OneMondayafternoontowardstheendofAprilmyfatheraskedmetotakesomeshoeswhichhehadmendedtoahouseontheothersideofthetown. TheywereforaColonelBelloweswhowasveryparticular. Ifoundthehouseandrangthebellatthefrontdoor. TheColonelopenedit,stuckoutaveryredfaceandsaid,"Goroundtothetradesmen'sentrance—gotothebackdoor."Thenheslammedthedoorshut. Ifeltinclinedtothrowtheshoesintothemiddleofhisflower-bed. ButIthoughtmyfathermightbeangry,soIdidn't. Iwentroundtothebackdoor,andtheretheColonel'swifemetmeandtooktheshoesfromme. Shelookedatimidlittlewomanandhadherhandsalloverflourasthoughsheweremakingbread. SheseemedtobeterriblyafraidofherhusbandwhomIcouldstillhearstumpingroundthehousesomewhere,gruntingindignantlybecauseIhadcometothefrontdoor. ThensheaskedmeinawhisperifIwouldhaveabunandaglassofmilk.AndIsaid,"Yes,please." AfterIhadeatenthebunandmilk,IthankedtheColonel'swifeandcameaway. ThenIthoughtthatbeforeIwenthomeIwouldgoandseeiftheDoctorhadcomebackyet. Ihadbeentohishouseoncealreadythatmorning. ButIthoughtI'djustliketogoandtakeanotherlook. Mysquirrelwasn'tgettinganybetterandIwasbeginningtobeworriedabouthim. SoIturnedintotheOxenthorpeRoadandstartedofftowardstheDoctor'shouse.OnthewayInoticedthattheskywascloudingoverandthatitlookedasthoughitmightrain. Ireachedthegateandfounditstilllocked.Ifeltverydiscouraged. Ihadbeencominghereeverydayforaweeknow. Thedog,Jip,cametothegateandwaggedhistailasusual,andthensatdownandwatchedmecloselytoseethatIdidn'tgetin. IbegantofearthatmysquirrelwoulddiebeforetheDoctorcameback.Iturnedawaysadly,wentdownthestepsontotheroadandturnedtowardshomeagain. Iwonderedifitweresupper-timeyet.OfcourseIhadnowatchofmyown,butInoticedagentlemancomingtowardsmedowntheroad;andwhenhegotnearerIsawitwastheColoneloutforawalk. Hewasallwrappedupinsmartovercoatsandmufflersandbright-coloredgloves. Itwasnotaverycolddaybuthehadsomanyclothesonhelookedlikeapillowinsidearollofblankets. Iaskedhimifhewouldpleasetellmethetime. Hestopped,gruntedandglareddownatme—hisredfacegrowingredderstill;andwhenhespokeitsoundedlikethecorkcomingoutofagingerbeer-bottle. "Doyouimagineforonemoment,"hespluttered,"thatIamgoingtogetmyselfallunbuttonedjusttotellalittleboylikeyouTHETIME!" Andhewentstumpingdownthestreet,gruntingharderthanever. IstoodstillamomentlookingafterhimandwonderinghowoldIwouldhavetobe,tohavehimgotothetroubleofgettinghiswatchout.Andthen,allofasudden,theraincamedownintorrents. Ihaveneverseenitrainsohard.Itgotdark,almostlikenight. Thewindbegantoblow;thethunderrolled;thelightningflashed,andinamomenttheguttersoftheroadwereflowinglikeariver. Therewasnoplacehandytotakeshelter,soIputmyheaddownagainstthedrivingwindandstartedtoruntowardshome. Ihadn'tgoneveryfarwhenmyheadbumpedintosomethingsoftandIsatdownsuddenlyonthepavement.IlookeduptoseewhomIhadruninto. Andthereinfrontofme,sittingonthewetpavementlikemyself,wasalittleroundmanwithaverykindface. Heworeashabbyhighhatandinhishandhehadasmallblackbag. "I'mverysorry,"Isaid."IhadmyheaddownandIdidn'tseeyoucoming." Tomygreatsurprise,insteadofgettingangryatbeingknockeddown,thelittlemanbegantolaugh. "Youknowthisremindsme,"hesaid,"ofatimeoncewhenIwasinIndia. Iranfulltiltintoawomaninathunderstorm. ButshewascarryingapitcherofmolassesonherheadandIhadtreacleinmyhairforweeksafterwards—thefliesfollowedmeeverywhere.Ididn'thurtyou,didI?" "No,"Isaid."I'mallright." "Itwasjustasmuchmyfaultasitwasyours,youknow,"saidthelittleman. "Ihadmyheaddowntoo—butlookhere,wemustn'tsittalkinglikethis.Youmustbesoaked.IknowIam.Howfarhaveyougottogo?" "Myhomeisontheothersideofthetown,"Isaid,aswepickedourselvesup. "MyGoodness,butthatwasawetpavement!"saidhe."AndIdeclareit'scomingdownworsethanever.Comealongtomyhouseandgetdried.Astormlikethiscan'tlast." Hetookholdofmyhandandwestartedrunningbackdowntheroadtogether. AsweranIbegantowonderwhothisfunnylittlemancouldbe,andwherehelived. Iwasaperfectstrangertohim,andyethewastakingmetohisownhometogetdried. Suchachange,aftertheoldred-facedColonelwhohadrefusedeventotellmethetime!Presentlywestopped. Ilookeduptoseewherewewereandfoundmyselfbackatthefootofthestepsleadingtothelittlehousewiththebiggarden! Mynewfriendwasalreadyrunningupthestepsandopeningthegatewithsomekeyshetookfromhispocket. "Surely,"Ithought,"thiscannotbethegreatDoctorDolittlehimself!" IsupposeafterhearingsomuchabouthimIhadexpectedsomeoneverytallandstrongandmarvelous. Itwashardtobelievethatthisfunnylittlemanwiththekindsmilingfacecouldbereallyhe. Yetherehewas,sureenough,runningupthestepsandopeningtheverygatewhichIhadbeenwatchingforsomanydays! Thedog,Jip,camerushingoutandstartedjumpinguponhimandbarkingwithhappiness.Therainwassplashingdownheavierthanever. "AreyouDoctorDolittle?"Ishoutedaswespeduptheshortgarden-pathtothehouse. "Yes,I'mDoctorDolittle,"saidhe,openingthefrontdoorwiththesamebunchofkeys."Getin!Don'tbotheraboutwipingyourfeet.Nevermindthemud.Takeitinwithyou.Getinoutoftherain!" Ipoppedin,heandJipfollowing.Thenheslammedthedoortobehindus. Thestormhadmadeitdarkenoughoutside;butinsidethehouse,withthedoorclosed,itwasasblackasnight. ThenbeganthemostextraordinarynoisethatIhaveeverheard. Itsoundedlikeallsortsandkindsofanimalsandbirdscallingandsqueakingandscreechingatthesametime. Icouldhearthingstrundlingdownthestairsandhurryingalongpassages. Somewhereinthedarkaduckwasquacking,acockwascrowing,adovewascooing,anowlwashooting,alambwasbleatingandJipwasbarking. Ifeltbirds'wingsflutteringandfanningnearmyface. Thingskeptbumpingintomylegsandnearlyupsettingme. Thewholefronthallseemedtobefillingupwithanimals. Thenoise,togetherwiththeroaringoftherain,wastremendous;andIwasbeginningtogrowalittlebitscaredwhenIfelttheDoctortakeholdofmyarmandshoutintomyear. "Don'tbealarmed.Don'tbefrightened.Thesearejustsomeofmypets. I'vebeenawaythreemonthsandtheyaregladtoseemehomeagain. StandstillwhereyouaretillIstrikealight.MyGracious,whatastorm!—Justlistentothatthunder!" SothereIstoodinthepitch-blackdark,whileallkindsofanimalswhichIcouldn'tseechatteredandjostledaroundme.Itwasacuriousandafunnyfeeling. Ihadoftenwondered,whenIhadlookedinfromthefrontgate,whatDoctorDolittlewouldbelikeandwhatthefunnylittlehousewouldhaveinsideit. ButIneverimagineditwouldbeanythinglikethis. YetsomehowafterIhadfelttheDoctor'shanduponmyarmIwasnotfrightened,onlyconfused. Itallseemedlikesomequeerdream;andIwasbeginningtowonderifIwasreallyawake,whenIheardtheDoctorspeakingagain: "Myblessedmatchesareallwet.Theywon'tstrike.Haveyougotany?" "No,I'mafraidIhaven't,"Icalledback. "Nevermind,"saidhe."PerhapsDab-Dabcanraiseusalightsomewhere." ThentheDoctormadesomefunnyclickingnoiseswithhistongueandIheardsomeonetrundleupthestairsagainandstartmovingaboutintheroomsabove. Thenwewaitedquiteawhilewithoutanythinghappening. "Willthelightbelongincoming?"Iasked."Someanimalissittingonmyfootandmytoesaregoingtosleep." "No,onlyaminute,"saidtheDoctor."She'llbebackinaminute." AndjustthenIsawthefirstglimmeringsofalightaroundthelandingabove.Atoncealltheanimalskeptquiet. "Ithoughtyoulivedalone,"IsaidtotheDoctor."SoIdo,"saidhe."ItisDab-Dabwhoisbringingthelight." Ilookedupthestairstryingtomakeoutwhowascoming. IcouldnotseearoundthelandingbutIheardthemostcuriousfootstepontheupperflight. Itsoundedlikesomeonehoppingdownfromonesteptotheother,asthoughhewereusingonlyoneleg. Asthelightcamelower,itgrewbrighterandbegantothrowstrangejumpingshadowsonthewalls. "Ah-atlast!"saidtheDoctor."GoodoldDab-Dab!" AndthenIthoughtIREALLYmustbedreaming. Forthere,craningherneckroundthebendofthelanding,hoppingdownthestairsononeleg,cameaspotlesswhiteduck. Andinherrightfootshecarriedalightedcandle! 
