AndsoonnowtheDoctorbegantomakemoneyagain;andhissister,Sarah,boughtanewdressandwashappy. SomeoftheanimalswhocametoseehimweresosickthattheyhadtostayattheDoctor'shouseforaweek. Andwhentheyweregettingbettertheyusedtositinchairsonthelawn. Andoftenevenaftertheygotwell,theydidnotwanttogoaway—theylikedtheDoctorandhishousesomuch. Andheneverhadthehearttorefusethemwhentheyaskediftheycouldstaywithhim. Sointhiswayhewentongettingmoreandmorepets. Oncewhenhewassittingonhisgardenwall,smokingapipeintheevening,anItalianorgan–grindercameroundwithamonkeyonastring. TheDoctorsawatoncethatthemonkey'scollarwastootightandthathewasdirtyandunhappy. SohetookthemonkeyawayfromtheItalian,gavethemanashillingandtoldhimtogo. Theorgan–grindergotawfullyangryandsaidthathewantedtokeepthemonkey. ButtheDoctortoldhimthatifhedidn'tgoawayhewouldpunchhimonthenose. JohnDolittlewasastrongman,thoughhewasn'tverytall. SotheItalianwentawaysayingrudethingsandthemonkeystayedwithDoctorDolittleandhadagoodhome. Theotheranimalsinthehousecalledhim"Chee–Chee"—whichisacommonwordinmonkey–language,meaning"ginger." Andanothertime,whenthecircuscametoPuddleby,thecrocodilewhohadabadtooth–acheescapedatnightandcameintotheDoctor'sgarden. TheDoctortalkedtohimincrocodile–languageandtookhimintothehouseandmadehistoothbetter. Butwhenthecrocodilesawwhatanicehouseitwas—withallthedifferentplacesforthedifferentkindsofanimals—hetoowantedtolivewiththeDoctor. Heaskedcouldn'thesleepinthefish–pondatthebottomofthegarden,ifhepromisednottoeatthefish. Whenthecircus–mencametotakehimbackhegotsowildandsavagethathefrightenedthemaway. Buttoeveryoneinthehousehewasalwaysasgentleasakitten. Butnowtheoldladiesgrewafraidtosendtheirlap–dogstoDoctorDolittlebecauseofthecrocodile;andthefarmerswouldn'tbelievethathewouldnoteatthelambsandsickcalvestheybroughttobecured. SotheDoctorwenttothecrocodileandtoldhimhemustgobacktohiscircus. Butheweptsuchbigtears,andbeggedsohardtobeallowedtostay,thattheDoctorhadn'tthehearttoturnhimout. SothentheDoctor'ssistercametohimandsaid,"John,youmustsendthatcreatureaway. Nowthefarmersandtheoldladiesareafraidtosendtheiranimalstoyou—justaswewerebeginningtobewelloffagain.Nowweshallberuinedentirely.Thisisthelaststraw. Iwillnolongerbehousekeeperforyouifyoudon'tsendawaythatalligator." "Itisn'tanalligator,"saidtheDoctor—"it'sacrocodile." "Idon'tcarewhatyoucallit,"saidhissister."It'sanastythingtofindunderthebed.Iwon'thaveitinthehouse." "Buthehaspromisedme,"theDoctoranswered,"thathewillnotbiteanyone. Hedoesn'tlikethecircus;andIhaven'tthemoneytosendhimbacktoAfricawherehecomesfrom. Hemindshisownbusinessandonthewholeisverywellbehaved.Don'tbesofussy." "ItellyouIWILLNOThavehimaround,"saidSarah."Heeatsthelinoleum.Ifyoudon'tsendhimawaythisminuteI'll—I'llgoandgetmarried!" "Allright,"saidtheDoctor,"goandgetmarried.Itcan'tbehelped."Andhetookdownhishatandwentoutintothegarden. SoSarahDolittlepackedupherthingsandwentoff;andtheDoctorwasleftallalonewithhisanimalfamily. Andverysoonhewaspoorerthanhehadeverbeenbefore. Withallthesemouthstofill,andthehousetolookafter,andnoonetodothemending,andnomoneycomingintopaythebutcher'sbill,thingsbegantolookverydifficult.ButtheDoctordidn'tworryatall. "Moneyisanuisance,"heusedtosay."We'dallbemuchbetteroffifithadneverbeeninvented.Whatdoesmoneymatter,solongaswearehappy?" Butsoontheanimalsthemselvesbegantogetworried. AndoneeveningwhentheDoctorwasasleepinhischairbeforethekitchen–firetheybegantalkingitoveramongthemselvesinwhispers. Andtheowl,Too–Too,whowasgoodatarithmetic,figureditoutthattherewasonlymoneyenoughlefttolastanotherweek—iftheyeachhadonemealadayandnomore. Thentheparrotsaid,"Ithinkwealloughttodothehouseworkourselves.Atleastwecandothatmuch.Afterall,itisforoursakesthattheoldmanfindshimselfsolonelyandsopoor." Soitwasagreedthatthemonkey,Chee–Chee,wastodothecookingandmending;thedogwastosweepthefloors;theduckwastodustandmakethebeds;theowl,Too–Too,wastokeeptheaccounts,andthepigwastodothegardening. TheymadePolynesia,theparrot,housekeeperandlaundress,becauseshewastheoldest. Ofcourseatfirsttheyallfoundtheirnewjobsveryhardtodo—allexceptChee–Chee,whohadhands,andcoulddothingslikeaman. Buttheysoongotusedtoit;andtheyusedtothinkitgreatfuntowatchJip,thedog,sweepinghistailoverthefloorwitharagtiedontoitforabroom. AfteralittletheygottodotheworksowellthattheDoctorsaidthathehadneverhadhishousekeptsotidyorsocleanbefore. Inthiswaythingswentalongallrightforawhile;butwithoutmoneytheyfounditveryhard. Thentheanimalsmadeavegetableandflowerstalloutsidethegarden–gateandsoldradishesandrosestothepeoplethatpassedbyalongtheroad. Butstilltheydidn'tseemtomakeenoughmoneytopayallthebills—andstilltheDoctorwouldn'tworry. Whentheparrotcametohimandtoldhimthatthefishmongerwouldn'tgivethemanymorefish,hesaid, "Nevermind.Solongasthehenslayeggsandthecowgivesmilkwecanhaveomelettesandjunket. Andthereareplentyofvegetablesleftinthegarden.TheWinterisstillalongwayoff.Don'tfuss. ThatwasthetroublewithSarah—shewouldfuss. IwonderhowSarah'sgettingon—anexcellentwoman—insomeways—Well,well!" Butthesnowcameearlierthanusualthatyear;andalthoughtheoldlamehorsehauledinplentyofwoodfromtheforestoutsidethetown,sotheycouldhaveabigfireinthekitchen,mostofthevegetablesinthegardenweregone,andtherestwerecoveredwithsnow;andmanyoftheanimalswerereallyhungry. 
