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Now； the next thing； I want you to take a pencil and a fresh notebook and
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write down everything I say。 The fidgit has promised to tell me the story of
his life。 I will translate it into English and you put it down in the book。 Are
you ready？〃 Once more the Doctor lowered his ear beneath the level of the
water； and as he began to speak； I started to write。 And this is the story that
the fidgit told us。
THIRTEEN MONTHS IN AN AQUARIUM
〃I was born in the Pacific Ocean； close to the coast of Chile。 I was
one of a family of two…thousand five…hundred and ten。 Soon after our
mother and father left us； we youngsters got scattered。 The family was
broken upby a herd of whales who chased us。 I and my sister； Clippa
（she was my favorite sister） had a very narrow escape for our lives。 As a
rule； whales are not very hard to get away from if you are good at
dodgingif you've only got a quick swerve。 But this one that came after
Clippa and myself was a very mean whale； Every time he lost us under a
stone or something he'd come back and hunt and hunt till he routed us out
into the open again。 I never saw such a nasty； persevering brute。
〃Well； we shook him at lastthough not before he had worried us for
hundreds of miles northward； up the west coast of South America。 But
luck was against us that day。 While we were resting and trying to get our
breath； another family of fidgits came rushing by； shouting； 'Come on！
Swim for your lives！ The dog…fish are coming！'
〃Now dog…fish are particularly fond of fidgits。 We are； you might say；
their favorite foodand for that reason we always keep away from deep；
muddy waters。 What's more； dog…fish are not easy to escape from； they are
terribly fast and clever hunters。 So up we had to jump and on again。
〃After we had gone a few more hundred miles we looked back and
saw that the dog…fish were gaining on us。 So we turned into a harbor。 It
happened to be one on the west coast of the United States。 Here we
guessed； and hoped； the dog…fish would not be likely to follow us。 As it
happened； they didn't even see us turn in； but dashed on northward and we
never saw them again。 I hope they froze to death in the Arctic Seas。
〃But； as I said； luck was against us that day。 While I and my sister
were cruising gently round the ships anchored in the harbor looking for
orange…peels； a great delicacy with us…SWOOP！ BANG！ we were
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THE VOYAGES OF DOCTOR DOOLITTLE
caught in a net。
〃We struggled for all we were worth； but it was no use。 The net was
small…meshed and strongly made。 Kicking and flipping we were hauled up
the side of the ship and dumped down on the deck； high and dry in a
blazing noon…day sun。
〃Here a couple of old men in whiskers and spectacles leant over us；
making strange sounds。 Some codling had got caught in the net the same
time as we were。 These the old men threw back into the sea； but us they
seemed to think very precious。 They put us carefully into a large jar and
after they had taken us on shore they went to a big house and changed us
from the jar into glass boxes full of water。 This house was on the edge of
the harbor； and a small stream of sea…water was made to flow through the
glass tank so we could breathe properly。 Of course we had never lived
inside glass walls before； and at first we kept on trying to swim through
them and got our noses awfully sore bumping the glass at full speed。
〃Then followed weeks and weeks of weary idleness。 They treated us
well； so far as they knew how。 The old fellows in spectacles came and
looked at us proudly twice a day and saw that we had the proper food to
eat； the right amount of light and that the water was not too hot or too cold。
But oh； the dullness of that life！ It seemed we were a kind of a show。 At a
certain hour every morning the big doors of the house were thrown open
and everybody in the city who had nothing special to do came in and
looked at us。 There were other tanks filled with different kinds of fishes all
round the walls of the big room。 And the crowds would go from tank to
tank； looking in at us through the glasswith their mouths open； like half…
witted flounders。 We got so sick of it that we used to open our mouths
back at them； and this they seemed to think highly comical。
〃One day my sister said to me； 'Think you； Brother； that these strange
creatures who have captured us can talk？'
〃 'Surely；' said I； 'have you not noticed that some talk with the lips only；
some with the whole face； and yet others discourse with the hands？ When
they come quite close to the glass you can hear them。 Listen！'
〃At that moment a female； larger than the rest； pressed her nose up
against the glass； pointed at me and said to her young behind her； 'Oh； look；
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here's a queer one！'
〃And then we noticed that they nearly always said this when they
looked in。 And for a long time we thought that such was the whole extent
of the language； this being a people of but few ideas。 To help pass away
the weary hours we learned it by heart； 'Oh； look； here's a queer one！' But
we never got to know what it meant。 Other phrases； however； we did get
the meaning of； and we even learned to read a little in man…talk。 Many big
signs there were； set up upon the walls； and when we saw that the keepers
stopped the people from spitting and smoking； pointed to these signs
angrily and read them out loud； we knew then that these writings signified；
No Smoking and Don't Spit。 〃Then in the evenings； after the crowd had
gone； the same aged male with one leg of wood； swept up the peanut…
shells with a broom every night。 And while he was so doing he always
whistled the same tune to himself。 This melody we rather liked； and we
learned that too by heart thinking it was part of the language。
〃Thus a whole year went by in this dismal place。 Some days new
fishes were brought in to the other tanks； and other days old fishes were
taken out。 At first we had hoped we would only be kept here for a while