English
Onceuponatime,manyyearsagowhenourgrandfatherswerelittlechildren—therewasadoctor;andhisnamewasDolittle—JohnDolittle,M.D."M.D."meansthathewasaproperdoctorandknewawholelot.
Helivedinalittletowncalled,Puddleby–on–the–Marsh.
Allthefolks,youngandold,knewhimwellbysight.
Andwheneverhewalkeddownthestreetinhishighhateveryonewouldsay,"TheregoestheDoctor!—He'sacleverman."
Andthedogsandthechildrenwouldallrunupandfollowbehindhim;andeventhecrowsthatlivedinthechurch–towerwouldcawandnodtheirheads.
Thehousehelivedin,ontheedgeofthetown,wasquitesmall;buthisgardenwasverylargeandhadawidelawnandstoneseatsandweeping–willowshangingover.
Hissister,SarahDolittle,washousekeeperforhim;buttheDoctorlookedafterthegardenhimself.
Hewasveryfondofanimalsandkeptmanykindsofpets.
Besidesthegold–fishinthepondatthebottomofhisgarden,hehadrabbitsinthepantry,whitemiceinhispiano,asquirrelinthelinenclosetandahedgehoginthecellar.
Hehadacowwithacalftoo,andanoldlamehorse–twenty–fiveyearsofage—andchickens,andpigeons,andtwolambs,andmanyotheranimals.
ButhisfavoritepetswereDab–Dabtheduck,Jipthedog,Gub–Gubthebabypig,Polynesiatheparrot,andtheowlToo–Too.
Hissisterusedtogrumbleaboutalltheseanimalsandsaidtheymadethehouseuntidy.
AndonedaywhenanoldladywithrheumatismcametoseetheDoctor,shesatonthehedgehogwhowassleepingonthesofaandnevercametoseehimanymore,butdroveeverySaturdayallthewaytoOxenthorpe,anothertowntenmilesoff,toseeadifferentdoctor.
Thenhissister,SarahDolittle,cametohimandsaid,
"John,howcanyouexpectsickpeopletocomeandseeyouwhenyoukeepalltheseanimalsinthehouse?
It'safinedoctorwouldhavehisparlorfullofhedgehogsandmice!
That'sthefourthpersonagetheseanimalshavedrivenaway.
SquireJenkinsandtheParsonsaytheywouldn'tcomenearyourhouseagain—nomatterhowsicktheyare.Wearegettingpoorereveryday.
Ifyougoonlikethis,noneofthebestpeoplewillhaveyouforadoctor."
"ButIliketheanimalsbetterthanthe'bestpeople',"saidtheDoctor.
"Youareridiculous,"saidhissister,andwalkedoutoftheroom.
So,astimewenton,theDoctorgotmoreandmoreanimals;andthepeoplewhocametoseehimgotlessandless.
Tillatlasthehadnooneleft—excepttheCat's–meat–Man,whodidn'tmindanykindofanimals.
ButtheCat's–meatManwasn'tveryrichandheonlygotsickonceayear—atChristmas–time,whenheusedtogivetheDoctorsixpenceforabottleofmedicine.
Sixpenceayearwasn'tenoughtoliveon—eveninthosedays,longago;andiftheDoctorhadn'thadsomemoneysavedupinhismoney–box,nooneknowswhatwouldhavehappened.
Andhekeptongettingstillmorepets;andofcourseitcostalottofeedthem.Andthemoneyhehadsavedupgrewlittlerandlittler.
Thenhesoldhispiano,andletthemiceliveinabureau–drawer.Butthemoneyhegotforthattoobegantogo,sohesoldthebrownsuitheworeonSundaysandwentonbecomingpoorerandpoorer.
Andnow,whenhewalkeddownthestreetinhishighhat,peoplewouldsaytooneanother,"TheregoesJohnDolittle,M.D.!
TherewasatimewhenhewasthebestknowndoctorintheWestCountry—Lookathimnow—Hehasn'tanymoneyandhisstockingsarefullofholes!"
Butthedogsandthecatsandthechildrenstillranupandfollowedhimthroughthetown—thesameastheyhaddonewhenhewasrich.
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