WhenatlastIcouldlookaroundmeIfoundthatthehallwasindeedsimplyfullofanimals. Itseemedtomethatalmosteverykindofcreaturefromthecountrysidemustbethere:apigeon,awhiterat,anowl,abadger,ajackdaw—therewasevenasmallpig,justinfromtherainygarden,carefullywipinghisfeetonthematwhilethelightfromthecandleglistenedonhiswetpinkback. TheDoctortookthecandlestickfromtheduckandturnedtome. "Lookhere,"hesaid:"youmustgetthosewetclothesoff—bytheway,whatisyourname?" "Oh,areyouthesonofJacobStubbins,theshoemaker?" "Excellentbootmaker,yourfather,"saidtheDoctor."Youseethese?" andhehelduphisrightfoottoshowmetheenormousbootshewaswearing. "Yourfathermademethosebootsfouryearsago,andI'vebeenwearingthemeversince—perfectlywonderfulboots—Wellnow,lookhere,Stubbins. You'vegottochangethosewetthingsandquick. WaitamomenttillIgetsomemorecandleslit,andthenwe'llgoupstairsandfindsomedryclothes. You'llhavetowearanoldsuitofminetillwecangetyoursdryagainbythekitchen-fire." Sopresentlywhenmorecandleshadbeenlightedrounddifferentpartsofthehouse,wewentupstairs;andwhenwehadcomeintoabedroomtheDoctoropenedabigwardrobeandtookouttwosuitsofoldclothes.Theseweputon. Thenwecarriedourwetonesdowntothekitchenandstartedafireinthebigchimney. ThecoatoftheDoctor'swhichIwaswearingwassolargeformethatIkepttreadingonmyowncoat-tailswhileIwashelpingtofetchthewoodupfromthecellar. Butverysoonwehadahugebigfireblazingupthechimneyandwehungourwetclothesaroundonchairs. "Nowlet'scooksomesupper,"saidtheDoctor.—"You'llstayandhavesupperwithme,Stubbins,ofcourse?" AlreadyIwasbeginningtobeveryfondofthisfunnylittlemanwhocalledme"Stubbins,"insteadof"Tommy"or"littlelad"(Ididsohatetobecalled"littlelad"!) ThismanseemedtobeginrightawaytreatingmeasthoughIwereagrown-upfriendofhis. AndwhenheaskedmetostopandhavesupperwithhimIfeltterriblyproudandhappy. ButIsuddenlyrememberedthatIhadnottoldmymotherthatIwouldbeoutlate.SoverysadlyIanswered, "Thankyouverymuch.Iwouldliketostay,butIamafraidthatmymotherwillbegintoworryandwonderwhereIamifIdon'tgetback." "Oh,butmydearStubbins,"saidtheDoctor,throwinganotherlogofwoodonthefire,"yourclothesaren'tdryyet. You'llhavetowaitforthem,won'tyou? Bythetimetheyarereadytoputonwewillhavesuppercookedandeaten—DidyouseewhereIputmybag?" "Ithinkitisstillinthehall,"Isaid."I'llgoandsee." Ifoundthebagnearthefrontdoor.Itwasmadeofblackleatherandlookedvery,veryold.Oneofitslatcheswasbrokenanditwastieduproundthemiddlewithapieceofstring. "Thankyou,"saidtheDoctorwhenIbroughtittohim. "Wasthatbagalltheluggageyouhadforyourvoyage?"Iasked. "Yes,"saidtheDoctor,asheundidthepieceofstring."Idon'tbelieveinalotofbaggage.It'ssuchanuisance.Life'stooshorttofusswithit. Anditisn'treallynecessary,youknow—WhereDIDIputthosesausages?" TheDoctorwasfeelingaboutinsidethebag. Firsthebroughtoutaloafofnewbread. Nextcameaglassjarwithacuriousmetaltoptoit. Heheldthisuptothelightverycarefullybeforehesetitdownuponthetable;andIcouldseethattherewassomestrangelittlewater-creatureswimmingaboutinside. AtlasttheDoctorbroughtoutapoundofsausages. "Now,"hesaid,"allwewantisafrying-pan." Wewentintothesculleryandtherewefoundsomepotsandpanshangingagainstthewall.TheDoctortookdownthefrying-pan.Itwasquiterustyontheinside. "Dearme,justlookatthat!"saidhe. "That'stheworstofbeingawaysolong. Theanimalsareverygoodandkeepthehousewonderfullycleanasfarastheycan. Dab-Dabisaperfectmarvelasahousekeeper. Butsomethingsofcoursetheycan'tmanage.Nevermind,we'llsooncleanitup. You'llfindsomesilver-sanddownthere,underthesink,Stubbins.Justhandituptome,willyou?" Inafewmomentswehadthepanallshinyandbrightandthesausageswereputoverthekitchen-fireandabeautifulfryingsmellwentallthroughthehouse. WhiletheDoctorwasbusyatthecookingIwentandtookanotherlookatthefunnylittlecreatureswimmingaboutintheglassjar. "Whatisthisanimal?"Iasked. "Ohthat,"saidtheDoctor,turninground—"that'saWiff-Waff. ItsfullnameishippocampusPippitopitus. ButthenativesjustcallitaWiff-Waff—onaccountofthewayitwavesitstail,swimming,Iimagine. That'swhatIwentonthislastvoyagefor,togetthat. YouseeI'mverybusyjustnowtryingtolearnthelanguageoftheshellfish. TheyHAVElanguages,ofthatIfeelsure. Icantalkalittlesharklanguageandporpoisedialectmyself. ButwhatIparticularlywanttolearnnowisshellfish." "Well,yousee,someoftheshellfisharetheoldestkindofanimalsintheworldthatweknowof. Wefindtheirshellsintherocks—turnedtostone—thousandsofyearsold. SoIfeelquitesurethatifIcouldonlygettotalktheirlanguage,Ishouldbeabletolearnawholelotaboutwhattheworldwaslikeagesandagesandagesago.Yousee?" "Butcouldn'tsomeoftheotheranimalstellyouaswell?" "Idon'tthinkso,"saidtheDoctor,proddingthesausageswithafork. "Tobesure,themonkeysIknewinAfricasometimeagowereveryhelpfulintellingmeaboutbygonedays;buttheyonlywentbackathousandyearsorso. No,Iamcertainthattheoldesthistoryintheworldistobehadfromtheshellfish—andfromthemonly. Youseemostoftheotheranimalsthatwerealiveinthoseveryancienttimeshavenowbecomeextinct." "Haveyoulearnedanyshellfishlanguageyet?"Iasked. Iwantedthisparticularkindofapipe-fishbecauseheishalfashellfishandhalfanordinaryfish. IwentallthewaytotheEasternMediterraneanafterhim. ButI'mverymuchafraidheisn'tgoingtobeagreatdealofhelptome. Totellyouthetruth,I'mratherdisappointedinhisappearance. Hedoesn'tLOOKveryintelligent,doeshe?" "Ah,"saidtheDoctor."Thesausagesaredonetoaturn.Comealong—holdyourplatenearandletmegiveyousome." Thenwesatdownatthekitchen-tableandstartedaheartymeal. Itwasawonderfulkitchen,that.IhadmanymealsthereafterwardsandIfounditabetterplacetoeatinthanthegrandestdining-roomintheworld.Itwassocozyandhome-likeandwarm.Itwassohandyforthefoodtoo. Youtookitrightoffthefire,hot,andputitonthetableandateit. Andyoucouldwatchyourtoasttoastingatthefenderandseeitdidn'tburnwhileyoudrankyoursoup. Andifyouhadforgottentoputthesaltonthetable,youdidn'thavetogetupandgointoanotherroomtofetchit;youjustreachedroundandtookthebigwoodenboxoffthedresserbehindyou. Thenthefireplace—thebiggestfireplaceyoueversaw—waslikearoominitself. Youcouldgetrightinsideitevenwhenthelogswereburningandsitonthewideseatseithersideandroastchestnutsafterthemealwasover—orlistentothekettlesinging,ortellstories,orlookatpicture-booksbythelightofthefire.Itwasamarvelouskitchen. ItwasliketheDoctor,comfortable,sensible,friendlyandsolid. Whileweweregobblingaway,thedoorsuddenlyopenedandinmarchedtheduck,Dab-Dab,andthedog,Jip,draggingsheetsandpillow-casesbehindthemoverthecleantiledfloor. TheDoctor,seeinghowsurprisedIwas,explained: "They'rejustgoingtoairthebeddingformeinfrontofthefire. Dab-Dabisaperfecttreasureofahousekeeper;sheneverforgetsanything. Ihadasisteroncewhousedtokeephouseforme(poor,dearSarah! Iwonderhowshe'sgettingon—Ihaven'tseenherinmanyyears). Butshewasn'tnearlyasgoodasDab-Dab.Haveanothersausage?" TheDoctorturnedandsaidafewwordstothedogandduckinsomestrangetalkandsigns.Theyseemedtounderstandhimperfectly. "Canyoutalkinsquirrellanguage?"Iasked. "Ohyes.That'squiteaneasylanguage,"saidtheDoctor."Youcouldlearnthatyourselfwithoutagreatdealoftrouble.Butwhydoyouask?" "BecauseIhaveasicksquirrelathome,"Isaid."Itookitawayfromahawk.ButtwoofitslegsarebadlyhurtandIwantedverymuchtohaveyouseeit,ifyouwould.ShallIbringitto-morrow?" "Well,ifitslegisbadlybrokenIthinkIhadbetterseeitto-night.Itmaybetoolatetodomuch;butI'llcomehomewithyouandtakealookatit." Sopresentlywefelttheclothesbythefireandminewerefoundtobequitedry. Itookthemupstairstothebedroomandchanged,andwhenIcamedowntheDoctorwasallreadywaitingformewithhislittleblackbagfullofmedicinesandbandages. "Comealong,"hesaid."Therainhasstoppednow." Outsideithadgrownbrightagainandtheeveningskywasallredwiththesettingsun;andthrushesweresinginginthegardenasweopenedthegatetogodownontotheroad. 
