about it；〃 said Polynesia。
〃He's in the next roomin the study。 Open the door very gentlyhe may
be working and not want to be disturbed。〃
I opened the door quietly and peeped in。 The first thing I saw was an
enormous black retriever dog sitting in the middle of the hearth…rug with
his ears cocked up； listening to the Doctor who was reading aloud to him
from a letter。
〃What is the Doctor doing？〃 I asked Polynesia in a whisper。
〃Oh； the dog has had a letter from his mistress and he has brought it to
the Doctor to read for him。 That's all。 He belongs to a funny little girl
called Minnie Dooley； who lives on the other side of the town。 She has
pigtails down her back。 She and her brother have gone away to the seaside
for the Summer； and the old retriever is heart…broken while the children
are gone。 So they write letters to himin English of course。 And as the old
dog doesn't understand them； he brings them here； and the Doctor turns
them into dog language for him。 I think Minnie must have written that she
is coming back to judge from the dog's excitement。 Just look at him
carrying on！〃
Indeed the retriever seemed to be suddenly overcome with joy。 As the
Doctor finished the letter the old dog started barking at the top of his voice；
wagging his tail wildly and jumping about the study。 He took the letter in
his mouth and ran out of the room snorting hard and mumbling to himself。
〃He's going down to meet the coach；〃 whispered Polynesia。 〃That
dog's devotion to those children is more than I can understand。 You should
see Minnie！ She's the most conceited little minx that ever walked。 She
squints too。〃
THE TWELFTH CHAPTER
MY GREAT IDEA
PRESENTLY the Doctor looked up and saw us at the door。
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THE VOYAGES OF DOCTOR DOOLITTLE
〃Ohcome in； Stubbins；〃 said he； 〃did you wish to speak to me？ Come
in and take a chair。〃
〃Doctor；〃 I said； 〃I want to be a naturalistlike you when I grow up。〃
〃Oh you do； do you？〃 murmured the Doctor。 〃Humph！Well！Dear
me！ You don't say！Well； well！ Have； you erhave you spoken to your
mother and father about it？〃
〃No； not yet；〃 I said。 〃I want you to speak to them for me。 You would
do it better。 I want to be your helperyour assistant； if you'll have me。 Last
night my mother was saying that she didn't consider it right for me to
come here so often for meals。 And I've been thinking about it a good deal
since。 Couldn't we make some arrangementcouldn't I work for my meals
and sleep here？〃
〃But my dear Stubbins；〃 said the Doctor； laughing； 〃you are quite
welcome to come here for three meals a day all the year round。 I'm only
too glad to have you。 Besides； you do do a lot of work； as it is。 I've often
felt that I ought to pay you for what you do But what arrangement was it
that you thought of？〃
〃Well； I thought；〃 said I； 〃that perhaps you would come and see my
mother and father and tell them that if they let me live here with you and
work hard； that you will teach me to read and write。 You see my mother is
awfully anxious to have me learn reading and writing。 And besides； I
couldn't be a proper naturalist without； could I？〃
〃Oh； I don't know so much about that；〃 said the Doctor。 〃It is nice； I
admit； to be able to read and write。 But naturalists are not all alike； you
know。 For example： this young fellow Charles Darwin that people are
talking about so much nowhe's a Cambridge graduatereads and writes
very well。 And then Cuvierhe used to be a tutor。 But listen； the greatest
naturalist of them all doesn't even know how to write his own name nor to
read the A B C。〃
〃Who is he？〃 I asked。
〃He is a mysterious person；〃 said the Doctor〃a very mysterious
person。 His name is Long Arrow； the s