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little childrenthere was a doctor； and his name was Dolittle
John Dolittle； M。D。 〃M。D。〃 means that he was a proper doctor
and knew a whole lot。
He lived in a little town called； Puddleby…
on…the…Marsh。 All the folks； young and old；
knew him well by sight。 And whenever he
walked down the street in his high hat everyone
would say； 〃There goes the Doctor！He's
a clever man。〃 And the dogs and the children
would all run up and follow behind him； and
even the crows that lived in the church…tower
would caw and nod their heads。
The house he lived in； on the edge of the
town； was quite small； but his garden was very
large and had a wide lawn and stone seats and
weeping…willows hanging over。 His sister；
Sarah Dolittle； was housekeeper for him； but
the Doctor looked after the garden himself。
He was very fond of animals and kept many
kinds of pets。 Besides the gold…fish in the pond
at the bottom of his garden； he had rabbits in
the pantry； white mice in his piano； a squirrel
in the linen closet and a hedgehog in the cellar。
He had a cow with a calf too； and an old lame
horse…twenty…five years of ageand chickens；
and pigeons； and two lambs； and many other
animals。 But his favorite pets were Dab…Dab
the duck； Jip the dog； Gub…Gub the baby pig；
Polynesia the parrot； and the owl Too…Too。
His sister used to grumble about all these
animals and said they made the house untidy。
And one day when an old lady with rheumatism
came to see the Doctor； she sat on the hedgehog
who was sleeping on the sofa and never came
to see him any more； but drove every Saturday
all the way to Oxenthorpe； another town ten
miles off； to see a different doctor。
Then his sister； Sarah Dolittle； came to him
and said；
〃John； how can you expect sick people to
come and see you when you keep all these animals
in the house？ It's a fine doctor would have
his parlor full of hedgehogs and mice！ That's
the fourth personage these animals have driven
away。 Squire Jenkins and the Parson say they
wouldn't come near your house againno matter
how sick they are。 We are getting poorer
every day。 If you go on like this； none of the
best people will have you for a doctor。〃
〃But I like the animals better than the ‘best
people'；〃 said the Doctor。
〃You are ridiculous；〃 said his sister； and
walked out of the room。
So； as time went on； the Doctor got more and
more animals； and the people who came to see
him got less and less。 Till at last he had no one
leftexcept the Cat's…meat…Man； who didn't
mind any kind of animals。 But the Cat's…meat
Man wasn't very rich and he only got sick once
a yearat Christmas…time； when he used to give
the Doctor sixpence for a bottle of medicine。
Sixpence a year wasn't enough to live on
even in those days； long ago； and if the Doctor
hadn't had some money saved up in his money…
box； no one knows what would have happened。
And he kept on getting still more pets； and of
course it cost a lot to feed them。 And the money
he had saved up grew littler and littler。
Then he sold his piano； and let the mice live
in a bureau…drawer。 But the money he got for
that too began to go； so he sold the brown suit
he wore on Sundays and went on becoming
poorer and poorer。
And now； when he walked down the street
in his high hat； people would say to one another；
〃There goes John Dolittle； M。D。！ There was a
time when he was the best known doctor in the
West CountryLook at him nowHe hasn't
any money and his stockings are full of holes！〃
But the dogs and the cats and the children
still ran up and followed him through the town
the same as they had done when he was rich。
THE SECOND CHAPTER
ANIMAL LANGUAGE
IT happened one day that the Doctor was sitting in his kitchen talking
with the Cat's…meat…Man who had come to see him with a stomach…ache。
〃Why don't you give up being a people's doctor； and be an animal…doctor？〃
asked the Cat's…meat…Man。
The parrot； Polynesia； was sitting in the window
looking out at the rain and singing a sailor…song to herself。
She stopped singing and started to listen。
〃You see； Doctor；〃 the Cat's…meat…Man went
on； 〃you know all about animalsmuch more
than what these here vets do。 That book you
wroteabout cats； why； it's wonderful！ I can't
read or write myselfor maybe _I_'D write some
books。 But my wife； Theodosia； she's a scholar；
she is。 And she read your book to me。 Well；
it's wonderfulthat's all can be saidwonderful。
You might have been a cat yourself。 You
know the way they think。 And listen： you can
make a lot of money doctoring animals。 Do
you know that？ You see； I'd send all the old
women who had sick cats or dogs to you。 And
if they didn't get sick fast enough； I could put
something in the meat I sell 'em to make 'em
sick； see？〃
〃Oh； no；〃 said the Doctor quickly。 〃You
mustn't do that。 That wouldn't be right。〃
〃Oh； I didn't mean real sick；〃 answered the
Cat's…meat…Man。 〃Just a little something to
make them droopy…like was what I had reference
to。 But as you say； maybe it ain't quite
fair on the animals。 But they'll get sick
anyway； because the old women always give 'em too
much to eat。 And look； all the farmers 'round
about who had lame horses and weak lambs
they'd come。 Be an animal…doctor。〃
When the Cat's…meat…Man had gone the
parrot flew off the window on to the Doctor's table
and said；
〃That man's got sense。 That's what you
ought to do。 Be an animal…doctor。 Give the
silly people upif they haven't brains enough
to see you're the best doctor in the world。 Take
care of animals insteadTHEY'll soon find it out。
Be an animal…doctor。〃
〃Oh； there are plenty of animal…doctors；〃 said
John Dolittle； putting the flower…pots outside on
the window…sill to get the rain。
〃Yes； there ARE plenty；〃 said Polynesia。 〃But
none of them are any good at all。 Now listen；
Doctor； and I'll tell you something。 Did you
know that animals can talk？〃
〃I knew that parrots can talk；〃 said the Doctor。
〃Oh； we parrots can talk in two languages
people's language and bird…language；〃 said
Polynesia proudly。 〃If I say； ‘Polly wants a
cracker；' you understand me。 But hear this：
Ka…ka oi…ee； fee…fee？〃
〃Good Gracious！〃 cried the Doctor。 〃What
does that mean？〃
〃That means； ‘Is the porridge hot yet？'in
bird…language。〃
〃My！ You don't say so！〃 said the Doctor。
〃You never talked that way to me before。〃
〃What would have been the good？〃 said
Polynesia； dusting some cracker…crumbs off her
left wing。 〃You wouldn't have understood me
if I had。〃
〃Tell me some more；〃 said the Doctor； all
excited； and he rushed over to the dresser…drawer
and came back with the butcher's book and a
pencil。 〃Now don't go too fastand I'll write
it down。 This is interestingvery interesting