Title:DoctorDolittle'sCircus(1924)

Author:HughLofting

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GOTOProjectGutenbergofAustraliaHOMEPAGE

DoctorDolittle’sCircusby

HughLofting

“Thispartofthelifeseemedtobeenjoyedbyall”CONTENTSPARTONEITHEFIRESIDECIRCLE

IITHEDOCTORMEETSAFRIEND—ANDARELATIVEIIIBUSINESSARRANGEMENTSIVTHEDOCTORISDISCOVEREDVTHEDOCTORISDISCOURAGEDVISOPHIE,FROMALASKAVIITHEMESSENGERFROMTHENORTH

PARTTWOIPLANNINGTHEESCAPE

II“ANIMALS’NIGHT”ATTHECIRCUSIIIINTHEDESERTEDGARDENIVTHELEADEROFTHEBLOODHOUNDSVTHEPASSENGERSFROMPENCHURCHVITHEGRANTCHESTERCOACH

PARTTHREEITHEHIGHWAYMAN’SDOUBLE

IITOTHESEABYRIVERIIISIRWILLIAMPEABODY,J.P.IVNIGHTSHADE,THEVIXENV“THEDOLITTLESAFETYPACKET”

PARTFOURIBACKTOTHECIRCUS

IITHEPATENTMEDICINERIOTSIIININOIVANOTHERTALKINGHORSEVTHESTARTURNGIVESAGREATPERFORMANCEVIBEPPOTHEGREATVIITHEPERFECTPASTUREVIIITHERETIREDCABANDWAGONHORSES’ASSOCIATION

PARTFIVE

PARTFIVEIMR.BELLAMYOFMANCHESTER

IIANIMALPLAYSIIITHEPOSTERANDTHESTATUEIVFAME,FORTUNE—ANDRAINVMR.BLOSSOM’SMYSTERIOUSDISAPPEARANCEVITHEDOCTORBECOMESMANAGEROFTHECIRCUSVIIMATTHEWMUGG,ASSISTANTMANAGERVIIITHEDOLITTLECIRCUS

ILLUSTRATIONS“Thispartofthelifeseemedtobeenjoyedbyall”Frontispiece

“Hecouldonlycrowinawhisper”“‘Why,it’sMatthewMugg!’”“TheDoctortookholdofthebridle”“Hewavedhissandwichtowardsthesky”“‘Hoorayforthecircus!’”“Waitingonthefrontsteps”“Oneofthemarsupials”“‘Youleavethemsnakesalone!’”“Too-Toowasalwaysthere”“Onthescentofafox”“TobyandSwizzle”“Climbedwearilyfromhissleeplessbed”“‘Ioughttogotohim’”“Hecrawledunderthebed”“‘Idon’tcarethatmuch’”“Swizzlebowedtoanimaginaryaudience”“Madehiswaythroughunfrequentedstreets”“Hisnimblefingerssoonhadthedoorunlocked”“‘Oh!Oh!I’mfeelingfaint!’”“Asmallpigtrippedhimup”“Hestampedhisfloorintokindlingwood”“Heloweredtheladderintothegarden”“Thedogtooktheflyingdive”“Sophiesmiled”“JohnDolittlepaused”“Asteeplechaseoverhillanddale”“HefoundaholeforSophietocrawlthrough”

“‘Yes,’saidtheducks”“Hecarriedhertothecoach”“‘Howwouldthisdo?’”“Heputtheveilacrossherface”“‘Excuseme,mydear,’shebegan”“Heheardthevoicesoftwomenatatablewithin”“JohnDolittlepeeredthroughthem”“Heriggedupakindofharness”“Camemarchingbackwiththescarecrowonhisshoulder”“Thehorsemanpulledthehatoffthedriver’sface”“TheyreachedHobb’sMilljustaseveningwascomingon”“HethrewSophieintotheBristolChannel”“‘YouBluebeard!’”“Hefoundabadlymade‘M.M.’”“‘Excellentbreadyouhavehere’”“Hecametoacross-roads”“‘It’sacaseofflatfeet’”“SirWilliamturnedanddrewrein”“‘Thisiseucalyptus—smell!’”“‘Dandelion,stopplayingwithmytail!’”“Cursingandcrackinghislongwhip”“‘AmIaddressingDr.Brownhimself?’”“Allyappingaboutthefootofanoaktree”“‘Theyhatedit,’thesnakesaid”“‘I’llslapyourface’”“‘He’sboughtsixfatsnakeswithit!’”“Theyhadmadetheirusualprocessionthroughthestreets”“‘Youcan’thavethishorseperformto-day’”“‘Why,Doctor,howcanyousaysuchathing!’”“‘Listen,Hop!’”“‘TheCommander-in-ChiefoftheRussianarmy’”“Hehadhandbillsgivenawayinthestreets”“Massagingtheelephant”“TheoldplowhorsewasintroducedtoBeppo”“Theylookedoverawidefarmgate”“JohnDolittleknockeduponhisdoor”“‘Wouldyouliketoearnashillingaweek?’”“‘What’stheuse?’criedToo-Too”“ItwasapartofthelifeGub-Gubgreatlyenjoyed”

“Thepantomimewasperformedbythesideoftheroad”“Hewouldarriveonthestagewearingonlyacoatandawig”“HesetouttoseethesightsofManchester”“Thefootmancameoutandpushedbigcardsintothem”“Gub-Gubusedtopracticeitbythehour”“Dab-Dabcurtsiedlikearegularballerina”“Gub-Gubhandingroundcakes”“ThePintoBrothersarrived”“‘ButIdon’tknowanythingaboutcircusmanagement!’”“Puttingupthenewsign”“Freepacketsofpeppermintsforthechildren”“Heledthelionhome”“TheSnakes’Quadrille”

[Transcribernote:wordsmarkedwith*aretoindicatethatthesewordswereasinbook.]

DOCTORDOLITTLE’SCIRCUS

PARTONE

THEFIRSTCHAPTER-THEFIRESIDECIRCLE

This is the story of that part of Doctor Dolittle’s adventures which cameaboutthroughhisjoiningandtravelingwithacircus.Hehadnotplannedinthebeginning to follow this life for anyconsiderable time.His intentionhadonlybeen to take the pushmi-pullyu out on show long enough to make sufficientmoney to pay the sailor back for the boat which had been borrowed andwrecked.

But a remark Too-Too had made was true; it was not so hard for JohnDolittle to become rich—for indeed hewas easily satisfiedwheremoneywasconcerned—butitwasaverydifferentmatterforhimtoremainrich.Dab-Dabusedtosaythatduringtheyearsshehadknownhimhehad,toherknowledge,beenquitewellofffiveorsixtimes;butthatthemoremoneyhehad,thesooneryoucouldexpecthimtobepooragain.

Dab-Dab’s idea of a fortune was not of course very large. But certainlyduringhisexperiencewiththecircustheDoctorrepeatedlyhadenoughmoneyinhispocketstobeconsideredwelltodo;and,asregularasclockwork,bytheendoftheweekorthemonthhewouldbepennilessagain.

Well, the point from which we are beginning, then, is where the Dolittleparty (Jip thedog,Dab-Dab theduck,Too-Too theowl,Gub-Gub thepig, thepushmi-pullyu and thewhitemouse) had returned at last to the little house inPuddleby-on-the-Marsh after their long journey from Africa. It was a largefamilytofindfoodfor.AndtheDoctor,withoutapennyinhispockets,hadbeenagooddealworriedoverhowhewasgoingtofeedit,evenduringtheshorttimetheywouldbeherebeforearrangementsweremade to joinacircus.However,the thoughtful Dab-Dab had made them carry up from the pirates’ ship suchsupplies as remained in the larder after thevoyagewasdone.These, she said,shouldlastthehousehold—witheconomy—foradayortwoatleast.

Theanimals’delighthadatfirst,ongettingbackhome,banishedeverycare

or thought of themorrow from theminds of all—exceptDab-Dab.That goodhousekeeperhadgonestraighttothekitchenandsetaboutthecleaningofpotsand the cookingof food.The rest of them, theDoctor included, hadgoneoutinto the garden to re-explore all the well-known spots. And they were stillroamingandpokingaroundeverynookandcorneroftheirbelovedhomewhentheyweresuddenlysummonedtoluncheonbyDab-Dab’sdinner-bell—afryingpanbeatenwithaspoon.Atthistherewasagrandrushforthebackdoor.Andtheyallcametrundlinginfromthegarden,gabblingwithdelightattheprospectoftakingamealagaininthedearoldkitchenwheretheyhadintimespastspentsomanyjollyhourstogether.

“Itwillbecoldenoughforafireto-night,”saidJipastheytooktheirplacesatthetable.“ThisSeptemberwindhasachillysnapinit.Willyoutellusastoryaftersupper,Doctor?It’salongtimesincewesataroundthehearthinaring.”

“Or read to us out of your animal story books,” said Gub-Gub, “the oneabouttheFoxwhotriedtostealtheKing’sgoose.”

“Well, maybe,” said the Doctor. “We’ll see. We’ll see. What delicioussardines these are that the pirates had! FromBordeaux, by the taste of them.There’snomistakingrealFrenchsardines.”

AtthismomenttheDoctorwascalledawaytoseeapatientinthesurgery—aweaselwhohadbroken a claw.Andhewasno soonerdonewith thatwhen aroosterwithasorethroatturnedupfromaneighboringfarm.Hewassohoarse,hesaid,hecouldonlycrowinawhisper,andnobodyonhisfarmwokeupinthemorning.Then twopheasantsarrived to showhimascrawnychickwhichhadneverbeenabletopeckproperlysinceitwasborn.

“Hecouldonlycrowinawhisper”For, although the people in Puddleby had not yet learned of the Doctor’s

arrival,newsofhiscominghadalreadyspreadamongtheanimals,andthebirds.And all that afternoon hewas kept busy bandaging, advising and physicking,while a huge motley crowd of creatures waited patiently outside the surgerydoor.

“Ah me!—just like old times,” sighed Dab-Dab. “No peace. Patientsclamoringtoseehimmorning,noonandnight.”

Jiphadbeenright:bythe timedarknesscamethatnight itwasverychilly.Wood enoughwas found in the cellar to start a jolly fire in the big chimney.RoundthistheanimalsgatheredaftersupperandpesteredtheDoctorforastoryorachapterfromoneofhisbooks.

“But look here,” said he. “What about the circus? Ifwe’re going tomakemoneytopaythesailorbackwe’vegottobethinkingofthat.Wehaven’tevenfoundacircustogowithyet.Iwonderwhat’sthebestwaytosetaboutit.Theytravelallovertheplace,youknow.Letmesee:whocouldIask?”

“Sh!”saidToo-Too.“Wasn’tthatthefrontdoorbellringing?”“Strange!”saidtheDoctor,gettingupfromhischair“Callersalready?”“Perhaps it’s the old lady with rheumatism,” said the white mouse as the

Doctorwalkedoutintothehall.“Maybeshedidn’tfindherOxenthorpedoctor

wassoverygoodafterall.”WhenJohnDolittlehadlit thecandlesinthehallheopenedthefrontdoor.

AndtherestandingonthethresholdwastheCat’s-Meat-Man.“Why,it’sMatthewMugg,asI’malive!”hecried.“ComeinMatthew,come

in.ButhowdidyouknowIwashere?”

“‘Why,it’sMatthewMugg!’”“Ifelt it inmybones,Doctor,”saidtheCat’s-Meat-Man,stumpingintothe

hall.“OnlythismorningIsaystomywife,‘Theodosia,’Isays,‘somethingtellsme the Doctor’s got back. And I’m going up to his house to-night to take alook.’”

“Well, I’m glad to see you,” said JohnDolittle. “Let’s go into the kitchenwhereit’swarm.”

AlthoughhesaidhehadonlycomeonthechanceoffindingtheDoctor,theCat’s-Meat-Manhadbroughtpresentswithhim:aknuckleboneoffashoulderofmuttonforJip;apieceofcheeseforthewhitemouse;aturnipforGub-GubandapotoffloweringgeraniumsfortheDoctor.WhenthevisitorwascomfortablysettledinthearmchairbeforethefireJohnDolittlehandedhimthetobacco-jarfromthemantelpieceandtoldhimtofillhispipe.

“Igotyourletteraboutthesparrow,”saidMatthew.“Hefoundyouallright,Is’pose.”

“Yes,andhewasveryuseful tome.Heleft theshipwhenwewereoff the

Devoncoast.HewasanxioustogetbacktoLondon.”“Areyouhomeforalongstaynow?”“Well—yesandno,”saidtheDoctor.“I’dlikenothingbetterthantoenjoya

fewquietmonthshereandgetmygardentorights.It’sinashockingmess.ButunfortunatelyI’vegottomakesomemoneyfirst.”

“Humph,”saidMatthew,puffingathispipe.“Meself*,I’vebintryingtodothat allmy life—Neverwasverygoodat it.But I’vegot twenty-five shillingssavedup,ifthatwouldhelpyou.”

“It’sverykindofyou,Matthew,very.ThefactisI—er—Ineedawholelotofmoney.I’vegottopaybacksomedebts.Butlisten:Ihaveastrangekindofnew animal—a pushmi-pullyu. He has two heads. The monkeys in AfricapresentedhimtomeafterIhadcuredanepidemicforthem.TheirideawasthatIshouldtravelwithhiminacircus—onshow,youknow.Wouldyouliketoseehim?”

“I surely would,” said the Cat’s-Meat-Man. “Sounds like something verynew.”

“He’sout in thegarden,”said theDoctor.“Don’tstareathimtoohard.Heisn’t used to it yet.Gets frightfully embarrassed. Let’s take a bucket ofwaterwithusandjustpretendwe’vebroughthimadrink.”

WhenMatthewcamebackintothekitchenwiththeDoctorhewasallsmilesandenthusiasm.

“Why, John Dolittle,” said he, “you’ll make your fortune—sure as you’realive! There’s never bin anything seen like that since the world began. Andanyway, I always thought you ought to go into the circus business—you, theonlymanlivingthatknowsanimallanguage.Whenareyougoingtostart?”

“That’sjustthepoint.Perhapsyoucanhelpme.I’dwanttobesureitwasanicecircusIwasgoingwith—peopleIwouldlike,youunderstand.”

MatthewMugg bent forward and tapped the Doctor on the knee with thestemofhispipe.

“I know the very concern you want,” said he. “Right now over atGrimbledon there’s thenicest little circusyou ever saw.GrimbledonFair’s onthisweekandthey’llbetheretillSaturday.MeandTheodosiasaw‘emthefirstdaytheywason.Itisn’talargecircusbutit’sagoodone—selectlike.Whatdoyou say if I take you over there to-morrow and you have a chat with theringmaster?”

“Whythatwouldbesplendid,”saidtheDoctor.“Butinthemeantimedon’tsayanythingtoanyoneabouttheideaatall.Wemustkeepthepushmi-pullyuasecrettillheisactuallyputonshowbeforethepublic.”

THESECONDCHAPTER-THEDOCTORMEETSAFRIEND—ANDARELATIVE

Now,MatthewMuggwasapeculiarman.Helovedtryingnewjobs—whichwasonereason,perhaps, thathenevermademuchmoney.Buthisattempts togetintosomenewkindofworkusuallyendedinhiscomingbacktosellingcat’smeatandrat-catchingforfarmersandmillersaroundPuddleby.

MatthewhadalreadyatGrimbledonFairtriedtogetajobwiththecircusandbeenrefused.ButnowthathefoundtheDoctorwasgoinginto thebusiness—andwithsuchawonderfulexhibitionasapushmi-pullyu—hishopesroseagain.And as he went home that night he already in imagination saw himself inpartnershipwithhisbelovedDoctor,runningthebiggestcircusonearth.

Nextdayhecalledatthelittlehouseearly.AfterDab-Dabhadmadethemupsomesardinesandwichestotakewiththemforlunch,theysetout.

ItwasalongwalkfromPuddlebytoGrimbledon.ButaftertheDoctorandtheCat’s-Meat-Manhadbeentrudgingdowntheroadawhiletheyheardasoundofhoofsbehindthem.Theyturnedround;andtherewasafarmercomingtowardtheminatrap.Seeingthetwotravelersupontheroad,thefarmerwasgoingtoofferthemaride.ButhiswifedidnotliketheraggedlooksoftheCat’s-Meat-Man,andsheforbadeherhusbandtostopforthem.

“Whatd’yerthinkofthatforChristiancharity?”saidtheCat’s-Meat-Manasthecartwentspinningby them.“Sitcomfortable in their seatsand leaveus towalk! That’s Isidore Stiles, the biggest potato-grower in these parts. I oftencatchesrats forhim.Andhiswife, thesnobbyoldscarecrow!Didyersee thatlookshegivesme?Arat-catcherain’tgoodenoughcompanyforher!”

“Butlook,”saidtheDoctor.“They’restoppingandturningthetraparound.”Now this farmer’s horse knew the Doctor very well both by sight and

reputation.AndashehadtrottedbyhehadrecognizedthelittlemantrampingalongtheroadasnoneotherthanthefamousJohnDolittle.Delightedtofindthathis friendhad returned to theseparts, the horsehad then turned aroundof hisown accord, and was now trotting back—in spite of his driver’s pulling—togreettheDoctorandinquireforhishealth.

“Whereareyougoing?”askedthehorseashecameup.“We’regoingtoGrimbledonFair,”saidtheDoctor.“So arewe,” said the horse. “Whydon’t you get into the back of the trap

besidetheoldwoman?”“They haven’t invitedme,” said theDoctor. “See your farmer is trying to

turn you around again toward Grimbledon. Better not anger him. Run along.

Don’tbotheraboutus.We’llbeallright.”Veryunwillinglythehorsefinallyobeyedthedriver,turnedaboutandsetoff

oncemoreforthefair.Buthehadn’tgonemorethanhalfamilebeforehesaidtohimself,“It’sashamethegreatmanshouldhavetowalk,whilethesebumpkinsride.I’mhangedifI’llleavehimbehind!”

Thenhepretended to shyat something in the road, swung the trap aroundagain suddenly and raced back toward theDoctor at full gallop. The farmer’swifescreamedandherhusbandthrewallhisweightonthereins.Butthehorsetooknottheslightestnotice.ReachingtheDoctorhestartedrearingandbuckingandcarryingonlikeawildcolt.

“Getintothetrap,Doctor,”hewhispered.“Getin,orI’llspilltheseboobiesintotheditch.”

TheDoctor, fearinganaccident, tookholdof thehorse’sbridle andpattedhimonthenose.Instantlyhebecameascalmandgentleasalamb.

“TheDoctortookholdofthebridle”“Yourhorseisalittlerestive,sir,”saidtheDoctortothefarmer.“Wouldyou

letmedrivehimforaspell?Iamaveterinarysurgeon.”“Why,certainly,”saidthefarmer.“IthoughtIknewsomethingabouthorses

meself.ButIcan’tdoathingwithhimthismorning.”Then,astheDoctorclimbedupandtookthereins,theCat’s-Meat-Mangot

inbehindand,chucklingwithdelight,satbesidetheindignantwife.“Niceday,Mrs.Stiles,”saidMatthewMugg.“Howaretheratsinthebarn?”They reached theGrimbledon about themiddle of themorning. The town

wasvery full andbusyandholidayfied. In thecattle-market finebeeves,prizepigs,fatsheepandpedigreeddrafthorseswithribbonsintheirmanesfilledthepens.

Through the good-natured crowds that thronged the streets theDoctor andMatthewmade theirwaypatiently toward the enclosurewhere the circuswas.TheDoctorbegantogetworriedthathemightbeaskedtopaytogoin,becausehehadn’t a singlepenny inhis pockets.But at the entrance to the circus theyfoundahighplatformerected,withsomecurtainsattheback.Itwaslikeasmalloutdoortheater.Onthisplatformamanwithanenormousblackmoustachewasstanding. From time to time various showily-dressed persons made theirappearancethroughthecurtains;andthebigmanintroducedthemtothegapingcrowdandtoldofthewonderstheycouldperform.Whatevertheywere,clowns,acrobatsorsnake-charmers,healwayssaidtheywerethegreatestintheworld.The crowdwas tremendously impressed; and every once in awhile people inonesandtwoswouldmaketheirwaythroughthethrong,paytheirmoneyatthelittlegateandpassintothecircusenclosure.

“Thereyouare,”theCat’s-Meat-ManwhisperedintheDoctor’sear.“Didn’tItellyeritwasagoodshow?Look!Peoplegoinginbyhundreds.”

“Isthatbigmanthemanager?”askedtheDoctor.“Yes, that’s him. That’s Blossom himself—Alexander Blossom. He’s the

manwe’vecometosee.”The Doctor began to squirm his way forward through the people, with

Matthewfollowingbehind.Finallyhereachedthefrontandstartedmakingsignsto thebigmanon theplatformabove toshowthathewanted tospeak tohim.ButMr.BlossomwassobusybellowingaboutthewondersofhisshowthattheDoctor—asmallmaninabigcrowd—couldnotattracthisattention.

“Getupontheplatform,”saidMatthew.“Climbupandtalktohim.”So theDoctorclambereduponecornerof thestageand thensuddenlygot

frightfully embarrassed to find himself facing so large a gathering of people.However, once there, he plucked up his courage and, tapping the shoutingshowmanonthearm,hesaid:

“Excuseme.”Mr.Blossomstoppedroaringabout the“greatestshowonearth”andgazed

downatthelittleroundmanwhohadsuddenlyappearedbesidehim.“Er—er—”theDoctorbegan.Thentherewasasilence.Thepeoplebegantotitter.

Blossom, like most showmen, was never at a loss for words and seldommissed an opportunity of being funny at somebody else’s expense.AndwhileJohnDolittlewasstillwonderinghowtobegin,themanagersuddenlyturnedtothecrowdagainand,wavinghisarmtowardstheDoctor,shouted:

“Andthis,LadiesandGentlemen,istheoriginalHumpty-Dumpty—theonewhatgavetheking’smensomuchtrouble.Payyourmoneyandcomein!Walkupandsee‘imfalloffthewall!”

At that the crowd roared with laughter and the poor Doctor got moreembarrassedthanever.

“Talk to him,Doctor, talk to him!” called theCat’s-Meat-Man fromdownbelow.

Soon,whenthelaughterhadsubsided,theDoctormadeanotherattempt.Hehad just opened his mouth when a single piercing cry rang from amidst thecrowd—“John!”

TheDoctor turnedandgazedover theheadsof thepeople toseewhowascallinghimbyname.Andthereontheoutskirtsofthethronghesawawomanwavingviolentlytohimwithagreenparasol.

“Whoisit?”saidtheCat’s-Meat-Man.“Heavenpreserveus!”groanedtheDoctor,shamefacedlyclimbingdownoff

thestage.“What’llwedonow?Matthew—it’sSarah!”

THETHIRDCHAPTER-BUSINESSARRANGEMENTS

“Well,well,Sarah!”saidJohnDolittlewhenhehadfinallymadehiswaytoher.“My,howwellandplumpyou’relooking!”

“I’mnothingofthesort,John,”saidSarah,severely.“Willyoupleasetellmewhatyoumeanbygallivantingaroundonthatplatformlikeaclown?Wasn’titenoughforyoutothrowawaythebestpracticeintheWestCountryforthesakeofpetmiceand frogsand things?Haveyounopride?Whatareyoudoingupthere?”

“Iwasthinkingofgoingintothecircusbusiness,”saidtheDoctor.Sarahgaspedandputherhandtoherheadasthoughtabouttoswoon.Thena

longleanmaninparson’sclotheswhowasstandingbehindhercameandtookherbythearm.

“Whatisit,mydear?”saidhe.“Launcelot,”saidSarahweakly,“thisismybrother,JohnDolittle.John,this

istheReverendLauncelotDingle,rectorofGrimbledon,myhusband.But,John,youcan’tbeserious.Gointothecircusbusiness!Howdisgraceful!Youmustbejoking—andwhoisthisperson?”sheaddedasMatthewMuggshuffledupandjoinedtheparty.

“ThisisMatthewMugg,”saidtheDoctor.“Yourememberhim,ofcourse?”“Ugh!—therat-catcher,”saidSarah,closinghereyesinhorror.“Not at all. He’s a meat merchant,” said the Doctor. “Mr. Mugg, the

Reverend Launcelot Dingle.” And the Doctor introduced his ragged greasyfriendasifhehadbeenaking.“He’smymostprominentpatient,”headded.

“But,listen,John,”saidSarah,“ifyoudogointothismadbusiness,promiseme you’ll do it under some other name. Think what it would mean to ourposition here if it got known that the Rector’s brother-in-law was a commonshowman!”

TheDoctorthoughtamoment.Thenhesmiled.“All right,Sarah, I’llusesomeothername.But Ican’thelp it if someone

recognizesme,canI?”After they had bidden farewell to Sarah, the Doctor and Matthew again

soughtout themanager.They foundhimcountingmoneyat thegate, and thistimewereabletotalktohimattheirease.

JohnDolittledescribedthewonderfulanimalthathehadathomeandsaidhewantedtojointhecircuswithhim.AlexanderBlossomadmittedhewouldliketoseethecreature,andtoldtheDoctortobringhimhere.ButJohnDolittlesaiditwouldbebetterandeasierifthemanagercametoPuddlebytolookathim.

Thiswasagreedupon.AndaftertheyhadexplainedtoBlossomhowtogetto the little house on theOxenthorpeRoad, they set out for home again, verypleasedwiththeirsuccesssofar.

“IfyoudogowithBlossom’sCircus,”Matthewasked,astheytrampedalongtheroadchewingsardinesandwiches,“willyoutakemewithyou,Doctor?I’dcome in real handy, taking care of the caravan, feeding and cleaning and thelikeso’that.”

“You’reverywelcometocome,Matthew,”saidtheDoctor.“Butwhataboutyourownbusiness?”

“Oh, that,” said Matthew, biting viciously into another sandwich. “Thereain’tnomoneyinthat.Besides,it’ssotame,handingoutbitsofmeatonskewerstooverfedpoodles!There’sno—nowhatd’y’callit?”—(hewavedhissandwichtowardsthesky)—“noadventureinit.I’mnaturallyventuresome—recklesslike—alwayswas,frommycradleup.Nowthecircus:that’sthereallife!That’saman’sjob.”

“Hewavedhissandwichtowardsthesky”“Buthowaboutyourwife?”askedtheDoctor.“Theodosia?Oh,she’dcomealong.She’sventuresome, likeme.Shecould

mendtheclothesanddooddjobs.Whatdoyouthink?”“WhatdoIthink?”askedtheDoctor,whowasstaringdownattheroadashe

walked.“IwasthinkingofSarah.”“Queergent, thatwhatshemarried,ain’the,”saidMatthew,“theReverend

Dangle?”“Dingle,” the Doctor corrected. “Yes. He’s venturesome too. It’s a funny

world—PoordearSarah!—PooroldDingle!—Well,well.”Late that night, when the Grimbledon Fair had closed, Mr. Blossom, the

ringmaster,cametotheDoctor’shouseinPuddleby.Afterhehadbeenshownbythelightofalanternthepushmi-pullyugrazing

onthelawn,hecamebackintothelibrarywiththeDoctorandsaid:“Howmuchdoyouwantforthatanimal?”“No,no,he’snotforsale,”saidtheDoctor.“Oh,comenow,”saidthemanager.“Youdon’twanthim.Anyonecouldsee

you’renotaregularshowman.I’llgiveyoutwentypoundsforhim.”“No,”saidtheDoctor.“Thirtypounds,”saidBlossom.

StilltheDoctorrefused.“Fortypounds—fiftypounds,” said themanager.Thenhewentupandup,

offeringprices thatmadetheCat’s-Meat-Manwhowas listeningopenhiseyeswiderandwiderwithwonder.

“It’s no use,” said the Doctor at last. “You must either take me with theanimalintoyourcircusorleavehimwhereheis.IhavepromisedthatImyselfwillseeheisproperlytreated.”

“What doyoumean?” asked the showman. “Ain’t he your property?Whodidyoupromise?”

“He’shisownproperty,”saidtheDoctor.“Hecameheretoobligeme.Itwastohimself,thepushmi-pullyu,thatIgavemypromise.”

“What!—Areyoucrazy?”askedtheshowman.MatthewMuggwasgoingtoexplaintoBlossomthattheDoctorcouldspeak

animals’language.ButJohnDolittlemotionedtohimtobesilent.“Andso,yousee,”hewenton,“youmusteithertakemeandtheanimalor

neither.”Then Blossom said no, he wouldn’t agree to that arrangement. And to

Matthew’sgreatdisappointmentandgriefhetookhishatandleft.But he had expected the Doctor to change his mind and give in. And he

hadn’tbeengonemore than tenminutesbeforehe rang thedoor-bell and saidthathehadcomebacktotalkitover.

Well, the upshot of it was that the showman finally consented to all theDoctorasked.Thepushmi-pullyuandhispartyweretobeprovidedwithanewwagonalltothemselvesand,althoughtravelingaspartofthecircus,weretobeentirely free and independent. The money made was to be divided equallybetweentheDoctorandthemanager.Wheneverthepushmi-pullyuwantedadayoffhewastohaveit,andwhateverkindoffoodheaskedforwastobeprovidedbyBlossom.

Whenallthearrangementshadbeengoneinto,themansaidhewouldsendthecaravanherenextday,andpreparedtogo.

“Bytheway,”hesaid,pausingatthefrontdoor.“What’syourname?”TheDoctorwasjustabouttotellhim,whenherememberedSarah’srequest.“Oh,well,callmeJohnSmith,”saidhe.“Allright,Mr.Smith,”saidtheshowman.“Haveyourpartyreadybyeleven

inthemorning.Goodnight.”“Goodnight,”saidtheDoctor.As soon as the door had closedDab-Dab,Gub-Gub, Jip, Too-Too and the

whitemouse,whohadbeenhidingandlisteninginvariouscornersofthehouse,allcameoutintothehallandstartedchatteringatthetopoftheirvoices.

“Hooray!”gruntedGub-Gub.“Hoorayforthecircus!”

“‘Hoorayforthecircus!’”“My,”saidMatthewtotheDoctor,“you’renotsuchabadbusinessmanafter

all!YougotBlossomtogiveintoeverything.Hewasn’tgoingtoletthechanceslip.Didyouseehowquicklyhecamebackwhenhethoughtthedealwasoff?I’llbetheexpectstomakealotofmoneyoutofus.”

“Poor old home,” sighedDab-Dab, affectionately dusting off the hat-rack.“Toleaveitagainsosoon!”

“Hooray!”yelledGub-Gub,tryingtostandonhishindlegsandbalancetheDoctor’shatonhisnose—“Hoorayforthecircus!—To-morrow!—Whee!”

THEFOURTHCHAPTER-THEDOCTORISDISCOVERED

Very early the nextmorningDab-Dab had thewhole house astir. She saidbreakfastmustbeeatenandthetableclearedbeforeseven,ifeverythingwastobegotinreadinessfortheirdeparturebyeleven.

As a matter of fact, the diligent housekeeper had the house closed andeverybodywaitingoutsideonthefrontstepshoursbeforethewagonarrived.ButtheDoctor,forone,wasstillkeptbusy.Foruptothelastminuteanimalpatientswerestillcominginfromallpartsofthecountryside,withvariousailmentstobecured.

At last Jip, who had been out scouting, came rushing back to the partygatheredinthegarden.

“Thewagon’scoming,”hepanted—“allredandyellow—it’sjustaroundthebend.”

Then everybody got excited and began grabbing their parcels. Gub-Gub’sluggagewasabundleofturnips;andjustashewashurryingdownthestepstothe road thestringbrokeand the round,whitevegetableswent rollingallovertheplace.

Thewagon,whenitfinallycameinsight,wascertainlyathingofbeauty.Itwasmade like a gypsy caravan,withwindows and door and chimney. Itwasverygaylypaintedandquitenew.

“Waitingonthefrontsteps”Notsothehorse;hewasquiteold.TheDoctorsaidthatneverhadheseenan

animalsowornoutandweary.Hegotintoconversationwithhimandfoundout

thathehadbeenworkinginthecircusforthirty-fiveyears.Hewasverysickofithesaid.HisnamewasBeppo.TheDoctordecidedhewouldtellBlossomthatitwashightimeBepposhouldbepensionedoffandallowedtoliveinpeace.

Inspiteofthenewnessofthevan,Dab-Dabsweptitoutbeforesheputthepackagesinit.ShehadtheDoctor’sbeddingtiedupinasheet,likeabundleofclothesforthelaundry.Andshewasmostcarefulthatthisshouldnotgetdirty.

Whentheanimalsandthebaggagewereallin,theDoctorgotterriblyafraidthattheloadwouldbetoomuchfortheoldhorsetopull.Andhewantedtopushbehind, to help. But Beppo said he could manage it all right. However, theDoctorwouldnotadd to theweightbygetting inhimself.Andwhen thedoorwas shut and the window curtains drawn, so no one should see the pushmi-pullyuontheway,theysetoutforGrimbledon,withthemanwhohadbroughtthewagondrivingandtheDoctorandtheCat’s-Meat-Manwalkingbehind.

On the way through Puddleby Market-place the driver stopped to getsomething at a shop.Andwhile the caravanwaited outside a crowd gatheredabout the wagon, wanting to know where it was going and what was inside.MatthewMugg,hischestnowswellingwithpride,wasdyingto tell them,buttheDoctorwouldn’tlethimmakeanyspeeches.

They reached the Grimbledon Fair-grounds about two o’clock in theafternoonandenteredthecircusenclosurebyabackgate.InsidetheyfoundthegreatBlossomhimself,waitingtowelcomethem.

He seemed quite surprised, on the van’s being opened, to find the oddcollectionof creatures theDoctorhadbroughtwithhim—hewasparticularlyastonishedat thepig.However,hewassodelightedtohavethepushmi-pullyuthathedidn’tmind.

Heatonce led them towhathecalled their stand—which,he said,hehadhadbuiltforthemthatverymorning.ThistheDoctorfoundtobesimilartotheplacewherehehadfirstspokenwithBlossom.Itwasaplatformraisedthreefeetfrom the ground, so that the board-and-canvas roomon the top of it could beseen. It had steps up to it, and a little way back from the front edge of theplatformcurtainscovered theentrance to theroom,sonoonecouldsee insideunlesstheypaidtogoin.

Acrossthefrontofitwasasign:

THEPUSHMI-PULLYU!

COMEANDSEETHEMARVELOUS

TWO-HEADEDANIMAL

FROMTHEJUNGLESOFAFRICA!

ADMISSIONSIXPENCE

Theredandyellowwagon(inwhichtheDoctor’sparty,withtheexceptionof thepushmi-pullyu,were to live)wasbackedbehind the “stand”.AndDab-Dabimmediatelysetaboutmakingupbedsandarrangingtheinsidesoitwouldbehomelike.

Blossom wanted to have the pushmi-pullyu put on show at once, but theDoctor refused.He said anywild animalwould need to rest after the journeyfromPuddleby.Andhewishedthetimidbeasttogetusedtothenoisybustleofcircuslifebeforehewasstaredatbyacrowdofholiday-makers.

Blossom was disappointed, but he had to give in. Then, to the animals’delight,heofferedtoshowtheDoctoraroundthecircusandintroducehimtothevariousperformers.Soafterthepushmi-pullyuhadbeenmovedtohisnewhomein thestandand theDoctorhadseen thathewasprovidedwithhayandwaterandbedding, thePuddlebypartystartedout tomakea tourof thecircusundertheguidanceofthegreatAlexanderBlossom,ringmaster.

Themainshowtookplaceonlytwiceaday(at twointheafternoonandatsix thirtyatnight), inabig tent in themiddleof theenclosure.Butallaroundthisthereweresmallertentsandstands,mostofwhichyouhadtopayextratoget into. Of these the Doctor’s establishment was now to form one. Theycontainedallmannerofwonders:shootinggalleries;guessinggames;wildmenof Borneo; bearded ladies; merry-go-rounds; strong men, snake charmers; amenagerieandmanymore.

Blossom took the Doctor and his friends to the menagerie first. It was adingy third-rate sort of collection. Most of the animals seemed dirty andunhappy.TheDoctorwassosaddenedhewasallforhavingarowwithBlossomoverit.ButtheCat’s-Meat-Manwhisperedinhisear:

“Don’tbe starting trouble right away,Doctor.Wait awhile.After thebosssees howvaluable you arewith performing animals you’ll be able to dowhatyoulikewithhim.Ifyoukickupashindy*nowwe’llmaybeloseourjob.Thenyouwon’tbeabletodoanything.”

ThisstruckJohnDolittleasgoodadvice.Andhecontentedhimself for thepresentwithwhisperingtotheanimalsthroughthebarsoftheircagesthatlaterhehopedtodosomethingforthem.

Justas theyhadenteredadirtymanwas takingaroundagroupofcountryfolk to show them the collection. Stopping before a cagewhere a small furryanimalwasimprisoned,themancalledout:

“And this, ladies and gents, is the famousHurri-Gurri, from the forests ofPatagonia.‘E‘angsfromthetreesby‘istail.Passontothenextcage.”

TheDoctor,followedbyGub-Gub,wentoverandlookedinat“thefamousHurri-Gurri.”

“Why,”saidhe,“that’snothingbutacommonopossumfromAmerica.Oneofthemarsupials.”

“Oneofthemarsupials”“Howdoyouknowit’saMaSoupial,Doctor?”askedGub-Gub.“Shehasn’t

anychildrenwithher.Perhaps,it’saPaSoupial.”“And this,” roared theman, standing before the next cage, “is the largest

elephantincaptivity.”“AlmostthesmallestoneIeversaw,”murmuredtheDoctor.Then Mr. Blossom suggested that they go on to the next show, Princess

Fatima, the snakecharmer.Andhe led thewayoutof the close, evil-smellingmenagerie into the open air. As theDoctor passed down the line of cages hehung his head, frowning unhappily. For the various animals, recognizing thegreatJohnDolittle,wereallmakingsignstohimtostopandtalkwiththem.

Whentheyenteredthesnakecharmer’stenttherewerenoothervisitorstherefor the moment but themselves. On the small stage they beheld the PrincessFatima,powderingherlargenoseandswearingtoherselfincockney.Besideherchairwasabigshallowboxfullofsnakes.MatthewMuggpeepedintoit,gaspedwithhorror,andthenstartedtorunfromthetent.

“It’s all right,Matthew,” theDoctor calledout. “Don’tbe alarmed, they’requiteharmless.”

“What d’yermean, harmless?” snorted the Princess Fatima, glaring at theDoctor.“They’rekingcobras,fromIndia—thedeadliestsnakeslivin’.”

“They’renothingofthesort,”saidtheDoctor.“They’reAmericanblacksnakes—non-poisonous.”Andhetickledoneunder

thechin.“Leave themsnakes alone!”yelled theFatima, rising fromher chair—“or

I’llknockyerbloomin’‘eadorf.”

“‘Youleavethemsnakesalone!’”At thismoment Blossom interfered and introduced the ruffled Princess to

Mr.Smith.Theconversationwhich followed (Fatimawasstill tooangry to takemuch

partinit)wasinterruptedbythearrivalofsomepeoplewhohadcometoseethesnake charmer perform. Blossom led the Doctor’s party off into a corner,whispering:

“She’smarvelous,Smith.OneofthebestturnsI’vegot.Justyouwatchher.”Behindthecurtainsatthebacksomebodystartedbeatingadrumandplaying

a pipe. Then Fatima arose, lifted two snakes out of the box andwound themaroundherneckandarms.

“Willzeladiesandzegentlemenstepalittleclosair,”shecooedsoftlytoheraudience.“Zenzaycanseebettair—zo!”

“What’sshetalkinglikethatfor?”Gub-GubwhisperedtotheDoctor.

“Sh!Isupposeshethinksshe’sspeakingwithanOrientalaccent,”saidJohnDolittle.

“Sounds tome like ahot-potato accent,”mutteredGub-Gub. “Isn’t she fatandwobbly!”

NoticingthattheDoctordidnotseemfavorablyimpressed,thecircusmasterledthemouttoseetheothersideshows.

Crossingovertothestrongman’sbooth,Gub-GubcaughtsightofthePunchandJudyshowwhichisgoingonatthatmoment.TheplayhadjustreachedthatpointwhereTobythedogbitesMr.Punchonthenose.Gub-Gubwasfascinated.They could hardly drag him away from it. Indeed, throughout thewhole timethey spentwith thecircus thiswashis chiefdelight.Henevermisseda singleperformance—and,althoughtheplaywasalwaysthesameandhegottoknowiteverywordbyheart,henevergrewtiredofit.

Atthenextboothalargeaudiencewasgatheredandyokelsweregaspinginwonderasthestrongmanliftedenormousweightsintheair.Therewasnofakeaboutthisshow.AndJohnDolittle,deeplyinterested,joinedintheclappingandthegasping.

Thestrongmanwasanhonest-lookingfellow,withtremendousmuscles.TheDoctortookalikingtohimrightaway.Oneofhistrickswastolieonthestageon his back and lift an enormous dumb-bell with his feet till his legs werestickingrightupintheair.Itneededbalanceaswellasstrength,becauseifthedumb-bellshouldfallthewrongwaythemanwouldcertainlybeinjured.To-daywhenhehadfinallybroughthislegsintoanuprightpositionandthecrowdwaswhisperinginadmiration,suddenlytherewasaloudcrack.Oneoftheboardsofthestagehadgivenway.Instantlydowncamethebigdumb-bellrightacrosstheman’schest.

ThecrowdscreamedandBlossom jumpedupon theplatform. It took twomen’sstrengthtoliftthedumb-belloffthestrongmans’body.Buteventhenhedidnotarise.Helaymotionless,hiseyesclosed,hisfaceadeathlywhite.

“Getadoctor,”BlossomshoutedtotheCat’s-Meat-Man.“Hurry!He’shurthisself—unconscious.Adoctor,quick!”

ButJohnDolittlewasalreadyonthestage,standingovertheringmaster,whokneltbesidetheinjuredman.

“Getoutofthewayandletmeexaminehim,”hesaidquietly.“Whatcanyoudo?He’shurtbad.Look,hisbreathing’squeer.Wegottoget

adoctor.”“I am a doctor,” said JohnDolittle. “Matthew, run to the van and getmy

blackbag.”“Youadoctor!”saidBlossom,gettingupoffhisknees.“Thoughtyoucalled

yourselfMr.Smith.”“Ofcourse,he’sadoctor,”cameavoiceoutofthecrowd.“Therewuratime

whenhewurthebestknowndoctor intheWestCountry.Iknowun.Dolittle’shisname—JohnDolittle,ofPuddleby-on-the-Marsh.”

THEFIFTHCHAPTER-THEDOCTORISDISCOURAGED

TheDoctorfoundthattwoofthestrongman’sribshadbeenbrokenbythedumb-bell. However, he prophesied that with so powerful a constitution thepatient should recover quickly. The injured man was put to bed in his owncaravananduntilhewaswellagaintheDoctorvisitedhimfourtimesadayandMatthewsleptinhiswagontonursehim.

The strongman (his shownamewasHercules)was very thankful to JohnDolittleandbecamegreatlyattachedtohim—andveryusefulsometimes,asyouwillseelateron.

SotheDoctorfelt,whenhewenttobedthatfirstnightofhiscircuscareer,that if he hadmade an enemy in Fatima, the snake charmer, he had gained afriendinHercules,thestrongman.

Of course, now that he had been recognized as the odd physician ofPuddleby-on-the-Marsh, therewasno longeranysense inhis trying toconcealwhohewas.Andverysoonhebecameknownamongthecircusfolkasjust“theDoctor”—or“theDoc.”OntheveryhighrecommendationofHercules,hewasconstantly called upon for the cure of small ailments by everyone, from thebeardedladytotheclown.

Thenextday,thepushmi-pullyuwasputonshowforthefirsttime.Hewasverypopular.Atwo-headedanimalhadneverbeforebeenseeninacircusandthepeople throngedup topay theirmoneyandhavea lookathim.At firsthenearlydiedofembarrassmentandshyness,andhewasforeverhidingoneofhisheadsunderthestrawsoasnottohavetomeetthegazeofallthosestaringeyes.Then the peoplewouldn’t believe he hadmore than one head. So theDoctoraskedhimifhewouldbesogoodastokeepbothoftheminview.

“Youneednot lookat thepeople,”hesaid.“But just let themsee thatyoureallyhavetwoheads.Youcanturnyourbackontheaudience—bothends.”

Butsomeofthesillypeople,evenwhentheycouldseethetwoheadsplainly,keptsayingthatonemustbefaked.Andtheywouldprodthepoor,timidanimalwithstickstoseeifpartofhimwasstuffed.Whiletwocountrybumpkinswere

doingthisonedaythepushmi-pullyugotannoyed,andbringingbothhisheadsupsharplyatthesametime,hejabbedthetwoinquirersinthelegs.Thentheyknewforsurethathewasrealandaliveallover.

Butassoonas theCat’s-Meat-Mancouldbespared fromnursingHercules(heturnedthejobovertohiswife)theDoctorputhimonguardinsidethestalltoseethattheanimalwasnotmolestedbystupidvisitors.Thepoorcreaturehada terrible time those first days.Butwhen Jip told him howmuchmoneywasbeingtakenin,hedeterminedtostickitoutforJohnDolittle’ssake.Andafteralittlewhile,althoughhisopinionofthehumanracesankverylow,hegotsortofused to the silly,gaping facesofhisaudiencesandgazedbackat them—frombothhisheads—withfearlesssuperiorityandthescornthattheydeserved.

During showhours theDoctorused to sit in a chair on the frontplatform,takingthesixpencesandsmilingonthepeopleastheywentin—foralltheworldasthougheveryoneofthemwereoldfriendsvisitinghishome.And,infact,hedid in this way re-meet many folks who had known him in years gone by,including the old lady with rheumatism, Squire Jenkyns and neighbors fromPuddleby.

PoorDab-Dabwasbusierthanevernow.Forinadditiontothehousekeepingduties she always had to keep one eye on the Doctor; and many were thescoldingsshegavehimbecausehewould let thechildren in fornothingwhenshewasn’tlooking.

AttheendofeachdayBlossom,themanager,cametodivideupthemoney.AndToo-Too,themathematician,wasalwaystherewhentheaddingwasdone,toseethattheDoctorgothispropershare.

Althoughthepushmi-pullyuwassopopular,theDoctorsawveryearlyinhisnewcareer that itwould takequite a time to earn sufficientmoney topay thesailorbackfortheboat—letalonetomakeenoughforhimselfandhisfamilytoliveonbesides.

“Too-Toowasalwaysthere”Hewas rather sorry about this; for therewere a lot of things in the circus

businessthathedidnotlikeandhewasanxioustoleaveit.Whilehisownshowwasaperfectlyhonest affair, thereweremany featuresof thecircus thatwerefaked;andtheDoctor,whoalwayshatedfakeofanykind,hadanuncomfortablefeeling that he was part of an establishment not strictly honest. Most of thegambling gameswere arranged so that thosewho played themwere bound tolosetheirmoney.

ButthethingthatworriedtheDoctormostwastheconditionoftheanimals.Theirlife,hefelt,wasinmostcasesanunhappyone.Attheendofhisfirstdaywith the circus, after the crowds have gone home and all was quiet in theenclosure,hehadgonebackintothemenagerieandtalkedtotheanimalsthere.They nearly all had complaints to make: their cages were not kept properlyclean;theydidnotgetexerciseorroomenough;withsomethefoodservedwasnotthekindtheyliked.

TheDoctorheardthemallandwassoindignanthesoughtouttheringmasterinhisprivatecaravanrightawayandtoldhimplainlyofallthethingshethoughtoughttobechanged.

Blossomlistenedpatientlyuntilhehadfinishedandthenhelaughed.

“Why,Doc,”saidhe,“ifIwastodoallthethingsyouwantmetoImightaswell leave thebusiness! I’dbe ruined.What,pensionoff thehorses?Send thehurri-gurribacktohishome?Keepthemencleaningoutthecagesallday?Buyspecial foods? Have the animals took out for walks every day, like a younglady’s academy? Man, you must be crazy! Now, look here: You don’t knowanythingabout thisgame—nothing,see?I’vegivenin toyouinallyouasked.I’mlettingyourunyourpartoftheshowyourownway.ButI’mgoingtoruntherestofitmyway.Understand?Idon’wantnointerference.It’sbadenoughtohavethestrongmanonthesicklist.Iain’tgoingtogobrokejusttopleaseyourSundayschoolideas.Andthat’sflat.”

Sadatheart,theDoctorleftthemanager’squartersandmadehiswayacrossto his own caravan.On the steps of hiswagon, he found theCat’s-Meat-Mansmoking his evening pipe. Close by, Beppo, the old horse, was cropping thescrubbygrassoftheenclosurebythelightofthemoon.

“Nice night,” saidMatthew. “You look kind ofworried,Doctor.Anythingwrong?”

“Yes,” said JohnDolittle, sitting downmiserably on the steps beside him.“Everything’s wrong. I’ve just been talking to Blossom about improvingconditionsinthemenagerie.Hewon’tdoasinglethingIask.IthinkI’llleavethecircus.”

“Oh, come now,” said Matthew. ‘Why, you ain’t hardly begun, Doctor!Blossom doesn’t know yet that you can talk animal language even! Circusesdon’thavetobebad.Youcouldrunonethatwouldbeanewkind;clean,honest,special—onethateverybodyintheworldcometosee.Butyougottogetmoneyfirst.Don’tgiveupsoeasy.”

“No,it’snouse,Matthew.I’mdoingnogoodhereandIcan’tstayandseeanimalsunhappy.Inevershouldhavegoneintothebusiness.”

At thismoment theoldhorse,Beppo,hearinghisfriend’svoice,drewnearandpushedhismuzzleaffectionatelyintotheDoctor’sear.

“Hulloa,”saidJohnDolittle.“Beppo,I’mafraidIcanbeofnohelptoyou.I’msorry—butIamgoingtoleavethecircus.”

“But,Doctor,”saidtheoldhorse,“you’reouronehope.Why,onlyto-dayIheard the elephant and the Talking Horse—the cob who performs in the bigshow—theyweresayinghowgladtheywerethatyouhadcome.Bepatient.Youcan’tchangeeverythinginaminute.Ifyougo,thenwe’llnevergetanythingwewant.Butweknowthatifyoustay,beforelongyouwillberunningthewholeshow theway it should be run.We’re notworried as long as you’rewith us.Onlystay.Andmarkmywords, thedaywillcomewhen thenewcircus, ‘TheDolittleCircus,’willbethegreatestonearth.”

ForamomenttheDoctorwassilent.AndMatthew,whohadnotunderstoodtheconversationwiththehorse,waitedimpatientlyforhimtospeak.

Atlasthearoseandturnedtogointothecaravan.“Well,”saidtheCat’s-Meat-Mananxiously,“areyougoingtostay?”“Yes,Matthew,”saidtheDoctor.“ItseemsI’vegotto.Goodnight.”AttheendofthatweektheGrimbledonFairwasoverandthecircushadto

moveontothenexttown.Itwasabigjob, thispackingupalargeshowforalongjourneybyroad.AndalldaySundaytheenclosurewasaverybusyplace.Men ran around everywhere shouting orders. The big tent and the little tentswere pulled down and rolled up. The stands were taken apart and piled intowagons.Thelargespacethathadlookedsogaywasquicklychangedintoadrab,untidy mess. It was all very new to the Doctor’s pets; and though Dab-Dabjoinedinthegeneralhustleofpacking,therestofthemenjoyedtheexcitementandthenewnessofitnoend.

Onethingthatamusedthemverymuchwasthechangeintheappearanceoftheperformerswhen theygotoutof their circusdress to travel.Gub-Gubwasvery confused, because he couldn’t recognize anybody any more. The clowntook thewhite paint off his face.ThePrincessFatima laid aside her gorgeousgarments and appeared like a respectable charwoman ready for a holiday.TheWildManofBorneoputonacollarandtieandtalkedquitenaturally.AndtheBeardedLadytookoffherbeard,foldeditupandpackeditinatrunk.

Theninalongprocessionofcaravansthecircussetoutupontheroad.Thenexttowntobevisitedwasfiftymilesoff.Thisjourneycouldnot,ofcourse,becovered inasingleday,goingatawalk.Thenightswere tobespentcampingoutbytheroadsideorinwhateverconvenientclearspacescouldbefound.So,besidethenewamusementofseeingthecountrybydayfromahomeonwheels,the animals had the thrill of spending the nights gypsy-fashion, whereverdarknessfoundthem.Jipgotlotsoffunchasingtheratsoutoftheditchesalongthe road and often going off across a meadow on the scent of a fox. Theslownessofthecircus’spacegavehimtimeforallsortsofsmalladventures;andhecouldalwayscatchup.ButGub-Gub’schiefdelightwasguessingwheretheywouldspendthenight.

“Onthescentofafox”Thispartofthelife,thehaltingforsleep,seemedtobeenjoyedbyall.When

thekettlewasputontoboilovertheroadsidefireeveryonecheeredupandgottalkative.Jip’stwofriends,theclown’sdogandToby,thePunch-and-Judydog,alwayscamearoundassoonastheprocessionstoppedforthenight,andjoinedthe Doctor’s party. They, too, seemed to be much in favor of John Dolittle’stakingchargeoftheshoworrunningacircusofhisown.Andwhentheyweren’tamusingthefamilycirclewithwonderfulstoriesofashow-dog’slifetheykepttellingtheDoctorthatarealDolittleCircuswould,totheirwayofthinking,beaperfectinstitution.

John Dolittle had always said that there were just as many differentcharactersand typesamongdogsas therewereamongpeople—in fact,more.He had written a book to prove this. He called it Dog Psychology. Mostmetaphysicianshadpooh-poohed it, saying that noonebut a hair-brainwouldwrite on such a subject. But this was only to hide the fact that they couldn’tunderstandit.

Certainlythesetwo,Swizzle,theclown’sdog,andToby,thePunch-and-Judydog,hadverydifferentpersonalities.Swizzle(to lookat,hewasnothingbutacommonmongrel)hadagreatsenseofhumor.Hemadeajokeoutofeverything.

Thismayhavebeenpartlyonaccountofhisprofession—helpingaclownmakepeoplelaugh.Butitwasalsopartofhisphilosophy.HetoldboththeDoctorandJipmorethanoncethatwhenhewasstillapuppyhehaddecidedthatnothinginthisworldwasworth taking seriously.Hewas a great artist, nevertheless, andcouldalwaysseethemostdifficultjokes—evenwhentheyweremadeathisownexpense.

ItwasSwizzle’s senseofhumor thatgave theDoctor the idea for the firstcomic papers printed for animals—when later he founded the Rat-and-MouseClub.TheywerecalledCellarLifeandBasementHumorandwere intended tobringlightentertainmenttothosewholiveindarkplaces.

Toby,theother,wasasdifferentfromhisfriendSwizzleasit ispossibletobe.Hewasasmalldog,adwarfwhitepoodle.Andhetookhimselfandlifequiteseriously.Themostnoticeablethingabouthischaracterwashisdeterminationtogeteverythingwhichhethoughtheought toget.Yethewasnotselfish,notatall. The Doctor always said that this shrewd business-like quality was to befoundinmostlittledogs—whohadtomakeupfortheirsmallsizebyanextrashareofcheek.TheveryfirsttimeTobycamevisitingtoJohnDolittle’scaravanhe got on the Doctor’s bed and made himself comfortable. Dab-Dab, highlyscandalized, tried to put him off. But he wouldn’t move. He said the Doctordidn’tseemtomindandhewastheownerofthebed.Andfromthattimeonhealwaysoccupiedthisplaceinthecaravan’seveningcirclewhenhecametovisit.He had won a special privilege for himself by sheer cheek. He was alwaysdemandingprivileges,andheusuallygotthem.

Buttherewasonething,inwhichTobyandSwizzlewerealike;andthatwasthepride they took in their personal friendshipwith JohnDolittle,whom theyconsideredthegreatestmanonearth.

“TobyandSwizzle”Onenightonthefirsttripbetweentownstheprocessionhadstoppedbythe

side of the road as usual.Therewas a nice old-fashioned farmquite near andGub-Gubhadgoneoff tosee if therewereanypigs in thestye.Otherwise theDoctor’sfamilycirclewascomplete.AndsoonafterthekettlehadbeenputontoboilalongcameTobyandSwizzle.Thenightwascool;so,insteadofmakingafireoutside,Dab-Dabwasusingthestoveinthecaravan,andeverybodywassittingarounditchatting.

“Haveyouheardthenews,Doctor?”saidToby,jumpinguponthebed.“No,”saidJohnDolittle.“Whatisit?”“Atthenexttown—Ashby,youknow,quitealargeplace—wearetopickup

Sophie.”“Who in the world is Sophie?” asked the Doctor, getting out his slippers

frombehindthestove.“Sheleftusbeforeyoujoined,”saidSwizzle.“Sophie’stheperformingseal

—balances balls on her nose and does tricks in the water. She fell sick andBlossomhadtoleaveherbehindaboutamonthago.She’sallrightnow,though,andherkeeper ismeetingusatAshbysoshecan joinusagain.She’s ratherasentimentalsortofgirl,isSophie.Butshe’sagoodsport,andI’msureyouwilllikeher.”

“Climbedwearilyfromhissleeplessbed”The circus reachedAshby about nine o’clock on aWednesday evening. It

was toopen to thepublic thefirst thing thefollowingmorning.Soall throughthat night, by the light of flares, themenwere busy hoisting tents, setting upbooths, and spreading tanbark. Even after the pushmi-pullyu’s stand was puttogether and theDoctor’s family retired to rest, no one got any sleep; for thegroundstillshookwiththehammersdrivingpegs;andtheairwasfullofshoutsandthespiritsofwork,tilltheduskofdawncreptovertheroofsofAshbyandshowedthecityofcanvasthathadbeenbuiltinanight.

John Dolittle decided, as he climbed wearily from his sleepless bed thatcircus life took a lot of getting used to. After breakfast, leaving Matthew inchargeofhisstand,hesetouttomaketheacquaintanceoftheperformingseal.

THESIXTHCHAPTER-SOPHIE,FROMALASKA

Sophie’skeeper,liketherestoftheshowmen,hadbythistimegothispartofthecircusinreadinesstoopentothepublic.Thesealwasaccustomedtoperformin thebig tent twiceaday, followingthePintoBrothers(trapezeacrobats)andtheTalkingHorse.But during the rest of theday shewas a sideshow like the

pushmi-pullyu.Hereinanenclosedtankshedivedafterfishfortheamusementofanyonewhopaidthreepencetocomeandseeher.

This morning—it was still quite early—Sophie’s keeper was eating hisbreakfastoutsideonthestepswhentheDoctorenteredthestand.Inside,atankabout twelve feet across had been let into the ground; and around it was aplatformwitharailingwherevisitorsstoodtowatchtheperformance.Sophie,afinefive-footAlaskanseal,withsleekskinandintelligenteyes,waswallowingmoodily in the water of the tank.When the Doctor spoke to her in her ownlanguage,andsherealizedwhohervisitorwas,sheburstintoafloodoftears.

“Whatisthematter?”askedJohnDolittle.Theseal,stillweeping,didnotanswer.“Calmyourself,”saidtheDoctor.“Don’tbehysterical.Tellme,areyoustill

sick?Iunderstoodyouhadrecovered.”“Oh, yes, I got over that,” said Sophie through her tears. “It was only an

upsetstomach.Theywillfeedusthisstalefish,youknow.”“Thenwhat’sthematter?”askedtheDoctor.“Whyareyoucrying?”“Iwasweeping for joy,” saidSophie. “Iwas just thinking asyoucame in

that the only person in theworldwho could helpme inmy troublewas JohnDolittle.Of course, I had heard all about you through thePostOffice and theArcticMonthly. In fact, I had written to you. It was I who contributed thosearticlesonunderwater swimming—you remember?—TheAlaskanWiggle, youknow—double overhand stroke. It was printed in the August number of yourmagazine.WewereawfullysorrywhenyouhadtogiveuptheArcticMonthly.Itwastremendouslypopularamongtheseals.”

“Butwhatwasthistroubleyouwerespeakingof?”askedtheDoctor.“Oh,yes,”saidSophie,burstingintotearsagain.“Thatjustshowsyouhow

gladIam;Ihadforgottenallaboutitforthemoment.Youknow,whenyoufirstcameinIthoughtyouwereanordinaryvisitor.Buttheveryfirstwordofsealishthat you spoke—and Alaskan sealish at that—I knew who you were; JohnDolittle,theonemanintheworldIwantedtosee!Itwastoomuch,I—”

“Come,come!”saidtheDoctor.“Don’tbreakdownagain.Tellmewhatyourtroubleis.”

“Well,”saidSophie,“it’sthis:WhileI—”Atthatmomenttherewasanoiseoutside,therattlingofabucket.“Sh! It’s thekeepercoming,”whispered theDoctorquickly.“Justcarryon

withyourtricks.I’mnotlettingthemknowIcantalktotheanimals.”Whenthekeeperenteredtoswabthefloor,Sophiewasfriskinganddiving

foranaudienceofone:aquitelittlefatmanwithabatteredhighhatonthebackofhishead.Thekeeperjustglancedathim,beforesettingtowork,anddecided

thathewasquiteanordinaryperson,nobodyinparticularatall.Assoonasthemanhadfinishedhismoppinganddisappearedagain,Sophie

continued:“Youknow,”saidtheseal,“whenIfellsickwewereperformingatHatley-

on-Sea, and I andmy keeper—Higgins is his name—stayed there two weekswhilethecircuswentonwithoutus.Now,there’sazooatHatley—onlyasmallone—neartheesplanade.Theyhaveartificialpondstherewithsealsandottersinthem.Well,Higginsgottalkingtothekeeperofthesesealsoneday,andtoldhimaboutmybeingsick.AndtheydecidedIneededcompany.SotheyputmeinthepondwiththeothersealstillIshouldrecover.Amongthemtherewasanolderonewhocamefromthesamepartof theBehringStraitsas Idid.Hegavemesomeverybadnewsaboutmyhusband.ItseemsthateversinceIwascapturedhehasbeenunhappyandrefused toeat.Heused tobe leaderof theherd.Butafter Iwas takenawayhehadworriedandgrownthinandfinallyanothersealwas elected leader in his place. Now he wasn’t expected to live.” (QuietlySophiebegantoweepagain.)“Icanquiteunderstandit.Weweredevotedtooneanother.And althoughhewas so big and strong andnoother seal in the herdeverdaredtoarguewithhim,withoutme,well,hewasjust lost,youknow—amere baby. He relied on me for everything. And now—I don’t know what’shappeningtohim.It’sjustterrible—terrible!”

“Well,waitaminute,”saidtheDoctor.“Don’tcry.Whatdoyouthinkoughttobedone?”

“Ioughttogotohim,”saidSophie,raisingherselfinthewaterandspreadingoutherflippers.“Iought tobebyhisside.He is theproper leaderof theherdandheneedsme.IhopedImightescapeatHatley,butnotachancedidIget.”

“Humph!” muttered the Doctor. “It’s an awful long way to the BehringStraits.Howonearthwouldyougetthere?”

“That’s just what I wanted to see you about,” said Sophie. “Overland, ofcourse,myrateoftravelisveryslow.IfIcouldonlyhavegotawayatHatleyI’dhavebeenallright.Because,ofcourse,”sheaddedwithapowerfulswishofhertailthatsloppedhalfthewateroutofthetank,“onceIreachedtheseaI’dbeuptoAlaskainnotime.”

“‘Ioughttogotohim’”“Ah,yes,”theDoctoragreed,asheshookthewateroutofhisboots.“Isee

youareapowerfulswimmer.Howfararewefromthecoasthere?”“About a hundred miles,” said Sophie. “Oh dear! Poor Slushy!My poor,

poorSlushy!”“Poorwho?”askedtheDoctor.“Slushy,” said the seal. “That’s my husband’s name. He relied on me in

everything,poor,simpleSlushy.WhatshallIdo?WhatshallIdo?”“Well, now listen,” said JohnDolittle. “This is no easymatter, to smuggle

you to thesea. Idon’tsay it’s impossible.But itneeds thinkingout.PerhapsIcangetyoufreesomeotherway—openly.InthemeantimeI’llsendworduptoyourhusbandbybirdmessengerandtellhimtostopworrying,becauseyouareallright.Andthesamemessengercanbringusbacknewsofhowheisgettingon.Now,cheerup.Herecomesomepeopletoseeyouperform.”

Aschoolmistresswithabandofchildrenentered,accompaniedbyHiggins,thekeeper.Astheycameina littlefatmanwentout,smilingtohimself.Soonthe childrenwere laughingwith delight at the antics of the big animal in thetank.AndHigginsdecidedthatSophiemustnowbefeelingentirelyrecovered,forhehadneverseenhersosprightlyorsofullofgoodspiritsbefore.

THESEVENTHCHAPTER-THEMESSENGERFROMTHENORTH

LatethatnighttheDoctortookToo-Toowithhimandwenttovisitthesealagain.“Now,Sophie,”saidhewhentheyhadreachedthesideofthetank,“thisowlisafriendofmine,andIwantyoutodescribetohimjustwhereinAlaskayourhusbandcanbefound.Thenwe’llsendhimofftotheseashore,andhewillhand on your message to the gulls who are going northwestward. Let meintroduceyou:Sophie,thisisToo-Too,oneofthecleverestbirdsIknow.Heisparticularlygoodatmathematics.”

TheowlsatontherailwhileSophietoldhimexactlyhowSlushycouldbereachedandreeledoffalongandlovingmessageforherhusband.Whenshehadendedhesaid:

“I think I’ll make for Bristol, Doctor. It is about the nearest coast town.Therearealwaysplentyofgullstobefoundintheharbor.I’llgetonetotakethisandpassitontoitsdestination.”

“Verygood,Too-Too,”saidtheDoctor.“Butwewanttohurryitallwecan.Ifyoucanfindsomesea-birdwhoiswillingtotakeitthewholewayasaspecialfavortome,itwouldbebetter.”

“All right,” said Too-Too, preparing to depart. “Leave the window of thecaravanopen,soIcangetin.Idon’tsupposeIshallbebackmuchbeforetwointhemorning.Solong!”

ThentheDoctorreturnedtohiswagonandrewrotethelastpartofhisnewbook,whichwascalledAnimalNatation.Sophiehadgivenhimalotofhelpfulhints on good swimming style whichmade it necessary for him to add threemorechapters.

Hegotsointerestedinthishedidnotnoticehowthetimewaspassing;till,somewherebetweentwoandthreeinthemorninghesuddenlyfoundToo-Too,thenightbird,standingonthetablebeforehim.

“Doctor,” said he, speaking low so hewould not wake the animals. “Youcould never guesswhom Imet. You remember the gull who brought you thewarning about Cape Stephen Light?Well, I ran into him in Bristol Harbor. Ihadn’t seen him since the good old houseboat days. But I recognized him atonce.ItoldhimIwashuntingforsomeonetotakeamessageuptoAlaska;andwhenheheard itwasyouwho sentme, he saidhewould attend to it himselfwithpleasure.Hedoesn’texpecttobebackunderfivedays,though—atbest.

“Splendid,Too-Too,splendid!”saidtheDoctor.“Iamreturning toBristolFriday,”said theowl,“and ifhe isn’tback then,

I’llwaittillhecomes.”ThefollowingmorningJohnDolittletoldSophiethathermessagehadbeen

senton;andshewasverypleased.Forthepresenttherewasnothingfurthertobedonebuttowaitforthegull’sreturn.

On Thursday (a day before the time Too-Too had planned to return toBristol) the Doctor’s whole party were seated round the table in the caravanlistening to a story from Toby, the Punch-and-Judy dog. Just as Toby pausedbreathlessatthemostexcitingparts,therecameagentletappingonthewindow.

“Booh!”saidGub-Gub—“Howspookish!”Andhecrawledunderthebed.JohnDolittle rose, drewback the curtains andopened thewindow.On the

sillstoodthegullwhomonthsbeforehadbroughthimanothermessagebynightwhenhe lived in thehouseboatpostoffice.Now,weather-beatenandweary,helookedmoredeadthanalive.GentlytheDoctorliftedhimfromthewindow-sill,andsethimdownonthetable.Thentheyalldrewnear,staringathiminsilence,waitingfortheexhaustedbirdtospeak.

“Hecrawledunderthebed”“JohnDolittle,”saidthegullatlast,“Ididn’twaitforToo-Tootomeetmein

Bristol, because I thoughtyouought toknowat once.The seal herd towhichSophieandherhusbandbelongedare inabadway—verybad.And ithasallcome about because Sophiewas taken away and her husband Slushy lost the

leadership.Winter has set in up there early this year—andmy, such awinter!Blizzards,mountainous snowdrifts, the seas frozenmonths ahead of the usualtime.Inearlydiedofthecoldmyself—andyouknowwegullscanstandawfullowtemperatures.Well,leadershipforthesealherdsistremendouslyimportantinbadweather.They’renotmuchdifferentfromsheep—sameasallanimalsthattravelandliveinpacks.Andwithoutabig,strongbosstoleadthemtotheopenfishingandtheprotectedwinteringplaces,they’rejustlost,that’sall—helpless.Now, it seems, ever sinceSlushy started tomope they’vehadone leader afteranother—andnoneofthemanygood.Rowsandlittlerevolutionsgoingonintheherdall thewhile.Andin themeantimethewalrusesandsea lionsaredrivingthemoutofallthebestfishingandtheEsquimauxsealhunterskillingthemrightand left. No seal herd can last long against the fur hunters up there if theyhaven’tgotagoodleaderwithwitsenoughtokeepthemoutofdanger.Slushywas the best they ever had, as strong as an ox.Now all he does is lie on aniceberg,mooningandweepingbecausehisfavoritewife’sbeentakenaway.He’sgothundredsmore, justasgood-looking,but theonlyonehewants isSophie,and there you are. The herd’s just going to pieces. In the days of Slushy’sleadership,theytellmeitwasthefinestsealherdintheArcticCircle.Now,mostlikely,withthisextrabadwintersettingin,it’llbewipedrightout.”

Forfullyaminuteafter thegull finishedhis longspeechsilencereignedinthecaravan.

FinallyJohnDolittlesaid:“Toby,doesSophiebelongtoBlossomortoHiggins?”“ToHiggins,Doctor,”saidthelittledog.“Hedoessomethingasthesameas

you do; in return for letting the seal perform in the big ring,Higgins gets hisstandinthecircusfree,andpocketswhatevermoneyhemakesonherasasideshow.”

“Well,thatisn’tthesameasmeatall,”saidtheDoctor.“Thebigdifferenceisthatthepushmi-pullyuishereofhisownaccordandSophieiskeptagainstherwill.ItisaperfectscandalthathunterscangouptotheArcticandcaptureanyanimals they like, breaking up families and upsetting herd government andcommunitylifeinthisway—acryingshame!Toby,howmuchdoesasealcost?”

“Theyvaryinprice,Doctor,”saidToby.“ButIheardSophiesaythatwhenHiggins bought her in Liverpool from the men who had caught her he paidtwentypoundsforher.Shehadbeentrainedontheshiptodotricksbeforeshelanded.”

“Howmuchhavewegotinthemoneybox,Too-Too?”askedtheDoctor.“All of last week’s gate money,” said the owl, “except one shilling and

threepence.Thethreepenceyouspenttogetyourhaircutandtheshillingwent

onceleryforGub-Gub.”“Well,whatdoesthatbringthetotalto?”Too-Too,themathematician,cockedhisheadononesideandclosedhisleft

eye—ashealwaysdidwhencalculating.“Two pounds, seven shillings,” he murmured, “minus one shilling and

threepence leaves—er—leaves—twopounds fiveshillingsandninepence,cashinhand,net.”

“GoodLord!”groanedtheDoctor,“barelyenoughtobuyatenthofSophie!Iwonderifthere’sanyoneIcouldborrowfrom.That’stheonlygoodthingaboutbeingapeople’sdoctor.WhenIhadapracticeIcouldborrowfrommypatients.”

“IfIrememberrightly,”mutteredDab-Dab,“itwasmoreoftenyourpatientsthatborrowedfromyou.”

“Blossom wouldn’t let you buy her even if you had the money,” saidSwizzle.“Higginsisundercontract—madeapromise—totravelwiththecircusforayear.”

“Verywell,then,”saidtheDoctor.“There’sonlyonethingtobedone.Thatseal doesn’t belong to those men, anyhow. She’s a free citizen of the ArcticCircle. And if she wants to go back there, back she shall go. Sophie mustescape.”

BeforehispetswenttobedthatnighttheDoctormadethempromisethatforthepresenttheywouldsaynothingtothesealaboutthebadnewsthegullhadbrought.Itwouldonlyworryher,hetoldthem.Anduntilhehadhelpedhertogetsatisfytotheseatherewasnoneedforhertoknow.

Then,until theearlyhoursofthemorning,hesatupwithMatthewmakingplansforSophie’sflight.AtfirsttheCat’s-Meat-Manwasverymuchagainsttheidea.

“Why,Doctor,” saidhe, “you’ll get arrested if you’re caught.Helping thatsealescapefromherowner!They’llcallitstealing.”

“Idon’tcarethatmuch,”saidtheDoctorsnappinghisfingers.“Letthemcallitwhattheylike.Letthemarrestme—iftheycatchme.Ifthecaseistakentothecourts,atleastI’llgetachancetosayawordfortherightsofwildanimals.”

“They won’t listen to you, Doctor,” said Matthew. “They’ll say you’re asentimentalcrank.Higginswouldwineasy.Rightsofpropertyandallthat.Iseeyour point, but the judge wouldn’t. He’d tell you to pay Higgins his twentypoundsforalostseal.Andifyoucouldn’t,you’dgotojail.”

“I don’t care,” theDoctor repeated. “But listen,Matthew: Iwouldn’twantyou to get mixed up in it if you don’t think it’s right. I shall have to usedeception if I’m to be successful.And I should be very sorry to get you intotrouble.Ifyouwouldprefertostayclearofit,saysonow.Butformypart,my

mindismadeup:SophieisgoingtoAlaskaevenifIhavetogotojail—thatwillbenothingnew.I’vebeeninjailbefore.”

“‘Idon’tcarethatmuch’”“So have I,” said the Cat’s-Meat-Man. Was you ever in Cardiff Jail? By

Jingo!that’sarottenone!TheworstIwaseverin.”“No,”saidtheDoctor.“I’veonlybeeninAfricanjails—asyet.They’rebad

enough.Butletusgetbacktothepoint.Wouldyousoonernothelpmeinthis?It’s against the law—Iknow—even if I think the law iswrong.Understand, Ishan’tbe the leastoffended ifyouhaveconscientiousobjections toaidingandabettingme.Eh?”

“Conscientiousobjections,me eye!” said theCat’s-Meat-Man, opening thewindow and spitting accurately out into the night. “O’ course, I’ll help you,Doctor.Thatoldsour-facedHigginsain’tgotnoright to thatseal.She’safreecreatureoftheseas.Ifhepaidtwentypoundsforher,morefoolhim.Whatyousaygoes,Doctor.Ain’twekindofpartnersinthisherecircusbusiness?Ithinkit’sagoodkindofalarkmeself.Didn’tItellyouIwasventuresome?Lor’blessus! Idoneworse things thanhelpaperformin’ seal to elope.Why, that time Iwastellingyouof,whenIwasjailedinCardiff—doyouknowwhatitwasfor?”

“No,Ihaveno idea,”said theDoctor.“Someslighterror, Ihavenodoubt.

Nowletus—”“Itwasnoslighterror,”saidMatthew,“I—”“Well, never mind it now,” said John Dolittle quickly. “We all make

mistakes, you know.” (“It was nomistake, neither,”mutteredMatthew as theDoctor hurried on.) “If you are quite sure that youwill have no regrets aboutgoingintothis—er—matterwithme,letusconsiderwaysandmeans.Itwillbenecessary,Ithink,inordertoavoidgettingBlossomsuspicious,formetoleavethecircusforafewdays.IwillsayIhavebusinesstoattendto—whichisquitetrue, even if I don’t attend to it.But itwould lookveryqueer if I andSophiedisappearedthesamenight.SoIwillgofirst,leavingyouinchargeofmyshow.Thenaday—orbetter,twodays—later,Sophiewilldisappear.”

“Alsoonbusiness,”putinMatthew,chuckling.“Youmeanyou’llleavemethejoboflettingheroutofhertankafteryou’regone?”

“Yes,ifyoudon’tmind,”saidtheDoctor.“It’llgivemegreatpleasure,”saidtheCat’s-Meat-Man.“Splendid!”saidtheDoctor.“I’llarrangebeforehandwithSophiewhereshe

istomeetme,onceshe’sclearofthecircus.Andthen—”“Andthenyourjobwillbegininearnest,”laughedMatthewMugg.

PARTTWO

THEFIRSTCHAPTER-PLANNINGTHEESCAPE

Although the plans for Sophie’s escapewere of course kept a strict secretfrom any of the people in Blossom’s establishment, the animals of the circussoongot toknowof themthroughJip,TobyandSwizzle.Andfordaysbeforetheflighttookplaceitwastheonesubjectofconversationinthemenagerie,inthestablesandintheDoctor’scaravan.

WhenJohnDolittlereturnedfromtellingBlossomthathewasabouttoleavethecircusonbusinessforafewdays,hefoundhisownanimalsseatedaboutthetableinthewagontalkinginwhispers.

“Well,Doctor,”saidMatthew,whowassittingonthesteps,“didyouspeaktotheboss?”

“Yes,”saidtheDoctor.“Itoldhim.It’sallright.I’mleavingto-night.Ifeltfrightfullyguilty,andunderhanded.IdowishIcoulddothisopenly.”

“You’dstandafatchanceofsucceeding,ifyoudid!”saidMatthew.“Idon’tfeelguiltynone.”

“Listen, Doctor,” said Jip. “All the circus animals are tremendouslyinterestedinyourscheme.They’veaskedifthere’sanythingtheycandotohelp.WhenisSophiegoingtogetaway?”

“Thedayafterto-morrow,”saidJohnDolittle.“Matthew,here,willundothedoorofherstandjustafterclosingtime.Butlisten,Matthew:you’llhavetobeawfullycarefulnooneseesyoutinkeringwiththelock.Ifweshouldgetcaughtwewould indeedbe in abad fix then.Tinkeringwith locksmakes it a felonyinsteadofamisdemeanor,orsomethinglikethat.Dobecareful,won’tyou?”

“Youcanrelyonme,Doctor,”saidtheCat’s-Meat-Man,proudlypuffingouthis chest. “I’ve got a way of me own with locks, I have. No force, sort ofpersuasionlike.”

“Getclearoutofthewayassoonasyouhaveletherfree,”saidtheDoctor,“so you won’t be connected with it at all.—Dear me, how like a low-downconspiracyitsounds!”

“Soundslikelotsoffuntome,”saidMatthew.“Tometoo,”saidJip.“It’llbethebesttrickthat’sbeendoneinthisshowforalongwhile,”putin

Swizzle.“LadiesandGentlemen:JohnDolittle,theworld-famousconjurer,willnowmakea livesealdisappear from thestagebeforeyoureyes.Abracadabra,Mumble-and-Jabberer,Hoopla—HeyPresto!—Gone.”

And Swizzle stood on his hind legs and bowed to an imaginary audiencebehindthestove.

“Swizzlebowedtoanimaginaryaudience”“Well,” said theDoctor, “even though it sounds underhanded. I don’t feel

I’m doing anything wrong—myself. They’ve no right to keep Sophie in thisslavery.HowwouldyouandIlikeit,”heaskedofMatthew,“tobemadetodiveforfishintoatubofdirtywaterfortheamusementofloafers?”

“Rotten!” saidMatthew,“Ineverdidcare for fish—norwater,neither.Butlookhere,haveyouarrangedwithSophiewhereshe’stomeetyou?”

“Yes,”saidJohnDolittle.“Assoonasshegetsclearofthecircusenclosure—anddon’tforgetwearerelyingonyoutoleavethebackgateopenaswellasSophie’sowndoor—assoonasshe’soutof the fence, she is tocross the roadwhere she will find an empty house. Alongside of that there is a little, darkpassageand in thatpassage Iwillbewaiting forher.Mygoodness, Idohopeeverything goes right! It’s so dreadfully important for her—and for all thosesealsinAlaska,too.”

“Andwhatareyougoingtodothen,”askedMatthew,“whenshe’sgotasfarasthepassage?”

“Well, it’s no use trying to plan too far as to detail.Mygeneral idea is tomakefortheBristolChannel.That’saboutourshortestcuttotheseafromhere.Oncethere,she’sallright.Butit’snearlyahundredmilesasthecrowflies;andas we’ll have to keep concealed most of the way I’m not expecting an easyjourney.However, there’sno sense inmeetingyour troubleshalfway. I’venodoubtweshallgetalongallrightonceshe’ssafelyawayfromthecircus.”

Many of the Doctor’s pets wanted to accompany him on his comingadventure.Jiptriedespeciallyhardtobetaken.Butinspiteohisgreatdesiretohave the assistance of his friends, JohnDolittle felt that hewould arouse lesssuspicionifhelefthisentirefamilywiththecircusjustasitwas.

SothatnightafterafinaltalkwithSophiehesetoutalone—onbusiness.Hetookwithhimmostofwhatmoneyhehad,leavingalittlewithMatthewtopayforthesmallneedsofhisestablishmentwhilehewasaway.His“business”asamatter of fact did not take him further than the next town—which journey hemadebyastagecoach.Inthosedays,yousee,althoughtherewererailways,tobesure, theywereasyetveryscarce.Andmostof thecross-country travelingbetweenthesmallertownswasstilldoneintheold-fashionedway.

Onhisarrivalatthenexttownhetookaroominaninnandremainedtherethewhole time.Twonights laterhereturned toAshbyafterdarkand,enteringthe town from the far side,made hisway through unfrequented streets till hereachedthepassagewhichwastobehismeetingplacewithSophie.

Nowallhispets,thoughtheyhadnotbeengivenanyparticularpartstoplayintheplotofSophie’sescape,weredeterminedtodoanythingtheycouldtohelpthingson their ownaccount—which, as youwill see, turnedout to be a gooddeal.Andas theywaited for thearrivalof theappointedhour theirexcitement(whichGub-Gub,forone,hadhardworktoconceal)greweveryminute.

“Madehiswaythroughunfrequentedstreets”About ten o’clock, when the circus was beginning to close up, Too-Too

stationedhimselfonthetopofthemenageriewherehecouldseeeverythingthatwenton.Hehadarrangedwiththeelephantandtheanimalsofthecollectiontostarta rumpus in themenagerieonagivensignal—toattract, ifnecessary, theattentionofthecircusmenawayfromtheescapingseal.Gub-GubgavehimselfthejobofwatchingBlossom,andhetookupapostunderneaththeringmaster’sprivatecaravan.

Therewasa fullmoon, andevenafter thecircus lampswereputout therewasstillagooddealoflight.TheDoctorwouldhavepostponedtheescapeonthisaccountuntillater,butherealizedthatthestateofaffairsamongtheAlaskansealsmadeitnecessaryforSophietogetawayassoonaspossible.

Well,aboutanhourafterBlossomhadlockedupthefencegatesandretiredto his caravan, Matthew slipped away from the pushmi-pullyu’s stand andsaunteredoffacrosstheenclosure.Jip,alsopretendinghewasdoingnothinginparticular,followedhimatashortdistance.Everyoneseemedtobeabedandnota soul didMatthewmeet till he came to the gate the Doctor had spoken of.Makingsure thatnoonesawhim, theCat’s-Meat-Manquicklyundid the latchand set the gate ajar. Then he strolled away toward Sophie’s stand while Jipremainedtowatchthegate.

He hadn’t been gone more than a minute when along came the circuswatchmanwithalantern.Heclosedthegate,and,toJip’shorror,lockeditwithakey.Jip,stillpretendinghewasjustsniffingroundthefenceafterrats,waitedtilltheman had disappeared again. Then raced off toward Sophie’s stand to findMatthew.

Now things had not turned out for theCat’s-Meat-Man as easy as he hadexpected.Onapproachingtheseal’stankhouse,hehadseenfromadistancethefigureofHigginssittingonthestepssmokingandlookingatthemoon.Matthewthereforewithdrew into the shadow of a tent andwaited till the seal’s keepershouldgoawaytobed.

Higgins,heknew,slept inawagonclosetoBlossom’sontheothersideoftheenclosure.Butwhilehewatchedandwaited,insteadofHigginsgoingaway,anotherfigure,thewatchman’s,camejoinedthemanonthesteps,satdownandstarted chatting.Presently Jip, smellingoutMatthewbehind the tent, cameupand tried frantically tomake him understand that the gate he had opened hadbeenclosedagainandlocked.

JiphadverylittlesuccessintryingtomaketheCat’s-Meat-Manunderstandhim,andfornearlyanhourMatthewstayedintheshadowwaitingfor thetwofiguresonthestepsofSophie’sstandtomoveawayandleavethecoastclearforhind to let the seal free. In the mean time John Dolittle in his narrow darkpassageoutside thecircusenclosurewonderedwhat thedelaywasand tried toreadhiswatchbythedimlightofthemoon.

Finally Matthew decided that the two men were never going to bed. So,swearingunderhisbreath,hecreptawayfromtheshadowofthetentandsetofftoseekTheodosia,hiswife.

Onarrivalathisownwagonhefoundherdarningsocksbythelightofthecandle.

“Pst!—Theodosia,”hewhisperedthroughthewindow.“Listen.”“GoodLord!”gaspedMrs.Muggdroppingherneedlework.“Whata fright

yougaveme,Matthew!Isitallright?Hasthesealgotaway?”“No, it’s all wrong. Higgins and the watchman are sitting on the steps

talking.Ican’tgetnearthedoorwhilethey’rethere.Goupanddraw‘emoffforme,willyer?Tell‘ematent’sblowndownorsomething—anythingtoget‘emaway.They’regoingtosetthereallnightifsomethingain’tdone.”

“All right,” saidTheodosia. “Wait till Igetmyshawl. I’llbring themoverhereforsomecocoa.”

ThenthehelpfulMrs.MuggwentoffandinvitedHigginsandthewatchmantocome toherhusband’swagon for a littleparty.Matthewwouldbe along tojointhempresently,shesaid.

“Hisnimblefingerssoonhadthedoorunlocked”AssoonasthecoastwascleartheCat’s-Meat-Manspedupthestepsofthe

seal’sstandandinaminutehisnimblefingershadthedoorunlocked.JustinsidelaySophie,allreadytostartoutuponherlongjourney.Withagruntofthanksshewaddled forth into themoonlight, sliddown thestepsandsetoffclumsilytowardsthegate.

OncemoreJiptriedhishardesttomakeMatthewunderstandthatsomethingwaswrong.ButtheCat’s-Meat-Manmerelytookthedog’ssignalsofdistressforjoyandmarchedofftojoinhiswife’scocoaparty,feelingthathisshareofthenight’sworkhadbeenwelldone.

In themean timeSophiehadwaddledherway laboriously to thegate andfounditlocked.

Jiphadthengoneallaroundthefence,tryingtofindaholebigenoughforher to get through.But hewetwith no success. Poor Sophie had escaped thecaptivity of her tank only to find herself still a prisoner within the circusenclosure.

Everything that had happened up to this had been carefully watched by alittleroundbirdperchedontheroofofthemenagerie.Too-Too,thelistener,thenight seer, the mathematician, was more than usually wide awake. Andpresently,whileJipwasstillnosingroundthefencetryingtofindSophieaway

out,heheardthewhirofwingsoverhisheadandanowlalightedbyhisside.“For heaven’s sake, Jip,”whisperedToo-Too, “keep your head. The game

willbeup ifyoudon’t.You’redoingnogoodby running round like that.GetSophieintohiding—pushherundertheflapofatentorsomething.Lookather,lying out in the moonlight there, as though this were Greenland! If any oneshouldcomealongandseeherwe’relost.HideheruntilMatthewseeswhathashappenedtothegate.Hurry—Iseesomeonecoming.”

AsToo-Tooflewbacktohisplaceonthemenagerieroof,JiprushedofftoSophieandinafewhurriedwordsexplainedthesituationtoher.

“Come over here,” he said, “Get under the skirt of this tent. So—Gosh!Onlyjust intime!There’sthelightofa lanternmoving.NowlieperfectlystillandwaittillIcomeandtellyou.”

And in his little dark passage beyond the circus fence John Dolittle oncemorelookedathiswatchandmuttered:

“Whatcanhavehappened?Willshenevercome?”ItwasnotmanyminutesafterMatthewhadjoinedthecocoapartyinhisown

wagon that thewatchman rose from the table and said he ought to be gettingalongonhisrounds.TheCat’s-Meat-Man,anxioustogiveSophieasmuchtimeaspossibletogetaway,triedtopersuadehimtostay.

“Oh, stop andhave another cupof cocoa!” said he. “This is a quiet town.Nobody’sgoingtobreakin.Fillyourpipeandlet’schatawhile.”

“No,”saidthewatchman—“thankye.I’dliketo,butImustn’t.Blossomgivemestrictorderstokeepmovin’thewholenight.IfhewastocomeandnotfindmeonthejobI’dcatchithot.”

And in spite of everythingMatthew could do to keep him, thewatchmantookhislampandleft.

Higgins, however, remained. And while the Cat’s-Meat-Man and his wifetalkedpleasantlytohimofpoliticsandtheweather,theyexpectedanymomenttohearashoutoutsidewarningthecircusthatSophiehadescaped.

Butthewatchman,whenhefoundthestandopenandempty,didnotbeginbyshouting.HecamerunningbacktoMatthew’swagon.

“Higgins,”heyelled,“yourseal’sgone!”“Gone!”criedHiggins.“Gone!”saidMatthew.“Can’tbepossible!”“Itellyoushe‘as,”saidthewatchman.“Erdoor’sopenandsheain’tthere.”“Good heavens!” cried Higgins springing up. “I could swear I locked the

doorasusual.Butifthegatesinthefencewasallclosedshecan’tbefaraway.Wecansoonfind‘eragain.Comeon!”

Andheranoutof thewagon—withMatthewandTheodosia,pretending to

begreatlydisturbed,closeathisheels.“I’llgotakeanotherlookatthegates,”saidthewatchman.“I’msurethey’re

allright.ButI’llmakedoublecertainanyway.”ThenHiggins,MatthewandTheodosiaracedofffortheseal’sstand.“Thedoor’sopen,sureenough,”saidMatthewastheycameuptoit.“‘Ow

verypeculiar!”“Let’s go inside,” saidHiggins. “Maybe she’s hiding at the bottom of the

tank.”Thenallthreeofthemwentinandbythelightofmatchespeereddowninto

thedarkwater.Meanwhilethewatchmanturnedupagain.“Thegatesareallright,”hesaid—“closedandlocked,everyoneofthem.”ThenatlastMatthewknewsomethinghadgonewrong.AndwhileHiggins

and the watchman were examining the water with the lamp, he whisperedsomethingtohiswife,slippedoutandranforthegate,hopingTheodosiawouldkeeptheothertwoatthestandlongenoughforhispurpose.

Asamatteroffactsheplayedherpartverywell,didMrs.Mugg.PresentlyHigginssaid:

“Thereain’tnothingunderthewater.Sophie’snothere.Let’sgooutsideandlookforher.”

ThenjustasthetwomenturnedtoleaveTheodosiacried,“What’sthat?”“What’swhat?”saidHigginsturningback.“That—down there,” said Mrs. Mugg pointing into the dirty water. “I

thoughtIsawsomethingmove.Bringthelanternnearer.”Thewatchmancrouchedovertheedgeofthetank;andHiggins,besidehim,

screweduphiseyestoseebetter.

“‘Oh!Oh!I’mfeelingfaint!’”“Idon’tseenothing,”saidthekeeper.“Oh!Oh!I’mfeelingfaint!”criedMrs.Mugg.“Helpme.I’mgoingtofall

in!”AndTheodosia,aheavywoman,swayedandsuddenlycrumpleduponthe

topofthetwocrouchingmen.Then,splash!splash!—infell,notTheodosia,butHigginsandthewatchman

—lampandall.

THESECONDCHAPTER-“ANIMALS’NIGHT”ATTHECIRCUS

Thewhitemousewas theonlyoneof theDoctor’spets thatwitnessed thatscene in Sophie’s tank-house whenMrs. Mugg pushed the two men into thewaterby-accident-on-purpose.AndforweeksafterwardheusedtoentertaintheDolittlefamilycirclewithhisdescriptionofMr.Higgins,thesealkeeper,divingforfishandcomingupforair.

Thatwasoneofthebusiestandjolliestnightsthecircuseverhad—fromthe

animals’pointofview;andthetwomenfallinginthewaterandyellingforhelpwasthebeginningofagrandandnobleracketwhichlastedforagoodhalfhourandfinallywokeeverysoulinAshbyoutofhissleep.

Firstofall,Blossom,hearingcriesofalarm,camerushingoutofhiscaravan.At thefootof thestepsapigappearedfromnowhere, rushedbetweenhis legsandbroughthimdownonhisnose.ThroughoutthewholeproceedingsGub-GubneverletBlossomgetveryfarwithoutpoppingoutfrombehindsomethingandupsettinghim.

“Asmallpigtrippedhimup”NextFatima,thesnakecharmer,ranfromherboudoirwithacandleinone

handandahammerintheother.Shehadn’tgonetwostepsbeforeamysteriousduck flewoverher head andwithone sweepof itswingblew the candleout.Fatimaranback,relitthecandleandtriedagaintogototherescue.Butthesamething happened. Dab-Dab kept Fatima almost as busy as Gub-Gub keptBlossom.

Then Mrs. Blossom hastily donning a dressing-gown, appeared upon thescene.ShewasmetbytheoldhorseBeppo,whohadahabitofaskingpeopleforsugar.ShetriedtogetbyhimandBeppomadepolitelytogetoutofherway.Butin doing so he trod on her corns so badly that shewent howling back to bedagainanddidnotreappear.

But, although the animalsmanagedbyvarious tricks to keepmanypeopleoccupied, they could not attend to all the circus folk; and before long thewatchmanandHiggins,yellingmurderinthetank,hadattractedawholelotoftentriggersandothershowmentoSophie’sstand.

Now, in themeantime,MatthewMugghad reopened thegate in the fence.ButwhenhelookedaroundforSophieshewasnowheretobeseen.JipandToo-Too,asamatteroffact,weretheonlyoneswhoreallyknewwhereshewas.Jip,however, with all this crowd ofmen rushing around the seal’s stand near thegate, was afraid to give Sophie the word to leave her hiding place. More ofBlossom’smenkeptarrivingandaddingtothethrong.Severallanternswerelitandbroughtontothescene.Everybodywasshouting,onehalfaskingwhatthematterwas,theotherhalftellingthem.Mr.Blossom,afterbeingthrowndowninthe mud by Gub-Gub for the sixth time, was hitting every one he met andbellowinglikeamadbull.Thehubbubandconfusionwereawful.

At last Higgins, and the watchman were fished out of their bathtub, andhighlyperformedwithkeroseneandfish,theyjoinedthehunt.

ThewatchmanandeveryonewassurethatSophiemustbesomewherenear—whichwas quite true: the tent, under the skirt ofwhich shewas lying,wasonlythirtyfeetfromherstand.But thegatebywhichshewastopassoutwasalsoquitenear.

WhileJipwaswonderingwhen themenwouldmoveawaysohecould lether go, Higgins cried out that he had found a track in the soft earth. Then adozenlanternswerebroughtforward,andthemenstartedtofollowthetrailthatSophiehadleftbehindonthewaytoherhidingplace.

Luckily, with so many feet crossing and recrossing the same part of theenclosuretheflippermarkswerenoteasytomakeout.Nevertheless,evenwithMatthewdoinghisbesttoleadthemoffonawrongscent,thetrackerssteadilymovedin therightdirection—toward the tentwherepoorSophie, thedevotedwife,layinhidingwithabeatingheart.

JohnDolittle,waitingimpatientlyinhislittlepassage,hadheardthenoiseofshoutingfromthecircus.HeknewthatmeantSophiehadgotoutfromherstand.But asminute afterminutewent by and still she did not come to themeetingplacetheDoctor’suneasinessincreasedahundred-fold.

ButhisanxietywasnoworsethanJip’s.Closerandcloserthetrackerscametowardthespotwherehehadhiddentheseal.Thepoordogwasindespair.

However,hehadforgottenToo-Toothemathematician.Fromhislookoutonthemenagerieroof,awayoffonthefarsideoftheenclosure,thelittleowlwasstill surveying thebattlefieldwithageneral’s eye.Hewasonlywaiting tillhewassurethatallthecircusfolkhadlefttheirbedstojointhehuntandthatthere

werenomoretocome.Whenheplayedhismasterstrokeofstrategyhedidnotwantanyextrainterferencefromunexpectedquarters.

Suddenly he flew down to a ventilator in the menagerie wall and hootedsoftly.Instantlytherebeganwithinthemostterriblepandemoniumthatwaseverheard. The lion roared, the opossum shrieked, the yak bellowed, the hyenahowled,theelephanttrumpetedandstampedhisfloorintokindlingwood.Itwasthegrandclimaxtotheanimals’conspiracy.

On the other side of the enclosure the trackers and hunters stood still andlistened.

“Whatinthunder’sthat?”askedBlossom.

“Hestampedhisfloorintokindlingwood”“Comingfromthemenagerie,ain’tit?”saidoneofthemen.“Soundslikethe

elephant’sbrokeloose.”“Iknow,”saidanother:“it’sSophie.She’sgotintothemenagerieandscared

theelephant.”“That’s it,” said Blossom. “Lord, and us huntin’ for ‘er over here! To the

menagerie!”Andhegrabbedupalanternandstartedtorun.“To themenagerie!” yelled the crowd.And in amoment, to Jip’s delight,

theywereallgone,rushingawaytotheothersideoftheenclosure.

Allbutone.MatthewMugg,hangingback,pretendingtodouphisshoelace,sawJipflashacrosstoasmalltentanddisappearundertheskirt.

“Now,”saidJip.“Run,Sophie!—Swim!Fly!Anything!Getoutofthegate!”Hoppingandflopping,SophiecoveredthegroundasbestshecouldwhileJip

yelpedtohertohurryandMatthewheldthegateopen.AtlastthesealwaddledoutontotheroadandtheCat’s-Meat-Mansawhercrossitanddisappearintothepassagealongsidethedesertedhouse.Heclosedthegateagain,andstampedouthertracksatthefootofit.Thenheleanedagainstitmoppinghisbrow.

“Holysmoke!”hesighed.“AndI told theDoctorIdoneworsethings thanhelpasealescape!IfIever—”

Aknocksoundedon thegateathisback.Withshakinghandsheopened itoncemore;andtherestoodapoliceman,hislittlebull’s-eyelanternshiningathisbelt.Matthew’sheartalmoststoppedbeating.Hehadnoloveforpolicemen.

“Iain’tdonenothing!”hebegan.“I—”“What’salltherowabout?”askedtheconstable.“You’vegotthewholetown

wokeup.Lionbrokelooseorsomething?”Matthewheavedasighofrelief.“No,”hesaid.“Justalittletroublewiththeelephant.Gothislegcaughtina

ropeandpulledatentover.We‘ave‘imstraightenedoutnow.Nothingtoworryabout.”

“Oh,itthatall?”saidthepoliceman.“Folkswasgoingaroundaskingiftheendoftheworldwascome.Goodnight!”

“Goodnight,constable!”Matthewclosedthegateforthethirdtime—“Andgivemylovetoallthelittleconstables,”headdedunderhisbreathashesetoffforthemenagerie.

And so at last John Dolittle, waiting, anxious and impatient, in the darkpassage,alongsidetheemptyhouse,heardtohisdelightthesoundofapeculiarfootstep. A flipper-step, it should more properly be called; for the noise ofSophietravelingoverabrickslappingthegroundwithawetragandasackofpotatoesbeingyankedalongafloor.

“Isthatyou,Sophie?”hewhispered.“Yes,”saidtheseal,hitchingherselfforwardtowheretheDoctorstood.“Thankgoodness!Whatintheworldkeptyousolong?”“Oh, therewas somemix-upwith the gates,” saidSophie. “But hadn’twe

betterbegettingoutofthetown?Itdoesn’tseemtomeverysafehere.”“There’snochanceofthatforthepresent,”saidtheDoctor.“Thenoisethey

made in thecircushaswokeneverybody.Wedarenot tryandget through thestreetsnow. I just sawapolicemanpassacross theendof thepassage there—luckilyforus,justafteryoupoppedintoit.”

“Butthenwhatarewegoingtodo?”“We’llhavetostayhereforthepresent.Itwouldbemadnesstotryandrun

foritnow.”“Well,butsupposetheycomesearchinginhere.Wecouldn’t—”Atthatmomenttwopersonswithlanternsstoppedattheendofthepassage,

talkedamomentandmovedaway.“Quite so,” whispered the Doctor. “This isn’t safe either.Wemust find a

betterplace.”Now,onthesideothisalleywaytherewasahighstonewallandontheother

a high brick wall. The brick wall enclosed the back garden belonging to thedesertedhouse.

“If we could only get into that old empty house,” murmured the Doctor.“We’dbesafetostaythereaslongaswewished—tillthisexcitementamongthetownsfolkdiesdown.Canyouthinkofanywayyoucouldgetoverthatwall?”

Thesealmeasuredtheheightwithhereye.“Eightfeet,”shemurmured—“Icoulddoitwithaladder.I’vebeentrained

towalkupladders.Idoitinthecircus,youknow.Perhaps—”“Sh!”whisperedtheDoctor.“There’s thepoliceman’sbull’s-eyeagain.Ah,

thank goodness, he’s passed on! Listen, there’s just a chance I may find anorchard ladder in thegarden.Nowyouwaithere, lie flat, andwait till I comeback.”

ThenJohnDolittle,averyactivemaninspiteofhisroundfigure,drewbackandtookarunningjumpatthewall.Hisfingerscaughtthetopofit;hehauledhimselfup, threwone legoveranddropped lightlydown intoa flower-bedonthe other side.At the bottom of the garden he saw in themoonlightwhat heguessedtobeatool-shed.Slippinguptothedoor,heopeneditandwentin.

Insidehisgropinghandstouchedandrattledsomeemptyflowerpots.Buthecouldfindnoladder.Hefoundagrass-mower,alawn-roller,rakesandtoolsofevery kind, but no ladder.And there seemed little hope of finding one in thedark. So he carefully closed the door, hung his coat over the dirty littlecobwebbywindow, inorder thatno lightshouldbeseen fromtheoutside,andstruckamatch.

Andthere,sureenough,hangingagainstthewallrightabovehishead,wasanorchardladderjusttherightlength.Inamomenthehadblownoutthematch,opened the door and was marching down the garden with the ladder on hisshoulder.

Standing it in a firm place, he scaled up and sat astride thewall.Next hepulled the ladderupafterhim,changed itacross to theothersideand loweredthefoot-endintothepassage.

ThenJohnDolittle,perchedastridethetopofthewall(lookingexactlylikeHumptyDumpty),whispereddownintothedarkpassagebelowhim:

“Nowclimbup,Sophie. I’llkeep thisendsteady.Andwhenyoureach thetopgetontothewallbesidemetillIchangetheladderovertothegardenside.Don’tgetflusterednow.Easydoesit.”

ItwasagoodthingthatSophiewassowelltrainedinbalancing.Neverinthecircushadsheperformedabettertrickthanshedidthatnight.Itwasafeatthateven a person might well be proud of. But she knew that her freedom, thehappinessofherhusband,dependedonhersteadiness.And,thoughshewasinconstant fear that any minute some one might come down the passage anddiscoverthem,itgaveherarealthrilltoturnthetablesonhercaptorsbyusingtheskilltheyhadtaughtherinthislastgrandperformancetoescapethem.

Firmly,rungbyrung,shebeganhoistingherheavybodyupward.Theladder,fortunately,was longer than the height of thewall. Thus theDoctor had beenabletosetitataneasier,flattishslope,insteadofstraightupright.Withtheseal’sweight it saggeddangerously;and theDoctoron thewallprayed that itwouldprove strong enough. Being an orchard ladder, for tree-pruning, it got verynarrowatthetop.Anditwashere,wheretherewerehardlyroomenoughforaseal’s twofront flappers to takehold, that the ticklishpartof thefeatcamein.Then,fromthisawkwardsituationSophiehadtoshiftherclumsybulkontothewall,whichwasnomorethantwelveincheswide,whiletheDoctorchangedtheladder.

ButinthecircusSophiehadbeentrainedtobalanceherselfonsmallspaces,aswellastoclimbladders.AndaftertheDoctorhadhelpedherbyleaningdownandhoistingherupbytheslackofhersealskinjacket,shewiggledherselfalongthetopofthewallbesidehimandkeptherbalanceaseasilyasthoughitwerenothingatall.

Then,while Sophie gave a fine imitation of a statue in themoonlight, theDoctorhauledtheladderupafterher,swungitover—knockinghisownhighhatoffintheprocess—andlowereditintothegardenoncemore.

Comingdown,Sophiedidanotherofhershowtricks:shelaidherselfacrosstheladderandslidtothebottom.Itwasquickerthanclimbing.Anditwasluckyshe did slide. For theDoctor had hardly lowered the ladder to the lawnwhentheyheardvoices in thepassage theyhad left.Theyhadonly justgot into thegardenintime.

“Thankgoodnessforthat!”saidtheDoctorwhenthesoundoffootstepshaddiedaway.“Anarrowsqueak,Sophie!Well,we’resafeforthepresent,anyway.Nobodywould dream of looking for you here.Oh, I say, you’re lying on thecarnations.Comeover here onto the gravel.—So.Now, shallwe sleep in the

tool-shedorthehouse?”

“Heloweredtheladderintothegarden”“Thisseemsgoodenoughtome,”saidSophie,wallowingintothelonggrass

ofthelawn.“Let’ssleepoutdoors.”“No,thatwillneverdo,”saidtheDoctor.“Lookatallthehousesaround.If

westayinthegardenpeoplecouldseeusoutofthetopwindowswhendaylightcame.Let’ssleepinthetool-shed.I lovethesmellof tool-sheds—andthenwewon’thavetobreakopenanydoors.”

“Norclimbanystairs,”saidSophie,humpingalong toward theshed.“Idohatestairs.LaddersIcanmanage:butstairsarethemischief.”

Inside the tool-shed they found by the dim light of the moon several oldsacks and large quantities of bass-grass. Out of these materials they madethemselvestwoquitecomfortablebeds.

“My, but it’s good to be free!” said Sophie, stretching out her great, silkylength.“Areyousleepy,Doctor?Icouldn’tstayawakeanothermoment ifyoupaidme.”

“Well,go tosleep then,”said theDoctor.“I’mgoing to takeastroll in thegardenbeforeturningin.”

THETHIRDCHAPTER-INTHEDESERTEDGARDEN

The Doctor, always fascinated by any kind of a garden, lit his pipe andstrolledoutofthetool-shedintothemoonlight.Theneglectedappearanceofthebeds and lawns of this deserted property reminded him of his own beautifulhomeinPuddleby.Therewereweedseverywhere.JohnDolittlecouldnotabideweedsinflower-beds.Hepulledoneortwoawayfromtherootsofarose-tree.Furtheralonghefoundthemthickerstill,nearlysmotheringaveryfinelavenderbush.

“Dearme!”hesaid,tiptoeingbacktotheshedforahoeandabasket.“Whatashametoneglectafineplacelikethis!”

AndbeforelonghewasweedingawaybymoonlightlikeaTrojan—justasthoughthegardenwerehisownandnodangerthreatenedhimwithinathousandmiles.

“After all,” he muttered to himself as he piled the basket high withdandelions,“weareoccupyingtheplace—andrentfreeatthat.ThisistheleastIcandoforthelandlord.”

Afterhehadfinishedtheweedinghewouldhavegotthemowerandcutthelawn—onlythathewasafraidthenoisemightwaketheneighbors.

Andwhen, aweek later, the owner of the property rented the place to hisaunt,thatgoodladyentirelypuzzledhernephewbywritingtocongratulatehimonthewayhehadhadhisgardenkept!

TheDoctor,goingbacktobedafterahardnight’swork,suddenlydiscoveredthat he was hungry. Remembering the apple-trees he had noticed behind awistariaarbor,heturnedback.Butnofruitcouldhefind.Ithadallbeengatheredortakenbymaraudingboys.Knowingthathewouldnotbeabletomoveaboutthegardenafterdaylightcame,hethenstartedhuntingforvegetables.Butinthishe had no better luck. So,with the prospect of a foodless day before him to-morrow,hefinallywenttobed.

InthemorningthefirstthingSophiesaidwhenshewokeupwas:“My! I’ve been dreaming about the dear old sea all night. It’s givenme a

wonderfulappetite.Isthereanythingtoeataround,Doctor?”“I’mafraidnot,” said JohnDolittle. “We’llhave togowithoutbreakfast—

andlunch,too,Ifear.Idarenottotrytogetoutofherebydaylight.Assoonasitgetsdark,though,Imaybeabletogobymyselfandbringyousomekippersorsomething from a shop. But I hope that late to-night they’ll have given uphuntingforyouandthatwecanbothmakefortheopencountryandgetonour

waytothesea.”Well,Sophiewasverybraveandmadethebestofit.But,asthedayworeon

theybothgotravenouslyhungry.Somewherenearoneo’clockintheafternoon,Sophie,suddenlysaid:

“Sh!Didyouhearthat?”“No,”saidtheDoctor,whowaslookingforonionsinacorneroftheshed.

“Whatwasit?”“It’sadogbarkinginthepassage—theothersideofthegardenwall.Come

out fromunder the bench and you’ll hear it.Goodness! I do hope they’re nothuntingmewithdogsnow.Thegame’supiftheydo.”

TheDoctor crawled out from under a potting table, came to the door andlistened.Alow,cautiousbarkreachedhisearsfromoverthewall.

“GoodHeavens!”hemuttered.“That’sJip’svoice.Iwonderwhathewants.”Notfarfromtheshedtherewasathick,branchypeartreestandingcloseto

thewall.Makingsurenoonesawhimfromthewindowsofhousesoverlookingthegarden,theDoctorspedacrossandgotbehindthetree.

“Whatisit,Jip?”hecalled.“Isanythingwrong?”“Letmein,”Jipwhisperedback.“Ican’tgetoverthewall.”“HowcanI?”saidtheDoctor.“There’snodoorandI’mafraidtheneighbors

mayseemeifImoveoutintheopen.”“Getaropeandtieabasketontheend,”whisperedJip.“Thenthrowitover

thewallbehindthetreeandI’llgetinit.WhenIbark,pullontheropeandhaulmeup.Hurry!Idon’twanttobeseenaroundthispassage.”

Then theDoctorcreptback to the toolshed, foundaplanting lineand tiedthegardenbasketontheendofit.

Returningtothecoverofthetree,hethrewthebasketoverthewall,butkepttheendofthelineinhishand.

Presentlyabarksoundedfromthepassageandhestartedhaulingintherope.When the basket reached the top of the wall on the other side Jip’s headappeared.

“Keeptheropetight,buttieittothetree,”hewhispered.“Thenspreadyourcoatoutlikeanapron.Iwantyoutocatchsomethings.”

TheDoctordidashewastold.AndJip threwdowntohimthecontentsofthebasket:fourhamsandwiches,abottleofmilk,twoherrings,arazor,apieceofsoapandanewspaper.Thenhethrewtheemptybasketontothelawn.

“Now catch me,” said Jip. “Hold your coat real tight. Ready? One, two,three!”

“Mygoodness!”saidtheDoctor,asthedogtooktheflyingdiveandlandedneatlyinthecoat.“Youcouldperforminthecircusyourself.”

“Imaytakeitupsomeday,”saidJipcarelessly.“Whereaboutsinthisplacehaveyoubeenliving?Inthecellar?”

“No.Over there in the tool shed,”whispered theDoctor.“Let’s slipacrossquietlyandquickly.”

Aminutelatertheyweresafeinthetoolshed,SophiewasgulpingaherringandtheDoctorwaschewinghungrilyonahamsandwich.

“You’reamarvel,Jip,”saidhewithhismouthfull.“Buthowdidyouknowwewerehere—andinneedoffood?Bothofuswerejuststarving.”

“Well,”saidJip,throwingthesealanotherherring,“afterSophiegotoutofthe gate the excitement still went on inside the circus. Blossom and his menhuntedaroundallnight.Thenwedecided,fromthepeople’sheadspoppingoutof thewindows, that the town, too,wasprettymuchdisturbedby the rumpus.Too-Toowasawfullyworried.

“‘Idohope,’hekeptsaying,‘thattheDoctorhasnottriedtogetoutintothecountry.He’llsurelybecaughtifhehas.Thethingforhimtodoforthepresentistohide.’

“Thedogtooktheflyingdive”“So, all night longwe sat up expecting anyminute to seeyou andSophie

dragged back into the circus. Well, morning came and still you hadn’t been

captured—and, as far as I know, nobody suspects that you, Doctor, have hadanything to do with it. But the circus folk were still searching even whendaylightcame,andToo-Tookeptfussingandworrying.SoIsaidtohim,Isaid:

“‘I’llsoontellyouiftheDoctorisstillinAshbyornot.’“AndIwentoffonatourofinspection.Itwasadampmorningandagood

one for smelling. Imade a circular trip right round the outside of the town. Iknew that if you had left it by anymeans except flying I could pick up yourscent.ButnowheredidIcrosstheDolittletrail.SoIwentbacktoToo-TooandIsaid:

“‘TheDoctorhasn’tleftAshbyyet—unlesshewentbyballoon.’“‘Good,’sayshe.‘Thenhe’ssafeinhidingsomeplace.He’sgotwits,hasthe

Doctor—insomethings.Now,nosehimout—andcomebackandtellmewhereheis.InthemeantimeI’llhavesomefoodgotreadyforhim.Bothheandthesealwill be hungry.They’veneither of themhad a thingprobably since noonyesterday,andthey’llcertainlyhavetostaywheretheyaretilllate-to-night.’

“So then I went smelling around inside the town and picked up yourincomingtrailfromwherethecoachstops.Anditledmefirst,asIexpected,byroundabout side streets to the dark passage.But from there, tomy surprise, itdidn’tgoon—juststoppeddead.Sophie’sdidn’tgoonanyfurthereither.Well,Iknewyoucouldn’thavecreptdownaratholeorflownupintheair;andforacouple of minutes I was absolutely fogged. Then, suddenly, I got a whiff oftobaccosmokecomingoverthewall—Iknowthebrandyousmoke—andIwascertainyouwereinthegarden.But,ifyouaskme,Ishouldsaythatbothofyouareprettyfinejumpers.”

TheDoctor laughedashe startedon a second sandwich, and evenSophie,wipingherfishywhiskerswiththebackofherflipper,smiledbroadly.

“Sophiesmiled”“Wedidn’tjumpthewall,Jip,”saidJohnDolittle.“Weusedthatladderover

there.Buthowdidyougetthisfoodherewithoutbeingseen?”“Itwasn’teasy,”saidJip,“notbyanymeans.Too-TooandDab-Dabmade

up the sandwiches, andwe got Sophie’s herrings fromHiggins’ fish pail. Themilk was delivered at our wagon by the usual dairyman. Then Too-Too saidyou’dsurelyliketoseeanewspaper—topassthetime—ifyouhadtostayhereallday;andIchoseTheMorningGazette,which is theonewehadoftenseenyou reading. Then the white mouse said not to forget your razor and soap,becauseyouhatedtogowithoutshaving.Andweputthemin.Butallthisstufftogetherweightedquitealot—toomuchformetocarryinonetrip.SoImadetwo,hidingthefirstloadbehindanashbarrelinthepassagetillIcouldfetchthesecond.OnthefirstjourneyIgotstoppedbyanoldwoman—yousee,Ihadthethingsrolledupinthenewspaper,sotheywouldn’tlooksonoticeable.‘Oh,my,’saidtheoldlady,‘lookatthenicedoggiecarryingthenewspaperforhismaster!Comehere,cleverdoggie!’

“Well, I gave the old frump the slip and got away fromher all right.Andthen on the second trip Imet somemore idiots—dog idiots. They caught thescent of the herrings I was carrying for Sophie and started following me in

droves.Iranallroundthetowntryingtogetawayfromthemandnearlylosttheluggagemorethanonce.FinallyIputmypackagedownandfought thewholebunchofthem.—No,itwasn’taneasyjob.”

“Goodness!” said the Doctor, finishing his last sandwich and opening themilk.“It’swonderfultohavesuchfriends.I’mawfullygladyouthoughtoftherazor. I’m getting terribly bristly around the chin. —Oh, but I haven’t anywater.”

“Youmust usemilk,” said Jip. “Steady!Don’t drink it all.We thought ofthat,too,yousee.”

“Humph,” said the Doctor setting down the half empty bottle. “That’s anidea.Inevershavedwithmilkbefore.Oughttobesplendidforthecomplexion.Youdon’tdrinkit,Sophie,doyou?No.Oh,well,nowwe’reallfixedup.”

Andhetookoffhiscollarandbegantoshave.Afterhehadfinished,Jipsaid:“Well, Imustbe leaving,Doctor. Ipromised themat thecaravanI’dcome

andletthemknowhoweverythingwasgoingwithyouassoonasIcould.Ifyoudon’t succeed in getting away to-night I’ll be back again the same time to-morrow,withsomemoregrub.Thetownsfolkhaveprettymuchcalmeddown.ButHigginsandBlossomhaven’tgivenupthehuntyetbyanymeans.Soyouwillbecareful,won’tyou?You’reallsafeandsnughere.Betterstaytwodays—oreventhreemore,ifnecessary,ratherthanrunforittoosoonandgetcaught.”

“Allright,Jip,”saidtheDoctor.“We’llbecareful.Thankyoueversomuchforcoming.Remembermetoeveryone.”

“Me,too,”saidSophie.“And tellToo-Too and the restwe are ever so grateful for their help,” the

Doctoraddedasheopenedthedooroftheshed.Then they slipped across to the pear tree again.And after he had climbed

intothebranchesofit,theDoctorpokedJip,insidethebasket,overthewallandlethimdownonthestringintothepassage.

Nothingfurtherofexcitementhappenedforsomehours.And though, fromtimetotime,theyheardthevoicesofpeoplehuntingfortheminthepassageandthe streets around, a pleasant afternoon was spent by the two fugitives, theDoctorreadingthepaperandSophielollingthoughtfullyonherbed.

AfterdarknessbegantofallJohnDolittlecouldnolongerseetoread;soheandSophietooktochatteringoverplansinlowtones.

“Doyou thinkwe’ll be able to get away to-night,Doctor?” askedSophie.“Surely,they’llhavegivenuphuntingmebythen,won’tthey?”

“Ihopeso,”saidtheDoctor.“Assoonasit’sdarkI’llgooutintothegardenandsee if Ihearanything.Iknowhowanxiousyouare tobegettingalongon

yourtrip.Buttryandbepatient.”Abouthalfanhour later theDoctor tooktheladder,andmountingnear the

topofthegardenwall,helistenedlongandcarefully.WhenhecamebacktoSophieinthetoolshedhewasshakinghishead.“Therearestillanawfullotofpeoplemovingaboutinthestreets,”hesaid.

“But whether they are circus men hunting you, or just ordinary townsfolkwalkingabroad,Ican’tmakeout.We’dbetterwaitawhilelonger,Ithink.”

“Oh, dear!” sighed Sophie. “Are we never going to get further than thisgarden?PoorSlushy!I’msoworried.”

Andshebegantoweepsoftlyinthedarknessoftheshed.AfteranotherhourhadgonebytheDoctorwentoutagain.Thistime,justas

hewas about to climb the ladder, he heard Jipwaswhispering to him on theothersideofthewall.

“Doctor,areyouthere?”“Yes,whatisit?”“Listen! Higgins and the boss have gone off somewhere with a wagon.

BlossomjustcameandtoldMatthewtotakeonsomeextrajobswiththecircusbecausehewouldn’tbackforawhile.Too-Toothinksit’sagrandchanceforyoutomakeadashforitandgetoutofthetown.Startinanhour,whenthecircusisinfullswingandthemenareallbusy.Haveyougotthat?”

“Yes,Iheardyou.Thankyou,Jip.Allright.We’llleaveinanhour.”AndtheDoctorlookedathiswatch.“WhichwaydidBlossomgo?”

“East—toward Grimbledon. Swizzle followed them out a ways and cameback and told us. Youmake for theWest. Turn to the left at the end of thispassageandthendoubletotheleftagainatthenextcorner.It’sadarkby-streetandit leadsyououtontotheDunwichRoad.Onceyoureachthatyou’llbeallright.There aren’tmanyhouses on it andyou’ll be in the open country in notime.I’mleavingsomemoresandwicheshereinthepassageforyou.Pickthemuponyourwayout.Canyouhearme?”

“Yes,Iunderstand,”whisperedtheDoctor.Thenheranbacktotheshedwiththegoodnews.

PoorSophie,whensheheardtheyweretoleavethatnight,stooduponhertailandclappedherflipperswithjoy.

“Now,listen,”saidtheDoctor:“ifwemeetanyoneonthestreet—andweare pretty sure to—you lie down by the wall and pretend you’re a sack I’mcarrying—that I’m takinga rest,yousee.Tryand lookasmuch likeasackasyoucan.Understand?”

“All right,” saidSophie, “I’m frightfully excited. See howmy flippers arefluttering.”

“Well, theDoctor kept an eyeonhiswatch; and longbefore thehour hadpassedheandSophiewerewaitingatthefootoftheladderreadyandimpatient.

Finally,afterlookingatthetimeoncemore,theDoctorwhispered:“Allright,Ithinkwecanstartnow.Letmegofirst,soIcansteadytheladder

foryou,thewayIdidbefore.”But,alas,forpoorSophie’shopes!Justas theDoctorwashalfwayup, the

noiseofdistantbarking,deep-voicedandangry,brokeout.John Dolittle paused on the ladder, frowning. The barking, many dogs

bayingtogether,drewnearer.“What’s that?”saidSophieina tremulouswhisperfrombelow.“That’snot

Jiporanyofourdogs.”“No,” said the Doctor, climbing down slowly. “There’s no mistaking that

sound. Sophie, something’s gone wrong. That’s the baying of bloodhounds—bloodhoundsonascent.Andthey’recoming—thisway!”

“JohnDolittlepaused”

THEFOURTHCHAPTER-THELEADEROFTHEBLOODHOUNDS

Jip,afterhislastconversationwiththeDoctoroverthegardenwall,returnedto the caravan and his friends, feeling comfortably sure that now everythingwouldgoallright.

HeandToo-Toowerechattingunder the tablewhileDab-Dabwasdustingthefurniture,whensuddenlyinrushedToby,alloutofbreath.

“Jip,”hecried.“Theworsthashappened!They’vegotbloodhounds.That’swhat Blossom and Higgins went off for. There’s a man who raises them, itseems,inthenextvillage.They’rebringing‘emhereinawagon—sixof‘em.Ispottedthemjustastheyenteredthetownoverthetoll-bridge.Iranbehindandtriedtospeaktothedogs.Butwiththerattleofthewagon-wheelstheycouldn’thear me. If they put those hounds on Sophie’s trail she’s as good as caughtalready.”

“Confoundthem!”mutteredJip.“Wherearetheynow,Toby?”“I don’t know.When I left them theywere crossing themarket place, on

theirwayhereatthetrot.IracedaheadtoletyouknowasquickasIcould.”“Allright,”saidJip,springingup.“Comewithme.”Andhedashedoutintothenight.“They’lltryandpickupthetrailfromtheseal’sstand,”saidJipasthetwo

dogsranontogetheracrosstheenclosure.“Perhapswecanmeetthemthere.”Butatthestandtherewerenobloodhounds.Jipputhisnosetothegroundandsniffedjustonce.“Drattheluck!”hewhispered.“They’vebeenherealreadyandgoneoffon

thetrail.Listen,theretheyare,bayingnow.Comeon!Let’sraceforthepassage.Wemaybeintimeyet.”

Andawayhespedlikeawhitearrowtowardthegate,whilepoorlittleToby,leftfarbehind,withhisflappyearstrailinginthewind,putonhisbestspeedtokeepup.

Dashing into the passage, Jip found it simply full of men and dogs andlanterns.Blossomwasthere,andHigginsandthemanwhoownedthehounds.Whilethementalkedandwavedthelamps,thehounds,sixgreat,droopy-jowledbeasts,withlongearsandbloodshoteyes,sniffedthegroundandranhitherandthither about the alley, trying to findwhere the trail led out. Every once in awhiletheywouldlifttheirnoses,opentheirbigmousesandsendadeep-voicedhowlrollingtowardthemoon.

Bythistimeotherdogsintheneighborhoodwereansweringtheirbackfromeverybackyard.Jipranintothecrowdedpassage,pretendingtojoininthehuntforscent.Pickingoutthebiggestbloodhound,who,heguessed,wastheleader,hegotalongsideofhim.Then,stillkeepinghiseyesandnosetotheground,hewhisperedindoglanguage:

“Get your duffers out of here. This is the Doctor’s business—JohnDolittle’s.”

ThebloodhoundpausedandeyedJiphaughtily.“Whoareyou,mongrel?”hesaid.“We’vebeensettorundownaseal.Stop

tryingtofoolus.JohnDolittleisawayonavoyage.”“He’snothingofthekind,”mutteredJip.“He’sontheothersideofthatwall

—notsixfeetawayfromus.Heistryingtogetthissealdowntothesea,soshecan escape thesemenwith the lanterns—if you idiotswill onlyget out of theway.”

“Idon’tbelieveyou,”saidtheleader.“ThelastIheardoftheDoctorhewastravelinginAfrica.Wemustdoourduty.”

“Duffer!Numbskull!” growled Jip, losing his temper entirely. “I’m tellingyouthetruth.FortwopinsI’dpullyourlongears.Youmusthavebeenasleepinyourkennelthelasttwoyears.TheDoctor’sbeenbackinEnglandoveramonth.He’stravelingwiththecircusnow.”

Buttheleaderofthebloodhounds,likemanyhighlytrainedspecialists,was(in everything outside his own profession) very obstinate and a bit stupid.Hejust simply would not believe that the Doctor wasn’t still abroad. In all hisfamousrecordasatrackerhehadneverfailedtorundownhisquarry,oncehetookupascent.Hehadabigreputation,andwasproudofit.Hewasn’tgoingtobemisledbyeverywhipper-snapperofadogwhocamealongwithanidletale—no,nothe.

PoorJipwasindespair.HesawthatthehoundswerenowsniffingatthewalloverwhichSophie had climbed.Heknew that thesegreat beastswouldneverleavethisneighborhoodwhilethesealwasnearandherfishyscentsostrongallabout.ItwasonlyamatteroftimebeforeBlossomandHigginswouldguessthatshewas in hiding beyond thewall andwould have the old house and gardensearched.

While he was still arguing an idea came to Jip. He left the knot ofbloodhoundsandnosedhiswaycarelesslydown to thebottomof thepassage.Theairwasnowsimplyfullofbarksandyelpsfromdogsofanykind.Jipthrewbackhisheadandpretendedto join in thechorus.But themessageheshoutedwasdirectedoverthewalltotheDoctor:

“These idiotswon’t believeme. For heaven’s sake tell ‘em you’re here—Woof!Woof!WOO—!”

Andthenstillanotherdoggishvoice,comingfromthegarden,addedtothegeneralnoiseofthenight.Andthisiswhatitbarked:

“ItisI,JohnDolittle.Won’tyoupleasegoaway?Wow!Woof!Wow-ow!”Atthesoundofthatvoice—toBlossomandHigginsnodifferentfromanyof

the other yelps that filled the air—the noses of all six bloodhounds left thegroundandtwelvelongearscockedup,motionlessandlistening.

“Byginger!”mutteredtheleader.“Itishe!It’sthegreatmanhimself.”“WhatdidItellyou?”whisperedJip,shufflingtowardhim.“Nowleadthese

menoff toward thesouth—outof the town,quick—anddon’tstoprunning tillmorning.”

Then thedog trainer sawhisprize leader suddenlydouble roundandheadoutofthepassage.Tohisdelight,theothersfollowedhisexample.

“All right,Mr. Blossom,” he yelled, waving his lantern. “They’ve got thescentagain.Comeon,follow‘em,follow‘em!They’regoingfast.Stickto‘em!—Run!”

Tumbling over one another to keep up, the three men hurried after thehounds;andJip, tohelptheexcitement in therightdirection, joinedthechase,barkingforallhewasworth.

“They’veturneddownthestreettothesouth,”shoutedtheowner.“We’llgetyoursealnow,neverfear.Ah,they’regooddogs!Oncetheytakethescenttheynevergowrong.Comeon,Mr.Blossom.Don’tlet‘emgettoofaraway.”

Andinaflashthe littledarkpassage,whichamomentbeforewasfullandcrowded,wasleftemptyinthemoonlight.

Poor Sophie, weeping hysterically on the lawn, with the Doctor trying tocomforther,suddenlysawthefigureofanowlpopupontothegardenwall.

“Doctor!Doctor!”“Yes,Too-Too.Whatisit?”“Now’s your chance! The whole town’s joined the hunt. Get your ladder.

Hurry!”And two minutes later, while the hounds, in full cry, led Blossom and

Higginsonagrandsteeplechaseoverhillanddaletothesouthward,theDoctorledSophiequietlyoutofAshbybytheDunwichRoad,towardthewestwardandthesea.

Long afterwards, when Sophie’smysterious escape from her circus careerhadbecomeancienthistory,JohnDolittleoftentoldhispetsthatifhehadonlyknownatthebeginningwhatkindofajobitwastomoveasealsecretlyoverahundred miles of dry land he doubted very much if he would have had thecouragetoundertakeit.

“Asteeplechaseoverhillanddale”The second half of his adventureswith Sophie, inwhich none of his own

animals tookpart, came, indeed, tobea favorite talewith theDolittle firesidecircle for many, many years—particularly one chapter. And whenever theanimalswerefeedinginneedofacheerfulyarntheyalwayspesteredtheDoctortore-tellthemthepartofhiselopementwiththesealwhichGub-Gubcalled“theGrantchesterCoach.”Butwearegoingaheadofourstory.

WhenSophieandJohnDolittlehadtraveleddowntheDunwichRoadasfaraswhere thehousesofAshbyendedand the fieldsof thecountrybegan, theybothheavedasighofrelief.Whattheyhadbeenmostafraidofwhilestillinthestreets was being met by a policeman. The Doctor guessed that Higgins hadprobablyappliedtothepolicestationandofferedarewardforthereturnofhislostproperty.Ifhehad,ofcourse,allthetownconstableswouldbeverymuchonthelookoutforstrayseals.

Astheynowploddedalongtheroadbetweenhedge-rows,theDoctorcouldtellfromSophie’sheavybreathingandveryslowpacethateventhisbitoflandtravel had already wearied the poor beast. Yet he dared not halt upon thehighway.

Spyingacopseoverinsomelonelyfarminglandstohisleft,hedecidedthatitwouldmakeagood,snugplaceinwhichtotakearest.Hethereforeturnedoff

theroad,foundaholeinthehedgeforSophietocrawlthroughandledheralongaditchthatranuptowardthecopse.

“HefoundaholeforSophietocrawlthrough”Arriving at the little clump of trees and brambles, they found it excellent

coverandcrawledin.Itwasthekindofplacewherenoonewouldbelikelytocome in month of Sundays—except perhaps stray sportsmen after rabbits, orchildrenberry-picking.

“Well,” said the Doctor, as Sophie flopped down, panting within theprotectionofdensehawthornsandfurze,“sofar,sogood.”

“My!” saidSophie, “but I’mwinded.Sealsweren’tmeant for this kind ofthing,Doctor.Howfardoyoureckonwe’vecome?”

“Aboutamileandahalf,Ishouldsay.”“GoodLord!Isthatall?Andit’snearlyahundredtothesea!Itellyouwhat

Ithinkweoughttodo,Doctor;let’smakeforariver.Riversalwaysflowtothesea. I can travel in water as fast as a horse can run. But much more of thishighroadwalkingwillwearholesinthesoleofmystomach.Ariver’sthethingwe’vegottomakefor.”

“Yes,Ithinkyou’reright,Sophie.Butwheretofindone?That’sthepoint.IfwewereanywherenearPuddlebynowIcouldtellyouatonce.ButIdon’tknowathingaboutthegeographyoftheseparts.Ioughttohaverememberedtobring

amapwithme.Idon’twanttobeaskingpeople—notyet,anyway.BecauseI’mstillsupposedtobemilesawayfromhere,attendingtobusiness.”

“Well,asksomeanimal,then,”saidSophie.“Ofcourse!”criedtheDoctor.“Whydidn’tIthinkofthatbefore?Now,what

kindofabeastcouldbestgiveustheinformationwewant?”“Oh,anysortofwatercreaturewilldo.”“I know; we’ll ask an otter. Otters are about your nearest relatives in

England,Sophie.Theytravelandhuntinfreshwaterverymuchthewayyoudoinsalt.NowyoustayhereandtakeagoodrestandI’llgooffandfindone.”

It was about one o’clock in themorningwhen theDoctor returned to thecopse.ThenoisehemadeenteringwokeSophieoutofasoundsleep.

Withhimhehadbroughtaratherunusualanimal.Inodd,curving,gracefulleaps this creature kept boundingupout of the highbracken that carpeted thecopsetogetagoodlookatSophie.Heseemedsomewhatafraidofher,butveryinterested.

“Isn’tshelarge,Doctor!”hewhispered.“Didyousayshewasrelatedtous?”“In a way, yes. Though, strictly speaking, she is a pinniped, while your

peoplearemusteloids.”“Oh,well, I’mgladof it.She is soclumsy.And look, shehasn’t anyhind

legs—justsortofstubbythings.Areyousureshewon’tbite?”Finally, the otter was persuaded that Sophie was harmless, and, drawing

close,hetalkedpleasantlywiththisotherfurredfishermanfromforeignparts.“Now,”saidtheDoctor,“asIhavetoldyou,weareanxioustogetdownto

the sea by the quickest and quietestway possible.AndSophie thinks that thebestthingismakeforsomestream.”

“Humph!”saidtheotter.“She’squiteright,ofcourse.Butyou’vecometoaprettypoorplaceforwaterways.TheonlyreasonIstayinthisneighborhoodisbecausetherearenootterhoundshere.Iliveanddomyfishinginafewponds.They’renotmuchgood,butatleastI’mnothuntedbythepacks.Therearenodecentriversintheseparts—certainlynonethatshecouldswimintothesea.”

“Well,wheredoyourecommendustogo,then?”askedtheDoctor.“Ireallydon’tknow,”saidtheotter.“Yousee,Itravelsolittlemyself.Iwas

borninthisdistrict.AndmymotheralwaystoldmethatthiswastheonlysafeplaceleftinEnglandforotterstolive.AndsoI’vestayedhere—mywholelife.”

“Well,couldyougetussomefish,then?”askedSophie.“I’mfamished.”“Oh,surely,”saidtheotter.“Doyoueatcarp?”“I’deatanythingjustnow,”saidSophie.“Allright.WaitaminutetillIgodowntomypond,”saidtheotter,andhe

turnedaroundandboundedoutofthecopse.

In less than tenminuteshewasback againwith a hugebrowncarp inhismouth.ThisSophiedisposedofinacoupleofgulps.

“Whydon’tyouaskthewildducks,Doctor?”saidtheotter.“Theytravelnoend,followingthewaterwaysupanddowntothesea,feeding.Andtheyalwaysgobythequieteststreams,wheretheywon’tmeetpeople.Theycouldtellyou.”

“Yes,Ithinkyou’reright,”saidJohnDolittle.“ButwherecanIgetholdofany?”

“Oh, that’seasy.They’realwaysflyingbynight.Justgouponahillsomeplaceandlisten.Whenyouhearthempassingoverhead,call‘em.”

So,leavingSophieandherfresh-watercousinchattingquietlyinthecopse,theDoctorclimbeduparidgetillhecametoahighfield,fromwherehecouldseethemoonlitskyallaroundhim.Andafteraminuteortwoheheard,alongwayoff,afaintquackingandhonking—wildducksonthewing.Presently,highabove his head, he could make out a V-shaped cluster of little dots, headingseaward.

Putting his two hands to hismouth, like a trumpet, he sent a call hurtlingupward.Theclusterpaused,brokeupandstartedflyingroundincircles,comingdownward—cautiously—allthetime.

Presently in the copse Sophie and the otter stopped chatting and listenedtenselytothesoundofapproachingfootsteps.

ThenthefigureofJohnDolittlesteppedintothehidingplace,withalovelygreenandblueducktuckedcomfortablyundereacharm.

“Well,”saidtheducks,aftertheDoctorhadexplainedthesituationtothemandaskedtheiradvice,“thenearestriver,bigenoughtobeofanyusetoaseal,istheKippet.Unfortunately, therearenobrooksoranything leading into it fromhere.ToreachthevalleyofKippetRiveryou’llhavetocrossaboutfortymilesofland.”

“Humph!”saidtheDoctor.“Thatsoundsbad.”“Verybad,”sighedSophie,wearily.“PoorSlushy!SuchatimeI’mtakingto

gettohim.Whatkindoflandisthiswhichwe’vegottocross?”“Itvariesagooddeal,”saidtheducks.“Someofit’shilly;someofit’sflat;

partofitstandingcrops;partofitheath.It’sverymixedtraveling.”“Dearme!”groanedSophie.“Yes,”saidtheducks,“itwouldbeeasier,asfarastheriver,ifyouwentby

road.”

“‘Yes,’saidtheducks”“Butdon’tyousee,”saidtheDoctor,“I’mafraidofbeingmetandstopped?

That’swhywelefttheDunwichRoad.Therearetoomanypeoplewho’veheardofourescapearoundtheseparts.”

“But,” said the ducks, “you wouldn’t have to go back onto the DunwichRoad.Listen;ifyoufollowthathedgeonwestward,itwillleadyoudownontoanotherroad,theoldRomanroadfromIgglesbytoGrantchester.Coachesuseit,goingnorth and south.You’renot likely tomeetAshby folkson that.Well, ifyou go along that road for about fortymiles north you’ll come to theKippetRiver.ThehighwaycrossesitatTalbot’sBridge—justbeforeyouenterthetownofGrantchester.”

“It soundssimple foragoodwalker,” said theDoctor.“But forSophie it’sanothermatter.Still,Isupposeit’sthebest.FollowtheGrantchesterRoadnorthasfarasTalbot’sBridge,andtheretaketotheriver,theKippet—isthatit?”

“That’sright,”saidtheducks.“Youcan’tgowrong,onceyoureachtheroad.After you take to the stream you’d bettermake somemore inquiries of otherwater fowl, because, although the Kippet will lead you to the sea, there areplacesonitwhereyoumustbecareful.”

“Verygood,”saidtheDoctor.“Youhavebeenmostkind.Ithankyou.”

ThentheducksflewoffabouttheirbusinessandJohnDolittlelookedathiswatch.

“It’snowtwoo’clockinthemorning,”saidhe.“Wehavethreehoursmorebeforedaylight comes.Wouldyouprefer,Sophie, to stayhere and rest till to-morrowevening,orshallwepushonandgetasfaraswecanbeforedawn?”

“Oh,let’spushon,”saidSophie.“Allright,”saidtheDoctor,“comealong.”Whiletheyweremakingtheirwayalongthehedgetowardtheroad,thelittle

otterwentoffandgotSophiealargemealoffreshfish,tohelpstrengthenherforherhardtrip.Aboutamilebelow,attheendofalongfield,heshowedthemaholethroughanotherhedge,toldthemtheroadwasjusttheothersideofit,andbadethemfarewell.

Crawling through, they cameout upon a fine highway that stretched awayintothenightoneitherhand,wideandwellpaved.

WithasighofresignationfromSophie, theyturnedto therightandsetoffnorthward.

THEFIFTHCHAPTER-THEPASSENGERSFROMPENCHURCH

“Oh,dear!Oh,dear!”saidSophie,aftertheyhadtraveledforaboutanhour.Thisroadisjustashardandknobbyandscrapyastheotherone.Howfarhavewecomenow?”

“Aboutanothermile,”saidtheDoctor.Sophiebegantoweepbigtearsintothewhitedustoftheroad.“Always ‘about anothermile!’ I’mafraid I’mbeingadreadfulnuisance to

you,Doctor.”“Oh,notatall,”saidJohnDolittle.“Don’tbedownhearted.We’lldoityet.

It’llbeeasygoing,oncewereachtheriver.”“Yes,butwearestillthirty-ninemilesfromthat,”saidSophie.“AndI’mso

wornout.”The Doctor looked down at her and saw that, indeed, she was in a very

exhaustedstate.Therewasnothingforitbuttohaltagain.“Comeoverhere,”hesaid—“offtheroad—so.Now,liedowninthisditch,

whereyouwon’tbeseen,andtakearest.”PoorSophiedidasshewastold,andtheDoctorsatdownuponamilestone,

thinking hard. Although he was doing his best to cheer Sophie along, it was

beginningtolook,atthisrate,asthoughtheycouldnevergetasfarastheriver.Whilehewasponderingdrearilyoverthedifficultiesofthesituation,Sophie

suddenlysaid:“What’sthatnoise?”TheDoctorlookedupandlistened.“Wagonwheels,”hesaid.“You’requite safewhereyouare. Justkeepstill

tillitpasses.You’llneverbeseenintheditch.”Therumblingnoisedrewnearer,andpresently,roundabendin theroad,a

lightcame insight.Soon theDoctorcouldsee that itwasaclosedcarriageofsomekind.As it drew levelwithhim thedriver stoppedhishorses andcalledout:

“Areyouwaitingforthecoach?”“Er—er,”theDoctorstammered—“oh,areyouthecoach?”“We’reoneof‘em,”saidtheman.“Wheredoyougoto?”askedtheDoctor.“Wearethelocal,”saidthedriver;“PenchurchtoAnglethorpe.D’yerwant

togetin?”WhilehehesitatedoverananswerawildideacameintotheDoctor’shead.“Haveyougotmanypassengers?”heasked.“No, only two—man and his wife—and they’re asleep. Plenty o’ room

inside.”Thecarriage,litwithinbyalampwhichshonedimlythroughdrawncurtains,

had stoppeda littlebeyond theDoctor’smilestone.Thedriver, fromwherehesat,couldseeneitherSophie’shidingplace,northebackdoorofhisowncoach.

“Are your passengers from these parts?” asked the Doctor, lowering hisvoice.

“No,we come from Penchurch, I told you.Whatmorewould you like toknow?Ifyouwanttogetin,hurry!Can’tstaytalkingallnight.”

“Allright,”saidtheDoctor.“WaitjustasecondtillIgetmyluggage.”“Wantanyhelp?”“No,no,no!Staywhereyouare.Icanmanage.”ThentheDoctorslippedbehindtheendofthecoachandopenedthedoor.A

manandawoman,withtheirheadssunkupontheirchests,weredozinginthefar corner. Leaving the door open, the Doctor ran to the ditch, put his armsaroundSophie,andliftedherhugeweightbodilyinhisarms.

“We’ll cover part of the ground this way, anyhow,” he whispered as hecarriedhertothecoach.

“Hecarriedhertothecoach”“Keepasstillandquietasyoucan.I’mgoingtostowyouundertheseat.”Forenteringthecarriage,whosefloorstoodhighabovetheleveloftheroad,

thereweretwolittleironstepshungbelowthedoorsill.AstheDoctorlookedinthe second time thepassengerswere still apparently sleeping.But in trying tomountthestepswithhistremendousburdenhestumblednoisily.Thewomaninthe corner woke up and raised her head. The Doctor, Sophie’s flippers stillclingingabouthisneck,stared,speechless.

“John!”ItwasSarah.Mrs.Dinglefaintedwithashriekintoherhusband’sarms.Thehorsesbolted.

TheDoctor lost his balance entirely.And the coach rattled off into the night,leavinghimseatedintheroad,withSophieonhislap.

“Heighho!”hesighed,pickinghimselfupwearily.“Ofcourse,itwouldbeSarah!Itmighthavebeenanyoneelseintheworld,butithadtobeSarah.Well,well!”

“Butwhatdidyoumean todo?”askedSophie.“Youcouldneverhavegotmeundertheseat.Therewasn’troomtheretohideadog.”

“Oh,well,Ijustactedonthespurofthemoment,”saidtheDoctor.“Imight

have got you a few miles on your journey—if I hadn’t stumbled and wokenSarah.Botherit!But,youknow,Sophie,Ithinkthatthecoachideaisourbestscheme, anyhow.Onlywemust arrange it a littledifferently;wemust layourplans with care. In oneway it was a good thing it was Sarah. If it had beenanyone elsewho had seenme carrying a seal theymight have talked and setpeopleonourtrack.ButSarahandherhusbandareashamedofmybeinginthecircusbusinessandtheywon’tsayanything,wemaybesure.

“Now,listen:overintheeasttheskyisgrowinggray—look.It’snouseourtrying toget further to-day.Sowe’llhideyou in thosewoodsdownthere,andthenI’llgoonalonetothenextvillageandfindoutafewthings.”

So theymovedalong thehighwayashortdistance towheresomepleasantwoodsborderedtheroad.

Enteringthecoverofthesepreserves,theyfoundaniceplaceforSophietoliehidden.Then,whenhehadmadehercomfortable, theDoctorsetoutdowntheroadjustasthecocksinthenearbyfarmsbegancrowingtheirfirstgreetingtothemorningsun.

Afterawalkofabouttwomileshecametoavillagewithaprettylittleivy-covered inn,called“TheThreeHuntsmen.”Going inheorderedbreakfast.Hehad not had anything to eat since he had left the deserted garden.A very oldwaiterservedhimsomebaconandeggsinthetap-room.

As soon as theDoctor had eaten he lit his pipe and began chatting to thewaiter.He found out awhole lot of things about the coaches that ran up anddown theGrantchesterRoad—what the different oneswere like to look at, atwhathourtheyweretobeexpected,whichofthemwereusuallycrowded,andmuchmore.

Thenhelefttheinnandwalkeddownthestreettillhecametothefewshopsthe village had.One of thesewas a general clothier’s and haberdasher’s. TheDoctorenteredandaskedthepriceofa lady’scloakwhichwashanginginthewindow.

“Fifteenshillingsandsixpence,”saidthewomaninchargeof theshop.“Isyourwifetall?”

“Mywife?”asked theDoctor,entirelybewildered.“Oh,ah,yes,ofcourse.Well—er—Iwantitlong,anyway.AndI’lltakeabonnet,too.”

“Isshefairordark?”askedthewoman.“Er—she’ssortofmedium,”saidtheDoctor.“There’s a nice one here,with red poppies on it,” said thewoman. “How

wouldshelikethat?”“No,that’stooshowy,”saidtheDoctor.“Well,theydosaythemfloweryonesisrightfashionableuptoLondonjust

now.Howwouldthisdo?”

“‘Howwouldthisdo?’”Andthewomanbroughtforwarda large,plain,blackbonnet.“This isvery

genteel.Iwearthiskindmyself.”“Yes,I’lltakethatone,”saidtheDoctor.“AndnowIwantalady’sveil—a

heavyone,please.”“Oh,mourninginthefamily?”“Er—notexactly.ButIwantitprettythick—atravelingveil.”Then thewomanadded aveil to theDoctor’s purchases.Andwith a large

parcelunderhisarmhepresentlylefttheshop.Next,hewenttoagroceryandboughtsomedriedherringsforSophie—theonlykindoffishhecouldobtaininthevillage.Andaboutnoonhestartedbackdowntheroad.

“Sophie,”saidJohnDolittle,whenhereachedtheseal’shidingplaceinthewoods,“Ihaveawholelotofinformationforyou,somefoodandsomeclothes.”

“Someclothes!”saidSophie.“WhatwouldIdowithclothes?”“Wear them,” said the Doctor. “You’ve got to be a lady—for a while,

anyhow.”“Greatheavens!”gruntedSophie,wipingherwhiskerswiththebackofher

flipper.“Whatfor?”

“Soasyoucantravelbycoach,”saidtheDoctor.“ButIcan’twalkupright,”criedSophie,“likealady.”“Iknow.Butyoucansitupright—likeasicklady.You’llhavetobealittle

lame.Anywalkingthereistobedone,I’llcarryyou.”“Butwhataboutmyface?Itisn’ttherightshape.”“We’ll cover that up with a veil.” said the Doctor. “And your hat will

disguisetherestofyourhead.Now,eatthisfishI’vebroughtyouandthenwewillrehearsedressingyouup.IhearthattheGrantchestercoachpassesbyhereabouteighto’clock—thatis,thenightonedoes;andwe’lltakethat,becauseit’sless crowded.Now, it’s about a fourhours’ ride toTalbot’sBridge.Duringallthattimeyou’llhavetosituponyourtailandkeepstill.Doyouthinkyoucanmanagethat?”

“I’lltry,”saidSophie.“Perhapsyou’llhaveachancetoliedownforaspellifwehavethecarriage

toourselvespartoftheway.Muchwilldependuponhowcrowdedthecoachis.ItmakesthreestopsbetweenhereandTalbot’sBridge.Butbeinganightcoach,Idon’tsupposeitwilltakeonmanypassengers—ifwe’relucky.Now,letmetrytheseclothesonyouandwe’llseehowyoulook.”

Then the Doctor dressed up Sophie, the performing seal, like a lady. Heseatedheronalog,putthebonnetonherhead,theveilacrossherfaceandthecloakovertherestofher.

“Heputtheveilacrossherface”Afterhehadgotherintoahumansittingpositiononthelogitwassurprising

how natural she looked. In the deep hood of the bonnet her long nose wasentirelyconcealed;andwiththeveilhungoverthefrontof it,herheadlookedextraordinarilylikeawoman’s.

“Youmust be careful to keep yourwhiskers inside,” he said. “That’s veryimportant.Thecloakisquitelong,yousee—comesrightdowntotheground—andwhileyouare seatedand it’skept closed in the front itwill lookquite allrightinadimlight.Youcankeepitdrawntogetherwithyourflippers—so.Now,youlookjustasthoughyouhadyourhandsfoldedinyourlap—that’stheidea,splendid!Solongasyoucanstaythatwaynoonewouldtakeyouforanythingbutaladypassenger.—Oh,lookout!Don’twiggleyourheadorthebonnetwillfalloff.WaittillItietheribbonsunderyourchin.”

“HowamIsupposedtobreathe?”askedSophie,blowingouttheveilinfrontlikeaballoon.

“Don’tdothat,”saidtheDoctor.“You’renotswimmingorcomingupforair.You’llgetusedtoitafterawhile.”

“I can’t keep very steady thisway,Doctor. I’m sitting on the back ofmyspine,youknow.It’sanawfullyhardpositionforbalancing—muchworsethanwalkingonaladder.WhatifIshouldslipdownontothefloorofthecoach?”

“Theseatwillbewiderthanthislogandmorecomfortable.Besides,I’lltrytogetyouintoacornerandI’llsitclosebesideyou—soyou’llbesortofwedgedin.Ifyoufeelyourselfslippingjustwhisper tomeandI’llhitchyouupintoasaferposition.Youlooksplendid—really,youdo.”

Well, after a littlemorepracticeand rehearsing theDoctor felt thatSophiecouldnowpassasaladypassenger.Andwheneveningcameitfoundhimbytheedgeoftheroad,withaheavily-veiledwomanseatedathisside,waitingfortheGrantchestercoach.

THESIXTHCHAPTER-THEGRANTCHESTERCOACH

Aftertheyhadwaitedaboutaquarterofanhour,Sophiesaid:“Ihearwheels,Doctor.Andlook,therearethelights,fardowntheroad.”“Yes,” said John Dolittle. “But it isn’t the coach we want. That’s the

TwinboroughExpress—agreenlightandawhitelight.Theonewewanthastwowhitelightsinfront.Stepbackalittlefurtherintotheshadowofthehedge.Trynottowalkonyourcloak.Youmustn’tgetitmuddy.”

A little while after the Twinborough Express had rattled by, along cameanother.

“Ah!”saidtheDoctor.“Thisisours,theGrantchestercoach.NowsitupbythesideoftheroadhereandkeepperfectlystilltillIsignalthedriver.ThenI’llliftyouin,andlet’shopewefindacornerseatempty.Isyourbonnetontight?”

“Yes,”saidSophie.“Buttheveilisticklingmynosemostawfully.IdohopeIdon’tsneeze.”

“SodoI,”saidtheDoctor,rememberingthecow-likebellowthatsealsmakewhentheysneeze.

ThenJohnDolittlesteppedout into themiddleof theroadandstopped thecoach.Insidehefoundthreepassengers—twomenatthefarendandanoldladynearthedoor.Tohisdelight,thecornerseatoppositetheoldladywasempty.

Leaving the door open, he ran back and got Sophie and carried her to thecoach.Thetwomenatthefarendweretalkingearnestlytogetheraboutpolitics.Theytooklittlenoticeasthelamewomanwasliftedinandmadecomfortableinthecornerseat.ButastheDoctorclosedthedoor,andsatbesidehiscompanionhenoticedthattheoldladyoppositewasveryinterestedinhisinvalid.

The coach startedoff, and theDoctor, aftermaking sure thatSophie’s feetwere not showing below the long cape, got out a newspaper fromhis pocket.

Althoughthelightfromtheoillampoverheadwastoodimtoreadby,hespreadoutthepaperbeforehisfaceandpretendedtobedeeplyabsorbedinit.

PresentlytheoldladyleanedforwardandtappedSophieontheknee.“Excuseme,mydear,”shebeganinakindlyvoice.

“‘Excuseme,mydear,’shebegan”“Oh,er”—saidtheDoctor,lookingupquickly.“Shedoesn’ttalk—er—that

is,notanyEnglish.”“Hasshegotfartogo?”askedtheoldlady.“ToAlaska,” said the Doctor, forgetting himself—“er—that is, eventually.

Thisjourneywe’reonlygoingtoGrantchester.”Wishing peoplewouldmind their own business, theDoctor plunged again

intohispaperasthoughhislifedependedonhisreadingeveryword.Butthekindlypassengerwasnoteasilyputoff.Afteramomentsheleaned

forwardoncemoreandtappedtheDoctorontheknee.“Isitrheumatics?”sheaskedinawhisper,noddingtowardSophie.“Inoticed

thatyouhadtocarryherin,poordear!”“Er,notexactly,”stammeredtheDoctor.“Herlegsaretooshort.Can’twalk.

Can’twalkastep.Beenthatwayallherlife.”“Dearme!”sighedtheoldlady.“Howsad;howverysad!”

“I’mslipping,”whisperedSophiebehindherveil.“InaminuteI’mgoingtoslideontothefloor.”

WhiletheDoctorwasputtingawayhisnewspaperandgettingreadytohitchSophieuphigher,theoldladyspokeagain;

“Whatanicesealskincoatshe’swearing!”Sophie’skneewasstickingoutthroughthecloak.“Yes.Shehastobekeptwarm.”saidtheDoctor,busilywrappinghisinvalid

up.“Mostimportant.”“She’llbeyourdaughter,Isuppose?”askedtheoldlady.But this time Sophie spoke for herself. A deep roar suddenly shook the

carriage.The ticklingof theveilhadfinallymadehersneeze.TheDoctorwasnowstandingup,butbeforehecouldcatchhershehadsliddownontothefloorbetweenhisfeet.

“She’sinpain,poorthing,”saidtheoldlady.“WaittillIgetoutmysmellingbottle.She’s fainted. Ioftendo itmyself, traveling.And thiscoachdoessmellsomethinghorrible—fishy-like.”

Luckily for the Doctor, the old lady then busied herself hunting in herhandbag. Hewas therefore able, while lifting the seal back on to the seat, toplacehimselfinbetweenSophieandthetwomen,whowerenowalsoshowinginterestinher.

“Hereyouare,”saidtheoldlady,handingoutasilversmellingbottle.“Liftupherveilandholditunderhernose.”

“No,thankyou,”saidtheDoctorquickly.“Allsheneedsisrest.She’sverytired.We’llpropherupsnuglyinthecorner,likethis—so.Nowlet’snottalk,andprobablyshe’llsoondropofftosleep.”

Well,finallythepoorDoctorgotthelittleoldladytomindherownbusinessandkeepquiet.Andforaboutanhourandahalfthecoachcontinuedonitswaywithout anything further happening.But itwas quite clear that themen at theotherendwerepuzzledandcuriousabouthisinvalid.Theykeptglancinginherdirectionandtalkingtogetherinwhispersinawaythatmadehimveryuneasy.

Presently the coach stopped at a village to change horses. The driverappearedatthedoorandtoldthepassengersthatiftheywishedtohavesupperatthe inn (inwhoseyard theyhadhalted) theyhadhalf anhour todo sobeforetheywenton.

Thetwomenleftthecoach,eyeingSophieandtheDoctorastheypassedontheirwayout;andsoontheoldladyfollowedtheirexample.Thedriverhadnowalso disappeared and John Dolittle and his companion had the coach tothemselves.

“Listen,Sophie,”theDoctorwhispered.“I’mgettinguneasyaboutthosetwo

men.I’mafraidtheysuspectthatyouarenotwhatyoupretendtobe.Youstayherenow,whileIgoinandfindoutifthey’retravelinganyfurtherwithus.”

Thenhestrolledintotheinn.Inthepassagehemetaservingmaidandaskedthewaytothediningroom.Sheshowedhimanopendoorwithascreenbeforeitalittlewaydownthepassage.

“Supperwillbeservedinaminute,”shesaid.“Justwalkinandsitdown.”“Thank you,” said theDoctor. “By theway, do you happen to knowwho

thosetwomenwerewhocameinoffthecoachjustnow?”“Yes, sir,” said the maid. “One of them’s the County Constable and the

other’sMr.Tuttle,theMayorofPenchurch.”“Thankyou,”saidtheDoctor,andpassedon.Reachingthescreendoor,hehesitatedamomentbeforeenteringthedining

room.Andpresently,heheardthevoicesofthetwomenseatedatatablewithinontheothersideofthescreen.

“Heheardthevoicesoftwomenatatablewithin”“I tell you,” said one in a low tone, there’ not the least doubt. They’re

highwaymen, as sureasyou’realive. It’s anold trick,disguisingas awoman.Did you notice the thick veil? As likely as not it’s that rogue, Robert Finchhimself.HerobbedtheTwinboroughExpressonlylastmonth.”

“Ishouldn’twonder,”saidtheother.“Andtheshort,thickvillainwillbeJoe

Gresham, his partner.Now, I’ll tell youwhatwe’ll do—after supper let’s gobackandtakeourseatsasthoughwesuspectednothing.Theirplan,nodoubt,isto wait till the coach is full and has reached a lonely part of the road. Thenthey’llholdup thepassengers—moneyoryour life!—andgetawaybefore thealarmcanberaised.Haveyougotyourtravelingpistols?”

“Yes.”“Allright,givemeone.Now,whenInudgeyou—youtearofftheman’sveil

andholdapistoltohishead.I’lltakecareoftheshorterone.Thenwe’llturnthecoachabout,drivebackandlodgetheminthevillagejail.Understand?”

WhiletheDoctorwasstill listeningthemaidcamedownthepassageagainwithatrayfullofdishes,andtouchedhimontheback.

“Goin,sir,”shesaid,“andsitdown.I’mjustgoingtoservesupper.”“No,thankyou,”saidtheDoctor.“I’mnotreallyhungry.IthinkI’llgoout

intotheairagain.”Luckily, on reaching the yard, he found it deserted. The horses had been

takenoutof theshaftsandput into thestable.Thenewoneshadnotyetbeenhitcheduptothecoach.TheDoctorspedacrosstheyardandopenedthedoor.

“Sophie,”hewhispered,“comeoutofthat.Theythinkwe’rehighwaymenindisguise.Let’sgetaway—quick—whilethecoastisclear.”

Hoistingtheseal’shugeweightinhisarms,theDoctorstaggeredoutoftheyardwithher.On account of the lateness of thehour therewasnoone in theroad.Allwasstillandquietbutfortherattleofdishesfromtheinnkitchenandthenoiseofwatchingfromthestables.

“Now,”saidhe,puttingherdown,“wehaven’t far togo.See, thisplace isthelastinthevillage.Oncewereachthosefieldsandgetbeyondthehedgeweshouldbeallright.I’llgoaheadandfindaplacetogetthrough,andyoufollowalongasquickasyoucan.Givemeyourcloakandbonnet—that’sit.Nowyoucantravelbetter.”

Afewminuteslatertheyweresafebehindahighhedge,restinginthelonggrassofameadow.

“My!” sighed Sophie, stretching herself out. “It’s good to be rid of thatwretchedcloakandveil.Idon’tlikebeingaladyabit.”

“Thatwasanarrowescape.”saidtheDoctor.“It’sagoodthingIwentinandoverheard thosemen talking. Ifwehadgoneonwith them in the coachwe’dhavebeencaughtforsure.”

“Aren’tyouafraidthey’llcomehuntingforus?”askedSophie.“Oh, maybe. But they’ll never look for us here. They take us for

highwaymen,yousee.Andbythetimetheydiscoverourescapethey’llprobablythink we’ve gone miles. We’ll wait here till the coach passes and then we

needn’tworry.”“Well,”saidSophie,“evenifwearesafeitdoesn’tseemtomewearemuch

betteroffthanwewerebefore.”“Butwe’rethismuchfartheronourway,”saidtheDoctor.“Havepatience.

We’lldoityet.”“Howfarhavewecomenow?”askedSophie.“That village was Shottlake,” said the Doctor. “We’ve only got eighteen

milesmoretodotoreachTalbot’sBridge.”“Well,buthowarewegoingtotravel?Ican’twalkit,Doctor;Isimplycan’t

—noteighteenmiles.”“S-h-h! Don’t speak so loud,” whispered John Dolittle. “They may be

snooping around somewhere, looking for us.We’ll find a way—don’t worry.And,oncewereachtheriver,theworstwillbeover.Wemustfirstwaittillthecoachgoesby,though,beforewecanstir.”

“Poor Slushy!”murmured the Sophie, looking up at themoon. “I wonderhowhe’sgettingon…willyoutrytotakeanothercoach,Doctor?”

“No.Ithinkwe’dbetternot.Theymayleavewordattheinnanddriverswillbeonthelookoutforawomanofyourdescription.”

“Well,Ihopetheydon’tfindushere,”saidSophie.“Itdoesn’tseemtomewe’reverywellconcealed.Goodheavens!Listen—afootstep!”

Theplacewheretheylaywasthecornerofapasturefield.Besidesthehedgewhichhid them from the road therewas another, on their right, dividing theirfieldfromthenext.Behindthistheynowheardaheavyfootsteppassingupanddown.

“Keepstill,Sophie!”whisperedtheDoctor.“Don’tmoveaninch.”Presentlythetopbranchesofthehedgebegantoswayandthecracklingof

twigsreachedtheirears.“Doctor,” said Sophie in a frightened whisper, “they’ve discovered us.

There’ssomeonetryingtogetthroughthehedge!”Foramomentor two theDoctorwasundecidedwhether tokeepstillor to

run for it.He thought at first that if itwas someoneout looking for themhemightnotknowexactlywhere theywere,anyway,andwould,perhaps, if theykeptquiet,gotosomeotherpartofthehedgeeasiertopassthrough.

Butthecracklingofbranchesgrewlouder—onlyafewfeetawayfromthem.Whoeveritwas,heseemeddeterminedtoenterthefieldatthatplace.So,withawhisperedwordtoSophie,theDoctorsprangupandstartedoff,runningacrossthemeadow,withthepoorsealfloppingalongathisside.

On and on theywent. Behind them they heard a crash as the hedge gaveaway,andthenheavyfootstepsbeatingthegroundinpursuit.

From the sound the pursuer, whoever he was, was gaining on them. Andpresently the Doctor, fearing that as highwaymen they might be fired uponwithoutwarning,turnedtolookback.

Andthere,lumberingalongbehindthem,wasanold,oldplowhorse!“It’s all right, Sophie,” panted the Doctor halting. “It isn’t a man at all.

We’vehadourrunfornothing.—Goodlord,butI’mblown!”The horse, seeing them stop, slowed down to a walk, and came ambling

towardtheminthemoonlight.Heseemedverydecrepitandfeeble;andwhenhecameupSophiesawwithgreatastonishmentthathewaswearingspectacles.

“Heavens!”criedtheDoctor.“It’smyoldfriendfromPuddleby.Whydidn’tyoucalltome,insteadofchasingusacrosscountry?Weexpectedyoutoshootusinthebackanyminute.”

“IsthatJohnDolittle’svoiceIhear?”askedtheoldhorse,peeringcloseintotheDoctor’sface.

“Yes,”saidtheDoctor.“Can’tyouseeme?”“Onlyverymistily,”saidtheplowhorse.“Mysight’sbeengettingawfulbad

the last few months. I saw fine for quite a while after you gave me thespectacles.ThenIgotsoldtoanotherfarmer,andIleftPuddlebytocomehere.OnedayIfellonmynosewhileplowing,andafterIgotupmyspectaclesdidn’tseemtoworkrightatall.I’vebeenalmostblindeversince.”

“Letmetakeyourglassesoffandlookat them,”said theDoctor.“Perhapsyouneedyourprescriptionchanged.”

ThenJohnDolittletookthespectaclesofftheoldhorseand,holdingthemuptothemoon,peeredthroughthem,turningthemthiswayandthat.

“Why, good gracious!” he cried. “You’ve got the lenses all twisted. Nowonderyoucouldn’tsee!ThatrightglassIgaveyouisquiteastrongone.Mostimportanttohavetheminproperadjustment.I’llsoonsetthemrightforyou.”

“Ididtakethemtotheblacksmithwhodoesmyshoes,”saidtheoldhorse,asthe Doctor started screwing the glasses around in the frames. “But he onlyhammered the rims and made them worse then ever. Since I was brought toShottlakeIcouldn’tcometoyouaboutthemand,ofcourse,ourlocalvetdoesn’tunderstandhorse’sglasses.”

“There,now,”saidtheDoctor,puttingthespectaclesbackonhisoldfriend’snose.“I’vefixedthemtight,sotheycan’tturn.Ithinkyou’llfindthemallrightnow.”

“JohnDolittlepeeredthroughthem”“Oh,my,yes,”saidtheoldhorse,abroadsmilespreadingoverhisfaceashe

lookedthroughthem.“Icanseeyouasplainasday.Goodness!Hownaturalyoulook—bignose,highhatandall!Thesightofyoudoesmegood.Why,Icanseethebladesofgrassbymoonlight!You’venoideawhataninconvenienceitistobeshortsighted,ifyou’reahorse.Youspendmostofyourgrazingtimespittingoutthewildgarlicthatyouchewbyaccident….My,oh,my!You’retheonlyanimaldoctorthereeverwas!”

PARTTHREE

THEFIRSTCHAPTER-THEHIGHWAYMAN’SDOUBLE

“Is he a decent fellow, this farmer you’re working for now?” asked theDoctor,seatinghimselfinthegrassofthemeadow.

“Oh, yes,” said the old horse. “Hemeans well. But I haven’t donemuchworkthisyear.He’sgotayoungerteamforplowing.I’msortofpensionedoff—onlydooddjobs.Yousee,I’mgettingprettyold—thirty-nine,youknow.”

“Are you, indeed?” said the Doctor. “You don’t look it—nothing like it.Thirty-nine!Well,well!Yes, to be sure, now I recollect.You had your thirty-sixth birthday the same week I got you your spectacles. You remember thegardenpartywegaveforyou—inthekitchengarden—whenGub-Guboveratehimselfwithripepeaches?”

“Verywell,Ido.Ah,thosewerethedays!Good,oldPuddleby!Butwhat’sthisanimalyouhavewithyou,”askedtheplowhorseasSophiemovedrestlesslyinthegrass,“abadger?”

“No,that’saseal.Letmeintroduceyou:thisisSophie,fromAlaska.We’reescapingfromthecircus.Shehastogobacktohercountryonurgentbusiness,andI’mhelpinghergettothesea.”

“Sh!”saidSophie.“Look,Doctor,there’sthecoachgoingby.”“Thankgoodnessforthat!”murmuredJohnDolittleasthelightsdisappeared

downtheroad.“Youknow,”saidhe,turningtotheoldhorseagain,“we’vehadahardtime

gettingeventhisfar.Sophiehastokeepconcealed,andshecan’twalkmuch.Wearemaking for theKippetRiver, atTalbot’sBridge.We cameby coachup toShottlake, but we had to leave it. We were just wondering how we couldcontinueourjourneywhenyouscaredthelifeoutofusbehindthathedge.”

“YouwanttogettoTalbot’sBridge?”saidtheoldhorse.“Well,thatshouldbeeasy.Listen;youseethatbarnupontheskyline?Well,there’sanoldwagoninit.There’snoharnessbutthere’splentyofropes.Let’srunupthere,andyoucanhitchmebetweentheshafts,putyoursealinthewagonandwe’llgo.”

“Butyou’llget into trouble,”said theDoctor,“takingyourfarmer’swagonofflikethat.”

“My farmer will never know,” said the old horse, grinning behind hisspectacles.“YouleavethegateonthelatchaswegooutandI’llbringthewagonbackandputitwherewefoundit.”

“Buthowwillyougetoutofyourharnessalone?”“That’seasy.IfyouknottheropesthewayItellyou,Icanundothemwith

myteeth.Iwon’tbeabletotakeyouthewholeway,becauseIcouldn’tgetbackintimetoputthewagonupbeforedaylightcomes.ButI’vegotafriendaboutninemilesdowntheGrantchesterRoad,ontheRedhillFarm.Hegetsputouttograzenights,likeme.He’lltakeyoutherestoftheway.It’llbeeasyforhimtogetbacktohisplacebeforeanyone’sabout.”

“Oldfriend,”saidtheDoctor,“youhaveagreathead.Let’shurryandgetonourway.”

Thentheyclimbedthehilltothebarn.Insidetheyfoundanoldwagon.TheDoctordraggeditout.Then,gettingdownsomeropesthathungcoiledagainstthewall,heriggedupakindofharness,withthehelpofanoldcollar,whichhefound thrown up in the manger. And when the plow horse had set himselfbetween the shafts JohnDolittlehitchedhimup,beingcareful tomakeall theknotsexactlythewayhewastold.

“Heriggedupakindofharness”ThenheliftedSophieintothewagonandtheystartedoffdownthemeadow

towardsthegate.AstheyweregoingouttheDoctorsaid:“But suppose any one should meet me driving a wagon in a high hat?

Wouldn’t it seemsort of suspicious?Oh, look: there’s a scarecrow in thenextfield.I’llborrowhishat.”

“Bringthewholescarecrowwithyou,”theoldhorsecalledafterhimastheDoctor started off. “I’ll need something as a dummydriverwhen I’m comingback. Folkswould stopme if they thought Iwas straying around the countrywithoutadriver.”

“Allright,”saidtheDoctorandheranoff.Inafewminuteshecamemarchingbackwiththescarecrowonhisshoulder.

Then he set the gate on the latch, so the old horse could push it open on hisreturn,threwthescarecrowupintothewagonandclimbedinhimself.

“Camemarchingbackwiththescarecrowonhisshoulder”Next, he took the scarecrow’s tattered hat and put in on his own head, in

placeofhishighone.Thenhegotintothedriver’sseat,liftedtheropereinsinhishands,called“Gee-up!”tohisoldfriendbetweentheshaftsandtheystartedoff.

“Youbetterkeepyourcloakandbonnet ready toslipon,Sophie,”saidhe.“Somebodymightaskforaride.Andifwearecompelledtogiveanyonealift

you’llhavetobealadyagain.”“I’d sooner be almost anything in the world than a lady,” sighed Sophie,

rememberingtheticklingveil.“ButI’lldoitifyousayso.”Thus, driving his own farm-wagon coach,with a scarecrow and a seal for

passengers, JohnDolittle successfully completed the next stage in his strangejourney.Theypassedveryfewpeople,andnooneaskedforaride.Theyhadoneanxiousmoment,however,whenagentlemanarmedwithpistolsinhissaddle-holstersgallopeduponaveryfinehorseandaskediftheyhadseenanythingofamanandaveiledwomanalongtheroad.

TheDoctor,sittingontopofSophie,leanedonthesideofhiswagon,withhisscarecrowhatpulledwelldownoverhiseyes.

“Isawacouplegettingintoafieldafewmilesback,”hesaid,tryingtotalklikeayokel.“ButIreckontheybealongwaysfromtherebynow.”

“That’ll be they, sure enough,” said the man putting spurs to his horse:“FinchandGreshamthehighwayman.TheyboardedthecoachbelowShottlake.Buttheygotawaybeforewecouldarrestthem.Nevermind,we’llget‘emyet.Goodnight!”

Andhegallopedoffdowntheroad.“PoorMr.Finch!”saidtheDoctor,astheoldhorsemovedon.“I’mafraidwe

arenotimprovinghisreputationforhim.”“It’s a good thing I got you away from Shottlake,” said the old horse. “I

reckonthatfellowwillsetthewholecountrybusyhuntingforyounow.”“Their huntingwon’t do us any harm back at Shottlake,” said theDoctor.

“Goodthingifthey’rekeptbusy.ButIhopeyoudon’tgetintotroubleonyourreturntothefarm.”

“No,Idon’tsupposeso,”saidtheoldhorse.“EvenifI’mseenthey’llneverguesshowIgothitchedup.Don’tbotheraboutme.I’llmanage.”

Alittlefurtherontheplowhorsestopped.“ThisisRedhillFarmontheright,”saidhe.“WaittillIcallJoe.”Thenhewentclosetothehedgebesidetheroadandneighedsoftly.Presently

therewasascamperingofhoofsandhisfriend,amuchyoungerhorse,pokedhisheadoverthehawthorns.

“I’vegotJohnDolittlehere,”whisperedtheplowhorse.“HewantstogettoTalbot’sBridgeinahurry.Canyoutakehim?”

“Why,certainly,”saidtheother.“You’llhavetouseawagonofyourown,”saidtheplowhorse.“Imustget

mine back to the barn before my farmer wakes up. Got a cart or somethinganywhereabouttheplace?”

“Yes, there’sa trapup in theyard. It’llbe faster thanawagon.Comeover

thissideofthehedge,Doctor,andI’llshowyouwhereitis.”Then, hurrying lest daylight overtake them, they made the exchange.

Madame Sophiewas transferred from a farmwagon to a smart trap. The oldplowhorse,afteranaffectionatefarewellfromtheDoctor,startedbackwithhisownwagon,drivenbyhisscarecrowproppeduponthefrontseat.AtthesametimeJohnDolittleandSophiewerecarriedatagood,swiftpaceintheoppositedirection,towardstheKippetRiver.

Itwasnotuntilsometimeafterward,whentheDoctorrevisitedhisoldfriend—in away youwill hear of later on—that he learned the story of that returnjourneywhich theplowhorsemadealone.Abouthalfwayback tohis farmhemet the gentleman with the pistols again, still galloping up and down theGrantchesterRoad,lookingforRobertFinch,thehighwayman.Recognizingthewagonandthedriverwhomhehadmetbefore,theriderstoppedandaskedsomemorequestions.Thedriver of thewagondidn’t answer.Theman repeatedhisquestions.Stillthedriversatmotionlessinhisseat,sayingnotaword.Growingat last somewhat suspicious, the horseman leaned forward in his saddle andpulledthehatoffthedriver’sface.

“Thehorsemanpulledthehatoffthedriver’sface”Thefacewasmadeofstrawandrags!Thehorsemen,seeinghehadbeenfooled,feltsurethatthemanwhodrove

thewagonthefirsttimehemetitmusthavebeentherealhighwayman,andthatthisscarecrowdriverwasjustanotherofFinch’scleverdodgestoputthepoliceon the wrong scent. Another wild story was added to the list of Finch’swonderfulpranks—inonenighthehadpassedhimselfoffasawomanandasascarecrow!

Then, to mix things up still more, that same day at two o’clock in themorningtherealRobertFinchheldupandrobbedtheIpswichcoach,morethanahundredmilesaway.AndhowhegotacrossEnglandtodoitinthatshorttimeisstilloneofthegreatmysteriesinthehistoryofhighwayrobbery.JohnDolittlehadbeenquiterightwhenhesaidthattheywereaddingtoFinch’sreputation!

Onarrivingathisownfarm,theoldhorsefoundeveryoneinagreatstateofexcitement.Peoplearerushingwildlyupanddownthefieldswithlanterns.Thescarecrowhadbeenmissed—sohad theoldwagon, sohad theoldhorse.Thefarm laborerswere following thewheel tracksacross themeadow.As soonastheplowhorse reached thegate hewas surroundedby amobwith lamps andguns,allguessingandadvisingandchatteringatonce.Buthisowner, thinkinghehadbeenstolenandharnessedbythehighwayman,didnotblamehimfortheadventure.Andforlongafterwardhewasvisitedinhispastureandpointedoutby thevillagegossipsas thehorsewhohadbeendrivenbyFinch’s scarecrowdouble.

In themeantime theDoctorandSophie, in their trap,were spankingalongtheroadinthedirectionofTalbot’sBridge.And,althoughthehorseman(hewastheCountyConstable’sAssistant) galloped after them as hard as he could, heneverovertookthem,withthegoodstarttheyhadgained.

Onreaching theriver, theDoctor liftedSophieoutof the trapanddroppedherover thebridge into thestream.Telling theRedhillhorse togoback tohisfarmbyadifferentway,lesthebemetbythemanagain,JohnDolittleleaptoffthe parapet of the bridgeon to the bank.Then,while he ran along the streambesideher,Sophie,withgurglesofdelight,plungedanddartedthroughtheriver,catchingallthefishshewantedontheway.

THESECONDCHAPTER-TOTHESEABYRIVER

As they had expected, JohnDolittle and Sophie now found that theworstpartoftheirtroublesometravelingwasover.Foronething,theconstantanxietyofbeingseenworriedthemnolonger.If theymetanyoneonthebanksofthe

streamSophiejustduckedunderwatertillthedangerwaspast,whiletheDoctorpretendedhewasfishing,withawillowwandforrodandapieceofstringforline.

Theystillhada longway togo.The journeynorth toTalbot’sBridge,yousee,hadnotbroughtthemanynearertothecoast.

The country throughwhich the Kippet flowedwas changeful scenery, butalwaysbeautifulandpleasant.Sometimesitwasflat,sedgymeadowland,wherethebankswereboggy;sometimesthestreamsrunthroughlittleforestsandtheshoreswereoverhungwithalders;andsometimesitpassedclosebyafarmwithfords, where cattle drunk. At these places the travelers would either wait tillnightfall,lesttheybeseen,orifthedepthoftheriverpermitted,Sophiewoulddo her swimming underwaterwhile theDoctorwould go around by the roadsandmeetherfurtherdown.

Whilethegoingwas,forthemostpart,easyforaseal,itwasbynomeansalwayssimplefortheDoctor.Thehundredsofhedgeshehadtogetthrough,thewallshehadtoclimb,thebogshehadtocross,madehispartofthejourneyahard and slowone. Sophie had to slacken her pace constantly and do a lot ofloiteringandwaitinginorderthathemightkeepupwithher.

“Lookhere,Doctor,”saidshe,aboutthemiddleoftheseconddaywhenJohnDolittlewasrestingonthebank,“itdoesn’tseemtomethereisreallyanyneedfor you to come further.This going is so easy forme I cando the rest of thejourneybymyself,can’tI?”

“Ithinknot,”saidtheDoctor,lyingbackandgazingupatthewillowsoverhishead.“Wedon’tknowyetwhatsortofdifficultplacestherivermayrunyouintobeforeitreachesthesea.Wehadbetterconsultsomeotherwaterfowl,astheduckssaidweshould,beforewegofurther.”

Justatthatmomentapairoffinebitternsflewdownintothestreamnotfarawayandstartedfeeding.TheDoctorcalledthemandtheycameupatoncetohisside.

“Wouldyoupleasetellus,”saidJohnDolittle,“howmuchfurthertheriverrunsbeforeitreachesthesea?”

“Countingallthebendsandwiggles,”saidthebitterns,“aboutsixtymiles.”“Dearme!”saidtheDoctor.“Thenwearebarelyhalfwayyet.Whatkindof

countrydoesitpassthrough?Thissealwishestoswimallthewaytothecoast,andwemustavoidhavingpeopleseeherontheway.”

“Well,”saidthebirds,“youwillhaveplainsailingforanothertenmilesyet.Butafterthatthereareseveralplacesprettydangerousforasealtotravel.Thefirst one is Hobb’sMill. It’s a water mill, you understand, and the stream isdammedupwithahighdam,aweirandabigwaterwheel.She’llhavetoleave

thewateratHobb’sMillandjoinitagainbelow.”“All right,” said theDoctor. “we can do that, I imagine. Then,what’s the

nexttrouble?”“Thenextisatown.Itisn’talargeone,butithasmachinerybuildingsinit

ontheriverbank.Andtheriverismadetorunintopipestoturnthesemachines,and if your seal went floating down the pipes she’d get all mixed up in themachinery.”

“Iunderstand,”saidtheDoctor.“Thenwe’llhavetogoaroundthetownbyland—afterdark.”

“Goaroundtotheright,”saidthebitterns—“tothenorthward.Ontheothersidethemachinery-men’shousesspreadoutalongway.

“Afterthatyou’llbeallrighttillyougetverynearlytothesea.Butthereyouwillmeetwithanothertown—aport.Yoursealcan’tpossiblyswimthroughthattownbecausetheriverflowsovermanylittlewaterfallsandrapidsrightwherethehousesandbridgesarethickest.Soassoonasyoucomeinsightoftheportyouhadbetterleavethestreamagain,andmakefortheseashoreatsomelonelyplacetothenorthofit.Youwon’thavefartogo,butyou’llhavetodosomestiffclimbing, for the coast thereabouts is all high cliffs. If youget safely past theportwithoutbeingcaughtyourtroubleswillbeover.”

“Well, thank you very much,” said the Doctor. “This knowledge will notmosthelpfultous.Now,Ithinkwehadbetterbegettingonourway.”

Thenafterwishing JohnDolittlegood luck, thebitternswentback to theirfeeding,andtheDoctorproceededalongthebankwithSophieswimmingintheriver.TheyreachedHobbs’sMilljustaseveningwascomingon.AssoonastheDoctorhadexploredaroundthebuildings tosee thatallwasquietandnobodyabroad,Sophiegotoutof thestreamandhobbledacrossacoupleofmeadowsandjoinedtheriverbelowthemill-raceontheotherside.Theretheywaitedtillthemoonrose,andsoon,withsufficientlightfortheDoctortoseehiswayalongtheshore,theywentonagain.

“TheyreachedHobbs’Milljustaseveningwascomingon”Coming in sight of themachinery town ofwhich the bitterns had spoken,

JohnDolittleleftSophiewithorderstoduckunderwaterifanyoneshouldpassthat way, and went forward into the town to explore and get some food forhimself.

Althoughmostoftheshopswereshutatthishour,hemanagedtobuysomesandwiches and fruit at a hotel. Inmaking these purchases he noticed that hissupplyofmoneywasgettingverylow.Indeed,hehadonlyjustenoughtopayforwhat he had bought.However, never having botheredmuch aboutmoney,thisdidnotdisturbhim.Andafter spendinghis last twopence togethisbootscleaned—they were frightfully muddy from all this boggy walking—heproceededtoexploreawayforSophietocomearoundthetownbyland.

Thejourneyshewouldhavetomakeonfootprovedtobequitealongone.ButtheDoctorfoundawayoverachainofponds,waterloggedmeadowsandalittlebrookwhichranintotheKippetabouttwomilestheothersideofthetown.

BythetimehereturnedtoSophiethenightwasnearlypassed,andtheyhadtohurrytoreachtheriveragainbeforedaylightcame.

WithSophie safelyback in the stream, JohnDolittledecidedhehadbettertakealittlesleepbeforegoingon.Sophie,too,wasprettyweary,inspiteofheranxietytopushonwithallpossiblespeed.So,askingalittlemoor-hen,whohad

her nest in the bank of the stream to mount guard and wake them on theapproachofdanger,theybothtookanap—Sophiesleepinginthewater,withherheadpokedoutontoastump,andtheDoctorproppedagainstawillowtreeontheshore.

The sun was high in the heavens when he awoke, to find the moor-henpluckingathissleeve.

“There’s a farmer driving a team across themeadow,”whispered the littlebird.“He’llcomerightbyhere.Hemightnottakeanynoticeofyou,butSophiehecouldn’tmiss.Gethertostickherheadunderthewater.She’ssnoringlikeafoghorn,andIcan’twakeherup.”

After the Doctor had made Sophie disappear beneath the water, and thedangerofdiscoverywaspast,theystartedoffoncemoreandtraveledalldayandthefollowingnighttowardthesea.

Graduallythelandscapechangedtoakindofscenerywhich,sofar,theyhadnot met with on their journey. The country, open turfy downs where sheepgrazed,gotrollierandhillier.And,finally,ontheeveningofthenextday,theysawthelightsoftheseaporttowntwinklinginthedistance.ThelandeithersideofitslopedupwardtocliffsoverlookingtheBristolChannel.

Alittlefurtherdownthestreamroadsraneithersideoftheriver,presumablygoingintothetown.Alongthese,everyonceinawhile,coachesandcarriagespassedthemontheirwaytotheport.

Feeling that it would be unwise to go further bywater, they now left thestreamforthelasttimeandhitoutacrosscountry.

TheDoctormadeSophiekeepherbonneton,andhehadhercloakreadytothrow over her at any minute, because there were many roads to cross, andfarmhousestopassupontheway.

Aboutamilehadtobecoveredbeforetheywouldreachthetopofthelongslope andcome in sightof the seabeyond the cliffs.Pickingout a linewhichwouldmissmostofthebarnsonthedowns,theyproceededsteadilyandslowlyforward.On thisuplandcountry theymetwithmanystonewalls.And, thoughtheywerelowenoughfortheDoctortojump,theyweretoomuchforSophietomanageandtheDoctorhadtoliftherover.

Shedidnotcomplain,but theuphillgoingwas tellingonher terribly.Andwhen at last they came to a level stretch at the top, and the wind from theChannelbeatintheirfaces,Sophiewasabsolutelyexhaustedandunabletowalkanotherstep.

The distance now remaining to the edge of the cliffswas notmore than ahundred yards. Hearing the voices of people singing in a house near by, theDoctorbegantofear that theymightyetbediscovered—evenwiththeendof

their long trip in sight. So, with poor Sophie in a state of utter collapse, hedecidedtherewasnothingforitbuttocarryhertheremainderofthejourney.

Asheput the cloak aboutherhe saw thedoorof thehouseopen and twomencomeout.Hurriedlyhecaught thesealup inhisarmsandstaggeredwithhertowardtheedgeofthecliffs.

“Oh,” criedSophiewhen they had gone a fewyards, “look, the sea!Howfreshandniceitsparklesinthemoonlight.Thesea,theseaatlast!”

“Yes, this is the end of your troubles, Sophie,” the Doctor panted as hestumbledforward.“GivemyregardstotheherdwhenyoureachAlaska.”

At theedgeJohnDolittle lookedstraightdownward towhere thedeepsaltwaterswirledandeddiedfarbelow.

“Good-by, Sophie,” he said with what breath he had left. “Good-by, andgoodluck!”

Then,witha last tremendouseffort,he threwSophieover thecliff into theBristolChannel.

“HethrewSophieintotheBristolChannel”Turning and twisting in the air, the seal sped downward—her cloak and

bonnet,tornoffherbytherushingair,floatingmoreslowlybehind.AndasshelandedinthewatertheDoctorsawthewhitefoambreakoverherandthenoiseofasplashgentlyreachedhisears.

“Well,”hesaid,moppinghisbrowwithahandkerchief,“thankgoodnessforthat!Wedid it, after all. I can tellMatthew thatSophie reached the sea and Ididn’tgotojail.”

Then a cold shiver ran down his spine. A heavy hand had grasped hisshoulderfrombehind.

THETHIRDCHAPTER-SIRWILLIAMPEABODY,J.P.

JohnDolittle,turningaboutslowly,foundalargemangraspinghiscollar.Heworesomekindofasailor-likeuniform.

“Whoareyou?”askedtheDoctor.“Coastguard,”saidtheman.“Whatdoyouwant?Letgoofmycoat.”“You’rearrested.”“Whatfor?”“Murder.”While theDoctorwas still trying to recover fromhis astonishmenthe saw

more people coming across the downs from the lonely house which he hadalreadynoticed.Whentheycameclosehesawtheyweretwomenandawoman.

“Haveyougothim,Tom?”“Yes.Caught‘imrightintheact.”“Whatwasit?”“Awoman,”saidthecoastguard.“Igrabbedhimjustashethrewheroverthe

cliff.Jim,yourundowntothestationandgettheboatsout.Youmaybeintimeto save her yet.But I doubt it. I’ll take him along to the quod.You come ondownthereorsendmeword,ifyoufindanything.”

“It’llbehiswife,”saidthewoman,peeringattheDoctorinaweandhorror.“Murderedhiswife!YouBluebeard!Maybehe’saTurk,Tom—fromConstanti-what-d’yer-call-it. They always throw their wives in the Phosphorus whenthey’vedonewith‘em.”

“‘YouBlueBeard!’”“No,‘eain’tnoTurk,”saidthecoastguard.“‘EtalksEnglish.”“Then he ought to be still more ashamed of ‘is-self,’ said the woman

—“muchmorethanifhe’dbeenbroughtuptosuchhabits—porecreature!”(Shegazed over the edge of the cliffwith a shudder.) “Iwonderwill they find ‘er.SeemstomealmostasthoughIcouldseesomethingfloatingonthewaterdownthere.Porecreature!Well,that’stheendofhertroubles.Maybeshe’sbetteroffthanshewas,marriedtohim,thebrute!”

“Itwasn’tmywife,”saidtheDoctorsullenly.“Whowas it then?” asked the coastguard. “Itwas somewomen—‘cause I

seenyoucarryingherinyourarms.”TothistheDoctordecided,afteramomentofthought,tosaynothing.Now

that he was arrested he would probably have to admit in the end that it wasSophiehehadthrownintothesea.Butuntilhewascompelledincourttotellthewholestoryitseemedwisertokeepsilence.

“Whowasit?”themanrepeated.StilltheDoctorsaidnothing.“Itwashiswifeallright,”saidthewoman.“Hehasawickedeye.I’llbethe

has five or sixwives stowed away somewhere—waiting for their doom, pore

things.”“Well,hedon’thavetoanswer,”saidthecoastguard.“It’smydutytowarn

you,”hesaidverygrandly,turningtotheDoctor,“thatanythingyousaymaybeusedinevidenceagainstyou.Nowlet’sgodowntothecourt-house.”

FortunatelyfortheDoctoritwasbythistimewellonintotheearlyhoursofthemorning.Andwhen after crossing the downs they finallymade theirwayintothetowntheyfoundthestreetsdeserted.Thewomanhadnotaccompaniedthem. And the Doctor and his coastguard reached the court-house withoutmeetingasinglesoul.

Justas theywereabout toenter thepolicestationnextdoor,Jim, theothercoastguardman,ranupandjoinedhiscompanionwithSophie’swetcloakonhisarmandherbonnetinhishand.

“Wecouldn’tfindthebody,Tom,”saidhe,“buttheseclotheswasfloatingatthefootofthecliff.I’veleftJerryBulkleyintheboatstillsearching.Ibroughtthesedowntoyou‘causeIthoughtyoumightwant‘em.”

“Yes, they’llbeneeded inevidence,”said theother, taking the thingsfromhim.“Bettergobackandcarryonwiththesearch.I’llcomeandjoinyouassoonasI’vegottheprisonerlockedup.”

Then thepoorDoctorwas taken into thepolicestation;andafterhisnameandvariousparticularsabouthimwerewrittendowninabigbookhewasplacedinalittlestonecellwithsomebreadandwaterandlefttohismeditations.

AsthenoiseoftheclangingdoorandrattlingboltsdiedawayJohnDolittlenoticedthegraylightofdawncreepinginatalittlebarredwindowathiselbow.

“Heigh-ho!” he sighed, gazing round the bare stone walls. “Jail again! Icongratulatedmyselftoosoon.IwonderwasMattheweverinthisprison.”

Wherethemorningsunfellinapatchuponthewallhenoticedsomelettersand signs scratched in the stone by former prisoners.He crossed the cell andexaminedthem.Amongthemhefoundaverybadlymade“M.M.”

“Hefoundabadlymade‘M.M.’”“Yes,”hesaid,“Matthew’sbeenhere, too.Seemsproudof it.Well,well—

it’safunnyworld.”Pickinguptheloafwhichhadbeenprovidedforhim,hebrokeitinhalfand

ateacoupleofmouthfuls.Hewasveryhungry.“Whatgoodbread!”hemurmured.“Quitefresh.Imustaskthejailerwhere

hegetsit.Thebedisn’tbadeither,”headded,punchingthemattress.“IthinkI’lltakeanap.Haven’thadadecentsleepinIdon’tknowhowlong.”

Thenhetookhiscoatoff,rolleditupforapillowandlaydown.Andwhen, about ten o’clock in themorning, the superintendent of police

enteredwithatallwhite-hairedgentlemantheyfoundtheprisonerstretchedonhiscotsnoringloudly.

“Humph!”murmured the old gentleman in a low voice. “He doesn’t lookverydangerous,doeshe,Superintendent?”

“Ah,”saidtheother,shakinghishead,“itonlyshowsyou,SirWilliam,whatalifeofcrimewilldo.Fancybeingabletosleeplikethatafterthrowinghispoorwifeintothesea!”

“Well,leaveusaloneforalittlewhile,”saidtheolderman.“Comebackinaboutaquarterofanhour.And,bytheway,youneednotmentionmyvisithere

toanyone—notforthepresent.”“Verygood,SirWilliam,”saidthesuperintendent.Andhewentoutlocking

thedoorbehindhim.Thenthewhite-hairedoldgentlemanwentovertothecotandstoodlooking

downamomentintotheDoctor’speacefulface.Presentlyheshookthesleepergentlybytheshoulder.“Dolittle,”hesaid.“Here—John,wakeup!”SlowlytheDoctoropenedhiseyesandraisedhimselfonhiselbow.“WhereamI?”hesaiddrowsily.“Oh,yes,ofcourse,injail.”Thenhestaredatthemanwhostoodbesidehim.Andatlastasmilespread

overhisface.“Heavens above! It’sSirWilliamPeabody,” saidhe. “Well,well,William!

Whatonearthbringsyouhere?”“Imightstillmorereasonablyaskyouhowyoucome tobehere,”said the

visitor.“Mygoodness!”murmured theDoctor. “Itmustbe fifteenyears since I’ve

seen you.Letme see: the last timewaswhenwe both got pretty angry—youremember?—arguingforandagainstfoxhunting.Haveyougivenitupyet?”

“No,”saidSirWilliam.“Istillhunttwodaysaweek.That’sallIcanmanagenowwithmy court duties andother things.Theymademe a Justice ofPeaceaboutfiveyearsago.”

“Well, it ought to be stopped,” said the Doctor with great earnestness,“altogether.Youcansaywhatyou like,but the fox isnotgivenasquaredeal.Onefoxagainstdozensofdogs!Besides,whyshouldhebehunted?Afoxhashisrights,thesameasyouandIhave.It’sabsurd:alotofgrownmenonhorses,withpacksofhounds,roaringacrosscountryafteronepoorlittlewildanimal.”

Theold gentleman sat downon the bedbeside theDoctor, threwbackhisheadandlaughed.

“Same oldDolittle,” he chuckled. “Did any one ever see the like? In jail,chargedwithmurder,thefirstthinghedoeswhenIcometoseehimistryandopen a discussion about fox hunting.Ever since I’ve known you, John—evenwhen you were a scrubby little boy at school studying beetles under amagnifyingglass—you’vebeenthesame.Listen:Ihaven’tcomeheretoargueabouttherightsoffoxes.AsItoldyou,I’maJ.P.You’reduetoappearbeforemeforexaminationinaboutanhour.WhatIwanttohearisyourversionofthischarge that isbrought againstyou.Youare accusedofmurderingyourwife. Ihappened to notice your name on the police book. Fromwhat I remember ofyou, I can well understand your killing anywomanwhowasmad enough tomarryyou.ButthepartIdon’tbelieveisthatyoueverhadawife.What’sitall

about?Theytellmeyouwereseenthrowingawomanintothesea.”“Itwasn’tawoman,”saidtheDoctor.“Whatwasitthen?”TheDoctor lookeddownathisbootsandfidgeted likeaschoolboycaught

doingsomethingwrong.“Itwas a seal,” he said at last, “a circus seal dressedup as awoman.She

wasn’ttreatedproperlybyherkeepers.Andshewantedtoescape,togetbacktoAlaska andherownpeople.So I helpedher. I had theverydickensof a timebringingheracrosscountryall thewayfromAshby. Ihad todisguiseherasawomansowecouldtravelwithoutarousingsuspicion.Andthecircusfolkwereoutafterme.ThenjustasIgotherheretothecoastandwasthrowingherintothe sea, so she could swim back to her nativewaters, one of your coastguardmensawmeandputmeunderarrest.—Whatareyoulaughingabout?”

SirWilliamPeabody,whohadbeentryingtosuppressasmilethroughouttheDoctor’sstory,wasnowdoubledupwithmerriment.

“As soon as they said it was your wife,” he gurgled when he had partlyrecovered,“Iknewtherewassomethingfishyaboutit.Andtherewas,allright!Youdosmellterribly.”

“Sealshavetosmelloffish,”saidtheDoctorinanannoyedtone.“AndIwascompelledtocarryherpartoftheway.”

“You’llnevergrowup,John,”saidSirWilliamshakinghisheadandwipingthe tearsof laughter fromhiseyes.“Nowtellme:howfarbackon this tripofyourswere you and the ladyyou elopedwith seen?Because althoughwe cancertainlygetyououtofchargeofwifemurder,itmaynotbesoeasytoclearyouonthechargeofstealingaseal.Wereyoufolloweddownhere,doyouthink?”

“Oh, no.Wewerenot botheredby the circus folk afterwegot away fromAshby. Then at Shottlake we got taken for highwaymen and caused a littlesensationwhenwetraveledbycoach.Butafterthatnobodysuspectedanythingtill—till—”

“Tillyouthrewyourlady-loveoverthecliff,”SirWilliamputin.“Didanyoneseeyoubeingbroughtinhere?”

“No,”said theDoctor.“Noonedownhereknowsanythingabout itexceptthethreecoastguardsmenandawoman—thewifeofoneofthem,Isuppose.ThestreetswerequiteemptywhenIwasbroughttothejail.”

“Oh,well,”saidSirWilliam,“Ithinkwecanmanageit.You’llhavetostayhere till I can get the chargewithdrawn. Then get away from this part of thecountryasquickasyoucan.”

“But what about the coastguard folk?” asked the Doctor. “Are they stillhuntingforthebody?”

“No, they’vegiven itupnow,” saidSirWilliam.“Theybroughtbackyourvictim’scloakandbonnet.Thatwasalltheycouldfind.We’llsayyouwerejustthrowing some old clothes into the sea—which is partly true.When I explainmatterstothemtheywon’ttalk—andeveniftheydo,itisn’tlikelytheirgossipwilleverreachyourcircuspeople.Butlisten,Dolittle:domeafavoranddon’tbring any more menageries down here to throw over our cliffs, will you? Itwould get hard to explain if youmade a habit of it. Besides you’ll spoil thecircus business. Now you stay here till I’ve fixed things up officially; and assoonastheyletyouout,getawayfromthisdistrict.Understand?”

“All right,” said the Doctor. “Thank you. But listen, Will, about that foxhunting.Supposingyouwereinthefox’s—”

“No,”saidSirWilliamrising.“Irefusetore-opentheargumentnow,John.Ihear thesuperintendentcomingback.Wehave toomanyfoxes in thiscountry.Theyneedtobekeptdown.”

“Quite a nice prison you have here, Will,” said the Doctor as thesuperintendentopenedthedoor.“Thanksforcalling.”

WhenSirWilliamandthesuperintendenthaddisappearedtheDoctorfelltowalkingupanddownhiscellforexercise.Hebegantowonderhowthingsweregettingonwithhishouseholdinhisabsence.Andhewasstillthinkingovertheanimals’ idea of a reformed circus when, about half an hour later, a police-sergeantappearedatthedoor,extraordinarilypoliteandgracious.

“The superintendent presents his compliments, Doctor,” he said, “andapologizesforthemistakethatwasmade.Butitwasnotourdepartment’sfault.It was the coastguards who made the arrest. Very stupid of them, very. Thechargeisnowwithdrawn,Sir,andyouarefreetogowheneveryouwish.”

“Thankyou,”saidtheDoctor.“IthinkI’llgonow.It’saniceprisonyouhavehere—almost the best I was ever in. Tell the superintendent he needn’tapologize.I’vehadamostrefreshingsleep—sowellventilated.Itwouldmakeasplendid place for writing—undisturbed and airy. But unfortunately I havematterstoattendtoandmustleaverightaway.Gooddaytoyou.”

“Good day, Sir,” said the sergeant. “You’ll find the exit at the end of thepassage.”

AtthefrontdoorofthepolicestationtheDoctorpaused.“Mygoodness!”hemuttered.“Ihaven’tanymoneytopaythecoachbackto

Ashby.IwonderifSirWilliamwouldlendmeaguinea.”Andhe turnedback.Butat thesuperintendent’sofficehewas told that the

JusticeofPeacehadgoneoffhuntingfor thedayandwouldn’tbebacktill to-morrowmorning.

Oncemorehesetouttoleavethestation.Butatthedoorhepausedagain.

“Imightaswelltaketherestofmyloafwithme,”hemurmured.“Itbelongstomeafterall—and I’llneed it if I’m toget toAshbywithoutapenny inmypockets.”

Andhehurriedbacktohiscell.Hefoundapolicemanputtingtheplaceinorder.“Excuseme,” said theDoctor. “Don’t letmedisturb your sweeping. I just

camebackforsomethingIleftbehindme.Ah,thereitis—myloaf!Thankyou.Excellentbreadyouhavehere.”

“‘Excellentbreadyouhavehere’”And after enquiring at the superintendent’s office on the way out for the

nameofthebakerwhosuppliedthepolicestation,JohnDolittlesalliedforthtofreedomwithhalfaloafunderhisarm.

THEFOURTHCHAPTER-NIGHTSHADETHEVIXEN

Penniless, but happy, the Doctor walked through the seaport town till hereachedthemarketplaceinthecenter.Atthispointthreebighighwaysmet:one

fromtheNorth,onefromtheSouthandonefromtheEast.AfteradmiringtheTownHall—itwasaverybeautifulandancientbuilding

—theDoctorwasabouttosetoffalongtheroadtotheeastward.Buthehadnotgonemorethanapaceortwobeforehepaused,thinking.Itoccurredtohimthatitwouldbewiser ifhe foundsomeotherway to return toAshby than thatbywhichhehadcome.

He, therefore, changed his direction and swung off along the road to theSouth,intendingtoworkhiswaybackroundtoAshbybysomeroutewherehewouldrunnoriskofmeetingthepeoplewhohadseenhiminthecoachortheShottlakeinn.

Itwasapleasantmorning.Thesunwasshining,sparrowschirping;andhefeltashestrutteddowntheroadwithhisloafofbreadunderhisarmthatinsuchweatheritwasapleasuretobealive.

Beforelonghehadleftthelasthousesofthetownbehindandfoundhimselfin the open country.About noon he came to a cross-roadswhere a sign post,pointingdownaveryprettylittlecountrylane,read,“ToAppledyke,tenmiles.”

“Hecametoacross-roads”“Thatlooksaniceroad,”saidtheDoctortohimself.“Anditrunsintheright

directionforme.IlikethesoundofAppledyketoo.”So,althoughhewasnotveryfaryetfromtheseaporttownwhichhehadleft,

hestruckoffeastwardalongthecountrylanetoAppledyke.Soonhedecideditwaslunchtimeandlookedabouthimforabrookwhere

hemightgetadrinkofcleanwatertowashdownhisdry-breadmeal.Overtohisrighthesawaplacewherethelanddippeddownwardintoahollowfilledwithtreesandbushes.

“I’llbet there’sabrookdownthere,” theDoctormurmured.“It iscertainlymostdelightfulcountry,this.”

Thenheclimbedoverastileandsetoffacrossthemeadowswhichleddownintothehollow.

Hefoundhisbrookallright;andthebanksofit,shadedbythetrees,formedthemostcharmingpicnickinggroundanyonecouldwishfor.AfterhehadtakenadrinktheDoctorwithagratefulsighsankdownonthegrassat thefootofaspreadingoak,tookouthisloafandbegantoeat.

Presentlyhesawastarlinghoppingaroundnearhim,andhethrewhimsomecrumbs.WhilethebirdwaseatingthemtheDoctornoticedthatoneofhiswingsseemed queer, and on examining it he found that the feathers were all stucktogetherwithtar.Thetarhadhardenedandthewingwouldnotspreadopentheway it should. John Dolittle soon put it right and the bird flew off about hisbusiness. After his lunch the Doctor felt that before going on his journey hewould like to rest awhile in this pleasant spot. Sohe leanedback against thetrunk of the oak tree and soon he fell asleep to the music of the murmuringbrook.

When he awoke he found four foxes, a vixen with three cubs, sittingpatientlybesidehimwaitingtillheshouldfinishhisnap.

“Goodafternoon,”saidthevixen.“MynameisNightshade.Ofcourse,I’veheard a lot about you. But I had no idea you were in the district. I’ve oftenthoughtofcomingallthewaytoPuddlebytoseeyou.I’mawfullygladIdidn’tmissyouonthisvisit.Astarlingtoldmeyouwerehere.”

“Well,”saidtheDoctor,sittingup,“I’mgladtoseeyou.WhatcanIdoforyou?”

“Oneof thesechildrenofmine,” thevixenpointed towardher three roundlittle cubs who were gazing at the famous Doctor in great awe, “one of thechildrenhassomethingwrongwithhisfrontpaws.Iwishyouwouldtakealookathim.”

“Certainly,”saidtheDoctor.“Comehere,youngfellow.”“Hehasneverbeenable to runproperly,” said themotheras JohnDolittle

tookthecubonhislapandexaminedhim.“Ithasnearlycostusallourlives,hisslowpace,whenthedogshavebeenafterus.Theotherscanrunbeautifully.Canyoutellmewhat’sthematterwithhim?”

“Why,ofcourse,”saidtheDoctor,whonowhadthecubupsidedownonhiskneeswithitsfourbigpawswavingintheair.“It’sacaseofflatfeet.That’sall.Themuscles of the pads areweak.He can get no grip of the groundwithoutgood padmuscles.You’ll have to exercise himmorning and night.Make himriseonhistoeslikethis:One,two!One,two!One,two!”

“‘It’sacaseofflatfeet’”AndtheDoctorstoodupandgaveademonstrationoftheexercisewhichina

personstrengthensthearchesofthefeetandinafoxdevelopsthemusclesofthepawpads.

“If youmake himdo that twenty or thirty times everymorning and everynightIthinkyou’llsoonfindhisspeedwillgetbetter,”saidtheDoctor.

“Thank you very much,” said the vixen. “I have the greatest difficultymakingmychildrendoanythingregularly.NowyouhearwhattheDoctorsays,Dandelion:everymorningandeverynight,thirtytimes,uponyourtoesashighas you can go. I don’twant any flat-footed cubs inmy family.We’ve alwaysbeen—greatheavens!Listen!”

Themotherfoxhadstoppedspeaking,thebeautifulbrushofhertailstraightand quivering, her nose outstretched, pitiful terror staring fromherwide openeyes.Andinthelittlesilencethatfollowed,fromovertherisinggroundawayofftothenorth-eastward,camethedreadsoundthatmakeseveryfox’sheartstand

still.“Thehorn!”shewhisperedthroughchatteringteeth.“They’reout!It’sth—th

—thehuntsman’shorn!”As he looked at the trembling creature JohnDolittle was reminded of the

occasionwhichhadmadehimanenemyoffox-huntingforlife—whenhehadmet anold foxone evening lyinghalf deadwith exhaustionunder a tangleofblackberries.

As the horn rang out again the poor vixen began running aroundher cubslikeacrazything.

“Oh,what shall I do?” shemoaned. “The children! If itwasn’t for them Icouldperhapsgivethedogstheslip.Oh,whydidIbringthemoutindaylighttoseeyou?IsupposeIwasafraidyoumightbegoneifIwaitedtillafterdark.NowI’veleftourscentbehindus,allthewayfromBroadMeadows,asplainasthenoseonyourface.AndI’vecomerightintothewind.WhatafoolIwas!WhatshallIdo?WhatshallIdo?”

Asthehornsoundedthethirdtime,louderandnearer,joinedbytheyelpingofhoundsinfullcry,thelittlecubsscuttledtotheirmotherandcoweredunderher.

AveryfirmlookcameintotheDoctor’sface.“Whatpackisthis?”heasked.“Doyouknowthenameofit?”“It’sprobablytheDitcham—theirkennelsarejusttheothersideofHallam’s

Acre.ItmightbetheWiltborough,overfromBuckleyDowns—theysometimeshunt thisway.Butmost likely it’s theDitcham—the best pack in these parts.Theywereaftermelatsweek.ButmysistercrossedmytrailjustbelowFentonRidgeandtheywentafterher—andgother.There’sthehornagain!Oh,whatafoolIwastobringthesechildrenoutindaylight!”

“Don’tworry,Nightshade,” said theDoctor. “Even if it’s theDitchamandthe Wiltborough together, they’re not going to get you to-day —nor yourchildren either. Let the cubs get into my pockets— come on, hop in, youngfellows—so.Nowyou,Nightshade,comeinsidethebreastofmycoat.That’stheway—getfurtheraroundtowardtheback.Andyoucanstickyourfeetandyourbrush into the tail-pocket.AndwhenI’vebuttoned itup like this—see?—youwillbecompletelycovered.Canyoubreatheallrightbackthere?”

“Yes,Icanbreathe,”saidthevixen.“Butitwon’tdousmuchgoodtobeoutofsight.Thehoundscansmellus—that’sthewaytheyrunusdown—withtheirnoses.”

“Yes,Iknow,”saidtheDoctor.“Butthemencan’tsmellyou.Icandealwiththedogsallright.Butyoumustn’tbeseenbythemen.Keepasstillasastone,allfourofyou—don’tmoveortrytorunforit,whateverhappens.”

And then JohnDolittle,with his coat bulgingwith foxes in all directions,stoodinalittleclearinginthewoodedhollowandawaitedtheoncomingoftheDitchamHuntinfullcry.

Themingled noises of the dogs,men, horns and horses grew louder.Andsoon, peeping through the crossing branches of his cover, theDoctor saw thefirst hounds come in view at the top of the ridge. For a moment the leaderspausedandsniffedthewind.Theninabee-lineforthebottomofthehollowtheycameondown,stretchedatfullspeed.Over theridgeandafter themcametherestof thepack;andclosebehind thedogsrode themen, in redcoatsonfine,swifthorses.

Aheadofmostofthehuntsmengallopedoneman,old,leanandwhite-haired—SirWilliamPeabody,theMasteroftheFoxhounds.Halfwaydowntheslopeheturnedinhissaddleandcalledtoamanonagraymareclosebehindhim.

“Jones, they’remaking for the spinney. Don’t let the leaders break into itbefore we’ve got it surrounded. Watch Galloway; he’s rods ahead. Mind, hedoesn’tputthefoxouttheotherside—WatchGalloway!”

Then theman on the graymare spurted ahead, cracking a longwhip andcalling“Galloway!Here,Galloway!”

AstheDoctorpeeredthroughthefoliagehesawthattheleadinghoundwasnow quite close. But, wonderfully trained to the huntsmen’s command,Galloway suddenly slackened his pace within a few yards of the trees andremained,yelpingandbarking,fortheotherstocomeup.

Over the ridge more riders came pouring—fat parsons on stocky cobs,country squires on hacks, ladies on elegant, dainty thoroughbreds— all thegentryoftheneighborhood.

“My goodness!” murmured the Doctor. “Was there ever anything sochildish?Allthisfussforapoorlittlefox!”

As the hounds, under the guidance of the men with long whips, spread,yelping, around all sides of the spinney, the people called and shouted to oneanotherandthenoisewastremendous.

“We’ll get him,” bellowed a fat farmer on a pony. “Hounds have gone allaroundnowand scentdon’tgoon. It’s akilling, sure.Wait till Jones lets ‘emintospinney.We’llgethim!”

“Oh,no,youwon’t,” theDoctormuttered, the firm lookcomingback intohisface.“Notto-day,myfatfriend—notto-day.”

Thedogs,impatientandeager,sniffedandranhitherandthither,waitingforpermissiontoenterthelittlepatchofwoodsandfinishthehunt.

Suddenlyacommandwasgivenandinstantlytheyleapttheunderbrushfromallsides.

JohnDolittlewasstandinginhisclearing,withhishandsoverhispockets,tryingtolookallwaysatonceatthemomentwhenthehoundsbrokein.Buthehad not known fromwhich direction the vixen had entered and left her scentbehind.Andsuddenly,beforeheknewit,fourheavydogshadleaptonhisback,and he went down on the ground, simply smothered under a tangled pile ofyelping,fightingfoxhounds.

Kickingandpunchinginalldirections,theDoctorstruggledtohisfeet.“Getaway!”hesaidindoglanguage.“Leadthehuntsomewhereelse.This

foxismine.”Thehounds,spokentointheirowntongue,nowhadnodoubtastowhothe

littlemanwasthattheyhadknockeddown.“I’mawfullysorry,Doctor,”saidGalloway,afine,deep-chesteddog,witha

tanpatchoveroneeye.“Wehadno idea itwasyou.We jumpedonyou frombehind,youknow.Whydidn’tyoucalltouswhilewewereoutside?”

“How could I?” said the Doctor irritably, pushing away a dog who wassniffing at his pocket. “How could I—with you duffers making all that din?Lookout,herecomethehuntsmen.Don’tletthemseeyousmellingaroundme.Getthepackoutofhere,Galloway,quick.”

“Allright,Doctor.Butitsmellstomeasthoughyouhadmorethanonefoxinyourpockets,”saidGalloway.

“I’vegotawholefamily,”saidtheDoctor.“AndImeantokeepthem,too.”“Can’t you let us have even one of them, Doctor?” asked the hound.

“They’resneakylittlethings.Theyeatrabbitsandchickens,youknow.”“No,”said theDoctor,“Ican’t.Theyhave toget foodfor themselves.You

havefoodgivenyou.Goaway—andhurryaboutit.”AtthatmomentSirWilliamPeabodycameup.“Greatheavens!Dolittle!”heexclaimed.“Haven’tyou left thesepartsyet?

Didyouseethefox?Houndsheadedrightdownintothishollow.”“Iwouldn’t tellyou,Will, if Ihad seenhim,” said theDoctor. “Youknow

whatIthinkoffox-hunting.”“Funnything!”mutteredSirWilliamashewatchedthedogslurchingabout

amongthebrushuncertainly.“Theycan’thavelostthescent,surely.Theycamedownhereasfirmasyoulike.Curious!—oh,heavens!Iknowwhatitis:they’vefollowedyourrottenfishsmell—theseal!GoodLord!”

At thatmoment a cry came from the huntsmen that the hounds had foundanother scent and were going off to the southward. Sir William, who haddismounted,ranforhishorse.

“Hang you,Dolittle!” he shouted. “You’ve led the hounds astray. I shouldhavekeptyouinjail.”

The few dogs remaining within the spinney were now melting away likeshadows.One of the fox cubs stirred in theDoctor’s pocket. SirWilliam hadalreadymountedhishorseoutside.

“Goodness,Iforgotagain!”mutteredtheDoctor.“Imustgetthatguinea.—Isay,Will!”

ThenJohnDolittle,hispocketsfulloffoxes,ranoutofthespinneyaftertheMasteroftheHunt.

“Listen, Will!” he called. “Would you lend me a guinea? I haven’t anymoneytogettoAshbywith.”

SirWilliamturnedinhissaddleanddrewrein.

“SirWilliamturnedanddrewrein”“I’ll lend you five guineas—or ten—John,” said themagistrate, “if you’ll

onlygetoutofthisdistrictandstopputtingmyhoundsonfalsescents.Hereyouare.”

“Thanks,Will,” said the Doctor, taking the money and dropping it in hispocketontopofoneofthecubs.“I’llsenditbacktoyoubymail.”

Thenhestoodtherebytheedgeofthespinneyandwatchedthehuntsmen,hallooingandgalloping,disappearovertheskylinetothesouthward.

“Whatachildishsport!”hemurmured.“Ican’tunderstandwhattheyseeinit. Really, I can’t. Grown men rushing about the landscape on horseback,

catawauling* and blowing tin horns— all after one poor, little wild animal!Perfectlychildish!”

THEFIFTHCHAPTER-“THEDOLITTLESAFETYPACKET”

Returningtothesideofthebrookwithintheshelterofthetrees,theDoctortookthefoxesoutofhispocketandsetthemontheground.

“Well,”said thevixen,“Ihadoftenheard thatyouwereagreatman,JohnDolittle,butIneverrealizedtillnowwhatatrulymarvelouspersonyouwere.Idon’tknowhowtothankyou.I’mallovercome—Dandelion,getawayfromthatwater!”

“There isnoneedfor thanks,”said theDoctor.“Totellyouthe truth,Igotquite a thrillmyself out of diddling oldWill Peabody—even if I did borrowmoneyoffhim.I’vebeentryingtogethimtogiveupfox-huntingforyears.Hethinksthatthehoundsfollowedmyscentdownbymistake.”

“Ah,they’renoteasilyfooled,thosedogs,”saidthevixen.“Galloway—thatbigbeastwhodidallthetalking—he’saterror.Noseassharpasaneedle.It’sapoorlookoutforanyfoxwhosescenthecrosses.”

“But you’ve been hunted before and got away, haven’t you?” asked theDoctor.“Theydon’talwaysrunthequarrydown.”

“That’s quite true,” said the vixen. “But we only escape by luck whenweatherconditionsorsomeoddchanceisinourfavor.Thewind,ofcourse,isaterribly important thing. If the hounds pick up our scent to thewindward andbegin thehuntup-wind,aswecall it, there’shardlyanychanceofourgettingaway—exceptwhenthecountryhasplentyofcoverandwe’vegotstartenoughtocomearoundandgetbehindthem,wheretheirscentblowstowardus,insteadofourstowardthem.Butthecountryisusuallytooopentogiveusachancetodothatwithoutbeingseen.”

“Humph!”saidtheDoctor.“Iunderstand.”“Thensometimes,”thevixenwenton,“thewindwillchangewhenthehunt’s

infullcry.Butsuchluckisararething.Still,Irememberonetimewhenitsavedmy life. ItwasOctober,dampishweather—thekind thehuntsmen like.Therewasagentlebreezeblowing.IwascrossingoversomemeadowsclosetoThorpeFarm,whenIheardthem.AssoonasIgottheirdirectionIsawIwasonthebadsideofthewind,and,outinflat,uncoveredcountry,IwasgoingtohaveafiendofarunforitifIwastogetaway.Iknewtheneighborhoodrealwell,andIsaid

tomyselfasIletoutatfullgallop,‘TophamWillows.It’smyonlychance.’“Now,TophamWillowswas abig, densepatchof oldneglectedpreserves

aboutfifteenmilesawaytotheWest.Itwasthenearestdecentovertherewas.But a long, long stretch of bare fields and downs lay between me and it.However if I once reached it I knew I’dbe all right.Because itwasbrambly,tangly* and thick, no men or horses could enter it and it was too big to besurroundedbythepack.

“Well,IwentawayforallIwasworth,hopingtolengthenmystartonthemattheoutset.Thehoundssightedmeatonce.Anda‘View,hullo-o-a!’wentupfortheriders.ThenthewholehuntcameaftermeliketheDevilonhorseback.Afterthatitwasonelong,steady,pounding,cruelrunforfifteenmiles.TheonlyscreensthatlaythissideofTophamWillowswereafewlowstonewalls.Andnofoxwouldbefoolenoughtotryandtakecoverbehindthem.Ijustleaptthemonthe run, and each time my brush topped the walls another ‘View, hullo-o-a!’brokefromthehunt.

“AboutthreemilesthissideoftheWillowsIgotasortofcrampinmyheart.MyeyeswentqueerandIcouldn’tseestraight.ThenIstumbledoverastone.Igotupandstaggeredon.TophamWillowswasinsight,butmyspeedwasgoing.Ihadopenedtherunwithapacetoofast.”

Nightshade,thevixen,pausedinherstoryamoment,herearslaidback,herdaintymouthslightlyopen,hereyes staring fixedly.She lookedas thoughshesawthatdreadfuldayalloveragain,thatlongterriblechase,attheendofwhich,withasaferefugeinsight,shefeltherstrengthgivingoutasthedogsofDeathdrewcloseuponherheels.

Presentlyinalowvoice,shewenton:“Itlookedlikethefinishofme.Thehoundsweregaining—andwithlotsof

breathleft.Andthen!—suddenlythewindchanged!“‘Gosh!’Ithoughttomyself,‘ifIonlyhadaditchorhedgehandynow!I’d

give themtheslipyet!But,ofcourse, in theopen, infullviewlike that,scentdidn’tmattersomuch. I stumbledon.Thensuddenly Inoticeda ridgeover tomyleft.Ontopofitwereafewbrackenpatches—small,butquiteanumberofthem,dottedabouthereand there. Ichangeddirection, left thebee lineon theWillowsandmadefortheridge.Istillhadashortleadonthedogs.Ishotintothebracken,andforthefirsttimeinfourteenmilesIwasoutofviewfrommyenemies.Then I ran frompatch to patch, leavingmy scent all over the place.NextIracedoffdowntheothersideoftheridge,foundaditchleadingtowardtheWillows,poppedintoitanddoubledbackinmyolddirection.

“Bythattimemypacewaslittlebetterthanacrawl,but,asI’dexpected,assoon as I was out of sight the changing wind had got the dogs all confused.

PeepingoutofmyditchasIstaggeredalongittowardtheWillows,Isawthemrushingfrompatchtopatchamongthebrackenontopoftheridge.Ifthewindhadbeenstillblowingoffmetowardthem,someofthemwouldcertainlyhavehitmytraildowntotheditch,wherethescentwashottest,andcutmeofffromthecoverIwasmakingfor.

“Butthatshorthalt,whiletheyfooledaroundamongthebracken,tryingtore-findthescent,gavemetimetoreachthecoverIhadcomesofartofind.Andas Icrept,blownanddeadbeaten, into the tangleofTophamWillows, I flungmyselfdowntorestandthankedmyluckystarsforthewindthatchanged—justintimetosavemylife.”

“Well, well,” said the Doctor, as the vixen ended her story, “that’s veryinteresting.Fromwhatyou say, I suppose that ifonecouldonlydealwith thehounds’senseofsmellitwouldalwaysbeeasyforyoutogetawayfromthem,eh?”

“Oh,of course,” said thevixen. “Innearlyallhuntingcountrya foxcouldfind enough cover to keep out of the reach of the dogs if it wasn’t for theirhorriblykeennoses.Wenearlyalwayshearthem,orseethem,agoodwayoff—longbeforetheyseeus.Ifyoucouldonlyputthehoundsonthewrongscent,thefoxcouldgetawayeverytime.”

“I see,” said theDoctor. “Well, now I have an idea. Supposing a foxwasmade tosmell likesomethingelse, insteadofa fox—somestrongsmellwhichdogsdidn’tlike—nopackofhoundswouldfollowsuchatrail,wouldit?”

“No,Ishouldn’tthinkso—solongastheydidn’tknowitwasafoxthatwascarryingit.And,eventhen,maybetheywouldn’tfollowitifitwasasmelltheyhatedenough.”

“That’sjustwhatImean.Suchathingwouldbeascent-blind.Itwould—ifwecouldonlygetitsufficientlypowerful—entirelycoverupyournaturalscent.Now,lookhere,”saidtheDoctor,pullingathick,blackwalletoutofhispocket,full of neat little bottles: “this is a pocket medicine case. Some of thesemedicines have a strong pungent smell. I’ll let you sniff one or two… . Trythis.”

TheDoctorpulledthestopperfromoneofthetinybottlesandheldittothevixen’snose.Shestartedbackafteronesniff.

“Mygracious!”shebarked.“Whatapowerfulodor.What’sthenameofit?”“That’s spirits of camphor,” said the Doctor. “Now, try another. This is

eucalyptus.Smell.”

“‘Thisiseucalyptus—smell!’”Thevixenputhernosetothesecondbottle.Andthistimeshesprangback

threefeetwithayelp.“Greatheavens!Itgetsinyoureyes!That’sworse—andstrongeryet.Corkit

up,Doctor,quick!”shecried, rubbinghernosewithher frontpaws.“Itmakesmeweeptears.”

“Allright,”saidtheDoctor.“But,listen:boththesemedicines,althoughtheyaresostrong,arequiteharmless—solongasyoudon’tdrinkthem.Peopleusethem for colds in the head and other things. That shows you. Now, do yousupposeadogwouldkeepawayfromasmelllikethat?”

“Ishouldsayhewould,”Nightshadesnorted.“He’drunamilefromit.Anydogwhogotawhiffofthatwouldn’tbeabletosmellstraightfortherestoftheday. Dogs have to be more particular about their noses—especially huntingdogs.”

“Fine!”saidtheDoctor.“Now,look:whenthislittlebottleiscorkedtightlyand rolled in ahandkerchief, so, noodor remains about it at all.See, youcantakeitinyourmouthandcarryit.Try—justtobesurethatit’sallright.”

Gingerlythevixentooktherolledhandkerchief,withthelittlebottleinside,inhermouth.

“Yousee?”saidtheDoctor,takingitbackfromher,“it’squiteharmlessandyoucansmellnothingwhileitislikethat.Butsupposingyouweretoplacethe

handkerchiefonthegroundanddropaheavystoneontopofit:theglassbottleinside would be broken, the medicine would run out and soak into thehandkerchiefandthesmellwouldbeverystrong.Youunderstandmesofar?”

“Quite,”saidthevixen;“quite—Dandelion,stopplayingwithmytail.Howcan I attend to what the Doctor’s saying? Go over to that tree and do yourexercises.”

“‘Dandelion,stopplayingwithmytail!’”“And then,” John Dolittle went on, “if you were to lie down on the wet

handkerchiefandrollinit,youtoowouldsmellverystrong—ofthemedicine.Afterthat,Ithink,wecouldsafelysaythatnohoundswouldfollowyou.Foronething, theywouldn’t knowwhat itwaswhen they crossed your trail; and, foranother,asyousay,itissostrongthatthey’drunamiletogetawayfromit.”

“Theycertainlywould,”saidthevixen.“Verywell.Now, I’ll giveyouoneof thesebottles.Whichwill youhave?

Wouldyouprefertosmellofcamphororeucalyptus?”“They’re both pretty bad,” said Nightshade. “Could you spare the two of

them?”“Certainly,”saidtheDoctor.“Thankyou.Haveyougottwohandkerchiefs,aswell?”“Yes.Heretheyare—aredoneandablueone.”“That’s splendid,” said the vixen. “Then I can make the cubs smell of

camphorandmyselfofeucal—euca—”“Eucalyptus,”saidtheDoctor.“It’saprettyname,”saidthevixen.“I’llcallmyothersonthat.Inevercould

thinkofanicenameforhim—Dandelion,GarlicandEucalyptus.”“ThethreesonsofNightshade,”addedtheDoctor,watchingtheroundcubs

gamboling over the roots of an oak. “Very pretty— has almost a Roman, aclassic sound. But, listen: you must be very careful how you wrap thehandkerchiefs around the bottles. If you don’t do it properly you might getyourselfcutbythebrokenglassinside.Makesurethatthewrappingisthickandpaddy.I’vegotapieceofstringinmypocket.PerhapsI’dbetterwrapthebottlesmyselfandtiethemupforyou.”

ThenJohnDolittlefixedupthebottlesinthepropermannerandhandedoverhisnewinvention,thefox’ssafetypackets,toNightshade,thevixen.

“Now,remember,”hesaid,“tocarrythemalwayswithyou,andassoonasyouhearthehoundssmashthemwithastoneandgetthemedicinewellsoakedinto your back. Then I think you’ll be safe from any dogs—even fromGalloway.”

Well, JohnDolittle, after the vixen and her family had thanked himmanytimes for his kind services, left them with their new scent-destroyers andcontinuedonhisjourneytowardAshby.

But he little guessed, as he made his way out of the hollow—andNightshade,withher family, trottedoff to their lair—what an important effectthisnewideaofhiswastohave.

That very evening, on their way homeward, the vixen and her cubs werescented by the houndswhowere returning to that part of the country, after afruitlessafternoon’ssearchforfoxes.

Assoonassherealized that thedogswereonher trail,Nightshadeputherpackages on the ground and kicked stones against them. Instantly the airwasfilledwithpowerfulmedicinalodors.

Inspiteofthefactthatthesmellmadehereyesruntears,thevixenrolledinone,whileshemadethecubssoakthemselvesintheother.

Then,reekinglikeachemist’sshop,chokingandgaspingtogetawayfromtheirownsmell,thefourofthemracedoffacrossawidepasturetowardhome.Thehounds,totheleeward,seeingthemintheopen,cutacrossfromafieldtheothersideofahedge,hopingtoheadthemoffbeforetheyreachedthebushesatthefootofthepasture.

For the hounds this was easy, because Nightshade, with the flat-footedDandeliontolookafter,couldn’tputoutherfullspeed.

Oncamethedogs,thefamousGalloway,asusual,inthelead.Thehuntsmen,

seeingthechancesofakillafteradullday’ssport,cheeredandputspurstotheirhorses.

But in spiteof thewind’sbeing thewrongway, the leadingdogssuddenlystoppedwithinaboutfivepacesoftheirquarry.

“What’s thematterwithGalloway,Jones?”SirWilliamshoutedtothemanonthegraymare.“Look,he’ssittingdown,watchingthefoxesrunaway!”

Thensuddenlythefitfuleveningwindswungtotheeastwardandblewagustbacktowardthehunt.Thepack,likeonedog,turnedtailandscattered,terrified,out of the pasture. Even the horses pricked up their ears and snorted throughtheirnoses.

“Myheavens,whatastench!”criedSirWilliam.“Somechemicalorother.Whatisit,Jones?”

Butthemanonthegraymarewasgallopingacrosscountry,tryingtogethispacktogether,cursingandcrackinghislongwhip.

“Cursingandcrackinghislongwhip”Peacefully and undisturbed,Nightshade reached her lair that night and put

hercubstobed.Asshedidsoshekeptmurmuringtoherself:“He’sagreatman—averygreatman.”

But the next day, when she went out to get food for her family, she metanother fox. This neighbor, as soon as he smelt her, didn’t even say good

morning,butalsoran,asifsheweretheplague.Then she found her newodor something of an inconvenience aswell as a

blessing.Noneofherrelativeswouldcomenearher,andsheandhercamphory-eucalyptuscubswerenotallowedinanyotherfoxes’ lairs.Butafterawhile itgot around in fox society thatNightshade the vixen could gowhere she likedwithouteverbeinghuntedbydogs.ThenJohnDolittlebegantogetrequestsbymysterious animal messengers for more eucalyptus. And he sent hundreds oflittlebottles,rolledinhandkerchiefs,tothatpartoftheworld.Beforelongeverysingle fox in the neighborhood was supplied with, and always carried, his“DolittleSafetyPacket”whenhewentabroadinthehuntingseason.

Well, in the end the resultwas that the famousDitchampackwent out ofexistence.

“It’snouse,”SirWilliamsaid,“wecan’thuntfoxesinthisdistrictunlesswecanbreedandtrainapackofeucalyptushounds.AndI’llbetmylastpenny,it’sDolittle’sdoing.Healwayssaidhe’d like tostop thesportaltogether.And,byGeorge!sofarasthiscountyisconcerned,he’sdoneit!”

PARTFOUR

THEFIRSTCHAPTER-BACKTOTHECIRCUS

Andnow,withmoneyinhispockettopayforaride,JohnDolittlesetaboutfindingacoachthatwouldcarryhimbackinthedirectionofAshby.

At the village ofAppledyke his little country lane led him on to a biggerhighwayrunningnorthandsouth.Makinginquiriesofthevillageblacksmith,hefoundthatcoachespliedthisroadandthathecouldexpectonetopassinabouthalf an hour. So, after buying some toffee at the one small shop whichAppledyke could boast of the Doctor settled down to wait, munching hissweetmeatstopassthetime.

Aboutfouro’clockintheafternoonacoachcamealongandtookhimtothenextlargetown.Fromtherehecaughtanightcoachgoingeast;andintheearlyhoursofthefollowingmorninghewasbackwithintenmilesofAshbyagain.

Theremainderofthejourneyhethoughthehadbetterdoonfootforsafety’ssake.Soafterhehadashaveandabreakfastandarestataninn,hesetouttowalktheshortremainingdistance.

Hehadnotgonemorethanaboutamilebeforehecameuponsomegypsiescamped by the side of the road. One old woman among them hailed him,offeringtotellhisfortune.TheDoctordidn’twanthisfortunetold,butstoppedto chat. In the course of conversation he mentioned Blossom’s Circus. Thegypsies then toldhim that itwasno longeratAshby,buthad left for thenexttown.

Onhisaskingfor therightroadto take toreachthenext town, thegypsiestoldhimthatamanwithawagon,whowasonhiswaytojoinBlossom’scircus,had passed them only half an hour ago. If he hurried on, they said, hemighteasilyovertakehim,ashishorsewasaslowwalker.

Theway fromhere to the townwhere the circuswould next performwasratheracomplicatedcross-countryjourney;andtheDoctorthoughtitwouldbemuch easier if he had some one with him who knew the way. He thereforethankedthegypsiesandhastenedontotryandcatchthemanwhowasbound,likehimself,forBlossom’sCircus.

Bymakinginquiriesofthewayfarersalongtheroad,theDoctorwasabletofollowtheroutethemanhadtaken.Andaboutnoonhecameupwithhimhalted

attheroadsidetakinghislunch.Hiswagonwasverypeculiar.All four sidesof itwerecoveredwithsigns.

“UseDoctorBrown’sOintment,”“HaveYourTeethPulledbyDoctorBrown,”“DoctorBrown’sSyrupCuresAllLiverComplaints,”“DoctorBrown’sPills”dothis—“DoctorBrown’sLiniment”doesthat,etc.

After reading all the advertisements with much medical interest, JohnDolittlewentuptothefatmanwhowaseatingbreadandcheesebytheroadside.

“Pardonme!”saidhepolitely.“AmIaddressingDoctorBrownhimself?”

“‘AmIaddressingDr.Brownhimself?’”“That’sme,”saidthemanwithhismouthfull.“WhatcanIdoforyou?Want

atoothpulled?”“No,” said theDoctor. “But I understand you are going to joinBlossom’s

Circus.Isthatso?”“Yes.I’mmeetingitatStowbury.Why?”“Well,Iwasonmywaytothesamedestination,”saidtheDoctor.“Ithought,

perhaps,Imightaccompanyyou—ifyouhavenoobjection.”DoctorBrownsaidhehadnoobjection,andafterhehadfinishedhislunch

heinvitedJohnDolittleintohiswagonwhilehegotreadytohitchup.Theinsideof the wagon seemed to be principally used for making themedicines whichwere advertised on the outside. And the most important things in their

preparationwere,asfarasDoctorcouldsee,lardandsaladoil.Brownhimselfseemedavulgarsortofperson—notintheleastlikearealdoctor.AndpresentlyJohnDolittle began asking himquestions aboutwhere he had got hismedicaldegree;atwhathospitalhehadlearneddentistry,etc.Browndidn’tlikethisatallandseemedratherannoyedattheDoctor’scross-examination.

Finally JohnDolittle came to the conclusion that themanwasmost likelynothingbutaquacksellingfakemedicines.Hedecidedhewouldsoonergoonalone.So,withoutwaitingforBrown,hesetoffdowntheroadaheadofhimonfoot.

ThewaytheDoctorfirstknewthathewasnearingthecircuswasbyhearingJip’s bark in the distance. The sound was joined by two other barks. Andpresently, roundingabend in thehighway,he foundJip,TobyandSwizzleallyapping about the foot of a tree, upwhich they had chased a black cat. Stillfurtherdowntheroadhesawthetailendofthewagon-trainwindingonitsway.

“Allyappingaboutthefootofanoaktree”Assoonashecameinviewthedogsforgotallaboutthecatandcameracing

downtheroad.“Doctor!Doctor!”yelpedJip.“Howdideverythinggooff?DidSophieget

away?”Thenthethreeofthemjumpedalloverhim,andhehadtoanswerahundred

questions at once.Frombeginning to endhe told the storyof his adventurousjourney to the sea. And when a little later he overtook the circus train andreachedhisownwagonhehadtotellitalloveragainforthebenefitoftherestofhisdelightedfamily.

Dab-Dabhustledaroundandpreparedamealrightaway—asortoftea-and-supper-combined arrangement; and she kept the rest of the household busypullingoutthebedlinentobeaired,sothattheDoctorshouldhavedrysheetstosleepin.

ThenMatthewMugggotwindofhisgreatfriend’sarrival,andhecameandjoinedtheparty,andthestoryhadtobetoldathirdtime.

“Itwasagreatpieceofwork,Doctor,”saidhe—“couldn’thavegonebetter.Blossomnevergottheleastsuspiciousthatyouwasinitatall.”

“What’shappenedtoHiggins?”askedtheDoctor.“Oh, ‘e’s doinghonestworknow.Took a stableman’s job inAshby.Good

thing,too!‘E’snolosstothecircusbusinessanyhow.”“Has Blossom put on any extra turn to take Sophie’s place?” asked the

Doctor.“No,” said Matthew. “We were short ‘anded for a bit. But Hercules the

strongmanisbackonthejobnowandtheshow’sasgoodasever.”“Andwe’vemadelotsofmoneywithourpartofit,Doctor,”criedToo-Too.

“Howmuchdoyouthinkthepushmi-pullyutookinlastweek?”“I’venoidea.”“Twelvepoundsnineshillingsandsixpence!”“Great heavens!” cried the Doctor. “That’s enormous—twelve pounds a

week!That’smorethanIevermadeinthebestdaysofmypractice.Why,we’llsoonbeabletoretireatthatrate!”

“Whatdoyoumean,retire,Doctor?”askedToby,pushinghisheadupontotheDoctor’sknee.

“Well,we hadn’tmeant to stay in the business for good, you know,” saidJohnDolittle.“IhaveworkofmyowntolookafterinPuddleby—and—and—oh,heapsofthingstoattendto.”

“Isee,”saidTobysadly.“Ithoughtyouweregoingtostaywithusforquiteawhile.”

“But how about the Dolittle Circus, Doctor?” asked Swizzle. “Aren’t yougoingtotrythatidea—thereformedshowwetalkedabout?”

“It’sagreatnotion,Doctor,”Jipputin.“Alltheanimalsarecrazyaboutthescheme. They’ve been working out the details of their own part of theperformance.”

“Andwhataboutourtheatre,Doctor—‘TheAnimals’OwnTheatre’?”Gub-

Gubputin.“I’vewrittenaplayforitsinceyou’vebeengone.It’scalledTheBadTomato.Idothecomicfatlady’spart.Iknowmylinesbyheartalready.”

“AndwhataboutthehouseinPuddleby?That’swhatI’dliketoknow?”saidDab-Dab,angrilybrushingthecrumbsoffthetable.“Allyouanimalseverthinkofishavingagoodtime.YouneverthinkoftheDoctorandwhathewants.Youneverthinkofthehousegoingtoruinbackthereandthegardenturningintothejungle. TheDoctor has his ownwork and his own home and his own life toattendto.”

A little silence followed the housekeeper’s furious outburst, and Toby andSwizzlerathershamefacedlyretiredunderthetable.

“Well,”saidtheDoctoratlast,“thereissomethinginwhatDab-Dabsays.Idothinkassoonas thepushmi-pullyuhasmadeenoughtopaybackthesailorfor his boat—and a little to spare—we ought to think about leaving thebusiness.”

“Oh, dear!” sighed Toby. “The Dolittle Circus would have been such awonderfulshow!”

“Heighho!”saidGub-Gub.“AndIwouldhavebeensimplysplendidasafatlady.IalwaysthoughtIoughttohavebeenacomicactor.”

“Huh!” snorted Dab-Dab. “Last week you said you ought to have been agreengrocer.”

“Well,”saidGub-Gub.“Icouldbeboth—acomicgreengrocer.Whynot?”That same night Blossom’sCircus entered the town of Stowbury.And, as

usual,beforedawnthenextmorningthetentshadbeensetupandeverythinggotinreadinessforshowing.

AssoonasthenewsoftheDoctor’sarrivalgotabout,Mr.Blossomcametoseehim.AndfromallappearanceJohnDolittledecidedthatnosuspicionshadbeenarousedinthemindoftheringmasterbyhis“business”trip.

Another caller at theDoctor’s stand thatmorningwasHercules the strongman.Herculeshadneverforgottenthekindattentionshownhimat the timeofhisaccident,andhewasglad to find thathis friendhadreturned.Hispleasantchatwascutshort,however,whenhesuddenlydiscovered that itwas timeforhim to give his first performance. The Doctor accompanied him back to hisstand.

WhilereturningacrossthecircusenclosuretheDoctornoticed,ashepassedthe tentofFatima the snakecharmer, a strongodorof chloroform.Fearinganaccidentmighthavehappened,hewentinsideandfoundthatFatimawasoutatthemoment.Withinthetentthesmellwasstronger,anditseemedtobecomingfromthesnakebox.TheDoctorlookedintotheboxandfoundthesixsnakesinanalmostunconsciousstatefromthedrug.Oneofthemstillhadsenseenough

lefttotelltheDoctor,inanswertohisquestions,thatFatimaalwaysdosedthemwithchloroformonhotdays,whentheyweretoolively,inordertomakethemeasier tohandle for her performance.Theyhated it, the snake said, because itgavethemheadaches.

“‘Theyhatedit,’thesnakesaid”Onthispleasant,sunnymorningtheDoctorhadforgotten,foramoment,the

wretchedconditionofmanyoftheanimalswhichhadsooftensickenedhimofthe whole circus business. This piece of senseless cruelty threw him into aboilingrageandhehurriedoffatoncetolookforBlossom.

He found him in the big tent and Fatima with him. The Doctor firmlydemanded that the customof chloroforming the snakesbe forbidden.Blossommerelysmiledandpretendedtobebusywithothermatters,whileFatimahurledalotofvulgarlanguageattheDoctor’shead.

Discouraged and sad, JohnDolittle left the tent, intending to return to hisownwagon.Thegateswerenowopenandthecrowdswerecominginthickandfast.TheDoctorwaswonderinghowAmericanblacksnakeswouldmanage inthe English climate if he contrived their escape, when he noticed a throng ofvisitor’scollectingaboutaplatformdownattheotherendoftheenclosure.

AtthismomentMatthewcameupandjoinedhim,andtogethertheystarted

toward the platform. On this the Doctor now saw his acquaintance, DoctorBrown,deliveringalectureaboutthewondersofhispillsandointments,whichcouldcureinonedosealltheailmentsknowntomankind.

“What arrangement has this fellow with Blossom?” the Doctor asked ofMatthew.

“Oh, he pays him a rake-off,” said theCat’s-Meat-Man. “Blossomgets somuchonallhe takes in.He’sgoingonwithus to thenext three towns,Ihear.Doingagoodtrade,ain’the?”

Indeed,DoctorBrownwasverybusy.Countryyokels,after listeningtohisnoisymedicallectures,werebuyinghiswaresrightandleft.

“Goandgetmeapotofthatointment,willyou,Matthew?”saidtheDoctor.“Here’ssomemoney—andgetmeaboxofthepillsaswell.”

“Allright,”saidMatthewwithagrin.“ButIdon’treckonyou’llfindthemmuchgood.”

TheCat’s-Meat-ManreturnedwiththepurchasesandtheDoctortookthemtohiswagon.Thereheopened them,smelled them,examined themand testedthemwithchemicalsfromhislittleblackbag.

“Rubbishandbunkum!”hecriedwhenhehadended.“Thisisjusthighwayrobbery.Whydid Ievergo into this rottenshowbusiness?Matthew,getmeastep-ladder.”

TheCat’s-Meat-Manwentout,disappearedbehindsometentsandpresentlyreturnedwiththestep-ladder.

“Thank you,” said theDoctor, putting it on his shoulder andmarching offtowardtheplatform.Therewasadangerouslightinhiseyes.

“Whatareyougoingtodo,Doctor?”askedMatthew,hurryingafterhim.“I’mgoingtogiveamedicallecturemyself,”saidtheDoctor.“Thosepeople

arenotgoingtopaytheirmoneyforquackrubbishifIcanhelpit.”Jip,whowassittingat thedoorofhiswagon,suddenlyprickeduphisears

andsprangtohisfeet.“Toby,”hecalledoverhis shoulder,“theDoctor’sgoingover to thepatent

medicineman’s platform.He’s got a step-ladder.He looks awfullymad aboutsomething.There’sgoingtobearow,Ifancy.GetSwizzleandlet’sgoandseethefun.”

JohnDolittleonreachingthecrowdatBrown’slecturestandsetuphisstep-ladderrightoppositetothespeaker,andMatthewMuggclearedaspacearounditsotheaudienceshouldn’tknockitoverwhiletheDoctorclimbedit.

AtthemomentofhisarrivalBrownwasholdingupinhislefthandapotofointment.

“ThispreparationwhichI‘oldinmy‘and,ladiesandgentlemen,”hebawled,

“is thegreatest remedy in theworld forsciatica, lumbago,neuralgia,agueandgout.It‘asbeenhendorsed*byalltheleadin’physicians.ItisthesamewhatisusedbytheroyalfamilyofBelgiumandtheShahofPersia.Oneapplicationofthismarvelousremedywill—”

Atthispointanothervoice,stillmorepowerful,interruptedthelecture.Thepeopleallturnedaround,andtherebehindthem,perchedonastep-ladderstoodalittleroundmanwithabatteredhighhatonhishead.

“Ladiesandgentleman*,” said theDoctor,“what thisman is tellingyou isnottrue.Hisointmentcontainsnothingbutlardmixedwithalittleperfume.Hispillsarenogoodeither.Idonotrecommendyoutobuyany.”

Foramomenttherewasadeadsilence.WhileDoctorBrownwastryingtothinkupsomethingtosay,thevoiceofawoman,Fatimathesnakecharmer,washeardfromtheedgeofthecrowd.

“Don’tyou listen tohim,”sheyelledpointinga fat fingerat JohnDolittle.“He’snothingbutashowman.Hedoesn’tknowanythingaboutmedicines.Push‘imorf‘isladder.”

“Justaminute,”saidtheDoctor,addressingthecrowdagain.“ItistruethatIamintheshowbusiness—forthemoment.ButIamamedicalgraduateof theUniversity of Durham. I am prepared to stand by what I have said. Thesepreparationswhichthismanistryingtosellyouareworthless.AlsoIhavegravedoubtsabouthiseducation indentistryandIdonotadviseanyofyou tohaveyourtoothtouchedbyhim.”

Thecrowdnowbegantogetrestless.SeveralpeoplehadalreadypurchasedBrown’swaresand thesecouldnowbeseenmaking theirway to theplatformanddemanding theirmoneyback.Brown refused it and tried tomake anotheraddresstohisaudienceinanswertotheDoctor’sstatements.

“Listen,” yelled John Dolittle from his ladder. “I challenge this man toproduce a medical degree or credentials of any kind to prove that he is aqualifieddoctorordentist.Heisaquack.”

“You’reafakeyourself,”yelledBrown.“I’llhavethelawonyouforlibel.”“Push‘imdown!”howledFatima.“Mob‘im!”But the people did not seem inclined to follow her orders. Presently the

Doctorwasrecognizedbyoneofhisoldpatientsamongtheaudience—justashehadbeeninthecaseofstrongman’saccidentsomeweeksbefore.Alittleoldladysuddenlywavedanumbrellaabovethecrowd.

“That’s JohnDolittle,” she shouted, “who curedmy son Joe of whoppingcoughbackinPuddlebytenyearsago.Liketodiehewas.He’sarealdoctor—nonebetterintheWestCountry.T’other’saquack.YebefoolsifyeturnadeafeartowhatJohnDolittletellsye.”

Thenothervoiceswereheardhereandthereamongthecrowd.Thegeneralrestlessness increased.More people struggled forward to Brown’s platform tobringbackthewarestheyhadbought.Agrowingmurmurarose.

“Mob‘im!Knock‘imdown!”yelledFatima,tryingtomakeherselfheard.DoctorBrownthrustasidetwomenwhohadclimbedupontohisstandfor

theirmoney, came to the edgeof theplatformandopenedhismouth tobeginanothermedicallecture.

But a large, well-aimed turnip suddenly sailed across the heads of theaudience and hit him squarely in the face. The mobbing had begun—but itwasn’tdirectedagainstJohnDolittle.Sooncarrots,potatoes,stones,allmannerofmissiles,wereflyingthroughtheair.

“Grab‘im!”yelledthecrowd.“He’sacrook.”Andthenextmomentthewholeaudiencesurgedtowardtheplatformyelling

andshakingtheirfists.

THESECONDCHAPTER-THEPATENTMEDICINERIOTS

JohnDolittlehimselfgrewalittlealarmedashesawwhatanuglymoodthecrowdwasnowbeginning to show.Whenhehad firstmountedhis ladderandinterruptedthequackdoctor’slecturehehadmeanttodonomorethanwarnthepeopleagainstbuyingfakemedicines.Butashewatchedthethrongswarmovertheplatform,wreckingandsmashingitontheway,hebegantofearforBrown’ssafety.

Whentheriotwasatitsheightthepolicearrived.Eventheyhadconsiderabledifficultyincalmingthecrowd.Theyhadtousetheirclubstomakethemlistenatall.Thereweremanybrokenheadsandbloodynoses.Finallythepolicesawthat theironlychanceofrestoringorderwouldbe toclear thecircusenclosuretogether.

This was done—in spite of the people’s objection that they had only justcome in and wanted their admission money back before they left. Then thecircuswasorderedbythepolicetoremaincloseduntilfurtherinstructions.

It was not long before the further instructions were forthcoming. MuchindignationhadbeenarousedthroughouttherespectabletownofStowburyoverthewholeaffair.AndtheMayorsentwordtoBlossomaboutnoonthatheandthealdermenwouldbeobligedtohimifhewouldpackuphiscircusandtakeitoutoftheirtownimmediately.

Brownhadescapedandgotawayacrosscountry longbefore this.But thatwasn’t the end of the affair so far as John Dolittle was concerned. Blossom,already annoyed, became so furiouswhen theMayor’s orderwasbrought thateverybody thoughthewasgoing tohavea fit.Fatimahadbeen railingagainsttheDoctor tohimall themorning; andonhearing the last bit of news,whichmeantconsiderableloss,hegotalmostblackintheface.

Many of the showmen were with him when the policeman delivered theorder. On them too Fatima had been working, trying to arouse bad feelingagainsttheDoctor.

“Blastit!”yelledBlossom,risingtohisfeetandreachingforathickwalkingstickthatstoodbehindhiswagondoor.“I’ll teachhimtogetmycircusclosedup!Comeon,someofyoufellows!”

With waving fists Fatima and four or five of the showmen standing nearfollowedtheringmasterashemarchedofftowardtheDoctor’sstand.

BothJipandMatthewhadalsobeenhangingaroundBlossom’swagon.Theytoonowdeparted,JiprunningaheadtowarntheDoctorandtheCat’s-Meat-Mangoingoffinawhollydifferentdirection.

On their way to theDoctor’s wagon Blossom and his party of vengeancewere joinedby several tent riggers andothers.By the time they arrived at hisdoortheynumberedagooddozen.TotheirsurprisetheDoctorcameouttomeetthem.

“Goodafternoon,”saidJohnDolittlepolitely.“WhatcanIdoforyou?”Blossomtriedtospeak,buthisangerwastoomuchforhim—nothingmore

thansplutteringgurglescamefromhisthroat.“You’vedoneenoughforusalready,”shoutedoneofthemen.“We’regoingtodoforyounow,”screamedFatima.“You’vegottheshowturnedoutofthetown,”growledathird;“oneofthe

bestplacesontheroad.You’vecostusaweek’spay.”“You’ve been doing your best to put my show on the blink,” snarled

Blossom, finding his voice at last, “ever since you’ve been with us. But, byJiminy*,you’vegonetoofarthistime!”

Withoutfurtherwordsthegroupofangrymen,ledbytheringmaster,rushedupon theDoctorandhewentdownundera footballscrumofkickingfeetandpunchingfists.

Poor Jipdidhis best todrag themoff.But itwas little helphe couldgiveagainst twelve such enemies. He couldn’t see the Doctor at all. He wasbeginning to wonder where Matthew was when he saw the Cat’s-Meat-Manrunning toward the fight from theother sideof theenclosure.Andbesidehimrananenormousmaninpinktights.

Onreachingthescrumthebigmanbeganpullingofftheshowmenbytheirfeetorhairandtossingthemasideasthoughtheywerewispsofstraw.

FinallyHerculesthestrongman—foritwashe—hadthinnedthefightdownto two, Blossom and the Doctor. These still rolled upon the ground trying tothrottleoneanother.Withahandthesizeofalegofmutton,Hercules,graspedtheringmasterbytheneckandshookhimlikearat.

“Ifyoudon’tbe’aveyourself,Alexander,”hesaidquietly,“I’llslapyourfaceandknockyourbrainsout.”

“‘I’llslapyourface’”Therewasa littlesilencewhile therestof theshowmenpickedthemselves

upfromthegrass.“Now,” saidHercules still graspingBlossomby the collar, “what’s this all

about?Whatareyouallsettin’on theDocfor?Ought tobeashamed—agooddozenofyet—andhimthelittlestofall!”

“Hewentand told thepeople thatBrown’sointmentwasn’tnogood,”saidFatima.“Got‘emallworkedup,askingfortheirmoneyback.Calledhimafakeinfrontoftheaudience—and‘imthebiggestfakethateverwalkedhimself.”

“You’re a nice one to talk about fakes,” said Hercules. “Didn’t I see youpaintingbandsonyourporeharmlesssnakeslastweek—tomake‘emlooklike

realdeadlyones?Thisman’sagooddoctor.Hecouldn’t‘avemendedmybustedribsformeifhewasn’t.”

“He’sgot theshow turnedoutof the town,”growledoneof themen.“Wehadour thirty-mile tripfromAshbyfornothing—andanotherforty-mileaheadofusbeforewetakeinapenny.That’swhatyourpreciousDoctorhasdoneforyou!”

“He’snotgoinganyfurtherwithmyshow,”splutteredBlossom.“I’vetakenaboutallI’mgoingtostandfromhim.”

Hewriggledhimselfoutofthestrongman’sgraspandadvancingtowardtheDoctorshookafingerinhisface.

“You’refired,”heyelled.“Understand?Youleavemyshowto-day—now.”“Verywell,”saidtheDoctorquietly.Andheturnedawaytowardthedoorof

hiswagon.“Justaminute,”Herculescalledafterhim.“Doyouwanttogo,Doctor?”JohnDolittlepausedandturnedback.“Well, Hercules,” he said doubtfully, “it’s rather hard to answer the

question.”“Whathewants ‘as got nothing to dowith it,” saidFatima. “Theboss ‘as

fired‘im.Thatsettlesit.‘E’sgottogo.”AstheDoctorlookedintothejeeringeyesofthiswomanthathatedhim,he

thought of the snakeswhowere in her care.Thenhe thought of several othercircus animals whose condition he had hoped to improve—of Beppo, the oldwagon horse who should have been pensioned off years ago. And while hehesitatedSwizzlepushedhisdampnoseup intohishandandTobypluckedatthetailofhiscoat.

“No,Hercules,”hesaidatlast.“Allthingsconsidered,Idonotwanttogo.ButifI’msentawaythere’snothingIcandoaboutit,isthere?”

“No,” said the strongman. “But there’s something others can do about it.Lookhere”—hespunBlossomaroundbytheshoulderandshookanenormousfist under his nose. “This man’s an honest man. Brown was a crook. If theDoctorgoes,Igotoo.AndifIgo,mynephews,thetrapezeacrobats,willcomewithme.AndI’veanotionthatHoptheclownwilljoinus.Nowhowaboutit?”

Mr. Alexander Blossom, proprietor of “The Greatest Show on Earth,”hesitated,chewinghismustacheindismayandperplexity.WithSophiethesealgone,desertedby the strongman, the trapezebrothers,hisbest clownand thepushmi-pullyu,hiscircuswouldbesadlyreduced.Whilehepondered,Fatima’sfacewasastudy.Iflookscouldhavekilled,bothHerculesandtheDoctorwouldhavediedthatdaytwiceover.

“Well,” said the ringmasterat last inquiteadifferentvoice,“let’s talk this

overfriendly-like.There’snoendforhardfeelings—andnosenseinbreakinguptheshowjustbecausewe’vecomeacropperinonetown.”

“If I stay,” said theDoctor, “I insist that nomore fakemedicines be soldwhileIamwithyou.”

“Huh!” snorted Fatima. “Seewhat he’s goin’ to do? ‘E’s beginnin’ again.‘E’sgoin’totellyouhowtorunyourshow.”

“Also,”saidtheDoctor,“Ishallrequirethatthiswomannolongerhavethehandlingofsnakesoranyotheranimals.Ifyouwanttokeepme,shemustgo.Iwillbuyhersnakesfromhermyself.”

Well, in spite of Fatima’s screaming indignation, matters were at lastarrangedpeaceably.Butthatnight,whenToo-Toowassittingonthestepsofthewagonlisteningtoabrotherowlwhowashootinghimfromthetowncemetery,Dab-Dabcameoutandjoinedhim,withtearsinhereyes.

“Idon’tknowwhatwe’lleverdowiththeDoctor,”shesaidwearily.“ReallyIdon’t.Hehastakeneverypennywehadinthemoneybox—thewholetwelvepounds nine shillings and sixpence which we had saved up to go back toPuddlebywith.Andwhatdoyouthinkhehasgoneandspentiton?He’sboughtsixfatsnakeswithit!”(Dab-Dabburstintoarenewedfloodoftears.)“Andhe—he—hasput theminmyflourbin tokeep till—tillhecangetaproperbedforthem!”

“‘He’sboughtsixfatsnakeswithit!’”

THETHIRDCHAPTER-NINO

AfterthedepartureofFatima,thesnake-charmer,JohnDolittlelikedthelifeofthecircusagooddealbetter.Ithadmostlybeenthethoughtthathewasnotdoinganythingtohelptheanimalsthathadmadehimsooftenspeakagainstit.ButnowthathehadsentSophiebacktoherhusband;freedthesnakesfromalifeofslaveryandchloroform,andforbiddenthesellingofquackmedicines,hebegantofeelthathispresenceherewasdoinggood.

And then Blossom, ever since the medical lecture riot, had shown him agreatdealmore respect.The ringmasterhadalwaysknown thathehadagoodthing in thepushmi-pullyu.And if it hadnotbeen forhisblind rageonbeingturnedoutof the townby theMayor,and forFatima’seternalnaggingagainsttheDoctor,hewouldneverhavedreamedoftryingtogetridofhimatall.

JohnDolittle’sownpopularitywiththecircuspeoplethemselveswasintheend improvedgreatlyby the incident atStowbury. In spiteof the fact that shehadsuccessfullyturnedmanyoftheshowmenagainsttheDoctor,Fatimaherself

hadalwaysbeendislikedbyalmosteveryone.AndwhenitbecameknownthattheDoctorhadbrought aboutherdeparturehewasvery soon forgiven for thelosscausedbythecircusbeingorderedoutofthetown.

However,hisrealpowerandinfluencewiththeshowpeopledidnotproperlybeginuntilthedaythattheTalkingHorsefellsick.

ThecircushadmovedontoatowncalledBridgeton,alargemanufacturingcentre,wheregoodbusinesswasexpectedbyBlossom.Theanimalsandclownsand bareback riders and the rest hadmade their usual procession through thestreets; big bills were posted all over the place, and when the enclosure wasopened to the public great throngs of people had crowded up to the gates. Itlookedlikeoneofthebestweeksthecircushadeverknown.

“Theyhadmadetheirusualprocessionthroughthestreets”At two o’clock the show at the big tent (forwhich an extra sixpencewas

charged)wastobegin.Outsidetheentrancealargesignwassetupshowingtheprogram:“MademoiselleFirefly,theBarebackRider;thePintoBrothers,DaringTrapezeArtists;Hercules, theStrongestManonEarth;Hop, theSide-SplittingClown, andHis ComedyWonder-Dog, Swizzle; Jojo, the Dancing Elephant,”and(inlargeletters)“NINO,theWorld-FamousTalkingHorse.”

NowthisNinowasjustanordinary,cream-coloredcobwhohadbeentrainedtoanswersignalsBlossomhadboughthimfromaFrenchman;andwithhimhe

had bought the secret of his so-called talking. In his act he didn’t talk at allreally.All he didwas to stamp his hoof orwag his head a certain number oftimestogiveanswerstothequestionsBlossomaskedhiminthering.

“Howmanydothreeandfourmake,Nino?”Blossomwouldsay.ThenNinowouldstampthefloorseventimes.Andiftheanswerwasyes,hewouldnodhishead up and down, and if itwas no, hewould shake it from side to side.Ofcourse,hedidn’tknowwhatwasbeingaskedofhimatall,asamatteroffact.AndthewayheknewwhatanswerstogivewasfromthesignalsthatBlossommade tohimsecretly.WhenhewantedNino to sayyes, the ringmasterwouldscratchhisleftears;whenhewantedhimtoanswerno,hewouldfoldhisarmsandsoon.ThesecretofallthesesignalsBlossomkeptjealouslytohimself.But,ofcourse, theDoctorknewallabout thembecauseNinohadtoldhimhowthewholeperformancewascarriedon.

Now,inadvertisingthecircusBlossomalwaysputNino,theWorld-FamousTalking Horse, before all the other turns in importance. It was a popularperformanceandthechildrenlovedshoutingquestionsdowntothelittleplumpcobandseeinghimanswerwithhisfeetorhishead.

Well,onthecircus’sfirstdayinBridgeton,alittlebeforetheshowinthebigtentwas tobegin, theDoctorand theringmasterwere in theclown’sdressing-room talking. Suddenly in rushed the head stableman in a great state ofexcitement.

“Mr. Blossom,” he cried. “Nino’s sick! Layin’ in his stall with ‘is eyesclosed.Theshow’sduetobegininfifteenminutesandIcan’tdonothingwith‘im—can’tevenget‘imonhisfeet.”

WithaheartycurseBlossomrushedoutandtoreawayinthedirectionofthestables,whiletheDoctorfollowedhimontherun.

WhentheygottoNino’sstallBlossomandtheDoctorfoundthehorseinabadstate.Hisbreathingwasfastandheavy.Withdifficultyhewasmadetostanduponhis feet, but forwalking even a few stepshe seemed far too shaky andweak.

“Darntheluck!”mutteredthemanager.“Ifhecan’tperformitwillqueerthewholeweek’sshowing.We’vepostedhimasthestartturn.Thecrowdwillwanttoknowaboutitiftheydon’tseehim.”

“You’llhavetomakeaspeechandexplain,”saidtheDoctor.“Thathorsehasabadfever.Idoubtifhecanleavehisstallto-day.”

“Goodheavens,man,we’llhaveto!”criedBlossom.“We’lllikelyhavetheaudienceaskingforitsmoneybackifhedon’tappear.Wecan’thaveanymoreriotslike—”

Atthatmomentaboycameup.

“Five minutes to two, Mr. Blossom. Pierce wants to know if you are allready.”

“Hangit!”said themanager.“Ican’t take theringfor thefirst turn. ImustgetNinofixedupbeforeIcancomeon.”

“Weain’tgotnobodyelse,Sir,”saidtheboy.“Robinson‘asn’tgotbackyet.”“Lord, what a day!” groaned the manager. “Well, the show can’t open

withoutaringmaster,that’ssure.AndIcan’tleaveNinoyet.Idon’tknowwhat—”

“Excuse me, governor,” said a voice behind him. And turning, BlossomlookedintothecrossedeyesofMatthewMugg.

“Couldn’tItakeyourplace,boss?”saidtheCat’s-Meat-Man,“Iknowyourwhole line of talk by heart. I could introduce the turns—same as you—andnobodyknowthedifference.”

“Well,”saidBlossomlookinghimupanddown,“you’reaboutthescrubbiestringmasterIeversee’d.Butbeggarscan’tbechoosers.Comewithme—quick—andI’llgiveyoutheseclothes.”

Then,whiletheDoctorturnedhisattentiontoNino,BlossomandMatthewmade off on the run for the dressing rooms.There,with the aid ofTheodosia(whoputalargeswiftpleatinBlossom’sridingbreeches)andalittlerougeandafalse moustache from the clown’s make-up box, Mr. Mugg was transformedfromacat’s-meat-manintoaringmaster.Theambitionofhislifewasrealizedatlast.Andasheswaggeredintotheringandlookedupattheseaoffacesaroundhimhischestswelledwithdignity;whileTheodosia,watchinghimthroughaslitinthetent-flap,glowedwithwifelyprideandprayedthatthepleatinhisridingbreecheswouldholdtilltheshowwasover.

InthemeantimefromanexaminationofNinotheDoctorbecamecertainthattherewasnohopeofhisrecoveringintimetoperformthatday.Hewentandgotsomelargepillsfromhisblackbagandgavehimtwo.PresentlyBlossom,nowdressedinajerseyandflannelpants,joinedhim.

“Youcan’thave thishorseperform to-day,Mr.Blossom,” said theDoctor,“norforaweek,probably,atlast.”

“‘Youcan’thavethishorseperformto-day’”“Well,” said the ringmaster, throwing up his hands in despair, “we’re just

ruined—that’s all—ruined! That row up in Stowbury got into the papers, andnowifwehaveanotherfrosthere,we’redonefor.AndifNinodon’tgoon,thecrowd’sgoing toask for theirmoneyback, sureasyou’realive.He’s thestartturn.Wemightmanageifwehadanotheracttoputoninhisplace,butIhaven’tablessedthingforanextra.Anditwasashortprogram,anyhow.We’reruined.Darnit,Ineversawsucharunofrottenluck!”

PoorBlossomseemedgenuinelycrestfallen.WhiletheDoctorlookedathimthoughtfully,ahorseinthestallnexttoNino’sneighedsoftly.ItwasBeppo,theveteranwagonhorse.AsmilecameintotheDoctor’sface.

“Lookhere,Mr.Blossom,”saidhequietly,“IthinkIcanhelpyououtofthistrouble,butifIdoyou’vegottopromisemeafewthings.IknowagooddealmoreaboutanimalsthanyousupposeIdo.I’vegivenupthebestpartofmylifeto studying them.You advertised thatNino understood you and could answeranyquestionsyouputtohim.YouandIknowthat’snotso,don’twe?Thetrickwasdonebyasystemofsignals.Butittookthepublicin.NowI’mgoingtotellyouasecretofmyownwhichIdon’tboastaboutbecausenobodywouldbelievemeifIdid.Icantalktohorsesintheirownlanguageandunderstandthemwhen

theytalkbacktome.”BlossomwasstaringdownmoodilyatthefloorwhiletheDoctorspoke.But

atlastwordshegazedupatJohnDolittlefrowning.“Areyoucrazy?”hesaid,“ordidn’tIhearstraight?Talktoanimalsintheir

own language! Look ‘ere: I’ve been in the show business thirty-seven years,knockedaroundwithanimalseversinceIwasanipper.AndIknowthereain’tnosuchthingasamantalkingwithahorseinhorselanguage.Yougotacheektotellmeayarnlikethat—me,AlexanderBlossom!”

THEFOURTHCHAPTER-ANOTHERTALKINGHORSE

“Iamnottellingyouayarn,”saidtheDoctorquietly.“Iamtellingyouthetruth.ButIcanseethatyouwillnotbelievemetillIproveittoyou.”

“YoubetIwon’t,”sneeredBlossom.“Well, there are five horses in this stable, aren’t there?” asked theDoctor.

“AndnoneofthemcanseemeherewhereIstand,canthey?Nowifyouwillaskme to put some question to any one of them I will endeavor to give you hisanswer.”

“Oh,you’recrazy!”saidBlossom.“Iain’tgottimetofoolwithyou.”“Allright,”saidtheDoctor.“Myintentionwastohelp,asItoldyou.But,of

course,ifyoudon’twantmyassistance,thenthatendsthematter.”Heshruggedhisshouldersandturnedaway.Thenoiseofclappingsounded

fromthebigtent.“AskBeppo,”saidBlossom,“what’sthenumberofthestallhe’sin.”Beppo’swasthesecondfromtheend.Onhisdoorwasmarkedalarge“2”in

whitepaint.“Doyouwishtohavehimtellmetheanswerinhorselanguage?”askedthe

Doctor,“orshallIhavehimtapthenumber?”“Have him tap the partitionwith his foot, Professor,” sneeredBlossom. “I

don’tknownohorsegrammar;andIcouldn’ttell,t’otherway,whetheryouarefakingornot.”

“Verygood,” said theDoctor.And fromwherehe stood,quite invisible toBeppo,hemadesomesnuffybreathingnoises—ratherasthoughhehadacoldinhishead.ImmediatelytwotapssoundedfromstallNo.2.

Blossom’s eyebrows went up in surprise. But almost immediately heshruggedhisshoulders.

“Pshaw!”Couldeasily‘avebeenanaccident.Maybehejustfellagainstthepartition.Ask‘im—er—ask‘im‘owmanybuttonsI‘aveonmywaistcoat—theoneyourcross-eyedassistantiswearingintheringnow.”

“Allright,”saidtheDoctor.Andhemadesomemoresnufflynoises,endingwithagentlewhinny.

But this time, unintentionally, he did not include Beppo’s name in hismessage.Nowall thefivehorses in thatstableknewBlossom’swaistcoatverywell, of course. And each one thought the question was being asked of him.Suddenlyfromeverystallsixsharpragsrangout,andevenpoorNino,lyinginthestrawwitheyesclosed,stretchedoutahindlegandweaklykickedhisdoorsix times.Mr.Blossom’seyes lookedas though theyweregoing topopoutofhishead.

“Now,” said the Doctor smiling, “in case you should think that that wasaccidentaltoo,IwillaskBeppotopulldowntheragyouseetherehangingonhispartitionandtothrowitupintheair.”

Inresponsetoafewmorewordsofhorselanguagetherag,whoseendhungoverthetopofthepartition,suddenlydisappeared.TheDoctorhadnotmoved.BlossomrandownthestabletolookinsidestallNo.2.Therehefoundtheagedwagonhorse tossing the ragup in theairandcatching it—rather likea schoolgirlplayingwithahandkerchief.

“Nowdoyoubelieveme,”askedtheDoctor.“Believeyou!”criedBlossom.“Ibelieveyou’retheDevil’syoungerbrother.

Just thesame,you’re themanIwant,all right.Comeondownto thedressingroomandlet’sputsometogsonyou.”

“Justaminute,”saidtheDoctor.“Whatdoyoumeantodo?”“Dressyouup,”saidBlossom,“ofcourse.You’regoingtodoaturnforus,

ain’tyet?WhyyoucouldtakeanycabhorseandmakeaNinoofhim.Yousaidyouwasgoingtohelpme?”

“Yes,”answeredJohnDolittleslowly,“andIwill—after,asI toldyou,youhavepromisedmeafewthings.IamwillingtomakeBeppoprovideyourringwithatalkinghorseoncertaincondition.Nino’sactdoesn’tcomeontilltheendoftheshow.Wehaveahalf-hourtotalkthisoverin.”

“There’s no need,” cried Blossom, all excited. “I’ll promise you anybloomin’things.Why,ifyoucantalkanimals’languagewe’llmakeafortuneina season! Lor’ bless us! I never believed you could do it. You ought to ‘avejoinedtheshowbusinessyearsago.You’d‘avebinarichmanbynow—insteadof abroken-downcountrydoctor.Comeonover andwe’ll pickyouout someniftytogs.Can’tgooninthembaggytrousers;people‘udthinkyou’dneverbinonahorseinyourlife.”

Blossom and the Doctor left the stable and made their way across to thedressing rooms where out of some of the well-traveled trunks the ringmasterbeganpullingcostumeaftercostumeandpilingthemonthefloor.Whilsthewasgoing through the gaudy clothes the Doctor laid down the conditions underwhichhewouldgivetheperformance.

“Now,Mr.Blossom,”saidhe,“eversinceIhavebeenwithyourconcernIhavenoticedcertainthingsthatweredistastefultomyideasofhonestbusinessandthehumanitariantreatmentofanimals.SomeoftheseIhavebroughttoyourattentionandinalmostallcasesyourefusedtolistentome.”

“Why,Doctor,”saidMr.Blossom,yankingapairofredPersiantrousersoutofatrunk,“howcanyousaysuchathing?Didn’tIgetridofBrownandFatimabecauseyouobjectedto‘em?”

“‘Why,Doctor,howcanyousaysuchathing?’”“Youpartedwiththembecauseyouhadto,”saidtheDoctor,“nottooblige

me.IhavefeltveryuneasyaboutbeingpartofashowwhichIdidnotconsiderstrictly honest. It would take a long time to go into all the details. For thepresent,thebargainIamgoingtostrikewithyouisthis:Beppo,thehorseIwilluseforthetalkingact,isfartoooldtowork.Hehasbeeninservicenowthirty-fiveyears. Iwanthim,asa rewardfor thishelpwhichhewillgiveyou, tobepensioned off for the remainder of his days,made comfortable and given the

kindoflifehelikes.”“Iagree.Nowhowwouldthisdo?”Blossom held up a cavalier’s jerkin against the Doctor’s chest. “No—too

small. You ain’t very high from the ground, but you’re full-sized around themiddle,allright.”

“TheotherthingIwantyoutodo,”theDoctorwenton,asBlossomturnedbacktothetrunkforanothercostume,“istoputyourmenagerieinproperorder.Thecagesarenotcleanedoftenenough;someoftheanimalshavenotsufficientspace for theirneeds, andmanyof themneverget thekindsof food they likebest.”

“All right,Doc,we’ll do anything in reason. I’ll let you draw up a set ofrulesforthemenagerie-keeperandyoucanseethathetoestheline.‘OwwouldyouliketobeaWesterncowboy?”

“Iwouldn’t,”saidtheDoctor.“Theyareinconsideratetotheircattle.AndIdon’tapproveof thatsillybusinessofflappingahat inahorse’seyestomakehimbuck.Then,fortherest,Ishallfromtimetotimeexpectyoutomakemanyminor reforms for the animals’ comfort. I shall expect you to treat mysuggestions reasonably and cooperatewithme for theirwelfare.What do yousay?”

“Isay it’sago,Doc,”saidBlossom.“Weain’tbegunyet. Ifyoustaywithmy outfit for a year—with your gift of talking to animals—why!—I’ll makeeveryother circus look like a two-pennypeepshow.—Oh,my! ‘Ere’s the verything—acavalryuniform—Twenty-firstHuzzars.Justyoursize.Medalsandall!Suitsyourcomplexion,too.”

This timeBlossomheldabrightscarlet tunicover theDoctor’sbosomandbeamedonhimwithdelight.

“Ever seen anything so nifty!” he chuckled. “Myword! I tell yer—we’llmakethistownsitup!Couldyougetthesethingsonyourfeet?”

“Oh,Idaresay,”saidtheDoctor,takingagaudypairofmilitaryridingbootsfromtheringmasterandsittingdowntounlacehisown.Atthatmomentthedooropenedandastableboycamein.

“Joe,you’re just in time,”saidBlossom.“Runover to thestablesandgiveBeppoarubdownwiththecurrycomb.He’sgoingtodoanact.”

“Beppo!”criedtheboyincredulously.“That’swhatIsaid,block-‘ead!”shoutedBlossom.“Andputthegreen‘alter

on‘imwiththewhiterosettes—andbraid‘is tailwitharedribbon.Hopaboutit!”

As the lad disappeared the clown with Swizzle entered for a short restbetweenacts.TheDoctor,insmartregimentalbreechesandtopboots,wasnow

buttoningupthescarlettunicabouthischin.“‘Ow’smycross-eyedunderstudydoing?”askedBlossom.“Governor, he’s a wonder!” said Hop sinking into a chair. “A born

ringmaster.Youneverheard suchavoice.He’sgot agiftof thegab, all right.Readywithajokeifanybodyslips;crackingquipswiththeaudience—Itellyou,governor,you’vegottolooktoyourlaurelsifyouleavehimwiththeladiesforlong.Who’sthemilitarygentleman?Myhat,it’stheDoctor!What’shegoingtodo?”

Atthismomentanotherladranin.“Onlytenminutesbeforethelastactgoeson,Mr.Blossom,”hecried.“All right,” said Blossom. “We can do it. Here’s your sword-belt, Doctor.

How’sthecrowd,Frank?”“Great!”saidtheboy.“PleasedasPunch!Theybroughtthewholegrammar

schooldownatthelastminute.AndtheSoldier’sandSailors’Homeiscomingto-night.Peoplestandingtwodeepintheaisles.It’sthebiggestbusinesswe’veplayedtothisyear.”

THEFIFTHCHAPTER-THESTARTURNGIVESAGREATPERFORMANCE

Tremendous excitement now prevailed behind the scenes in Blossom’s“MammothCircus.”As theclown,Hop,opened thedressing roomdoor togoback into the ring, mingled cheers and hand-clapping, the noise of a bigaudience’sapplause,reachedtheearsofJohnDolittleandthemanager.

“Listen,Hop,”saidBlossom,“passthewordtoMuggasyougobackinthatNinoisgoingtoplayanyway—insubstitute—andtheDochereisdoingthepartofthetrainer.Muggcangive‘emtheintroductionpatterjustthesame.Tell‘imtolayitonthick.It’sgoingtobethegreatestlittleturnweevershowed—betterthanNinoathisbest.”

“‘Listen,Hop!’”“Allright,governor,”saidtheclowngrinningthroughhispaint.“ButIwish

youhadpickedabetter-lookinghorse.”At the last moment one of the Doctor’s shoulder straps was found to be

loose.Onlytwominutesnowremainedbeforehisactwasdue.SomeoneflewoffandfoundTheodosiaandwithfrantichastesheputitrightwithaneedleandthread.Then,completeinhisgayandwonderfuluniform,theDoctorranoutofthedressingroomtojoinhispartner,Beppo,whosebridlewasbeingheldattheentrancetothebigtentbytheboy,Frank.

PoorBeppodidnotlooknearlyassmartastheDoctor.Yearsofneglectandhaphazardgroomingcouldnotberemediedbyonecurrycombing.Hiscoatwaslonganddingy-looking,hismane stragglyandunkempt. In spiteof the smart,greenandwhiteheadstallandtheredribboninhisplaitedtail,helookedwhathewas:anold,oldservantwhohaddonehisworkfaithfullyformany,manyyearsandgotlittlecreditorthanksforit.

“Oh, I say,Beppo!” theDoctormurmured in his ear as he took the bridlefromFrank.“Anyonewouldthinkyouweregoingtoafuneral.Braceup!Drawyourheadback,high.That’sit.Nowblowoutyournostrils.—Ah,muchbetter!”

“Youknow,Doctor,”saidBeppo,“youmightn’tbelieve it,but Icomeofaverygoodfamily.Mymotherusedtotraceherpedigreewaybacktothebattle-chargerthatJuliusCaesar*used—theonehealwaysrodewhenhereviewedthe

PraetorianGuard.Mymotherwasveryproudofit.Shetookfirstprizes,shedid.But when the heavy battle chargers went out of fashion all the big militaryhorsesgotputtodraftwork.That’showwecamedownintheworld.Oughtn’twetorehearsethisactabitfirst?I’venoideaofwhatI’mexpectedtodo.”

“No,wehaven’ttimenow,”saidJohnDolittle.“Weareliabletobecalledonanyminute. But we’ll manage. Just do everything I tell you—and put in anextras you think of yourself. Look out, you’re drooping your head again.Remember your Roman ancestor. Chin up— that’s the way. Arch your neck.Makeyoureyesflash.Lookasthoughyouwerecarryinganemperorwhoownedtheearth.—Fine!That’sthestyle!Nowyoulookgreat.”

Withinthebigcanvastheatre,Mr.MatthewMugg,ringmasterforaday,wasstill covering himselfwith glory, bossing “TheGreatest Show onEarth”withcreditable skill and introducing theperformerswithmuchoratory andunusualgrammar.Hewashavingthetimeofhislifeandmakingthemostofit.

InbetweentheturnsofthePintoBrothersandtheStrongMan,hesawHopreturn into the ring and recommence his arms which always so delighted thechildren. As the crown did a somersault past the ringmaster’s nose,Matthewheardhimwhisper:

“The boss is putting on another talking horsewith theDoctor playing thetrainer.HewantsyoutointroducehimthesameasNino.”

“Rightyouare,”Matthewwhisperedback.“I’vegottheidea.”AndwhenJojo,thedancingelephant,hadbowedhimselfoutamidstastorm

ofapplause,theringmastersteppedtotheentranceflapandhimselfledforwardthenext,thestar,turn.

For a moment old Beppo, accompanied by a short stout man in cavalryuniform,seemedalittlescaredtofindaseaoffacesstaringdownathim.

Motioning to the strange-looking performers to remain by the edge of thering amoment,Matthew advanced into the center.With a lordlywave of thehandhesilencedthewheezybandwhowerestillfinishingJojo’slastdance.Andinthequietthatfollowedhelookedupattheaudienceandfilledhislungsforhislastandmostimpressivespeech.

“Ladiesandgentleman,”roaredRingmasterMugg,“we‘avenowharrivedatthelastandmosthimportantactinourlongandhelegantprogram.You‘aveall‘eard.I’msure,ofNino—Nino,theworld-famousTalkingHorse,andhisgallantowner,thedashingCossackcavalryofficer,CaptainNicholasPufftupski.Theretheyare,ladiesandgentlemen;youseethembeforeyouintheflesh.Kingsandqueenshavetraveledmilestowitnesstheiract.Onlytwomonthsago,whenweareplayinginMonteCarlo,we‘adtoturnawaythePrimeMinisterofEnglandbecausewe‘adn’tgotaseatfor‘iminthe‘ouse.

“Nino,ladiesandgentlemen,isveryold.Hecameoriginallyfromthebacksteps of Siberia. His present owner, Major Pufftupski, bought ‘im from thewandering Tartar tribes. Since then ‘e ‘as been through fifteen wars—whichaccountsforhiswore-outappearance.Thisistheself-same‘orsewhatColonelPufftupski rode when, single ‘anded ‘e drove Napoleon out of Moscow andsavedRussiafromfallin’underthehiron‘eelofBonaparte.Andthecentreoneofthemthreemedalsyousee‘angingontheBrigadier’schestistheonetheCzargave‘imasarewardfor‘isbravehact.”

“Oh,stophisnonsense,Matthew,”whisperedtheDoctorcominguptohim,dreadfullyembarrassed.“There’snoneedto—”

Buttheeloquentringmasterhurriedonwiththunderousvoice:“Somuch, ladies andgentlemen, for themilitary careerof this remarkable

‘orseand‘isbraveowner.GeneralPufftupskiisamodestmanandheforbidsmetotellyouabout‘isothermedalswhatwasgiven‘imbytheKingofSwedenandtheEmpressofChina.Inowpassonto thehextraordinaryhintelligenceof theanimal you see before you. On ‘is way back from chasing Napoleon out ofRussia, Count Pufftupski was took prisoner—and ‘is ‘orse, the famous Nino,with‘im.Duringtheirhimprisonmenttheybecameveryhintimate.SomuchsothatattheendofthetwoyearswhiletheywascaptivesoftheFrench,Ninoand‘isownercouldtalktooneanotherfreely—thesameasyouandImightdo.Ifyoudon’tbelievewhatIsayyoucanproveitforyourselves.Allyou‘avetodoistoaskanyquestionofNinothroughhisowneranditwillbeanswered—ifit‘as an answer. The FieldMarshal talks all languages except Japanese. If anyJapaneseladiesorgentlemenintheaudiencewantstoaskquestionsthey’ll‘aveto turn ‘em into some other language first. Marshal Pufftupski will open ‘isperformancewiththismarvelous‘orsewithafewtricksjusttoshowyouwhattheycando.Ladiesandgentlemen, I ‘avegreatpleasure in introducing toyouthe Archduke Nicholas Pufftupski, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian army,and‘isbattlecharger,theoneandonly,world-famousNINO.”

“‘TheCommander-in-ChiefoftheRussianarmy’”As the band played a few opening chords the Doctor and Beppo stepped

forward to the centre of the ring and bowed.A tremendous burst of applausecamefromthepeople.

Itwasastrangeperformance,theonlyoneofitskindevergiventoacircusaudience.TheDoctor,whenheenteredthering,hadnodefiniteideaofwhathewas going to do—neither had Beppo. But the old, old veteran knew that theperformancewasgoingtowinhimcomfortandfreedomfromworkfortherestofhisdays.Everyoneinawhileduringthecourseoftheacthewouldforgethisnobleancestryandslumpback intohisusualweary,worn-outappearance.Butonthewhole,asHopsaidafterward,hemadeamuchbetter-lookingshowhorsethananyonehadexpected;andsofarastheaudiencewasconcerned,hissuccesssurpassedanythingBlossomhadeverexhibited.

AfterdoingafewtricksColonelPufftupskiturnedtothepeopleandoffered(in remarkably good English) to make the horse do anything they asked.Immediatelyalittleboyinfrontrowcriedout:

“Tellhimtocomeoverhereandtakemyhatoff.”TheDoctormadeasignortwoandBeppowentstraighttotheboy,liftedthe

cap from his head and put it into his hand. Then numberless questions wereshoutedby theaudience,and toeveryoneBeppogaveananswer—sometimes

bytappingthefloor,sometimesbyshakinghishead,andsometimesbywordofmouthwhichtheDoctortranslated.ThepeopleenjoyeditsomuchthatBlossom,watchingthroughaslitoutside,thoughtthey’dneverbedone.Andwhenatlastthe gallant Pufftupski led his horse out of the ring the audience clapped andcheered and called to him again and again to come back and receive theirapplause.

The news of the wonderful success of the circus’s first performance inBridgeton,mostlybroughtaboutbythemarvelousTalkingHorse,quicklyspreadthroughthetown.Andlongbeforetheeveningshowwasduepeoplewerelinedupoutsidethebigtent,fourdeep,waitingpatientlytomakesureofseats;whilethe rest of the enclosure and all the side showswere packed and thronged sotightthatyoucouldhardlymovethroughthecrowds.

THESIXTHCHAPTER-BEPPOTHEGREAT

Themoney,overthespendingofwhichpoorDab-Dabhadsoworried,wassoon replaced in the Dolittle savings box. The addition of six snakes to theDoctor’shouseholdwasnotanexpensiveoneinupkeep—eventhoughthegoodhousekeepercontinuedtopleadandarguewithJohnDolittlefortheoustingofwhatshecalledthemessy,squirmycreatures.ButduringthedaysatBridgetonthethrongsthatcrowdedintotheenclosureleftsomanysixpencesattheboothof the “Two-headed animal from the jungles of Africa” that soon Too-TooprophesiedtherecordtakingsoftheAshbyweekwouldbeeasilybeaten.

“Iestimate,Doctor,”saidhe,puttinghismathematicalheadononesideandclosinghislefteye,“thatinsixdaysweshouldeasilymakesixteenpounds—andthat’snotallowingforanyextrabusinessonthemarketdayorSaturday.”

“Andmostof thatyoucanputdownto theDoctor’sactwithBeppo,”saidJip.“Ifitwasn’tforthatturn,andthetalkithasmade,thecrowdswouldn’tbehalfsobig.”

Findingwhat a success JohnDolittle’s performancewasmaking,BlossomcametohimafterthefirstshowingandbeggedhimtokeepitupforthewholeoftheweekthatthecircusstayedatBridgeton.

“Well, but look here,” said John Dolittle, “I’ve promised Beppo that hewouldbepensionedoffforobligingyouinyouremergency.Idon’tknowhowsoonNinowillbeabletoworkagain;butIdidnotsayanythingtoBeppoaboutactingallweek.Isupposedyouwouldputsomethingelseinourplaceassoonasyouhadtimetolookaround.”

“GoodLord,Doctor!” saidBlossom. “I couldn’t find anything to take theplaceofyouractifIlookedaroundforayear.There’sneverbeenanythinglikeitsincethecircuswasinvented.Thenewsofithasgonealloverthetown—anda good ways outside of it, too. They say folks are coming all the way fromWhittlethorpetoseeyourturn.Listen,can’tyouaskBeppotoobligeus?Itain’theavywork for ‘im. Tell ‘imwe’ll give ‘im anything ‘e likes—asparagus forbreakfastandafeatherbedtosleepin—if‘eonlysaystheword.Myoutfit,withthesideshowsandall,istakinginprettynearfiftypoundsadaynow.Neversawsuchbusiness! If thiskeepsupweshan’t ‘ave tostay in thegame longbeforewe’realloneasystreet.”

There was something of contempt in the Doctor’s face as he looked atBlossomandpausedamomentbeforeanswering.

“Oh,yes,”hesaidrathersadly,“you’rewillingenoughtotreatyourpooroldservantwellnow,aren’tyou?—nowheisbringingyouinmoney.Foryearsandyearshehasworkedforyouandneverevengothiscoatbrushedinreturn—justenoughhayandoatstokeephimgoing.Nowyou’llgiveanythingintheworld.Money!Bah!It’sacurse.”

“Well,” saidBlossom, “I’mhelping tomakeup for it now, ain’t I? It ain’t‘eavy work, answering questions and doin’ tricks. You go and talk to ‘im,Doctor.Lordblessme!Don’titsoundqueer?—measkingyoutogoandtalkto‘im—and twenty-four hours ago I didn’t know there everwas such a thing astalkingto‘orses!”

“Exceptwithawhip,”saidJohnDolittle.“IwishIcouldputyouinhisplaceandmakeyouworkthirty-fiveyearsforBeppoinreturnforhayandwaterandalot of beating and neglect. All right, I’ll put your request before him and seewhathesays.Butremember,hisdecisionistobefinal.IfherefusestogiveonesingleperformancemoreIshallholdyoutoyourpromise—acomfortablehomeforhimandagoodpasturetograzeinfortherestofhislife.AndIalmosthopehe’llsayno.”

TheDoctor turned on his heel and leaving the ringmaster’swagon set offtowardthestables.

“Poor old Beppo!” he murmured. “His ancestor carried Julius Caesar inmilitary reviews—heard the legions cheer the conqueror of theworldwho satastridehisback!PooroldBeppo!”

When he entered the stables he found the wagon horse gazing out of thewindowofhisstallatthepleasantfieldsthatlaybeyondthecircusenclosure.

“Isthatyou,JohnDolittle?”saidhe,astheDoctoropenedthedoor.“Haveyoucometotakemeaway?”

“Beppo,”saidJohnDolittle,puttinghishandontheveteran’sgauntandbony

back,“itseemsyouarenowagreatman—Imeanagreathorse.”“How’sthat,Doctor?Idon’tunderstand.”“You’vebecomefamous,Beppo.This isafunnyworld.Andwehumans,I

oftenthink,arethefunniestanimalsinit.Mr.Blossomhasjustfoundoutafteryouhavebeen inhisservice for thirty-fiveyears,howvaluableand intelligentyouare.”

“Inwhatwayvaluable?”“Becauseyoutalk,Beppo.”“ButI’vealwaystalked.”“Yes,Iknow.ButMr.Blossomandtheworlddidn’tknowuntilIproveditto

theminthecircusring.Youhavemadeagreatsensation,Beppo,justontheeveof your retirement. Now, they don’t want you to retire. They want you tocontinuebeingwonderful—justtalking,thewayyou’vealwaysdone.”

“Itsoundscrazy,doesn’tit,Doctor?”“Perfectly.But you have suddenly become so valuable toBlossom that he

willgiveyouasparagusforbreakfast,avalettobrushyourcoatandanothertocurlyourmaneifyou’llonlystayandactforhimfortherestoftheweek.”

“Humph!That’swhat itmeans tobe famous,does it? I’dsoonerbe turnedoutintoanicebigfield.”

“Well, Beppo, you are to suit yourself—at last, after thirty-five years ofsuitingotherpeople.I’vetoldBlossomI’mgoingtoholdhimtohisbargain.Ifyoudon’twanttodoit,sayso.Youshallretireto-dayifyouwish.”

“Whatwouldyouadvisemetodo,Doctor?”“There is this about it,” said JohnDolittle, “if you giveBlossomwhat he

wantsnow,wemaybeable togetyouwhatyouwant— that is,moreexactlywhat youwant—later.You see, he has no farm of his own to put you on; hewould have to get a farmer to graze you and take care of you for him. Andbesides,hewillprobablybebetterdisposed towardmeandsomeplans Ihavefortheotheranimals.”

“Allright,Doctor,”saidBeppo.“Thenthatsettlesit.I’lldoit.”TherewasnohappiermanintheworldthanAlexanderBlossomwhenJohn

DolittlecameandtoldhimthatBeppohadconsentedtoactalltheweek.Heatoncegothandbillsprintedandhadthemsenttotheneighboringtownsandgivenawayinthestreets.ThesetoldthepublicthattheWorld-FamousTalkingHorsewastobeseenatBridgetonforonlyfourremainingdays,andthatthosewhodidnotmiss thechanceof a lifetimehadbetterhurryupandcome to“Blossom’sMammothCircus.”

“Hehadhandbillsgivenawayinthestreets”The Doctor was caused considerable embarrassment during the special

parades through the streetswhichwere arranged forBeppobyhavinghimselfpointedout as theArchdukePufftupski, the famoushorse’sowner and trainer.For thisabsurdtitle,whichMatthewhadbestowedontheDoctor, themanagerinsistedonhisstickingto.

Tuesday,WednesdayandThursdayof thatweekwereeachrecord-breakersforBlossom’sboxoffice.Forthefirsttimeinhislifetheringmasterhadtoturnpeopleawayfromthegatesofhiscircus.Thecrowdingoftheenclosurereachedapointwherehewasafraidtoletanymorein.ThepoliceofBridgetonhadtolendhimnearlytheirwholeforcetokeepthethrongsinorderandtoseethatnoaccidentshappenedinthecrush.

Nothing succeeds like success. Itwas only necessary to have the news gothroughthetownthatpeoplewerebeingturnedaway,tomaketwicethenumberclamorforadmission.“BridgetonWeek”cametobespokenofamongtheshowfolk for a long time afterward as the outstanding period in the circus’swholecareer.

THESEVENTHCHAPTER-THEPERFECTPASTURE

InthemeantimeJohnDolittlewasmakingBlossomfulfilltheotherpartsofhis bargain. It was not long after the circus had opened at Bridgeton that theelephantsentJipfortheDoctorbecausehewassufferingfromanacuteattackofrheumatism—broughtonbylivinginanexceedinglydampanddirtystable.

The poor creature was in considerable pain. The Doctor, after examining,prescribed massage. Blossom was sent for and ordered to buy a barrel of aspecialcostlykindofbalm.Afewweeksbefore,ofcourse,theringmasterwouldhaveflatlyrefusedtogotosuchanexpenseforhisanimal’scomfort.Butnow,withJohnDolittlebringinghim in thebiggestbusiness thathisshowhadeverseen,hewasreadytodoalmostanythingtopleasehim.ThebalmwassentforrightawayandthentheDoctordemandedsixstrongmentohelphim.

Massaging an elephant is no light work. A large audience gathered in themenagerie to watch the six men and the Doctor crawling over the elephant’sbody,rubbingandpummellingtheointmentintohishidetillthesweatranfromtheirforeheads.

“Massagingtheelephant”

Then the Doctor ordered a new stable built for the big creature, with aspecialkindofwoodenfloorwithdrainageunderitandalotofotherup-to-datefeatures.And,althoughthisworkwasalsoexpensive,carpenterswerebroughtinanditwascompletedinthreehours.Theresultwasthattheelephantgotwellinaveryshorttime.

TheDoctoralsodrewuprulesforthemenagerie-keeperwhichimprovedthecondition of all the other animals. And in spite of the fact that the keepergrumbledagooddealabout“runningazoolikeabeautyparlor,”Blossommadehim understand that hewould be discharged immediately if theDoctor’s newregulationswerenotstrictlyobeyed.

PoorNinowasstillprettysick.Hewasgettingbetter,buthisrecoverywasdreadfullyslow.TheDoctorvisitedhimtwiceaday.ButBlossomnowrealizedthat thecob’sact,whichhadalwaysbeendoneunderhisownguidance,couldnever take the place of the far finer performance of Beppo and the Doctor.Beppo,hisageandappearancenotwithstanding,wasamuchclevererhorsethanNino.

Well,theweekworeontowarditsend.JohnDolittlehadmadearrangementswithBlossomthatafterthelastperformanceonSaturdayheandBeppoweretoleaveandgoawaytoacertainfarmerwhohadagreedtokeeptheoldhorseingood grazing for the remainder of his days. He was to have all the oats hewantedandwhiteradishes(adelicacythatBeppowasparticularlyfondof)twiceaweek.TheDoctorandBeppoweregoingtoinspectthisfarm,andiftheydidn’tlikeit,anotheronetotheirsatisfactionwastobefound.

Thelastperformancewasover;thebigtentwasbeingpulleddownandtheDoctor andBeppowere all ready for their departure. The old horse’s luggageconsisted of a blanket (a new one that Doctor had made Blossom buy as afarewellpresent)whichhewore.TheDoctor’sluggagewashislittleblackbagandasmallbundle,whichwasalsocarriedonBeppo’sback.JohnDolittlewasstandingat thegate,hishandonBeppo’sbridlewaitingforMatthew,whohadrunbacktothewagontogetsomesandwicheswhichDab-Dabwaspreparing.

Presentlyhe sawBlossomhurryingacross theenclosure in agreat stateofexcitement.Alittlewaybehindwalkedashort,verysmartly-dressedman.

“Listen,Doc,”panted the ringmastercomingup,“I’ve justhad thebiggestoffer I ever got in my life. That toff coming along is the proprietor of theManchesterAmphitheatre.Hewantsmyoutfittoshowinhistheatre—oneofthebiggest in thecountry—weekafternext.And‘eespeciallywantsBeppo.Whatdoyouthinkheguaranteesus?Ahundredpoundsaday!Andmaybemoreif—”

“No!” theDoctor interrupted firmly,holdinguphishand. “Beppomaynothavemanymoreyearstolive,butwhathehashe’sgoingtospendincomfort.

Tell that toyourmanager.Bepporetires—to-day—fromthecircusbusinessforgood.”

And without waiting for his sandwiches, he led the old horse out of theenclosureandhurrieddowntheroad.

BeppoandJohnDolittlehadnotgoneveryfarbeforetheywereovertakenbyToo-Too.

“Doctor,”saidtheowl,“Icameafteryoutoletyouknowaboutthemoney.”“Too-Too,” John Dolittle replied, “at the present moment the subject of

moneyismorethanusuallydistastefultome.BeppoandIaretryingtogetawayfromtheverysmellofit.”

“Butjustthinkwhatyoucandowithmoney,Doctor,”saidToo-Too.“Yes,that’sthetroublewiththebeastlystuff.It’sthepowerofitthatmakesit

suchacurse.”“Dab-Dab askedme,” Too-Toowent on, “to come and let you know how

muchthepushmi-pullyuhadmadethisweekatBridgeton,becauseshethoughtperhapsyoumightthinkofretiringtoPuddlebywhenyouheard.Ionlyjustgotitfiguredout—deductingBlossom’sshareandthebillsweowethetradespeople.Itwasabigpieceofarithmetic,Icantellyou.Myestimatewaswayoff.Insteadofsixteenpounds,wemadetwenty-sixpounds,thirteenshillingsandtenpence,clearprofit.”

“Humph,”murmuredtheDoctor.“It’salargeamount,butnotenoughforustoretireon,Too-Too.Stillitwouldgoquitealongwaytowardit.TellDab-DabtokeepitsafelyformeandwewilltalkoverthematterwhenIgetback.Iamreturning to-morrow, you know. Good-by—and thank you very much forbringingmethenews.”

Now, theDoctorhad inhispocket theaddressof thefarmer towhomtheyweregoing.Imaginehissurpriseonreadinghisdestinationtofindthatitwasthesamefarmastheonewherehisoldfriend,theplowhorse,lived!

Therewereheartygreetings, agooddealof astonishment andmuch joyatthe meeting. The old plow horse, beaming through his green spectacles, wasintroduced to Beppo and Beppo was introduced to him. It was curious thatalthoughtheDoctorhadknowntheplowhorseforsolonghehadneverheardhisname.Anditwasonlyonintroducingthetwooldhorsestooneanotherthathelearneditforthefirsttime.ItwasToggle.

“TheoldplowhorsewasintroducedtoBeppo”“Youknow,”saidtheplowhorse,“Iamtremendouslygladtoseeyouboth,

butIamalittlesorry,forBeppo’ssake,thatitwastothisfarmthatBlossomsenthim. The farmer himself is a very decent follow, but this pasture I have hereleavesagooddealtobedesired.”

“Butwedon’thavetostayhere,”saidtheDoctor.“ItoldBlossomthatifitdidnotmeetwithBlossom’sapprovalhemustfindanother.Inwhatwayisthisplaceunsuitable?Isthegrassbad?”

“No,” saidToggle, “thegrass is all right—a little rank inAugust if there’smuch rain,but it’s sweetenoughmostof theyear.But themeadowslopes thewrongway.Yousee,thishillsideisfacingnortheast.It’sonlyinmidsummerthatyougetanysun.Itstaysbehindthehilltherestoftheyear.Thentheprevailingwind is a cold northeaster that blows across the meadow, and there’s littleprotection from it—excepts along that hedge over there and one soon eats upthatbitofgrass.”

“Well,tellme,”saidtheDoctor,turningtoBeppo,“what,foryou,wouldbetheideal,themostattractiveplaceforanoldhorses’home?”

“The place I’ve always dreamed of,” said Beppo, gazing across thelandscapewithawistfullookinhisoldeyes,“islikethis—partofitisslopingandpartof it is flat.Slopesaresuchanicechange: thegrass isnearer toyour

nose,andtheflatsarerestfultogetbacktoaftertheslopes.Thenithastrees,bigspreadingtreeswithfattrunks—thekindhorseslovetostandunderandthink—afteraheartymeal.Ithasacopsewhereherbsandwildrootsgrow,thesortswelovetonibbleforachange—especiallythewildmint,whichissoothingtothestomachwhen you’ve eaten toomuch. It has goodwater—not amuddy, littlepond, but a decent brookwhere thewater is always sparkling and clear. In ahollow it has a nice old shelter with a dry floor and a mossy, tiled roof thatdoesn’t let the rain in.Thepasturevaries: someplaces are firm, croppy* turf;others are deep, luscious, long hay-grass with buttercups and fragrant wildflowersmixedinit.Atthetopofthehillypartyoucangetaviewofthesunsetstothewestwardandthesouth.Andonthesummitthereisagoodfirmposttoscratchyourneckon.IlovetowatchthesungodownasIscratchmyneckofanevening.Thewholeplace isprotectedwithgoodfencesfromsnappydogsandworrisomepeople.Itisquiet.Itispeaceful.Andthat,JohnDolittle,istheplacewhereIwouldspendmyoldage.”

“Humph!”murmuredtheDoctorwhenBeppohadended.“Yourdescriptionsoundsdelightful—almost like theplacewhere I’dwish to spendmyownoldage—thought I suppose I’dwanta littlemore furniture thana scratchingpost.Toggle,doyouknowofapasturesuchasthisthatBeppospeaksof?”

“Ido,indeed,Doctor,”saidToggle.“ComewithmeandI’llshowyou.”Thentheplowhorseledthemoverthebrowofthehillanddowntheother

sideaway.Here,facingthesunnysouthward,theylookedoverafarmgateintotheloveliestmeadowyoueversaw.ItwasalmostasifsomefairyhadmadeoldBeppo’swishcometrue,foritwastheretreathehaddescribedineverydetail:therewas the clumpof great elm trees; therewas the copse and the sparklingbrook;therewasthesnugshelterinthehollow;andonthesummitoftheslope,against theredglowof thesettingsun,stood thepost forBeppotoscratchhisneckon.

“This is it, Doctor,” said Beppo quietly. “This is the spot—just as I hadalwaysplannedit.Nohorsecouldaskforanybetterplacetopasshisoldage.”

“It’swonderful,”saidtheDoctor,himselfentirelycaptivatedbythebeautyofthescene.“Ithascharacterthatmeadow.Doesthislandbelongtoyourfarmer,Toggle?”

“No,”saidtheplowhorse.“I’veoftentriedtobreakinhereandgraze.AndIdidget through thehedge,onceor twice,but theowneralwayschasedmeoutagain.Itbelongstoafarmerwholivesinthelittlehousedowntherewiththeredroof.”

“I see,” said theDoctor. “Iwonder howmuch a piece of ground like thatwouldcost.”

“Notverymuch, I shouldn’t think,” saidToggle. “Although it is large, thefarmerhasneverraisedanythingbuthayonit.”

“But,Doctor,” saidBeppo, “why buy it? I thought you saidBlossomwasgoingtopayformypensioningoff.”

“Yes,” said theDoctor. “Buthehasonlyagreed topay foryourboardandlodging. I’vealwayshadan idea I’d like to start aHome forRetiredCabandWagonHorses.AndthisplaceissuchanidealoneforagedhorsesthatIthought,ifIcould,I’dbuyit.Thenwewouldform‘TheRetiredCabandWagonHorses’Association’andyoucouldkeeptheplaceforyourownforgood.”

“Whatamarvelousidea!”criedbothhorsestogether.“Buthaveyougotenoughmoney,Doctor?”askedBeppo.“Jipoftentoldme

thatyouwereaspoorasachurchmouse.”“Thatisso—moreorless,”theDoctoragreed.“Moneywithmehasalways

beenamostuncertainthing.But,asyouheardToo-Toocomeandtellmeshortlyafterwehadleftthecircus,Iamnowsometwenty-sixpoundstothegood.Ioweasailoralotofmoneyforaboat,buthisneedisnotsourgentasyourown—Isentabirdtofindout,soIknow.Icanmakesomemoremoneylaterontopayhimwith.Ofcourse,twenty-sixpoundsisnotenoughtobuyapieceoflandthatbig,outright.Butperhapsthefarmerwillletmepaysomuchdownandtherestby installments everyyear. Ifhewill, it becomeyours right awayandnobodycantakeitawayfromyou—unlessIfail inmypayments.Now,youtwowaithereandI’llgoandseehimaboutit.”

Leavingthetwohorsesbythegate,theDoctorsetoffacrosscountryforthelittlered-roofedhousethatTogglehadpointedout.

“Theylookedoverawidefarmgate”

THEEIGHTHCHAPTER-THERETIREDCABANDWAGONHORSES’ASSOCIATION

Now,thefarmerwhoownedthelandwhichtheDoctorwishedtobuywas,atthemomentwhenJohnDolittleknockeduponhisdoor,sittingathisparlortabletalkingtoToggle’sfarmer.Hewassorelyinneedoftwentypoundstobuyseedpotatoeswith.ButToggle’sfarmer,withmanyapologies,hadbeencompelledtorefusehimbecausehehimselfwasveryshortofmoneyatthistime.ItwasthisconversationwhichtheDoctor’scallinterrupted.

“JohnDolittleknockeduponhisdoor”ThefarmerwasveryhospitableandinvitedJohnDolittletocomeinandsit

downatthetablewithhisotherguest.Mugsoffragrantciderwerebroughtinbythehost’swife.ThentheDoctordescribedthepieceofgroundwhichTogglehadshown him and asked if it was for sale. And as it was onewhich the farmerseldomusedheimmediatelysaidyes,itwas.Forhowmuch,theDoctorasked.Foronehundredandtwentypounds,thefarmertoldhim.

“Well,”saidtheDoctor.“Ionlyhavetwenty-sixpoundsatpresent.SupposeIgaveyouthatdownandpromised topay therest in twenty-poundinstallmentseverysixmonths:wouldyouletmehaveit?”

Thefarmer,seeingachanceofgettinghisseedpotatoes,wasgoingtoagreeatonce,buttheother,Toggle’sfarmer,brokeintotheconversation.

“What be you going to use the land for, stranger?” he asked. “You ain’tthinkin’ofputtin’upnogluefactory,Ihope.”

“Oh,no,”saidtheDoctor.“Iwanttomakeitintoarestfarmforoldhorses—justagrazingground.Practicallynothingwillbealtered.”

Thetwofarmersthoughtthestrangermustbecrazy.But,asheandtheplanheproposedseemedharmlessenough,theyreadilygavein.

“Bytheway,”saidtheDoctor,stillspeakingtoToggle’sowner,“youhaveafriendofmineatyourfarm,aplowhorse;hewearsspectacleswhichIgavehimyearsagowhenhelivedinPuddleby.”

“Oh, aye,” said the farmer. “I know ‘un—Toggle. A queer beast, that. ‘Ewouldn’tbepartedfromthemspecsforanything.Whatabout‘im?”

“Heis tooold towork, isn’the?”said theDoctor.“Youlethimgrazenowmostofthetime,Iunderstand.HewishestousethissamepasturewiththehorseIhavebroughtto-day.Willyoulethim?”

“ThatIwill,”saidthefarmer.“Buthowcomeyoutoknowallthisaboutmycattle?”

“Oh,well,”saidtheDoctor,lookingsortofembarrassed,“Ihavewaysofmyownknowingwhathorseswant.I’manaturalist.”

“Soundslikeyouwasanunnaturalisttome,”saidthefarmer,winkingathisneighbor.

Aftera littlediscussiononhow the firstmoneywouldbesent, thebargainwas closed and the Doctor was told that now, so long as his part of thearrangementwasfulfilled,thelandbelongedtohim.

“Not tome,” he said as he rose and bade the farmers farewell. “The landbelongstotheAssociation.Iamturningitovertothehorsesthemselves.”

Havinginquiredofhishostwherehecouldfindacarpenter,theDoctorleft.Andwhen, a half hour later, the two farmerswalked across the field togetherthey saw the strange naturalist and the carpenter busily putting up a largesignboardinthemiddleofthepasture.Onitwaswritteninbigletters:

RESTFARM

THISLANDISTHEPROPERTYOFTHERETIRED

CABANDWAGONHORSES'ASSOCIATION.

TRESPASSERSANDVICIOUSDOGS

WILLBEKICKED.

BYORDER,

(Signed,onbehalfoftheCommittee.)

BEPPO,President.

TOGGLE,Vice-President.

NOTE--MEMBERSHIPFREE

FORADMISSIONAPPLYATTHEGATE

Well, after seeing the first two members of “The Association” enter intopossessionoftheirnewquarters,JohnDolittlebadeBeppoandTogglefarewellandsetoffonhisreturnjourney.

Ashepasseddowntheroadhelookedbackmanytimestowatchthetwooldveteransprancingaroundtheirbeautifulnewhome.Thesightwarmedhisheartandhesmiledashehurriedon.

“I’mnotsure,”hemurmuredtohimself,“butIthinkthatisalmostthebestjobIeverdid.Poorcreatures!Theyarehappyatlast,growingyoungagainafter

alifeofhardwork.Imustestablishsomemoreinstitutionslikethat.I’veoneortwoinmind.TheRatandMouseClub,forinstance.I’dliketoseethatstarted.Ofcourse,IshallgetinafrightfulrowoverthisfromDab-Dabwhenshefindsout that I’ve spent all themoney again.Oh,well, it’sworth it. I’ll send someLondon cab horses down to join them as soon as I get to the city again.Humph!”—(theDoctorpausedandlookedback)—“Theretheyare—atitstill—Beppo rolling down the hill and Toggle splashing through the brook.—Greatheavens!Iforgotallabouttheradishes.Whydidn’tBepporemindme?”

Hehurriedback.Onthewayhemetaladplayingintheroad.Questioninghim,hefoundhewasthesonofafarmerwhohadsoldtheland.

“Wouldyouliketoearnashillingaweek?”askedtheDoctor.

“‘Wouldyouliketoearnashillingaweek?’”“I’dliketoearnashillingamonth,”saidtheboy.“Iwanttosaveupandbuy

someskatesfornextwinter.I’veonlygotninepencesofar.”“Doyouknowhowtogrowradishes?”“Yes,” answered the boy. “That’s easy. They’re about the only thing I can

grow.”“Very good,” said John Dolittle. “Now, you see that meadow where the

horsesare—andtheshelteratthebottom?Well,I’vejustboughtthatlandfrom

yourfather.It’stobeahomeforhorses.Ifyou’llplantmearadishbedbehindtheshelter,thewhitekind,youknow,I’llpayyouashillingaweekforkeepingitinorder.Areyouwilling?”

“IshouldsayIam,Sir!”criedtheboy.“Allright.Here’syourfirstshilling—andhere’sapennytobuyapacketof

seedwith. I appoint you head gardener to the Rest Farm.You’re now on thepayrolloftheRetiredCabandWagonHorses’Association.Maketheradishbedfairly big, because Imay be sending down somemore horses later.When theradishes are ripe, you make them up into bunches and hand them out to themembers twice aweek.Anddon’t forget to plant new seed every sooften, tokeepupthesupply.Understand?”

“Yes,sir.”“Now give me your Christian name,” said the Doctor, “and I’ll send you

yourwageseveryweek.Andifyoushouldhavetoleaveyourjob—togoawayoranything—getyourfathertowritemealetter.Heknowshowtoreachme.”

The boy, pleased as Punchwith his good luck, gave theDoctor his name,tookhismoneyandranofftogetaspadeandforkandstarthisnewwork.

“Well, so that’s that,” the Doctor murmured as he hurried on towardBridgeton.“Now,ImusttrytothinkoutawaytobreakthenewsgentlytoDab-Dabthatourmoney-boxisemptiedagain.”

TheRestFarmwhich theDoctorestablished thatdaycontinued to flourishand grow for many years. And another worry was added to the many whichharassedDab-Dab,thecarefulhousekeeper.FornotonlyhadtheDoctorboundhimself to send the farmer twenty pounds every six months, but he furtherreduced theDolittle fortunesbybuying,everyonce inawhile, somespeciallyoldandwearyhorsewhichhewouldmeetonthestreets.Heboughtthemfromcab drivers, from rag-and-bone men, from all sorts of people. Poor Dab-Dabusedtobeterrifiedwhenshesawagypsywagoncomeinsightontheroad.Forgypsies’ horseswere always particularly thin and scrawny-looking, and itwasalmostcertainthattheDoctorwouldtrytobuythepoorcreaturesfrommenwhoweremuchbetterskilledthanheinshrewdbargaining.

AlltheseoldwaifsandwrecksofhorsestheDoctorwouldsenddowntotheRestFarm tobemade freemembersof theAssociation.Beppo’sandToggle’spartnershipgrewintoquiteafamilycircleofoldcronies—horsesfromallwalksoflife.Andmanyweretheinterestingtalesofbygonedaystoldbeneaththebigtreesof aneveningor around theposton topof thehill.Here theold fellowswould stand in line,waiting to scratch theirnecks,watching thebeautyof thepeacefullandscapegrowdimintheredglowofthesettingsun.

Andstillthemembershiplistgrewlongerandlonger.Theboywhokeptthe

radishgardensenta letter to theDoctor, sayinghehadhad toenlarge thebedandneededhelp.Hehadaschoolfriend,hewrote,whowasalsosavingup tobuyskates.WouldtheDoctoremployhimtoo?

TheDoctordid;andthepayrolloftheAssociationadvancedtotwoshillingsaweek.JohnDolittlepaidavisit to thefarmafter ithadbeengoingforaboutthreemonths.Onconsultingwiththecommittee(fiveoftheoldestveterans),hefoundthatmoneywasrequiredforrepairingfencesandkeepingtheditchesclearbeneath the hedges. Some of the members needed their hoofs trimmed (theydidn’tbothertowearshoes,ofcourse).Sohearrangedwiththeladhehadfirstappointedasgardenertoextendtheradishbedconsiderably,inorderthatquitealarge crop of vegetables could be grown—more than was needed for themembers.

The lad had a good head for business and this was done; and two morefriendsofhiswereemployedfortheextrawork.Thenthemoneythatwasmadebysellingthevegetableswasusedtoforma“FencingandFarriers’Fund,”—tohirehedgersandditchersandblacksmithseverysooften tokeep the fences inrepairandtotrimthemembers’hoofs.

Payingtheextraboys,ofcourse,tookstillmorefromtheDolittlemoneybox—andaddedstillmoretotheworriesofDab-Dabthehousekeeper.

“What’s the use?” cried Too-Too one evening when they were discussingaccounts—“what’s the use of my doing all this double-entry bookkeeping—makingmyheadfairlyachewitharithmetic?Itdoesn’tdoanygoodtocalculatehowmuch theDoctor has—or to estimate howmuch he’s going to have. Nomatterwhatitis,hespendsitall!”

“‘What’stheuse?’criedToo-Too”

PARTFIVE

THEFIRSTCHAPTER-MR.BELLAMYOFMANCHESTER

Bygettinga lifton the road ina fast trap thatovertookhim, JohnDolittlereachedthecircuslatethatnight, insteadofearlythefollowingmorning,ashehadexpected.AndthefirstthingthatMatthewMuggsaidtohimasheenteredthewagonwas:

“Blossomtoldmehewantedtoseeyouassoonasyougotin.ThattofffromManchesterisstillwithhim.”

ThereupontheDoctorimmediatelylefthisownwagonandsetoutforthatoftheringmaster.Jipaskedcouldhecomealong,andtheDoctorsaidyes.

The circus was now all packed up ready for departure early to-morrowmorning.AsJohnDolittleapproachedBlossom’scaravanhesawa light in thewindow.Itwasverylate—aftermidnight.

Within he found the ringmaster sitting at the little table with the smartlydressedmanwhomhehadseenearlierintheday.

“Good evening, Doctor,” said the ringmaster. “This gentleman is Mr.FrederickBellamy,proprietorandmanageroftheManchesterAmphitheatre.Hehassomething‘e’dliketosaytoyou.”

TheDoctor shook handswithMr.Bellamy,who at once leant back in hischair,puthisthumbsinthearmholesofhiswhitewaistcoatandbegan:

“IhavedelayedmyreturntoManchester,DoctorDolittle—inspiteofurgentandpressingbusiness—inordertodiscusswithyouanengagementwhichIhadoffered toMr. Blossom this afternoon. I witnessed your act with the TalkingHorseandwasgreatlyinterestedinit.Mr.Blossomtellsmethathetriedtogetyoutoconsenttotakepartinhisshow’sperformanceinmytheatre,butthatyourefused—tookthehorseawaytoputhimgrazing.”

TheDoctornodded,andMr.Bellamywenton:“Ithensupposedthatthedealwasoff,because—Idon’tmindtellingyou—

withoutyourturnIwouldnotbeinterestedinthiscircus.ButMr.Blossomhaspersuaded me to remain and talk with you myself. He assured me that theintelligenceoftheperformancewasnotinthatparticularhorse,butinyourownunusual powers with animals—that you could give as good a showwith any

horse.Hetellsme,thoughIconfessIcanhardlybelieveit,thatyoucanactuallycommunicatewithanimalsintheirownlanguage.Isthatso?”

“Well,”saidtheDoctor,lookinguncomfortable,“I’msorrythatMr.Blossomtold you this. I don’t claim it, or talk of it,myself, because I find that peopledon’tusuallybelieveme.But,—yes,itistrue.WithmostanimalsIcanconversefreely.”

“Indeed,” saidMr.Bellamy. “Most extraordinary! That being the case,wehadthoughtthatperhapsyouwouldbewillingtodousanactwithsomeotheranimal,oranimals,inplaceofthehorsethatyouhavejusttakenaway.Myideais to make it something more elaborate—to have it form the bigger, moreimportant part ofMr. Blossom’s show. It is something quite new, this gift ofyours.And,properlyputon,itoughttomakeagreatsensation.Ofcourse,youunderstand, itwould bewell paid for—very, Imight say.Would you considerit?”

“Ihaven’tanyotherturnworkedoutatthemoment,”saidtheDoctor.“Iamsomewhatnewtothisbusiness.Myideaofshowswithanimalsisthattheymustalways be done with the consent and willing cooperation of the animalsthemselves.”

“Oh,quite,quite,”saidMr.Bellamy.“Itisverylatenow.Supposeyouthinkitoveruntilto-morrow.Icannotcatchthecoachto-night.Andifyouconsiderit,letmeknowinthemorning,eh?”

AstheDoctormadehiswaybacktohisownwagon,Jipwhohadlistenedtotheconversationwithgreatinterest,trottedbyhisside.

“Doctor,”saidhe,“thisseemstomeagrandchanceforustodoourplay—justyourownfamily—me,Too-Too,Gub-Gub,Toby,Swizzle,andperhapsthewhite mouse. You know, you said you would let us try it some time—‘TheAnimals’Theatre.’Youwriteacomicplayforus—Gub-Gub’sisnogood—sortof vegetable knockabout. You write a play of your own—for animals—somethinghighclass.Andwe’llactit.I’msureitwillmakeagreatsensationinManchester.It’sabigcity.Andwe’llhavearealintelligenceaudience.”

Inspiteofthelatenessofthehour,JohnDolittlefound,whenhewentbacktohisownwagon,thatallhispetsweresittingupwaitingtoseehimandtohearthestoryofhisday’sdoings.

JipimmediatelytoldthemoftheinterviewwiththeManchestermanagerandhisownideaofprovidinganactbygettingupananimalplay.Thiswasgreetedwith tremendous enthusiasm and applause from everyone, down to the whitemouse.

“Hooray!”gurgledGub-Gub.“At last I’mtobeanactor.And, just think, IshallmakemyfirstappearanceinManchester!”

“Don’tgosofast,”saidtheDoctor.“Wedon’tknowyetthattherewillbeaplay.Itmaynotbepossible.Itdoesn’tfollowbecauseaplayamusesyouthatitwillamuseyouraudience.”

Then began a heated argument among the animals about plots for plays—aboutwhatkindofthingsamusedpeople.

“Let’sdoCinderella,” cried thewhitemouse.“Everybodyknows that,andthenIcanbeoneofthemicethatthewitchturnedintofootmen.”

“Let’sdoLittleRedRidingHood,”saidSwizzle.“ThenIcanplaythewolf.”ThediscussionbecamesogeneralandinterestedthattheDoctorthoughtthis

would be a good time to break the news to Dab-Dab that he had spent thetwenty-sixpounds.

Thishedid.Andtheeveningwasspoiltforthehousekeeper.“Doctor,Doctor!”shesighed,shakingherhead.“WhatshallIdowithyou?

You’renot tobe trustedwithmoney—really,you’renot.Oh,dear,we’llnevergetbacktoPuddleby,Isuppose.”

Buttheothers,wrappedupintheirnewinterest,brushedthematterasideasthoughitwerenothing.

“Oh,”saidGub-Gub,airily,“we’llsoonmakesomemore.Whatismoney?Poof!Lookhere,Doctor,whydon’twedoBeautyandtheBeast?ThenIcanactthepartoftheBeauty.”

“Greatheavens!”criedJip.“Whatanidea!No;listen,Doctor:youwritetheplayyourself—becauseyouknowwhatwillinterestpeople.”

“Whydon’tyoulettheDoctorgotobed?”askedtheDab-Dabangrily.“Hehashadalongday.Andit’stimeyouwereallasleepyourselves.”

“Mygracious!”said theDoctor, lookingathiswatch.“Doyouknowwhattimeitis?Itistwoo’clockinthemorning….Gotobed,allofyou.”

“Oh,we’re traveling to-morrow,Doctor,”saidGub-Gub.“Itdoesn’tmatterwhattimewegetup.Letusstayalittlelonger.Wehavetosettleonwhatplaywearegoingtogive.”

“No,youdon’t,”saidDab-Dab—“notto-night.TheDoctor’stired.”“No,I’mnottired,”saidJohnDolittle.“Well, it’sbadfor themtostayup late.There’snothing likeearlybedasa

habit.”“Yes, I suppose so,” said theDoctor. “Butmyself, I don’t likegetting into

habits,youknow.”“Well, I do,” said Dab-Dab—“when they’re good ones. I like regular

people.”“Doyou,Dab-Dab?That’swhyyou’resuchanexcellenthousekeeper.There

aretwokindsofpeople:thosewholikehabitsandthosewhodon’t.Theyboth

havetheirgoodqualities.”“Youknow,Doctor,”Gub-Gubputin,“me—Ialwaysdividepeopleintothe

pickle-eatersandtheplainfeeders—thosewholikechutneysandsaucesontheirfoodandthosewholikeeverythingplain.”

“It’sthesameidea,Gub-Gub,”theDoctorlaughed.“Thosethatlikechangeintheirlivesandthosethatlikesameness.Yourchutney-eatersarethechange-loversandyourplain-foodersaretheer—housekeepers.Myself,IhopetogrowmoreadaptableasIgrowolder.”

“What’sadaptable,Doctor?”askedGub-Gub.“Itwouldtaketoolongtoexplainnow.Gotobed.We’lltalkabouttheplay

inthemorning.”

THESECONDCHAPTER-ANIMALPLAYS

WhentheDolittlehouseholdawokenextmorningtheyfoundthatthewagonwasmoving.Thiswasnothingnewfor them.Itonlymeant that thecircushadgotunderwayveryearlywhiletheywerestillasleep—asitoftendidinmovingfromtowntotown.Itwasapartofthelife,this,thatGub-Gubgreatlyenjoyed—wakinginthemorningandlookingoutofthewindowtoseewhatkindofnewscenelayaroundtheirmovinghome.

“ItwasapartofthelifeGub-Gubgreatlyenjoyed”Gub-Gubusedtoboastthatthisshowedhewasaborntraveler,thatheloved

change,liketheDoctor.Asamatteroffact,hewasreallybynaturemuchmorelikeDab-Dab; for no one loved regular habits, especially regularmeals,morethan he. Itwas just that the gipsy life provided a continuous and safe sort ofadventure for him. He liked excitement, but comfortable excitement, withouthardshipordanger.

MatthewMuggcameinwhilethefamilywasstillatbreakfast.“Doctor,”saidhe,“thatMr.Bellamyisstillwiththeoutfit.Saidhemightas

wellcomealongwithus,aswewasgoingthesamewayashim.But,ifyouaskme,Ireckontherealreasonisbecausehe’safraidhemaylosesightofyou.He’sjustcrazytogetyoudoaturnathistheatre—don’tcarenothin’abouttherestofBlossom’s show. But he’s willin’ to pay any amount to get you to give aperformanceofyourownwithanimals.”

“Well,”saidtheDoctor,“itisn’taseasyasitsounds,Matthew.Myownpetshereareanxioustodoaplay.Iwroteasortofcomedylastnightaftertheyhadgonetobed.But,ofcourse,itwillhavetoberehearsedoverandoverbeforeitisin shape for him to see it. The animals must know their parts properly. Youmightgoforwardandtellhim,willyou,thatIwilltrytorehearseitwhileweare

traveling,andthatIwilllethimseeitto-morrow,ifwearefarenoughonwithit.”

“All right,” saidMatthew, and he stepped out of the back of the movingwagonandranforwardtoovertaketheringmaster’scaravanwithhismessage.

DoctorDolittlehad,asyouknow,writtenplaysbeforeforanimals—dozensofthem.IhavetoldyouofhisveryfamouslittlebookcalledOne-ActPlaysforPenguins.He had alsowritten longer dramas formonkeys and others.But allthese had been intended for audience of animals and were written in animallanguages.Thepenguinplayswere (andare still, so far as Iknow)performedduringthelongwinternightsintheopen-airtheatresoftheAntarctic,wherethevastaudienceofquaintbirdssitaroundontherocksinsolemngroups,clappingtheir flipper-like wings when anything said by the actors strikes them asparticularlysensible.

The plays for monkeys were of a much lighter kind. They preferredcomediesandfarcestothemoreseriousandthoughtfuldramathatthepenguinsliked. The monkey plays were enacted in clear places in the jungle and theaudiencesat in the treesallabout.Theseats in theboughsrightover thestagewere the most expensive in the monkey theatres. And a family box, whichconsistedofawholebranchofatree,costasmuchasahundrednuts.Therewasa special rule that families occupying these places should not throw theirnutshellsorbananapeelsdownontotheperformers’heads.

So,yousee,JohnDolittlewasquiteexperiencedasaplaywrightforanimals.ButthethingneededbyMr.Bellamy,whichwastobeshowntoanaudienceofpeople,had tobedifferent,becausepeopledon’tunderstandanimal languages.AndaftermuchthoughttheDoctordecidedtodoawaywithlanguagealtogether.Thewholeplaywastobeaction.AndhecalleditThePuddlebyPantomime.

Therehearsalsfor thepantomimeweregreatlyenjoyedbyeveryoneexceptDab-Dab. The poor housekeeper, who had herself a part to play in it, wascontinually stopping the performance to row someone about upsetting thefurnitureorbreakingtheteacupsorpullingdownthecurtains.

Theinsideofthewagonwasveryclosequarters,asyoucaneasilyimagine,for acting a play. Added to this, the caravan was moving all the time; andwheneverthehorsewhowaspullingitwentaroundacurveorasharpbendintheroadeverybodyonthestagessatdownonthefloor;andasquawkfromDab-Dabwould show that somenewpieceofdamagehadbeendone toherhome.But the rest of the animals got almost as much fun out of the accidents inrehearsalastheydidoutoftheplayitself.

Thepantomimewas just like theold-fashionedHarlequinade.Tobyplayedthe part of Harlequin, Dab-Dab was Columbine, Gub-Gub was Pantaloon,

Swizzle was the policeman and Jip was Pierrot*. The dance by Harlequin,ColumbineandPierrotcausedalotofmerriment,becausewheneverthedancerswereon the tipsof their toes, thatwascertain tobe the timewhen thewagonwouldgiveanextrabadlurchandthrowthedancersunderthebed.

Swizzle, as the policeman, was always arresting poor Pierrot (Jip) andanybodyelsehemet.Foraclubheusedacucumber—untilhebrokeit inhalfover Pantaloon (Gub-Gub), whom he was supposed to chase all around thewagonforstealingthestringofsausages.Thentheprisonertookthepoliceman’sclubawayfromhimandateit.AndtheDoctordecidedtoputthatideaintotherealshowandtouseacucumberinManchester.

Comingonandoffthe“stage”wasverydifficult,becausetheperformershadtogooutof thedoorandstandon thenarrowstepswhile thewagonwasstillgoing.Gub-Gub,inhispartofthecomicPantaloon,hadahardtime.Hehadtomakemany entrances andmany exits—bounding in and out with the red-hotpoker or the string of sausages. And in spite of the Doctor’s warning himrepeatedlytogooutcarefully,healwaysforgotthatthewagonwasmoving,and,makinghisflyingexit,healmostinvariablyfelloutofwagon,upsidedown,intothe road. Then the rehearsal would have to be stopped while Mr. Pantaloonpickedhimselfupandranafterhismovingtheatretogetonthestageagain.

Thepiecewasgonethroughfourorfivetimesduringthatmorningwhilethecircuswastravelingontothenext town.AndwhenthetrainofwagonshaltedforthenighttheDoctorsentwordtoMr.Bellamythat,althoughtheactwasstillvery imperfectandnocustomers readyyet,hecouldcomeandsee if itwoulddo.

Thenthepantomimewasperformedagain,thistimeonthesolidgroundbythe side of the road, before an audience of Mr. Bellamy, Blossom, MatthewMuggandthestrongman.Onthisstage,thatstoodstillinsteadoflurchingfromsidetoside,thepiecewentmuchbetter;and,althoughPantaloongotabitmixedupandpoppedonandoffthestagemanytimestoooften,theaudienceclappedloudandlongwhenitwasoveranddeclareditoneofthemostamusingshowstheyhadeverseen.

“Thepantomimewasperformedbythesideoftheroad”“Perfectlysplendid!”criedMr.Bellamy.“It’sjustthethingwewant.Witha

littlemorerehearsingandproperclothes,thatshouldmakeagreathit.Nobodycansaythisactitnotenjoyedbytheanimalsthattakepartinit.Now,I’mgoingon toManchester thisevening.AndafterMr.Blossomhasplayedhisweek inLittle Plimpton he’ll bring you on tomy theatre to open the beginning of thefollowing week. Monday the seventeenth. In the meantime, I’ll do someadvertising.AndIthinkwecanpromiseyouanaudienceworthplayingto.”

The circus’s week at Little Plimptonwas chiefly occupied by the DolittlehouseholdinpreparingandrehearsingthePuddlebyPantomimeforitsshowinginManchester.Asforthepushmi-pullyu,theusefulMatthewMuggtookentirechargeofhisstand,leavingtheDoctorfreetotakecareoftheplay.

Day after day the act was gone through until everyone knew his partperfectlyandthereseemednopossiblechanceofamistake.TheDoctorwantedthewholeperformancetobedonebytheanimals,withouthimselforanypersonappearingon the stage frombeginning to end.During the rehearsals accidentsandodd things happenedwhichgave theDoctor ideas,manyofwhichhe putintotheplayitself,ashehaddonewiththecucumber.Then,too,severaloftheactorsthoughtupcomicnotionsoftheirownwhiletheshowwasbeingtriedout.Andif theyweregoodenoughJohnDolittleput themintothepantomime.Forthesereasonstheacttowardtheendofrehearsalswasmuchlongerandquitea

littledifferentfromwhatithadbeenwhenshowntoMr.Bellamy.Itwasmuchbetter,too.Gub-Gubthoughtitsocomicalthatofteninthemiddleofithewouldgetagigglingfitoverhisownfunninessandbesodoubledupwithmirththathecouldn’tgoonwithhispart.

TheodosiaMugg was very busy during these days, making the costumes.Fittingsuitsofclothestoanimalsisnoteasy.Gub-Gubgavethemosttrouble.Atthefirstdressrehearsalhecameonwithhissuitupsidedown,andhiswigback-to-front.Hehadhishindlegsthroughthesleevesof thecoat,wearingthemaspants. His makeup, too, gave a lot of extra work to the stage manager. Mr.Pantaloon liked the taste of grease paint and hewould keep licking his chopsduring the performance. So of course the rouge on his cheeks very soon gotsmearedallaroundhismouthandmadehimlookasthoughhehadbeeneatingbreadandjam.

ButPantaloon’sgreatest trialwashis trousers.Whenat last theydidmakehimunderstandhowhissuitwastobeworn,heatfirstfastenedhistrouserstoabelt.Buthisstomachwassoroundandsmoothhisbeltwouldkeepslippingoffit.Andatthefirstfewdressrehearsalswheneverheranontothestage(alwayschasedbythepoliceman,ofcourse),asoftenasnothewouldlosehispantsonthewayandarriveonthestagewearingonlyacoatandawig.ThenTheodosiamade a special pair of suspenders for him to keep his pants upwith, and theDoctoralwaysinspectedhisdressinghimself.

“Hewouldarriveonthestagewearingonlyacoatandawig”A similar accident happened frequently at the beginning toDab-Dab,who

acted part ofColumbine. Theodosia hadmade her a very cunning little balletskirtofstiffpinknet.Butthefirsttimesheworeit, thedaintyweb-footedtoe-dancer, doing an especially high kick in her dancewithHarlequin, kicked herskirt right over her partner’s head. The excitementwas added to considerablywhen Pantaloon, who had just rubbed in, picked up the skirt, and put it onhimselfinplaceofthepantshehadlost,asusual,inhishurriedentrance.

So, as you can easily imagine, StageManagerDolittle andTheodosia, themistressofthewardrobe,hadtheirhandsprettyfull.Actingaspeoplewashardenough for the animals by itself; but acting in clothes that they were notaccustomedtowearingwasatremendousjob,whenonlyaweekcouldbetakenforrehearsing.ManytimestheDoctorwasindespairoverthecostumingpartofit.However,Theodosiaworkedouta lotofverycunningdodges,bymeansofsecretbuttons,hooks,elasticsandtapes,toholdtheclothesandhatsandwigsinplace.Thenbymaking theactorswear their costumesallday long theDoctorfinallygothisperformerssotheycouldmove,andrunanddanceinclothesaseasilyastheycouldwithoutthem.

THETHIRDCHAPTER-THEPOSTERANDTHESTATUE

The day the circusmoved toManchester was a great one for the Dolittlehousehold.NoneoftheanimalsexceptJiphadbeeninareallargecitybefore.On the way there Gub-Gub was constantly at the window of the caravan,watching the roadandshoutingoutwordoverhisshoulder to theotherswhenanythingneworwonderfulcameinsight.

Mr.Bellomy’sshowplacewassituatedontheedgeofthecity.Itwasabigamusement park, with all sorts of sideshows of its own and a large theatrebuildinginthecentre.Prizefights,wrestlingmatches,brassbandcontestsandallmannerofentertainmentswereheldinalargeopen-airplacebehindthetheatre.Itwasovalinshapeandhadseatsbankeduphighallaroundit.Thisitwasthathadgiven it itsname, theAmphitheatre,because itwas like thegreatopen-airtheatresoftheRomans.

ToMr.Bellamy’s amusement park the citizens ofManchester cameout inthousandswhentheywereinneedofrecreation—especiallySaturdayafternoonsand in the evenings.At night thewhole placewas lit upwith strings of littlelights,andverygayandprettyitlooked.

Theparkwas sobig thatBlossom’s “MammothCircus” could fit into onecornerofitandnotbeseen.Theringmasterwasgreatlyimpressed.

“Lor’ bless me,” he said to the Doctor, “this is the way to run the showbusinessallright—onagrandscale.Bellamymustberollinginmoney.Why,thetheatrebuildingalonecouldholdthreetimesasmanypeopleaswecanfitintoourbigtent!”

Blossom’sCircusparty, feelingdreadfullysmallandunimportant insuchahuge concern,were guided to a placewhere they could halt and settle down.Shortlyafter thehorseswerestabledandthegreatMr.Bellamyhimself turnedup.ThefirstthingheinquiredforwasthePuddlebyPantomimetroupe.

“Asfortherestofyourshow,”hesaidtoBlossom,“I’llleaveyouthiscornerofthegrounds,andyoucansetupanddowhatbusinessyoucanonyourown.We get the bigger crowds after five o’clock in the evening and all Saturdayafternoon—when we usually run a prizefight over in the arena. But DoctorDolittle’scompanyIamgoingtotakecareofseparately.Ofcourse,I’llpaythemoney throughyou,as I toldyou,andyoudivide it inwhateverwayyou twoarrange.But fromnowonhe andhis animals areundermymanagement, youunderstand,andarenot tobe interferedwithbyanybodyelse.That’swhatweagreedon,isn’tit?”

ThenwhileBlossomandhismengottheirownsideshowssetuptheDolittlehouseholdanditswagonweretakenofftoanotherpartofthegrounds—closetothetheatre—andgivenaspacewithinahighfence,wheretheycouldsettledownincomfort.

Heretheyfoundafewothertentsandcaravans,thehomesofvariousspecialperformers takingpart in thedaily,or rathernightly,showwhichwasgiven inthetheatre.Dancerstheywere,tight-ropewalkers,singersandwhatnot.

AfterthebedsweremadeupandtheDolittlewagonputinorder,theDoctorsuggested awalk through the city. Jip andGub-Gub at once asked could theycome,andtheDoctorconsented.Dab-Dabthoughtsheought toremainbehindandfinishunpackingandtogetfoodcookedforsupper.

ThenwhentheDoctorhadbeenovertomakesurethatMatthewMugghadgotthepushmi-pullyucomfortablysettledhesetout,accompaniedbyGub-GubandJip,toseethesightsofManchester.

“HesetouttoseethesightsofManchester”Toreachthecitypropertheyhadtowalkabouthalfamilethroughdistricts

ofordinaryhousesandgardenswhichsurroundedthebigtown.Of course, JohnDolittle and Jip, having been in Londonmore than once,

knew what a regular city looked like. But Gub-Gub, when they entered the

thronged streets, teemingwith traffic, bordered by grand shops and buildings,wasgreatlyimpressed.

“What a lot of people!” hemurmured, his eyes nearly popping out of hishead.“Andjustlookatthecabs!Ididn’tknowthereweresomanyintheworld—following one another down the street like a parade. And such splendidvegetable shops! Did you ever see such enormous tomatoes! Oh, I like thisplace.It’smuchbiggerthanPuddlebyisn’tit?Andmuchgayer.Yes,Ilikethistown.”

They came to an open place, a big square, with especially fine stonebuildingsonallsidesofit.Gub-Gubwantedtoknowallabouteachofthem,andtheDoctorhadtoexplainwhatabankwas,andacornexchangeandamunicipalhall,andmanymore.

“Andwhat’sthat?”askedGub-Gub,pointingtothemiddleofthesquare.“That’sastatue,”saidtheDoctor.Itwasaverygrandmonumentofamanonhorseback.AndGub-Gubasked

whohewas.“That’sGeneralSlade,”saidtheDoctor.“Butwhydotheyputastatueuptohim?”“Becausehewasafamousman,”answeredtheDoctor.“HefoughtinIndia

—againsttheFrench.”They passed out of this square and a little further on entered another, a

smaller one,with no statue in it.As theywere crossing itGub-Gub suddenlystoppeddead.

“Greatheavens,Doctor!”hecried.“Look!”At the far side of the square, on a hoarding,was an enormous poster—a

pictureofapigdressedasPantaloon,holdingastringofsausages.“Why,it’sme,Doctor!”saidGub-Gub,hurryingtowardit.Andsureenough,writtenacrossthetopinlargeletterswas:“ThePuddleby

Pantomime. A Mystery. Come and see the Unique Harlequinade. Bellamy’sAmphitheatre.NextMonday.”

The manger had been as good as his word. He had had an artist makepicturesofthecharactersintheDoctor’splayandpostedthemalloverthecity.

Theycouldn’tgetGub-Gubawayfromit.Theideaofcominginto thisbigtown and finding his own pictures on the walls and himself a famous actoralready,entirelyfascinatedhim.

“Perhaps they’ll put up a statue of me next,” he said—“like the general.Look,there’sroomforonehere.Theyhaven’tgotanyinthissquare.”

As theywent through thestreets they foundmorepicturesof their show—someofDab-Dab,poisedonhertoesinaballetskirt;someofSwizzle,witha

policeman’s helmet on his head. But whenever they passed one of PantaloontheyhadthehardestworkdraggingGub-Gubaway.Hewouldhavesatinfrontofitallnight,iftheyhadlethim,admiringhimselfasafamousactor.

“I really thinkyouought to speak to theMayor aboutmy statue,Doctor,”saidhe,ashesaunteredhomewardwithhisnosecarriedhighintheair.“Perhapsthey’llwanttomovethegeneralintoasmallersquareandputmeinthelargerone.”

On themorningofMonday, thedaywhen thePantomimewas tomake itsfirstappearancebeforethepublic,therewasadressrehearsalofitandtherestoftheshowtobegiveninthetheatre.Thiswaswhatisknownasavarietyshow.Therewereanumberofdifferentacts,dancers, singers, jugglers,andso forth.Theycameontothestageinturnandwentthroughtheirperformance,withtheorchestraplayingthepropermusicforeachone.

Atthesidesofthestagetherewerelittleframes,andatthebeginningofeachactfootmeninliverycameoutandpushedbigcardsintothem.Thesecardshadthe name of the new act on them, andwere displayed in thisway so that theaudience could read what was coming. The Doctor suggested that with thePuddlebyPantomime thecard-changing shouldbedonebyanimals, insteadoffootmen.Mr.Bellamythoughtitwasasplendididea.AndwhiletheDoctorwaswonderingwhat animals he could getToo-Too suggested that he be given thejob.

“Butweneedtwo,”saidtheDoctor.“Youseehowthefootmendoit—likesoldiers.Theymarchoutwiththecardsintheirhand—justasthoughtheyweredrilling,gotoeachsideofthestage—pulltheoldcardoutandstickthenewonein.”

“Thefootmancameoutandpushedbigcardsintothem”“That’s all right, Doctor,” said Too-Too. “I can soon get another owl and

we’llmakeabetterpair thanthosefootmen.Youwait till I takeahuntaroundthecountryoutsidethecity.”

Too-Tooflewoff,andbeforehalfanhourhadpassedhewasbackagainwithanotherowlwhowasthedeadimageofhimself,andtheexactsamesize.Thenstoolswereplacedonthecornersofthestage,sothatthelittlebirdscouldreachtheframesandtheowlfootmenweredrilledintheirparts.

Eventhemusiciansintheorchestra,accustomedtoseeingwonderfulthingsdoneonthestage,wereastonishedwhenToo-Tooandhisbrotherowlappearedfrom behind the curtains. They were really must smarter at the job than thefootmen in velvet. Like two clockwork figures, they hopped onto the stools,changedthecards,bowedtotheimaginaryaudienceandretired.

“My!” said the bass fiddler to the trombone player. “Did you ever see thelike?You’dthinkthey’dbeenworkinginavarietyhallalltheirlives!”

Then the Doctor, who was himself quite a musician, discussed with theconductorwhatkindofmusicshouldbeplayedwhilethepantomimewasgoingon.

“I want something lively,” said John Dolittle, “but very, very soft —pianissimothewholetime.”

“All right,” said theconductor. “I’llplayyou the thingwedo for the tightropewalkers—sortoftense.”

Thenhetappedhisdeskwithhisbatontomaketheorchestragetready,andplayeda fewopeningbars. Itwas exciting, trembly*music, playedvery, veryquietly.Itmadeyouthinkoffairiesflutteringacrosslawnsinthemoonlight.

“That’s splendid,” said theDoctor, as the conductor stopped. “Now,whenColumbinebegins todance Iwant theminuet fromDonJuan—because that’sthetuneshehasalwayspractisedto.AndeverytimePantaloonfallsdownhavethepercussiongivethebassdrumagoodbang,please.”

ThenthePuddlebyPantomimewasgonethroughonarealstage,witharealorchestraandrealscenery—thelastdressrehearsal.Gub-Gubfoundtheglareofthefootlightsdazzlingandconfusing.Butheandalltheactorshadbythistimedone the piece so often that they could have played it in their sleep.And theshowwentwithadashfrombeginningtoend,withoutasingleaccidentorslip.

WhenitwasoverMr.Bellamysaid:“Justone thingmore:when theaudience ishereyouractorswillbecalled

outbeforethecurtain.You’llhavetoshowthemhowtotakethecall.”Thentheperformerswererehearsedinbowing.Thefiveofthemtroopedon

again,handinhand,bowedtotheemptytheatreandtroopedoff.InthecourseotheireventfullivestheanimalsofDoctorDolittle’shousehold

had hadmany exciting times. But I doubt if anything ever happened to themwhichtheyrememberedlongerorspokeofafterwardmoreoftenthantheirfirstappearancebeforethepublicinthefamousPuddlebyPantomime.

I say famousbecause it did, in fact, becomevery famous.Notonlywas itreported in the newspapers ofManchester as a sensational success, but itwaswritten up in those magazines devoted to stagecraft and theatrical news, assomethingentirelynewtotheshowbusiness.Lotsofactswithanimalsdressedaspeoplehadbeendonebefore,ofcourse—someverygood.Butinallofthemthe performers never knew just why they did the things they did, nor themeaningofmostof theiract.Whereas theDoctor,beingable toconversewithhisactorsintheirownlanguage,hadproducedaplaywhichwasentirelyperfect,down to the smallest detail. For instance, he had spent days in showingTobyhowtowinkoneeye,andstilllongeringettingPantaloontothrowbackhisheadandlaughlikeaperson.Gub-Gubusedtopractiseitinfrontofamirrorbythehour.Pigshavetheirownwayoflaughing,ofcourse,whichmostpeopledon’tknow of; and that is just as well, because sometimes they find humans veryamusing.But to have animals laughing and frowning and smiling at the rightplacesinaplay—perfectlynaturallyandexactlythewaypeoplewoulddoit—wassomethingthathadneverbeenseenonthestagebefore.

“Gub-Gubusedtopracticeitbythehour”GoodweatherandMr.Bellamy’sadvertisinghadbroughtalargecrowdout

totheamusementparkMondayevening.Longbeforetheshowwasduetostartthetheatrewasbeginningtofill.

OftheDolittletroupe,waitingtheirturnbehindthescene,noonewasmoreanxious than the Doctor himself. None of his animals, with the exception ofSwizzle,hadeverperformedbeforearealaudiencebefore.Anditdidnotfollowthat because they had acted all rightwith onlyMr.Bellamy and a few otherslookingon,theywouldbejustasgoodwhenfacingapackedtheatre.

Asheheard thefirst fewnotesof theorchestra tuningup their instrumentstheDoctorpeeped through thecurtain into theaudience.Hecouldseenothingbutfaces.Theredidnotseemtoberoomtogetanotherinanywhere,butstillthepeoplecrowdeduptothebigentrancesattheendofthelonghall,tryingtofindstandingroomintheaisles—orevenoutsideofthedoorways,where,ontiptoe,theycouldstillgetaglimpseofthestage.

“Doctor,”whisperedDab-Dab,whowasalsopeeping,“thisat lastought tomake us rich. Blossom said thatMr.Bellamy had promised him one hundredpoundsaday—andmore,iftheaudienceswerelargerthanacertainnumber.Itwouldbeimpossibleforittobebiggerthanthis.Youcouldn’tgetaflyintothattheatre,it’ssopacked.Whataretheystampingandwhistlingfor?”

“That’sbecause, theshowis late inbeginning,”said theDoctor, lookingat

his watch. “They’re impatient. Oh, look out! Let’s get off the stage. They’regoingtopullthecurtainup.See,there’sthesingingcoupleinthewings,readytodothefirstact.Comeonhurry!Where’sGub-Gubgotto?I’msoafraidthatwigofhiswillslipoutofplace.—Oh,hereheis.Thankgoodness,it’sallright—andhispants,too.Now,allofyoustayhereandkeeptogether.Ourshowgoesonassoonas thisact isover.Stop lickingyour face,Gub-Gub, forheaven’s sake! Iwon’thavetimetomakeyouupagain.”

THEFOURTHCHAPTER-FAME,FORTUNE—ANDRAIN

StageManagerDolittle’sanxietyabouthiscompany’sbehaviorbeforearealaudience turned out to be unnecessary. The lights and the music and theenormouscrowd,insteadofscaringtheanimals,hadtheeffectofmakingthemact the better. TheDoctor said afterward that they had never done as well inrehearsal.

As for the audience, from themoment that the curtainwent up theyweresimply spellbound. At the beginning many people would not believe that theactorswereanimals.Theywhisperedtooneanotherthatitmustbeatroupeofboysordwarfs,withmasksontheirfaces.Buttherecouldbenodisguisingthetwolittleowlswhohadopenedtheshowbymarchingoutlikesoldierswiththeannouncement cards. And as the pantomime proceeded even the mostunbelievingoftheaudiencecouldseethatnohumanactors,nomatterhowwelltrainedanddisguised,couldmoveandlooklikethis.

At firstGub-Gubwas an easy favorite.His grimaces and anticsmade theaudiencerockwithlaughter.ButwhenDab-Dabcameon,opinionwasdivided.HerdancewithTobyandJipsimplybroughtdownthehouse,asthesayinggoes.She captivated everybody. And it was really marvelous, considering howungainlysheusuallywasinhermovements,toseewithwhatgraceshedidtheminuet. The people clapped, stamped the floor, yelled “Encore!” and justwouldn’tlettheshowgoontillshehaddoneherdanceasecondtime.

Thena lady in the front row threwabunchofvioletsonto thestage.Dab-Dabhadneverhadflowersthrownatherbeforeanddidn’tknowwhattomakeofit.ButSwizzle,anoldactor,understood.Springingforward,hepickedupthebouquetandhandeditwithaflourishtoColumbine.

“Bow!”whisperedtheDoctorfromthewingsinducklanguage.“Bowtotheaudience—totheladywhothrewthebouquet!”

AndDab-Dabcurtsiedlikearegularballerina.

“Dab-Dabcurtsiedlikearegularballerina”Whenthecurtaincamedownattheendandthemusicoftheorchestrablared

outloudtheapplausewasdeafening.Thecompanytroopedonhandinhandandbowed again and again. And still the audience called them back. Then theDoctormadethemtakethecallsseparately.Gub-Gubdidanticsandmadefaces;Swizzle took off his helmet and bowed; Toby sprang into the air withharlequinish agility; Jip struck tragic Pierrot-like attitudes, andDab-Dab oncemore brought down the house by pirouetting across the stage on her toes,flippingkissestotheaudiencewiththetipsofherwings.

More bouquets were thrown to Columbine and a bunch of carrots toPantaloon—whichhestartedeatingbeforeheleftthestage.

Mr.Bellamysaidhehadneverseensuchenthusiasminthetheatresincehehad owned it. And he immediately asked Blossom if he would be willing torenewtheengagementforasecondweek.

When theother turnswereoverand theaudience left the theatreGub-Gubwentoutintothehalltolookatthestagefromtheseats.Therehefoundmanyprogramsscatteredaroundthefloor.HeaskedtheDoctorwhattheywere.AndhewasdelightedwhenhewasshownhisownnameprintedthereasplayingthepartofPantaloon.

“Humph!”saidhe,foldingitcarefully.“Imustkeepthis.IthinkI’llputitinmymenualbum.”

“Don’tyoumeanyourstampalbum?”askedtheDoctor.“No,”saidGub-Gub.“Igaveupcollectingstampssometimeago.Icollects

menusnow.They’remuchbetterfuntolookat.”TheDolittlehousehold,now that theywereencampednear the theatre,did

not see so much of their old friends of the circus. Nevertheless, the DoctorfrequentlywentacrosstheamusementparktoseehowMatthewandthepushmi-pullyu were getting on. And Hop the clown, Hercules and the Pintos oftenvisitedthetheatretoseethepantomimeandtomaketeaattheDolittlewagon.

The extraordinary success of the Doctor’s play continued throughout theweek—the crowds growing greater, if anything, with each performance. Itbecamenecessarytosecureseatsalongwayinadvanceifyouwantedtoseetheshow,athingwhichhadonlyhappenedoncebeforeattheAmphitheatrewhenaworld-famousviolinisthadplayedthere.

Wealthy gentlemen and elegant ladies called at the Doctor’s little wagonalmost every evening to congratulate him and to see and pet his marvelousanimal actors. Gub-Gub got frightfully conceited and put on no end oftemperamentalairs,often refusing toseehisadmirers if theycalledduring thehourhewasaccustomedtotakeforhisnap.

“Famousartistshavetobeverycarefulofthemselves,”hesaid.“Iamonlyathome to callers between ten and twelve in themorning. You better have thatprintedinthenewspapers,Doctor.”

Oneladybroughtanautographalbumforhimtosign,andwiththeDoctor’shelp, he put a very clumsy “G.G.” in it for her and the picture of a parsnip,which,hesaid,washisfamilycrest.

Dab-Dab, although shehadbecome just as famous,wasmuchmore easilyinterviewedbyvisitors. Immediatelyaftereachperformanceshecouldbeseenbustlingaboutherhouseholdduties in thewagon,oftenstillwearingherballetskirtwhileshemadebedsorfriedpotatoes.

“Thatpigmakesmetired,”shesaid.“What’stheuseofourputtingonairs?Noneofuswouldbefamousifithadn’tbeenfortheDoctor.Anyanimalcoulddowhatwedoiftheyhadhimtoteachthem.Bytheway,Doctor,”sheadded,spreading the tablecloth for supper, “have you been to seeBlossom about themoney?”

“No,”saidtheDoctor.“Whybotheryet?Thefirstweekishardlyover.AndIunderstandthepantomimeistorunasecondone.No,Ihaven’tseenBlossomin—letmesee—notinthreedays.”

“Well,yououghtto.Youshouldgoandgetyourshareofthemoneyevery

night.”“Why?Blossomisatrustworthyman.”“Ishe?”saidDab-Dab,puttingthesalt-cellarsonthetable.“Well,Iwouldn’t

trust him further than I could see him. If you takemy advice, you’ll get yourmoneyeachnight.Theremustbea lotowingtoyou,especiallysince theyputthepantomimeontwiceadayinsteadofonlyintheevening.”

“Oh,that’sallright,Dab-Dab,”saidtheDoctor.“Don’tworry.Blossomwillbringmethemoneyassoonashehashisaccountsstraightenedout.”

ThehousekeeperduringthenextfewdaysfrequentlyaskedJohnDolittletoseeaboutthismatter,butheneverwould.AndevenafterthefirstweekwasoverandthesecondnearlysoBlossomhadnotcomeforwardwiththeDoctor’sshare,nor, indeed,was he often seen by anymember of theDolittle household.Thepushmi-pullyuhadalsodonewellwithhissideshows,and,asthemoneymadebythiswasquitesufficientforlivingexpenses,theeasy-goingDoctor,asusual,refusedtoworry.

TowardtheendofthesecondweekthefameofthePuddlebyPantomimehadbecomesogreatandsomanypeoplehadcalledtointerviewtheDoctorandhiscompanythatitwasdecidedtogiveanathomeandtoinvitethepublictotea.[Transcribernote—“togiveanathome”isasitwasinbook]

Then for a whole morning the good housekeeper was more than usuallybusy.Overtwohundredprintedcardsofinvitationhadbeensentout.Mrs.Muggwascalledintohelp.Alargenumberofsmalltablesweresetaboutthewagon;theinsideofthecaravanwasdecoratedwithflowers;lotsofteaandcakeswereprepared and at four o’clock on Saturday afternoon the gates of the littleenclosurebesidethetheatrewerethrownopentovisitors.

All the animals, some of them dressed in their pantomime costumes, thenactedashostsandsataroundatthetables,sippingteawiththeelegantladiesandgentlemenwhowereanxioustomeetthem.Itwasafarewellparty,forthenextdaythewholeofBlossom’sCircuswastoleave.TheMayorofthecitycameandtheMayoressandanumberofnewspaperreporters,whomadesketchesintheirnotebooksofHostessDab-DabpouringteaandGub-Gubhandingaroundcakes.

“Gub-Gubhandingroundcakes”Thenextday,afteroneofthemostsuccessfulvisitsofitscareer,thecircus

packedupandmovedoutofManchester.Thetowntheywenttowasasmallone,sometwelvemilestothenortheast.

Rain began to fall as the wagons arrived at the show ground and th work ofsettingupwasverydisagreeableforeveryone.For,besidesthewretched,steadydrizzle, the dirt underfoot soon got worked up into mud with the constanttrampingoffeet.

Theraincontinuedthenextday,andthenext.This,ofcourse,wasaterriblethingforthecircusbusiness,becausenobodycametoseetheshow.

“Well,nevermind,”saidtheDoctor,ashisfamilysatdowntobreakfastonthethirdrainymorning.“WemadeplentyofmoneyinManchester.Thatshouldtideusoverabadspelleasily.”

“Yes, but you haven’t got that money yet, remember,” said Dab-Dab,“thoughtgoodnessknowsI’vetoldyouoftenenoughtoaskBlossomforit.”

“I saw him this morning,” said John Dolittle, “just before I came in tobreakfast.It’squiteallright.Hesaysitwassuchalargeamounthewasafraidtokeepitonhimorinhiswagon.SoheputitinabankinManchester.”

“Well,whydidn’thetakeitoutofthebankwhenheleft,”askedDab-Dab,

“andgiveyouhalfofit?”“ItwasaSunday,”saidtheDoctor.“And,ofcourse,thebankswereclosed.”“Butwhatdoeshemeantodoabout it, then?”asked thehousekeeper.“He

isn’tgoingtoleaveitthere,ishe?”“He’s going back to-day to fetch it.Hewas just starting off on horseback

whenIspoketohim.Ididn’tenvyhimhisrideintherain.”Now,runningacircusisanexpensivething.Theanimalshavetobefed,the

workmen and performers have to be paid and there are a whole lot of otherexpensesforwhichmoneymustbehandedouthourly.Sothatduringtheserainydays,whennopeoplecameand theenclosure stoodwet andempty insteadofmakingmoney,“TheMammothCircus”waslosingiteveryday—everyhour,infact.

Just as the Doctor finished speaking the menagerie keeper, with his coatcollarturnedupagainsttherain,pokedhisheadinatthedoor.

“Seenthebossanywherearound?”heasked.“Mr.BlossomhasgoneintoManchester,”saidJohnDolittle.“Heexpectsto

bebackabouttwointheafternoon,hetoldme.”“Humph!”saidtheman.“That’sanuisance.”“Why?”askedtheDoctor.“IsthereanythingIcandoforyou?”“Iwantmoneyforriceandhay—forthemenagerie,”saidthekeeper.“The

bosssaidhe’dgivemesomethismorning.Thecorndealer’sbroughtthefeed.‘Ewon’tleaveitunlesshegetshismoney.Andmyanimalsneedthestuffbad.”

“Oh,IsupposeitslippedMr.Blossom’smind,”saidtheDoctor.“I’llpaythebillforyouandgetitfromhimwhenhereturns.Howmuchisit?”

“Thirty shillings,” said the keeper—“two bales of hay and fifty pounds ofrice.”

“Allright,”saidtheDoctor.“Too-Too,givemethemoneybox.”“Thereyouare!Thereyouare!”Dab-Dabbroke in,her feathersall ruffled

upwithanger. “Insteadofgetting themoney fromBlossom thatheowesyou,youarepayinghisbills forhim!Theanimals’ feed isn’tyourconcern.What’stheuse?What’s theuse?Blossomgetting richerandyougettingpoorer; that’syou,allover.”

“Theanimalsmustbefed,”saidtheDoctor,takingthemoneyfromtheboxandgivingittothekeeper.“I’llgetitback,Dab-Dab.Don’tworry!”

The rain grew heavier and heavier all thatmorning. Thiswas the circus’sfourthdayinthistown.Hardlyapennyhadbeentakeninatthegatessincethetentshadbeensetup.

TheDoctor,eversincehisperformancewithBeppoatBridgeton,hadbeenlooked upon by the show folkwith an almost superstitious respect.Anyman,

theyfelt,whocould talk the languageofanimalsmustknowmoreabout themthanamereringmasterlikeBlossom.TheDoctorhadlittlebylittlemadegreatchanges throughout themanagement of thewhole concern—though there stillremainedatremendouslotthathewishedtoalter.Manyoftheperformershadfor some time considered him as the most important man in the circus andBlossomasjustafigurehead.

Themenageriekeeperhadhardlyleftbeforeanothermanturnedupwantingmoney for someotherof thedaily expensesof the show.And throughout thatmorningpeoplekeptcomingtotheDoctorwithtalesthatBlossomhadpromisedthempaymentatacertain time.Theresult,ofcourse,was thatbefore longtheDolittle money box (which had been quite well filled by the pushmi-pullyu’sexhibitionthelasttwoweeks)wasemptyoncemore.

Twoo’clock in the afternoon came—three o’clock—and stillMr.Blossomhadn’treturned.

“Oh, hemust have been delayed,” said the Doctor to Dab-Dab, who wasgettingmoreanxiousandmoreangryeveryminute. “He’ll behere soon.He’shonest.I’msureofthat.Don’tworry.”

Athalf-pastthreeJip,whohadbeenoutnosingaroundintherain,suddenlyrushedin.

“Doctor!” he cried. “Come over to Blossom’s wagon. I think there’ssomethingwrong.”

“Why,Jip?What’sthematter?”saidtheDoctor,reachingforhishat.“Mrs.Blossomisn’tthere,”saidJip.“AtfirstIthoughtthedoorwaslocked.

But I pushed it, and it wasn’t. There’s nobody in it. His trunk is gone—andnearlyeverythingelse,too.Comeoverandlook.There’ssomethingqueeraboutthis.”

THEFIFTHCHAPTER-MR.BLOSSOM’SMYSTERIOUSDISAPPEARANCE

Jip’swordsbroughtapuzzledfrownintotheDoctor’sface.Slowlyheputonhishatandfollowedthedogoutintotherain.

OnreachingBlossom’swagonhefoundeverythingasJiphaddescribed it.Therewasnoonewithin.Everyarticleofvaluehadbeentakenaway.Afewtornpapers lay scattered on the floor. In the inner room, Mrs. Blossom’s privateboudoir, the same situationmet theDoctor’s eyes.Thewhole place looked asthoughthosewholivedtherehadleftinahurry,tobegonealongtime.

While John Dolittle was still gazing confusedly around him someonetouchedhimontheshoulderfrombehind.ItwasMatthewMugg.

“Looks kind of bad, don’t it?” he said. “Blossom didn’t have to take histrunkandalltogoandgethismoneyoutofthebank.Ifyouwastoaskme,I’veakindofanotion thatweain’tgoin’ to seeourgood,kindmanagernomore.Eh?”

“Well,Matthew,”saidtheDoctor,“wemustn’tjumptoconclusions.Hesaidhe’dbeback.Hemayhavebeendelayed.Astohistrunkandthings,they’rehisown.Hehasarighttodowhathewantswiththem.Itwouldbewrongtopassanyjudgmentsuntilwehavemoreevidencethanthat.

“Humph!”mutteredtheCat’s-Meat-Man.“O’course,youalwaysdidhatetothink anybody crooked. Still, I think you can say good-by to the money youearnedinManchester.”

“Wehaven’tanyproof,Matthew,”saidtheDoctor.“Andlisten:ifwhatyoususpect is true, it’s going to be a very seriousmatter for all the people in thecircus.Pleasedon’t say anythingof your suspicions for thepresent,will you?There isnoneed toget the showfolkexciteduntilwe reallyknow.Now,willyouplease saddleup ahorsequietly andgo intoManchester forme?SeeMr.BellamyandaskhimifheknowsanythingofwhathasbecomeofBlossom.Getbackhereandbringmewordassoonasyoucan,willyou?”

“All right,” saidMatthew, turning togo. “But Idon’t thinkMr.Bellamy’llknowanymoreofwhereourmanager’sgonethanwhatyoudo.‘E’sprobablyon‘iswaytotheContinong*bynow.”

Jip, after listening to this conversation, slipped away and joined the otheranimalsintheDoctor’sownwagon.

“Fellows,”hesaid,shakingthewetoutofhimself,“AlexanderBlossomhasskidaddled*.”

“Goodheavens!”criedToo-Too.“Withthemoney?”“Yes, with the money—drat him!” growled Jip. “And there was enough

comingtotheDoctortokeepusincomfortfortherestofourdays.”“Iknewit!”groanedDab-Dab,throwingoutherwingsindespair.“Itoldthe

Doctornottotrusthim.Iguessedhimtobeafishycustomerfromthestart.Nowhe’s wallowing in luxury while we scrape and pinch to pay the bills he leftbehind.”

“Oh,whatdoesitmatter?”criedGub-Gub.“Somuchthebetterifhe’sgone.Nowwe’ll have a real circus—TheDolittle Circus—which the animals havealwayshopedfor.GoodriddancetoBlossom—thecrook!I’mgladhe’sgone.”

“Whatyoudon’tknow,”saidDab-Dab,turningonthepigseverely,“wouldfilla library.Howis theDoctor torunacircuswithoutapennyinhispocket?

How is he going to pay wages—ground rent? How is he going to feed theanimalsandhimself?Itcostspoundsandpoundsadaytokeepacircusgoing,youpudding,you!Andlookattherain—comingdownasthoughitnevermeanttostop!Andthewholeshowjuststandinghereandnotasoulcomingtoseeit!Andwagonloadsofanimalseatinguppoundsofmoneyaday!Andthepayrollofdozensofmenmountinghighereveryminute.‘Gladhe’sgone!—you—yousausage!”

AfterMatthewhadgonetheDoctorremainedwithintheshelterofBlossom’sdesertedwagon,thoughtfullywatchingtherainsplatterintothemuddypuddlesoutside.Presentlyhesatdownonanoldpackingcaseandlithispipe.Fromtimetotimehetookouthiswatchandlookedatit,frowning.

AfterhalfanhourhadgonebyhesawHercules,dressedinordinaryclothes,approaching across the enclosure.Hewas running to avoid the rain.Reachingthe wagon, he sprang within, and then shook his wet overcoat outside thedoorway.

“Ihearthebosshasskipped,”hesaid.“Isittrue?”“Ihavenoidea,”saidtheDoctor.“HeislateinreturningfromManchester.

Butsomethingmayhavedetainedhim.”“Well,Ihopehecomessoon,”saidHercules.“Heowesmeaweek’swages.

AndIneedit.”The strong man sat down and he and the Doctor fell to chatting about

weatherandweathersigns.Notmanyminutes lateralongcameHop theclown,withhisdog,Swizzle.

Evilnewstravelsfast.He,too,hadheardahumorthatBlossomhaddesertedthecircus.TheDoctor triedagaintoexcusetheringmaster,andinsistedthathebenotsuspectedtillproofwasobtained.

Then, rather awkwardly and without much interest, the conversationcontinuedabouttheweather.

Next, thePintoBrothers, trapeze artists, arrivedwithmackintoshes thrownovertheirgawdytights.TheyalsowantedtoknowwhereBlossomwas,andwhytheyhadn’treceivedthepaywhichtheyhadbeenpromisedwouldbegiventhemthismorning.

“ThePintoBrothersarrived”TheDoctor,growingmoreandmoredistressed,hopingBlossomwouldturn

upanyminute,begantofindithardtokeepthetalkonanyothersubjectbutthemysteriousdisappearanceofthemanager.

Atlasttheforemanofthetentriggersjoinedthecircle.“It looksrummytome,”hesaidwhenhehadbeentoldall therewastobe

told—“Igot threechildrenandawife tokeep. ‘Oware theygoing to live if Idon’tgetnowages?Mymissusain’tgotenoughfoodinthewagonforanothermeal.”

“Yes,”saidoneofthePintoBrothers.“Andwegotanewbabyinmyfamily.IfBlossom’srunningoffwiththemoneyweoughttoletthepoliceknow.”

“Butwehavenoproofhe is runningoff,”said theDoctor.“Hemayarriveanyminute.”

“Andhemaynot,Doctor,”Herculesputin.“Ifheisaqueerone,bythetimeyougetyourproofhe’llbeinChina,maybe—wherenobodycangetathim.It’snearly six now. The Pintos are right. What are we standing around here for,guessingandwondering?AtleastweoughttosendsomebodyintoManchestertofindoutwhatwecan.”

“Ihavesentsomebodyin,”saidtheDoctor.“MatthewMugg,myassistant,hasgone.”

“Humph!”saidoneoftheacrobats.“Soyougotkindofsuspiciousyourself,Doctor,eh?Whattimedidyousendhim?”

TheDoctorlookedathiswatchagain.“Aboutfourhoursago,”saidhe.“Timetogetthereandback,”gruntedHercules.“‘Ecouldn’tfindnotraceof

‘im,I’llwarrant.Boys,itlookstomelikewewasditched,allright….Lord!IwishIhad‘imhere.I’dmakeMr.Blossomlooklikethelastroseofasummer.”

Andthestrongman’sham-likehandswentthroughtheactionoftwistingthetopoffsomething.

“But‘e’sleftanawfullotofpropertybehind,”saidthetent-rigger.“Idon’tyetunderstandwhatmade‘imskipatthisstageofthegame.”

“What e’ left behind—besides unpaid bills,” said Hercules, “ain’t nothingcompared with what ‘e took with ‘im. ‘Eaven only knows what ‘e got fromBellamyfortheDoctor’sshow—biggesttakingsthisoutfiteversaw.Andall‘egiveuswasexcuses—keptputtin’offpayin’usforsomefakereasonorother—forthreeweeksback.Ireckon‘e‘aditin‘ismindtoclearoutallthetime—‘aditplannedassoonas‘esawabighaulinsight.”

“Well,whatarewegoingtodo?”askedHop.“Yes,that’sthequestion,”saidthePintos.“Whatarewegoingtodonow?”“Wegottofindanothermanager,”saidHercules.“Someonetotakeoverthe

outfitandgetusoutofthishole.”

THESIXTHCHAPTER-THEDOCTORBECOMESMANAGEROFTHECIRCUS

Itwascurioustoseehow,assoonasthestrongmanspokeofanewmanager,alltheeyesofthelittlecrowdgatheredinthewagonturneduponJohnDolittle.

“Doctor,”saidHercules,“it looks tomelikeyou’dgot tobe thenewboss.And if anybodywas to askme. I’ll say you’dmake a pretty good one. Howaboutit,boys?”

“Aye!Aye!”theyallcried.“TheDoc’stheman.”“Thatbeingthecase,”saidHercules,“inthenameofthestaffoftheGreatest

Show on Earth, I present you, Doctor, with the circus of the late lamentedAlexanderBlossom.Fromnowon,withus,yourwordislaw.”

“But—goodheavens!”theDoctorstammered.“Idon’tknowanythingaboutcircusmanagement,and,besides,I—”

“‘ButIdon’tknowanythingaboutcircusmanagement!’”“Oh,yes,youdo,”Herculesbroke in. “Wasn’t it youractwithBeppo that

madethebigweekatBridgeton?Andwasn’tityouwhatgotthecircusbroughttoManchester?Why,blessme,youcantalk to thebloomin’animals!Weain’tworried.Meself,I’veakindofanideawe’llmakemoremoneyunderyouthaneverwemade—orlost—underBlossom.Yougoaheadandmanage.”

“Yes,” said Hop. “That’s right, Doctor. Lord only knows what’s going tohappentousifyoudon’t.We’reinthesoup—deadbroke.Andyou’retheonetopullusout.”

For a full minute the Doctor did not answer—just sat, thinking, on hispackingcase.Atlasthelookedaroundatthemiserablewaitinggroupandsaid:

“Very well. I had not intended going into this business for long when Istarted.ButIcertainlycan’tgetoutofitnow—notonlyonyouraccount,butonaccountofmyownanimalsandmyresponsibilitytothem.ForI,too,am—er—deadbroke.Ifyouwantmetomanageforyou,I’lltryit.ButI’mgoingtodoitalittle differently from Blossom’s way. I’m going to run the circus on acooperative basis—that is, instead ofwages,wewill all take our share of themoneymade,afterexpensesarepaid.Thatmeansthatwhenbusinessisbadyouwillgetvery little—mayevenhavetopaya little;andwhenbusiness isgoodyou will do well. Also, I claim the right to dismiss anyone from the circus

withoutnoticeatanymoment.”“That’s the idea!” saidHercules. “That’s thewayacircus shouldbe run—

everybodypartnersinthebusiness,butonemanboss.”“Butlisten,”saidtheDoctor.“Forthebeginningit’sgoingtobehardwork

andverylittlemoney.Wehaven’tgotacentinhand,anduntiltherainstopsweshan’tmakeapenny.What’sworse,wewillprobablyrunintodebtforawhile—supposing,even,thatwecangetanybodytogiveussuppliesoncredit.Areyouwilling?”

“You bet we are!” … “We’re with you, Doc!” … “Nobody’s going togrumble!” … “You’re the right boss!” they cried. And immediately theappearanceof thewholecrowdhadchanged frommiserablegloom tohopefulsmilesandenthusiasm.

InthemidstofthisarrivedMatthewMugg,withMr.Bellamyhimself.“I’mterriblysorrytohearofthis,”saidMr.Bellamy,addressingtheDoctor.

“Igave that scoundrelBlossomtwo thousandpounds.Hehasclearedoutwiththewhole lot, it seems—even left tradespeopleunpaid in the city. Itwas theircoming tome that first toldme of his crookedness; and then yourMr.Muggarrived.I’veputthepoliceonBlossom’strial,butIdon’tthinkthere’stheleastchance of their catching him.You had better come back toManchester, and Iwill give you space at theAmphitheatre pack until you havemade enough tocarryon.”

“Hooray!” yelled Hop. “And, look, the rain has stopped! Our luck haschanged.HoorayfortheDolittleCircus.”

“Pardonme!” said a small, polite voice from the door. “IsDoctorDolittlehere?”

Everyone turned;and therestooda smallman in theentrance.Behindhimthesunwasnowshiningbrightly.

“IamJohnDolittle,”saidtheDoctor.“Howdoyoudo,”saidthelittleman.“Ihavebeensentonaspecialmission

by a firm of theatrical producers. I am instructed tomake you an offer. Theywish you to bring your troupe to London next month—if you have not beenalreadybooked.”

“Hah!”criedHercules.“WhatdidItellyou,boys?Firstminutehe’smanagerhegetsanofferfromManchesterandanotherfromLondon.ThreecheersfortheDoctor!”

Itwas a day of great rejoicing for both the animals and the people of thecircus when the Doctor took over themanagement. As soon as the news gotaround the enclosure tent-riggers, stable boys, performers—everybody, in fact,whowaspartoftheestablishment—cametotheDoctortocongratulatehimand

tosayhowgladtheyweretobeunderhisdirection.Withthestoppingoftherainageneralcheerfulnessandhustlebegan.Andtheveryfirst thingdonewas thetakingdownof the“Blossom’sMammothCircus”signover themainentranceand erecting in its place the “Dolittle Circus”— amoremodest title, but onewhich was to become far greater and better known than Blossom’s had everbeen.

“Puttingupthenewsign”Mr.Bellomywasverykind.RealizingthattheDoctorandeveryonehadbeen

leftpracticallypenniless,heofferedtohelpthenewmanagementwithloansofmoneyorinanyotherwayhecould.However,JohnDolittlewasmostanxioustoavoidgettingthecircusfurtherintodebtthanitalreadywas,andallheaskedofMr.Bellamywastovisitsomeofthetradespeopleofthistownwithhimandaskthemtogivehimcredit,totrusthimforawhile.Mr.Bellamywas,ofcourse,verywell known formiles andmiles aroundManchester.And the local corn-dealer,grocer,butcherandtherestwereperfectlywilling,whenheaskedthem,togivetheDoctorprovisionsandtowaitfortheirmoneytillthecircushadmadeenoughtopayitsbills.

For the same reason, to avoid getting into debt, theDoctor decided not tomove back toManchester, but to keep the showwhere itwas for the present.Andwithbetterweathertheattendancesoonbegantobequiteconsiderable.Mr.Bellamy’s arrival and his visit to the tradespeople of the town were a good

advertisement for the Dolittle Circus. Another advertisement better still was,curiouslyenough,Blossom’stheftanddisappearance.Nosoonerhaditbecomeknown in Manchester that the ringmaster had run away with a large sum ofmoneythanthenewspaperstookitupandwrotelongstoriesofhowthefamousPuddlebyPantomimehadbeenrobbedandleftstrandedinasmalltowntwelvemilesfromthecity.Thestorywasreprintedincountrypapers.AndsuddenlythepeopleofthissamesmalltownwokeuptothefactthattheyhadthePuddlebyPantomimeintheirmidstandhadn’tnoticedit(onaccountoftherain)tilltheyreadofitinthepapers.

Then, of course, everybody began talking of the robbery and everybodywanted to go and see the pantomime and the Doctor and the famous animalactorswho hadmade such a sensation inManchester.And the next thing thewholetownwastrampinginatthegatesoftheDolittleCircus.

AsIhavesaid, itwasnota large town,but for the threedays thebusinesswasgoodenoughtoenable theDoctor topayall thebillsoffandtobuymoreprovisions on which to keep going. There was even a little over to payeverybodyasmall—verysmall—amountofwages.

Too-Too,theexpertaccountant,wasbusiernowthanhehadeverbeen.Fornotonlydidhekeeprecordofhowmuchthepushmi-pullyumade,buthekeptthe books for the whole circus. This, with the Doctor’s new “cooperative*”arrangement, was no easy task. Strict account of all money paid out totradespeoplehad tobecarefullyentered,and theprofits leftdividedamongallthe people of the circus in proportion to the amount of work they did. Forinstance,someofthetent-riggersandwagon-driverswhoreallyonlyworkedoneortwodaysaweekdidnotgetsolargeashareasthesideshowperformerswhowereatworkalltheweek.Buteveryonegotmorewhenbusinesswasgood,andlesswhenitwasbad.

AlthoughnearlythewholestaffweregladtohavetheDoctor’smanagementandwillinglystayedonwiththecircuseveninthedistressfulconditionsunderwhich the new management began, there were, nevertheless, one or twomalcontentswhowantedlargewagesrightawaybeforethedebtsandbillswerepaid.These, as amatter of fact,were people that theDoctorwas glad to partwithanyway.Andassoonashecouldraisethemoneytopaythemoffhesentthemabouttheirbusiness.TheDolittleCircusbegan,inconsequence,somewhatsmaller than theBlossomCircusended,but itbeganalongstrictlyhonest linesandwitheverymanandanimalinitunited,hopefulandcontentedunderthenewmanagement.

THESEVENTHCHAPTER-MATTHEWMUGG,ASSISTANTMANAGER

Anothermember of the staff, besidesToo-Too, the accountant, to bemorethanusuallyoccupiedinthefirstdaysoftheDolittleCircuswasDab-Dab,thehousekeeper.

“Youknow,”saidshetoToo-TooandJiponenight,“allthislooksverynice—andIcertainlydon’twanttobeakill-joy—butIwishwehadsomeoneelsebesides theDoctor to takecareof thebusinessendof things.He is finewhereworking out of new animal shows is concerned. As a stage manager no onecould be better. But I know what’s going to happen: all the other partners,Hercules and Hop and the Pintos and the rest, are going to get rich; and theDoctorisgoingtostaypoor.Why,onlylastnighthewastalkingaboutsendingthe opossum back to Virginia. He wants to climb trees, it seems—in themoonlight—andwehaven’tgottherightkindoftreesormoonlighthere.ItoldhimthemooninEnglandisjustasgoodasitisinVirginia.Buthesaysitisn’t—notgreenenough.Heavenonlyknowshowmuchhis ticket toAmericawouldcost.YetI’mcertainthatassoonastheDoctorhasthepriceofithe’llsendhim.Hespokeofthelionandtheleopard,too—saysthebighuntinganimalsshouldnever be kept in confinement. I do wish we had some other man as well—somebodywith goodbusiness sense—who could keep an eye on theDoctor’sschemes.”

“Iquiteagreewithyou,”saidJip.“ButIhavegreathopesofMatthewMugg,myself.Heisn’tnearlysuchafoolashelooks.”

“He’saverykindfellow,”Swizzleputin.“AlmosteverytimehemeetsmeorTobyhepullsaboneorsomethingoutofhispocketandgivesittous.”

“Oh,yes,” said Jip.“Thatused tobehisprofession—cat’s-meat-man,youknow.Hehas agoodheart.And I think,Dab-Dab,you’ll findhehas aprettygood business head, too. It was he who arranged about the next three townswe’regoingto.TheDoctordidn’tknowhowtobookthecircusaheadorwheretogonextoranythingabout touringacircusaroundthecountry.HeconsultedMatthew.AndMuggwentoffatoncetothenexttownandfoundoutwhenthefairweekwasusuallyheldandarrangedfor foddersupplyandrentingashowgroundandeverything.Andhe’sjustcrazyaboutthecircusbusiness.I’veoftenheardhimboastingtogipsiesandthelikealongtheroadthathe’sthepartnerofJohnDolittle,M.D.—thefamousshowman.Heknowshowtoadvertise,too—and that’s important in thisgame. ItwasMatthewwhogot theDoctor tohavethose big posters printed. I hear they’re already stuck up in every street in

Tilmouth, our next town. Yes, I’m quite helpful aboutMatthew. He’s a goodman.”

TheDolittleCircuswasanentirelynewkindofcircus.Nowthathehadthecontrol of things in his own hands the Doctor proceeded to bring about thereformsandchanges thathehadsooftenwished for in thedaysofBlossom’smanagement.

Itwas,asJiphadsaid,agoodthingthatMatthewwastheretokeepaneyeon theDoctor.Otherwisehewouldmost likelyhavebegunby lettinghisnewideas run awaywith him.Certainly the average circus-going public had neverseenanythinglikehisshowbefore.Foronething,JohnDolittleinsistedonthestrictestpolitenessfromallattendants.Foranother,hewouldallownoformofmisrepresentation, as he called it. Ordinarily, circus folk had often beenaccustomed to say that their shows were “the greatest on earth,” that theiranimalswere“theonlyones incaptivity”—orsomethingsimilarlyextravagantandexaggerated.

ThistheDoctorwouldnotpermit.Hesaidhewantedeverythingadvertisedjustasitwas,inorderthatthepublicshouldnotbemisledorcheatedintopayingtoseesomethingwhichtheydidn’tsee.Tothis,atthebeginning,MatthewMuggobjected.He said you could never get a good crowdunless you “played it upbig.” But he soon found that the Doctor was right. When the people got torealize that whatever was promised in the Dolittle advertisements would beactually provided, the new circus earned a reputation for honesty that broughtpeopleinawaythatnothingelsewould.

Another thing that worried Matthew in the first days of the Doctor’smanagementwashisinsistenceonprovidingtea,free,forthepublic.

“Why,Doctor,”hesaid,“you’llberuined!Youcan’tserveteaforthousandsof peoplewithout charging them for it. This ain’t a hotel—or aWidow’s andOrphans’Home!

“Matthew,”saidtheDoctor,“thepeoplewhocometovisitmyshoware,inaway, my guests. Some of them come long distances— with babies to carry.Afternoontea isanicecustom.Ihate togowithout itmyself. Itwon’tcostsomuchwhenwebuytheteaandsugarbythehundredweight.Theodosiacanmakeit.”

So afternoon tea for all visitors became an institution. And shortly afteranotheronewasadded:thatoffreepacketsofpeppermintsforthechildren.Andwhat theDoctor prophesied came true. In one townwhere theDolittleCircuscrossedpathswithanother,amuchbiggershow,theDoctor’sconcerndidtwicethebusinessthattheotheronedid,becausethepeopleknewthatthey’dbegiventeaandtreatedhonestlyandpolitely.

“Freepacketsofpeppermintsforthechildren”

THEEIGHTHCHAPTER-THEDOLITTLECIRCUS

Itwas sixweeks before the showwas due to appear in London. The firsttown to be visited on the way there was Tilmouth. And it was here that theDoctoroncemoregotputinprison—butonlyforonenight.Thisishowitcameabout.

Theanimals,asIhavesaid,were,ifanythingevenmorepleasedtoexchangeBlossomfortheDoctorasabossthanwerethehumanperformers.AndoneofthefirstthingsthatJohnDolittledid,assoonasalittleextramoneywasmade,wastogoroundandaskalltheanimalsiftheyhadanycomplaintstomake.Ofcourse,therewereplenty.Tobeginwith,nearlyeverycreatureinthemenageriewantedhisdenre-painted.SotheDoctorhadallthecagesdoneover,eachinthecolorsthatitsownerpreferred.

Not long after the Doctor had had the menagerie done up, he receivedanother complaint. This, indeed,was one that he had often heard before. Thelionandtheleopardwerewearyofconfinement.Theylongedtogetoutoftheir

narrowcagesandstretchtheirlegsinfreedom.“Well, you know,” said JohnDolittle, ‘myself, I don’t approve of keeping

youshutupatall.IfIhadmywayI’dshipyoubacktoAfricaandletyougofree in the jungle. But the trouble is the money. However, as soon as I getenoughtogetherIwillattendtoit.”

“Ifwe could only get out a fewminutes each day,” said the lion, lookingwistfullyovertheDoctor’sshouldertowardtherollinghillsofthecountryside,“itwouldn’tbesobad.”

“No,”saidtheleopard,“thatwouldmakelifebearable.Oh,I’msickofthefourwallsofthiswretchedbox!”

Thetoneoftheleopard’svoicewassopatheticandthelion’sfacesosadtheDoctorfeltthatsomethingjusthadtobedonerightaway.

“Lookhere,” he said, “if I let you out for a run every eveningwould youpromisemesomething?”

“Anything,”saidthetwotogether.“Wouldyoucomebackattheendofhalfanhour?Honestly?”“Wewould.”“Andwouldyoupromisesolemnlynottoeatmypeople?”“Onourwordofhonor.”“Allright,”saidtheDoctor.“TheneveryeveningaftertheshowisoverI’ll

openyourcagesandyoucanrunfreeforhalfanhour.”Sothis,too,liketheafternoonteaandthechildren’speppermints,becamea

customoftheDolittlecircus.Themenagerieanimalswereputupontheirhonorand allowed to run free every evening provided they came back of their ownaccord. It worked surprisingly well for quite a while. The show people soonrealizedthattheanimalswereactinguptotheirpromiseandcouldbetrustednottomolestanyone.AndevenTheodosiagotusedtotheideaofmeetingalionoraleopard roaming through the enclosure after dark on hisway back to his denwhenhiseveningrunwasover.

“It isquiteproper,”said theDoctor.“Idon’tknowwhyIdidn’t thinkof itbefore.Theyworkallday,thesameaswedo—beingonshow.Theydeservealittlefreedomandplaytimeatnight.”

Of course, the animals, when they went beyond the circus fence, werecarefultokeepoutofthewayofpeoplebecausetheydidn’twanttoscarethem—andpeople didn’t interest themanyway.Theywere, in fact, heartily sickofthem,having themgazingandstaring inat thecagesallday.Butoneeveningwhen the circus had moved to a new town a rather serious thing happened.MatthewcamerushingtotheDoctor’swagonaboutteno’clockandsaid:

“Governor,thelionhasn’tcomeback!Iwentroundtolockupjustnowand

foundthecageempty.Andit’smorethananhoursinceIlethimout.”“Goodheavens!” cried theDoctor, jumpingup anddashingoff toward the

menagerie with Matthew at his heels, “I wonder what’s wrong. He certainlywouldn’t have run away after givingme his promise. I hope no accident hashappenedtohim.”

Onreachingthemenagerie,theDoctorwenttotheleopard’scageandaskedhimifheknewwherethelionwas.

“I think hemust have got lost, Doctor,” said the leopard. “We started outtogetherandwentforastrollacrossthatmoortotheeastward.Butitwasnewcountrytous.Wecametoastreamandcouldn’tgetacross.Hewentupstreamand Iwent down, looking for a shallowplacewherewe couldget over to theother side. I had no luck.The streamgotwider and deeper the further Iwentalongthebank.ThenIheardthechurchclockstrikeandIrealizeditwastimetobe getting back. I expected to find the lion here when I got home. But hewasn’t.”

“Youdidn’tmeetanypeople?”theDoctorasked.“Notasoul,”saidtheleopard.“IpassedafarmbutIwentroundittoavoid

scaringanyone.He’llfindhiswayback.Don’tworry.”TheDoctor stayedupall thatnightwaiting for the lion to return.Heeven

went out into the country and hunted along the stream that the leopard hadspokenof.Butnotraceofthemissinganimalcouldhefound.

Morningcameandstillnolion.AndtheDoctorwasveryworried.However,theopeningofthecircuskepthismindoccupied.Thepeoplecamethronginginandgoodbusinessclaimedeveryone’sattention.

Atteatime,aswashiscustom,JohnDolittleactedashosttohisvisitorsandTheodosia was kept running back and forth waiting on the many little tablescrowdedwithholiday-makersintheirSundayclothes.

Suddenly,justastheDoctorwaspassingamongthetablestoofferaladyadishofcakes,hespiedMr.Lionstrollingintothecircusthroughthemaingate.Atthemomenteverybodywasbusyeatinganddrinking,andtheDoctorhopedthat the lion,whowasquietlymaking for themenagerie,would reachhis denbefore hewas seen by the guests. But, alas! a party, a farmer and his family,coming out of the side show, ran right into the lion before he got to themenagerie door. There was a scream from a farmer’s wife who grabbed herchildren and ran.The farmer threwhiswalking stick at the lion and also ran.Then for a couple of minutes pandemonium reigned.Women shrieked, tableswereoverturnedand finally some stupidperson in the crowd fired agun.Thepoorlion,thoroughlyfrightened,turnedaboutandranforhislife.

Theexcitementnowpartlydieddown,but thepeoplewerefar tooupset to

stayandenjoythecircusanyfurtherandverysoontheyallwentoffhomeandtheenclosurewasdeserted.

SoMr.Lion,afterhisbriefreappearance,wasagainmissing;andtheDoctorfearedthatnow,terrifiedathisreception,hewouldbehardertofindthanever.

John Dolittle was arranging search parties to go out and hunt when twopolicemen came to the circus and put himunder arrest.Hewas charged, theytold him, with keeping wild animals at large and endangering the public.Furthermore,thelion,itseemed,hadbrokenintoachickenyardandeatenallthechicken.As theDoctorwasmarchedthroughthe townto the jail theownerofthe chickens followed him, calling him names and telling him howmuch heowedhim.

TheDoctorspentthenightinprison.Butinthemeantimethelionhadtakenrefugeinthecellarofabakeryandneitherthebakernoranybodyelsedaredgodowntohim.Everybodyinthehousewasscaredtogotobed.Messagesweresenttothecircustosendsomeonetotakethelionaway.ButthewilyMatthewMugg,althoughheknewthe lionwaseasilyhandledby thosewhoknewhim,told thepeople that theDoctorwasonlyonewhodaredgonearhimand theybetterhurryupandlethimoutofjailiftheywantedtheliontakenaway.

SoearlythenextmorningtheycameandsettheDoctorfree.Thenhewentdownintothecellarandtalkedtothelion.

“I’mfearfullysorry,Doctor,”saidhe,“butIlosemywayoutonthatmoor.Iwanderedaroundallovertheplace.Anditwasn’tuntilthenextdaythatIfoundmy own tracks and made my way back to the circus. I tried to slip into themenagerie without being seen. But when that fool started firing a gun I gotscaredandranforit.”

“But the chickens?” said the Doctor. “I thought you promised me not tomolestanythingwhenyouwereout?”

“Ionlypromisednottoeatpeople,”saidthelion.“Ihadtoeatsomething.Iwasstarvedtodeathafterwanderingaroundthatmoorallnight.Howmucharetheychargingyouforthechicken?”

“Onepound, tenshillingsandsixpence,”said theDoctor.“Elevenathalfacrownapiece.”

“It’shighway robbery,” said the lion. “Theywere the toughestold things Ievertasted.AndanywayIonlyatenine.”

“Well, in future,” said theDoctor, “I think Ihadbetter accompanyyouonyourwalks.”

Thenheledthelionhome.Andtheterrifiedtownsfolkwatchedthroughthecracksof doors as thedread animal strolleddown the street as JohnDolittle’sheelsasmeekandquietasalamb.

“Heledthelionhome”AndnowthattheDoctorcouldgivetheanimalsthekindofconsiderationhe

wishedhereallyenjoyedthelifehimselfagooddeal.AndpoorDab-Dabbeganto feel that her chance of getting him away from it, back to his own life atPuddleby,grewdimmerandmoredistanteveryday.

JohnDolittle’s chief occupation in his spare timewas, as I have told you,thinkingoutnewandinterestinganimalshows.Andindoingthishealwayskeptthe children particularly in mind as an audience, and designed his plays andentertainmentsmoreforthemthanforthegrown-ups.ThesuccessoftheTalkingHorseand thePuddlebyPantomimeshowedhim thathisknowledgeofanimallanguagescouldbeputtogreatusehere.ThesnakeswhichhehadboughtfromFatima,forexample,werelatertrainedbyhimtogivealittleshowoftheirown.Insteadofasnake-charmer’stentwithastupidfatwomaninit,pretendingtobesomethingthatshewasn’t,theDolittleCircushadasideshowwherethesnakesgave their ownperformance, entirely unaidedby anyperson.To the tuneof amusic box they danced a very peculiar but graceful sort of dance. It wassomething likeamixturebetweenaquadrilleandagameofcat’scradle.Onalittle stage of their own they glided about on their tails in time to themusic,bowing to their partners, doing the grand chain, looping into knots with oneanother,drillinglikesoldiersanddoingahundredfascinatingthingsthatpeople

hadneverseensnakesdobefore.

“TheSnakes’Quadrille”Indeed,astimewenton,theDolittleCircus’sanimalsideshowswerealmost

without exception run independently by the animals themselves.Therewere agreatnumberof themandeachonewasdescriptiveof thatparticular animal’sspecial quality.The snakes’ entertainment, for instance,wasdesigned to showoff their gracefulness; for, in JohnDolittle’s opinion, the snake was themostgraceful creature in the world. The elephant, on the other hand, did feats ofstrength,insteadofsillybalancingtricksforwhichhewasn’tsuited.

“You don’t want people in an animal performance,” the Doctor said toMatthewoneday.“HerculesandHopandtheacrobats,they’redifferent.Thoseare shows,givenbypeople,where thehumanperformers are thewhole thing.Butwhat’s the sense in seeinga stupidman inuniformdrivinga lion throughhoopswithawhip?Peopleseemtothinkthatanimalshavenoideastoexpress.Ifthey’relefttothemselvestheycangivemuchbettershowsontheirown,oncethey’re told what kind of things amuse a human audience—especially in thefunny shows. The animal sense of humor is far superior to the human. Butpeoplearetoostupidtoseethefunninessofthingsthatanimalsdotoamuseoneanother. And inmost cases I have to bring them down to our level—to havethemmake their styleof jokes rather—er—crudeandbroad.Otherwisepeoplemightn’tunderstandthematall.”

And so, you see, the Dolittle Circus was indeed quite different from anyother. TheDoctor’s kind and hospitable treatment of all who came to see hisshowmadeitmorelikeasortoffamilygatheringthanastrictlybusinessmatter.

Therewerenorules,orhardlyany.Andiflittleboyswantedtosee“behindthescenes,”ortogointotheelephant’sstallandpethim,theywerepersonallyconductedwherevertheywishedtogo.Thisalonegavethecircusaqualityquiteindividual.Andwheneverthewagon-trainmovedonitsway,thechildrenwouldfollowitformilesalongtheroadandforweeksafterwouldtalkofnothingbutwhen it would come back again to visit their town. For children everywherewerebeginningtoregardtheDolittleCircusassomethingpeculiarlytheirown.

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