Whentheyhadgonealittlewaythroughthethickforesttheycametoawide,clearspace;andtheysawtheKing'spalacewhichwasmadeofmud. ThiswaswheretheKinglivedwithhisQueen,Ermintrude,andtheirson,PrinceBumpo. ThePrincewasawayfishingforsalmonintheriver. ButtheKingandQueenweresittingunderanumbrellabeforethepalacedoor.AndQueenErmintrudewasasleep. WhentheDoctorhadcomeuptothepalacetheKingaskedhimhisbusiness;andtheDoctortoldhimwhyhehadcometoAfrica. "Youmaynottravelthroughmylands,"saidtheKing. "Manyyearsagoawhitemancametotheseshores;andIwasverykindtohim. Butafterhehaddugholesinthegroundtogetthegold,andkilledalltheelephantstogettheirivorytusks,hewentawaysecretlyinhisship—withoutsomuchassaying'Thankyou.' NeveragainshallawhitemantravelthroughthelandsofJolliginki." ThentheKingturnedtosomeoftheblackmenwhowerestandingnearandsaid,"Takeawaythismedicine–man—withallhisanimals,andlockthemupinmystrongestprison." SosixoftheblackmenledtheDoctorandallhispetsawayandshutthemupinastonedungeon. Thedungeonhadonlyonelittlewindow,highupinthewall,withbarsinit;andthedoorwasstrongandthick. Thentheyallgrewverysad;andGub–Gub,thepig,begantocry.ButChee–Cheesaidhewouldspankhimifhedidn'tstopthathorriblenoise;andhekeptquiet. "Areweallhere?"askedtheDoctor,afterhehadgotusedtothedimlight. "Yes,Ithinkso,"saidtheduckandstartedtocountthem. "Where'sPolynesia?"askedthecrocodile."Sheisn'there." "Areyousure?"saidtheDoctor."Lookagain.Polynesia!Polynesia!Whereareyou?" "Isupposesheescaped,"grumbledthecrocodile."Well,that'sjustlikeher!—Sneakedoffintothejungleassoonasherfriendsgotintotrouble." "I'mnotthatkindofabird,"saidtheparrot,climbingoutofthepocketinthetailoftheDoctor'scoat. "Yousee,I'msmallenoughtogetthroughthebarsofthatwindow;andIwasafraidtheywouldputmeinacageinstead. SowhiletheKingwasbusytalking,IhidintheDoctor'spocket—andhereIam! That'swhatyoucalla'ruse,'"shesaid,smoothingdownherfeatherswithherbeak. "GoodGracious!"criedtheDoctor."You'reluckyIdidn'tsitonyou." "Nowlisten,"saidPolynesia,"to–night,assoonasitgetsdark,Iamgoingtocreepthroughthebarsofthatwindowandflyovertothepalace. Andthen—you'llsee—I'llsoonfindawaytomaketheKingletusalloutofprison." "Oh,whatcanYOUdo?"saidGub–Gub,turninguphisnoseandbeginningtocryagain."You'reonlyabird!" "Quitetrue,"saidtheparrot."ButdonotforgetthatalthoughIamonlyabird,ICANTALKLIKEAMAN—andIknowthesepeople." Sothatnight,whenthemoonwasshiningthroughthepalm–treesandalltheKing'smenwereasleep,theparrotslippedoutthroughthebarsoftheprisonandflewacrosstothepalace. Thepantrywindowhadbeenbrokenbyatennisballtheweekbefore;andPolynesiapoppedinthroughtheholeintheglass. SheheardPrinceBumposnoringinhisbed–roomatthebackofthepalace.Thenshetip–toedupthestairstillshecametotheKing'sbedroom.Sheopenedthedoorgentlyandpeepedin. TheQueenwasawayatadancethatnightathercousin's;buttheKingwasinbedfastasleep. Polynesiacreptin,verysoftly,andgotunderthebed. Thenshecoughed—justthewayDoctorDolittleusedtocough.Polynesiacouldmimicanyone. TheKingopenedhiseyesandsaidsleepily:"Isthatyou,Ermintrude?"(HethoughtitwastheQueencomebackfromthedance.) Thentheparrotcoughedagain—loud,likeaman.AndtheKingsatup,wideawake,andsaid,"Who'sthat?" "IamDoctorDolittle,"saidtheparrot—justthewaytheDoctorwouldhavesaidit. "Whatareyoudoinginmybedroom?"criedtheKing."Howdareyougetoutofprison!Whereareyou?—Idon'tseeyou." Buttheparrotjustlaughed—along,deepjollylaugh,liketheDoctor's. "Stoplaughingandcomehereatonce,soIcanseeyou,"saidtheKing. "FoolishKing!"answeredPolynesia. "HaveyouforgottenthatyouaretalkingtoJohnDolittle,M.D.—themostwonderfulmanonearth?Ofcourseyoucannotseeme.Ihavemademyselfinvisible.ThereisnothingIcannotdo. Nowlisten:Ihavecomehereto–nighttowarnyou. Ifyoudon'tletmeandmyanimalstravelthroughyourkingdom,Iwillmakeyouandallyourpeoplesicklikethemonkeys. ForIcanmakepeoplewell:andIcanmakepeopleill—justbyraisingmylittlefinger. Sendyoursoldiersatoncetoopenthedungeondoor,oryoushallhavemumpsbeforethemorningsunhasrisenonthehillsofJolliginki." ThentheKingbegantotrembleandwasverymuchafraid. "Doctor,"hecried,"itshallbeasyousay.Donotraiseyourlittlefinger,please!"Andhejumpedoutofbedandrantotellthesoldierstoopentheprisondoor. Assoonashewasgone,Polynesiacreptdownstairsandleftthepalacebythepantrywindow. ButtheQueen,whowasjustlettingherselfinatthebackdoorwithalatch–key,sawtheparrotgettingoutthroughthebrokenglass.AndwhentheKingcamebacktobedshetoldhimwhatshehadseen. ThentheKingunderstoodthathehadbeentricked,andhewasdreadfullyangry.Hehurriedbacktotheprisonatonce Buthewastoolate.Thedoorstoodopen.Thedungeonwasempty.TheDoctorandallhisanimalsweregone. 
