Pushmi–pullyusarenowextinct.Thatmeans,therearen'tanymore. Butlongago,whenDoctorDolittlewasalive,thereweresomeofthemstillleftinthedeepestjunglesofAfrica;andeventhentheywerevery,veryscarce. Theyhadnotail,butaheadateachend,andsharphornsoneachhead. Theywereveryshyandterriblyhardtocatch. Theblackmengetmostoftheiranimalsbysneakingupbehindthemwhiletheyarenotlooking. Butyoucouldnotdothiswiththepushmi–pullyu—because,nomatterwhichwayyoucametowardshim,hewasalwaysfacingyou. Andbesides,onlyonehalfofhimsleptatatime. Theotherheadwasalwaysawake—andwatching. ThiswaswhytheywerenevercaughtandneverseeninZoos. Thoughmanyofthegreatesthuntsmenandthecleverestmenagerie–keepersspentyearsoftheirlivessearchingthroughthejunglesinallweathersforpushmi–pullyus,notasingleonehadeverbeencaught. Eventhen,yearsago,hewastheonlyanimalintheworldwithtwoheads. Well,themonkeyssetouthuntingforthisanimalthroughtheforest. Andaftertheyhadgoneagoodmanymiles,oneofthemfoundpeculiarfootprintsneartheedgeofariver;andtheyknewthatapushmi–pullyumustbeverynearthatspot. Thentheywentalongthebankoftheriveralittlewayandtheysawaplacewherethegrasswashighandthick;andtheyguessedthathewasinthere. Sotheyalljoinedhandsandmadeagreatcircleroundthehighgrass. Thepushmi–pullyuheardthemcoming;andhetriedhardtobreakthroughtheringofmonkeys.Buthecouldn'tdoit. Whenhesawthatitwasnousetryingtoescape,hesatdownandwaitedtoseewhattheywanted. TheyaskedhimifhewouldgowithDoctorDolittleandbeputonshowintheLandoftheWhiteMen. Butheshookbothhisheadshardandsaid,"Certainlynot!" Theyexplainedtohimthathewouldnotbeshutupinamenageriebutwouldjustbelookedat. TheytoldhimthattheDoctorwasaverykindmanbuthadn'tanymoney;andpeoplewouldpaytoseeatwo–headedanimalandtheDoctorwouldgetrichandcouldpayfortheboathehadborrowedtocometoAfricain. Butheanswered,"No.YouknowhowshyIam—Ihatebeingstaredat."Andhealmostbegantocry. Thenforthreedaystheytriedtopersuadehim. AndattheendofthethirddayhesaidhewouldcomewiththemandseewhatkindofamantheDoctorwas,first. Sothemonkeystraveledbackwiththepushmi–pullyu.AndwhentheycametowheretheDoctor'slittlehouseofgrasswas,theyknockedonthedoor. Theduck,whowaspackingthetrunk,said,"Comein!" AndChee–CheeveryproudlytooktheanimalinsideandshowedhimtotheDoctor. "Whatintheworldisit?"askedJohnDolittle,gazingatthestrangecreature. "Lordsaveus!"criedtheduck."Howdoesitmakeupitsmind?" "Itdoesn'tlooktomeasthoughithadany,"saidJip,thedog. "This,Doctor,"saidChee–Chee,"isthepushmi–pullyu—therarestanimaloftheAfricanjungles,theonlytwo–headedbeastintheworld! Takehimhomewithyouandyourfortune'smade.Peoplewillpayanymoneytoseehim." "ButIdon'twantanymoney,"saidtheDoctor. "Yes,youdo,"saidDab–Dab,theduck."Don'tyourememberhowwehadtopinchandscrapetopaythebutcher'sbillinPuddleby? Andhowareyougoingtogetthesailorthenewboatyouspokeof—unlesswehavethemoneytobuyit?" "Iwasgoingtomakehimone,"saidtheDoctor. "Oh,dobesensible!"criedDab–Dab. "Wherewouldyougetallthewoodandthenailstomakeonewith? —Andbesides,whatarewegoingtoliveon? Weshallbepoorerthaneverwhenwegetback. Chee–Chee'sperfectlyright:takethefunny–lookingthingalong,do!" "Well,perhapsthereissomethinginwhatyousay,"murmuredtheDoctor."Itcertainlywouldmakeanicenewkindofpet.Butdoestheer—what–do–you–call–itreallywanttogoabroad?" "Yes,I'llgo,"saidthepushmi–pullyuwhosawatonce,fromtheDoctor'sface,thathewasamantobetrusted. "Youhavebeensokindtotheanimalshere—andthemonkeystellmethatIamtheonlyonewhowilldo. ButyoumustpromisemethatifIdonotlikeitintheLandoftheWhiteMenyouwillsendmeback." "Why,certainly—ofcourse,ofcourse,"saidtheDoctor."Excuseme,surelyyouarerelatedtotheDeerFamily,areyounot?" "Yes,"saidthepushmi–pullyu—"totheAbyssinianGazellesandtheAsiaticChamois—onmymother'sside.Myfather'sgreat–grandfatherwasthelastoftheUnicorns." "Mostinteresting!"murmuredtheDoctor;andhetookabookoutofthetrunkwhichDab–Dabwaspackingandbeganturningthepages."LetusseeifBuffonsaysanything—" "Inotice,"saidtheduck,"thatyouonlytalkwithoneofyourmouths.Can'ttheotherheadtalkaswell?" "Oh,yes,"saidthepushmi–pullyu."ButIkeeptheothermouthforeating—mostly.InthatwayIcantalkwhileIameatingwithoutbeingrude.Ourpeoplehavealwaysbeenverypolite." Whenthepackingwasfinishedandeverythingwasreadytostart,themonkeysgaveagrandpartyfortheDoctor,andalltheanimalsofthejunglecame. Andtheyhadpineapplesandmangoesandhoneyandallsortsofgoodthingstoeatanddrink. Aftertheyhadallfinishedeating,theDoctorgotupandsaid, "Myfriends:Iamnotcleveratspeakinglongwordsafterdinner,likesomemen;andIhavejusteatenmanyfruitsandmuchhoney. ButIwishtotellyouthatIamverysadatleavingyourbeautifulcountry. BecauseIhavethingstodointheLandoftheWhiteMen,Imustgo. AfterIhavegone,remembernevertoletthefliessettleonyourfoodbeforeyoueatit;anddonotsleeponthegroundwhentherainsarecoming. I—er—er—Ihopeyouwillalllivehappilyeverafter." WhentheDoctorstoppedspeakingandsatdown,allthemonkeysclappedtheirhandsalongtimeandsaidtooneanother,"Letitberememberedalwaysamongourpeoplethathesatandatewithus,here,underthetrees.ForsurelyheistheGreatestofMen!" AndtheGrandGorilla,whohadthestrengthofsevenhorsesinhishairyarms,rolledagreatrockuptotheheadofthetableandsaid, "Thisstoneforalltimeshallmarkthespot." Andeventothisday,intheheartoftheJungle,thatstonestillisthere. Andmonkey–mothers,passingthroughtheforestwiththeirfamilies,stillpointdownatitfromthebranchesandwhispertotheirchildren,"Sh! Thereitis—look—wheretheGoodWhiteMansatandatefoodwithusintheYearoftheGreatSickness!" Then,whenthepartywasover,theDoctorandhispetsstartedouttogobacktotheseashore. Andallthemonkeyswentwithhimasfarastheedgeoftheircountry,carryinghistrunkandbags,toseehimoff. 
