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LONG ARROW； THE SON OF GOLDEN ARROW
WELL； Miranda；〃 said the Doctor。 〃I'm terribly sorry this has
happened。 But you mustn't mind Cheapside； he doesn't know any better。
He's a city bird； and all his life he has had to squabble for a living。 You
must make allowances。 He doesn't know any better。〃
Miranda stretched her gorgeous wings wearily。 Now that I saw her
awake and moving I noticed what a superior； well…bred manner she had。
There were tears in her eyes and her beak was trembling。
〃I wouldn't have minded so much；〃 she said in a high silvery voice； 〃if
I hadn't been so dreadfully worn outThat and something else；〃 she added
beneath her breath。
〃Did you have a hard time getting here？〃 asked the Doctor。
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〃The worst passage I ever made；〃 said Miranda。 〃The weatherWell
there。 What's the use？ I'm here anyway。〃
〃Tell me；〃 said the Doctor as though he had been impatiently waiting
to say something for a long time： 〃what did Long Arrow say when you
gave him my message？〃
The Purple Bird…of…Paradise hung her head。
〃That's the worst part of it；〃 she said。 〃I might almost as well have not
come at all。 I wasn't able to deliver your message。 I couldn't find him。
LONG ARROW； THE SON OF GOLDEN ARROW； HAS
DISAPPEARED！〃
〃Disappeared！〃 cried the Doctor。 〃Why； what's become of him？〃
〃Nobody knows；〃 Miranda answered。 〃He had often disappeared
before； as I have told youso that the Indians didn't know where he was。
But it's a mighty hard thing to hide away from the birds。 I had always been
able to find some owl or martin who could tell me where he wasif I
wanted to know。 But not this time。 That's why I'm nearly a fortnight late in
coming to you： I kept hunting and hunting； asking everywhere。 I went over
the whole length and breadth of South America。 But there wasn't a living
thing could tell me where he was。〃
There was a sad silence in the room after she had finished； the Doctor
was frowning in a peculiar sort of way and Polynesia scratched her head。
〃Did you ask the black parrots？〃 asked Polynesia。 〃They usually know
everything。〃
〃Certainly I did；〃 said Miranda。 〃And I was so upset at not being able
to find out anything； that I forgot all about observing the weather…signs
before I started my flight here。 I didn't even bother to break my journey at
the Azores； but cut right across； making for the Straits of Gibraltar as
though it were June or July。 And of course I ran into a perfectly frightful
storm in mid…Atlantic。 I really thought I'd never come through it。 Luckily I
found a piece of a wrecked vessel floating in the sea after the storm had
partly died down； and I roosted on it and took some sleep。 If I hadn't been
able to take that rest I wouldn't be here to tell the tale。〃
〃Poor Miranda！ What a time you must have had！〃 said the Doctor。
〃But tell me； were you able to find out whereabouts Long Arrow was last
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seen？〃
〃Yes。 A young albatross told me he had seen him on Spidermonkey
Island？〃
〃Spidermonkey Island？ That's somewhere off the coast of Brazil； isn't
it？〃
〃Yes； that's it。 Of course I flew there right away and asked every bird
on the islandand it is a big island； a hundred miles long。 It seems 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 rare
medicine…plants。 I got that from a tame hawk； a pet； which the Chief of the
Indians keeps for hunting partridges with。 I nearly got caught and put in a
cage for my pains too。 That's the worst of having beautiful feathers： it's as
much as your life is worth to go near most humansThey say； 'oh how
pretty！' and shoot an arrow or a bullet into you。 You and Long Arrow were
the only two men that I would ever trust myself nearout of all the people
in the world。〃
〃But was he never known to have returned from the mountains？〃
〃No。 That was the last that was seen or heard of him。 I questioned the
sea…birds around the shores to find out if he had left the island in a canoe。
But they could tell me nothing。〃
〃Do you think that some accident has happened to him？〃 asked the
Doctor in a fearful voice。
〃I'm afraid it must have；〃 said Miranda shaking her head。
〃Well；〃 said John Dolittle slowly； 〃if I could never meet Long Arrow
face to face it would be the greatest disappointment in my whole life。 Not
only that； but it would be a great loss to the knowledge of the human race。
For； from what you have told me of him； he knew more natural science
than all the rest of us put together； and if he has gone without any one to
write it down for him； so the world may be the better for it； it would be a
terrible thing。 But you don't really think that he is dead； do you？〃
〃What else can I think？〃 asked Miranda； bursting into tears； 〃when for
six whole months he has not been seen by flesh； fish or fowl。〃
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THE VOYAGES OF DOCTOR DOOLITTLE
THE ELEVENTH CHAPTER
BLIND TRAVEL
THIS news about Long Arrow made us all very sad。 And I could see
from the silent dreamy way the Doctor took his tea that he was dreadfully
upset。 Every once in a while he would stop eating altogether and sit staring
at the spots on the kitchen table…cloth as though his thoughts were far
away； till Dab…Dab； who was watching to see that he got a good meal；
would cough or rattle the pots in the sink。
I did my best to cheer him up by reminding him of all he had done for
Luke and his wife that afternoon。 And when that didn't seem to work； I
went on talking about our preparations for the voyage。
〃But you see； Stubbins；〃 said he as we rose from the table and Dab…
Dab and Chee…Chee began to clear away； 〃I don't know where to go now。 I
feel sort of lost since Miranda brought me this news。 On this voyage I 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 the
shellfishand perhaps in finding some