IthappenedonedaythattheDoctorwassittinginhiskitchentalkingwiththeCat's–meat–Manwhohadcometoseehimwithastomach–ache. "Whydon'tyougiveupbeingapeople'sdoctor,andbeananimal–doctor?"askedtheCat's–meat–Man. Theparrot,Polynesia,wassittinginthewindowlookingoutattherainandsingingasailor–songtoherself.Shestoppedsingingandstartedtolisten. "Yousee,Doctor,"theCat's–meat–Manwenton,"youknowallaboutanimals—muchmorethanwhattheseherevetsdo. Thatbookyouwrote—aboutcats,why,it'swonderful! Ican'treadorwritemyself—ormaybeI'Dwritesomebooks. Butmywife,Theodosia,she'sascholar,sheis.Andshereadyourbooktome. Well,it'swonderful—that'sallcanbesaid—wonderful.Youmighthavebeenacatyourself.Youknowthewaytheythink. Andlisten:youcanmakealotofmoneydoctoringanimals.Doyouknowthat? Yousee,I'dsendalltheoldwomenwhohadsickcatsordogstoyou. Andiftheydidn'tgetsickfastenough,IcouldputsomethinginthemeatIsell'emtomake'emsick,see?" "Oh,no,"saidtheDoctorquickly."Youmustn'tdothat.Thatwouldn'tberight." "Oh,Ididn'tmeanrealsick,"answeredtheCat's–meat–Man. "Justalittlesomethingtomakethemdroopy–likewaswhatIhadreferenceto. Butasyousay,maybeitain'tquitefairontheanimals. Butthey'llgetsickanyway,becausetheoldwomenalwaysgive'emtoomuchtoeat. Andlook,allthefarmers'roundaboutwhohadlamehorsesandweaklambs—they'dcome.Beananimal–doctor." WhentheCat's–meat–ManhadgonetheparrotflewoffthewindowontotheDoctor'stableandsaid, "Thatman'sgotsense.That'swhatyououghttodo.Beananimal–doctor. Givethesillypeopleup—iftheyhaven'tbrainsenoughtoseeyou'rethebestdoctorintheworld. Takecareofanimalsinstead—THEY'llsoonfinditout.Beananimal–doctor." "Oh,thereareplentyofanimal–doctors,"saidJohnDolittle,puttingtheflower–potsoutsideonthewindow–silltogettherain. "Yes,thereAREplenty,"saidPolynesia."Butnoneofthemareanygoodatall.Nowlisten,Doctor,andI'lltellyousomething.Didyouknowthatanimalscantalk?" "Iknewthatparrotscantalk,"saidtheDoctor. "Oh,weparrotscantalkintwolanguages—people'slanguageandbird–language,"saidPolynesiaproudly."IfIsay,'Pollywantsacracker,'youunderstandme.Buthearthis:Ka–kaoi–ee,fee–fee?" "GoodGracious!"criedtheDoctor."Whatdoesthatmean?" "Thatmeans,'Istheporridgehotyet?'—inbird–language." "My!Youdon'tsayso!"saidtheDoctor."Younevertalkedthatwaytomebefore." "Whatwouldhavebeenthegood?"saidPolynesia,dustingsomecracker–crumbsoffherleftwing."Youwouldn'thaveunderstoodmeifIhad." "Tellmesomemore,"saidtheDoctor,allexcited;andherushedovertothedresser–drawerandcamebackwiththebutcher'sbookandapencil. "Nowdon'tgotoofast—andI'llwriteitdown. Thisisinteresting—veryinteresting—somethingquitenew. GivemetheBirds'A.B.C.first—slowlynow." SothatwasthewaytheDoctorcametoknowthatanimalshadalanguageoftheirownandcouldtalktooneanother. Andallthatafternoon,whileitwasraining,Polynesiasatonthekitchentablegivinghimbirdwordstoputdowninthebook. Attea–time,whenthedog,Jip,camein,theparrotsaidtotheDoctor,"See,HE'Stalkingtoyou." "Lookstomeasthoughhewerescratchinghisear,"saidtheDoctor. "Butanimalsdon'talwaysspeakwiththeirmouths,"saidtheparrotinahighvoice,raisinghereyebrows. "Theytalkwiththeirears,withtheirfeet,withtheirtails—witheverything. Sometimestheydon'tWANTtomakeanoise. Doyouseenowthewayhe'stwitchinguponesideofhisnose?" "What'sthatmean?"askedtheDoctor. "Thatmeans,'Can'tyouseethatithasstoppedraining?'"Polynesiaanswered."Heisaskingyouaquestion.Dogsnearlyalwaysusetheirnosesforaskingquestions." Afterawhile,withtheparrot'shelp,theDoctorgottolearnthelanguageoftheanimalssowellthathecouldtalktothemhimselfandunderstandeverythingtheysaid. Thenhegaveupbeingapeople'sdoctoraltogether. AssoonastheCat's–meat–ManhadtoldeveryonethatJohnDolittlewasgoingtobecomeananimal–doctor,oldladiesbegantobringhimtheirpetpugsandpoodleswhohadeatentoomuchcake;andfarmerscamemanymilestoshowhimsickcowsandsheep. Onedayaplow–horsewasbroughttohim;andthepoorthingwasterriblygladtofindamanwhocouldtalkinhorse–language. "Youknow,Doctor,"saidthehorse,"thatvetoverthehillknowsnothingatall. Hehasbeentreatingmesixweeksnow—forspavins.WhatIneedisSPECTACLES.Iamgoingblindinoneeye. There'snoreasonwhyhorsesshouldn'twearglasses,thesameaspeople. Butthatstupidmanoverthehillneverevenlookedatmyeyes.Hekeptongivingmebigpills. Itriedtotellhim;buthecouldn'tunderstandawordofhorse–language.WhatIneedisspectacles." "Ofcourse—ofcourse,"saidtheDoctor."I'llgetyousomeatonce." "Iwouldlikeapairlikeyours,"saidthehorse—"onlygreen.They'llkeepthesunoutofmyeyeswhileI'mplowingtheFifty–AcreField." "Certainly,"saidtheDoctor."Greenonesyoushallhave." "Youknow,thetroubleis,Sir,"saidtheplow–horseastheDoctoropenedthefrontdoortolethimout—"thetroubleisthatANYBODYthinkshecandoctoranimals—justbecausetheanimalsdon'tcomplain. Asamatteroffactittakesamuchcleverermantobeareallygoodanimal–doctorthanitdoestobeagoodpeople'sdoctor. Myfarmer'sboythinksheknowsallabouthorses. Iwishyoucouldseehim—hisfaceissofathelooksasthoughhehadnoeyes—andhehasgotasmuchbrainasapotato–bug. Hetriedtoputamustard–plasteronmelastweek." "Wheredidheputit?"askedtheDoctor. "Oh,hedidn'tputitanywhere—onme,"saidthehorse."Heonlytriedto.Ikickedhimintotheduck–pond." "Well,well!"saidtheDoctor. "I'maprettyquietcreatureasarule,"saidthehorse—"verypatientwithpeople—don'tmakemuchfuss. Butitwasbadenoughtohavethatvetgivingmethewrongmedicine. Andwhenthatred–facedboobystartedtomonkeywithme,Ijustcouldn'tbearitanymore." "Didyouhurttheboymuch?"askedtheDoctor. "Oh,no,"saidthehorse."Ikickedhimintherightplace.Thevet'slookingafterhimnow.Whenwillmyglassesbeready?" "I'llhavethemforyounextweek,"saidtheDoctor."ComeinagainTuesday—Goodmorning!" ThenJohnDolittlegotafine,bigpairofgreenspectacles;andtheplow–horsestoppedgoingblindinoneeyeandcouldseeaswellasever. Andsoonitbecameacommonsighttoseefarm–animalswearingglassesinthecountryroundPuddleby;andablindhorsewasathingunknown. Andsoitwaswithalltheotheranimalsthatwerebroughttohim. Assoonastheyfoundthathecouldtalktheirlanguage,theytoldhimwherethepainwasandhowtheyfelt,andofcourseitwaseasyforhimtocurethem. NowalltheseanimalswentbackandtoldtheirbrothersandfriendsthattherewasadoctorinthelittlehousewiththebiggardenwhoreallyWASadoctor. Andwheneveranycreaturesgotsick—notonlyhorsesandcowsanddogs—butallthelittlethingsofthefields,likeharvest–miceandwater–voles,badgersandbats,theycameatoncetohishouseontheedgeofthetown,sothathisbiggardenwasnearlyalwayscrowdedwithanimalstryingtogetintoseehim. Thereweresomanythatcamethathehadtohavespecialdoorsmadeforthedifferentkinds. Hewrote"HORSES"overthefrontdoor,"COWS"overthesidedoor,and"SHEEP"onthekitchendoor. Eachkindofanimalhadaseparatedoor—eventhemicehadatinytunnelmadeforthemintothecellar,wheretheywaitedpatientlyinrowsfortheDoctortocomeroundtothem. Andso,inafewyears'time,everylivingthingformilesandmilesgottoknowaboutJohnDolittle,M.D.AndthebirdswhoflewtoothercountriesinthewintertoldtheanimalsinforeignlandsofthewonderfuldoctorofPuddleby–on–the–Marsh,whocouldunderstandtheirtalkandhelpthemintheirtroubles. Inthiswayhebecamefamousamongtheanimals—allovertheworld—betterknowneventhanhehadbeenamongthefolksoftheWestCountry. Andhewashappyandlikedhislifeverymuch. OneafternoonwhentheDoctorwasbusywritinginabook,Polynesiasatinthewindow—asshenearlyalwaysdid—lookingoutattheleavesblowingaboutinthegarden.Presentlyshelaughedaloud. "Whatisit,Polynesia?"askedtheDoctor,lookingupfromhisbook. "Iwasjustthinking,"saidtheparrot;andshewentonlookingattheleaves. "Iwasthinkingaboutpeople,"saidPolynesia."Peoplemakemesick.Theythinkthey'resowonderful. Theworldhasbeengoingonnowforthousandsofyears,hasn'tit? Andtheonlythinginanimal–languagethatPEOPLEhavelearnedtounderstandisthatwhenadogwagshistailhemeans'I'mglad!'—It'sfunny,isn'tit? Youaretheveryfirstmantotalklikeus. Oh,sometimespeopleannoymedreadfully—suchairstheyputon—talkingabout'thedumbanimals.'DUMB!—Huh! WhyIknewamacawoncewhocouldsay'Goodmorning!' insevendifferentwayswithoutonceopeninghismouth.Hecouldtalkeverylanguage—andGreek. Anoldprofessorwithagraybeardboughthim.Buthedidn'tstay. Hesaidtheoldmandidn'ttalkGreekright,andhecouldn'tstandlisteningtohimteachthelanguagewrong.Ioftenwonderwhat'sbecomeofhim. Thatbirdknewmoregeographythanpeoplewilleverknow.—PEOPLE,Golly! Isupposeifpeopleeverlearntofly—likeanycommonhedge–sparrow—weshallneverheartheendofit!" "You'reawiseoldbird,"saidtheDoctor."Howoldareyoureally?Iknowthatparrotsandelephantssometimeslivetobevery,veryold." "Icanneverbequitesureofmyage,"saidPolynesia. "It'seitherahundredandeighty–threeorahundredandeighty–two. ButIknowthatwhenIfirstcameherefromAfrica,KingCharleswasstillhidingintheoak–tree—becauseIsawhim.Helookedscaredtodeath." 
