Thenextmorning,althoughIhadgonetobedsolatethenightbefore,Iwasupfrightfullyearly. ThefirstsparrowswerejustbeginningtochirpsleepilyontheslatesoutsidemyatticwindowwhenIjumpedoutofbedandscrambledintomyclothes. Icouldhardlywaittogetbacktothelittlehousewiththebiggarden—toseetheDoctorandhisprivatezoo. ForthefirsttimeinmylifeIforgotallaboutbreakfast;andcreepingdownthestairsontip-toe,soasnottowakemymotherandfather,Iopenedthefrontdoorandpoppedoutintotheempty,silentstreet. WhenIgottotheDoctor'sgateIsuddenlythoughtthatperhapsitwastooearlytocallonanyone:andIbegantowonderiftheDoctorwouldbeupyet.Ilookedintothegarden.Nooneseemedtobeabout. SoIopenedthegatequietlyandwentinside. AsIturnedtothelefttogodownapathbetweensomehedges,Iheardavoicequiteclosetomesay, "Goodmorning.Howearlyyouare!" Iturnedaround,andthere,sittingonthetopofaprivethedge,wasthegrayparrot,Polynesia. "Goodmorning,"Isaid."IsupposeIamratherearly.IstheDoctorstillinbed?" "Ohno,"saidPolynesia."Hehasbeenupanhourandahalf.You'llfindhiminthehousesomewhere.Thefrontdoorisopen. Justpushitandgoin,Heissuretobeinthekitchencookingbreakfast—orworkinginhisstudy.Walkrightin.Iamwaitingtoseethesunrise. ButuponmywordIbelieveit'sforgottentorise.Itisanawfulclimate,this. NowifwewereinAfricatheworldwouldbeblazingwithsunlightatthishourofthemorning. Justseethatmistrollingoverthosecabbages. Itisenoughtogiveyourheumatismtolookatit.Beastlyclimate—Beastly! ReallyIdon'tknowwhyanythingbutfrogseverstayinEngland—Well,don'tletmekeepyou.RunalongandseetheDoctor." "Thankyou,"Isaid."I'llgoandlookforhim." WhenIopenedthefrontdoorIcouldsmellbaconfrying,soImademywaytothekitchen. ThereIdiscoveredalargekettleboilingawayoverthefireandsomebaconandeggsinadishuponthehearth. Itseemedtomethatthebaconwasgettingalldriedupwiththeheat. SoIpulledthedishalittlefurtherawayfromthefireandwentonthroughthehouselookingfortheDoctor. IfoundhimatlastintheStudy.IdidnotknowthenthatitwascalledtheStudy. Itwascertainlyaveryinterestingroom,withtelescopesandmicroscopesandallsortsofotherstrangethingswhichIdidnotunderstandaboutbutwishedIdid. Hangingonthewallswerepicturesofanimalsandfishesandstrangeplantsandcollectionsofbirds'eggsandsea-shellsinglasscases. TheDoctorwasstandingatthemaintableinhisdressing-gown. AtfirstIthoughthewaswashinghisface. Hehadasquareglassboxbeforehimfullofwater. Hewasholdingoneearunderthewaterwhilehecoveredtheotherwithhislefthand.AsIcameinhestoodup. "Goodmorning,Stubbins,"saidhe."Goingtobeaniceday,don'tyouthink?I'vejustbeenlisteningtotheWiff-Waff.Butheisverydisappointing—very." "Why?"Isaid."Didn'tyoufindthathehasanylanguageatall?" "Ohyes,"saidtheDoctor,"hehasalanguage. Butitissuchapoorlanguage—onlyafewwords,like'yes'and'no'—'hot'and'cold.'That'sallhecansay.It'sverydisappointing. Youseehereallybelongstotwodifferentfamiliesoffishes. Ithoughthewasgoingtobetremendouslyhelpful—Well,well!" "Isuppose,"saidI,"thatmeanshehasn'tverymuchsenseifhislanguageisonlytwoorthreewords?" "Yes,Isupposeitdoes.Possiblyitisthekindoflifeheleads. Yousee,theyareveryrarenow,theseWiff-Waffs—veryrareandverysolitary. Theyswimaroundinthedeepestpartsoftheoceanentirelybythemselves—alwaysalone. SoIpresumetheyreallydon'tneedtotalkmuch." "Perhapssomekindofabiggershellfishwouldtalkmore,"Isaid."Afterall,heisverysmall,isn'the?" "Yes,"saidtheDoctor,"that'strue.OhIhavenodoubtthatthereareshellfishwhoaregoodtalkers—nottheleastdoubt. Butthebigshellfish—thebiggestofthem,aresohardtocatch. Theyareonlytobefoundinthedeeppartsofthesea;andastheydon'tswimverymuch,butjustcrawlalongtheflooroftheoceanmostofthetime,theyareveryseldomtakeninnets. IdowishIcouldfindsomewayofgoingdowntothebottomofthesea. IcouldlearnalotifIcouldonlydothat. Butweareforgettingallaboutbreakfast—Haveyouhad,breakfastyet,Stubbins?" ItoldtheDoctorthatIhadforgottenallaboutitandheatonceledthewayintothekitchen. "Yes,"hesaid,ashepouredthehotwaterfromthekettleintothetea-pot,"ifamancouldonlymanagetogetrightdowntothebottomofthesea,andlivethereawhile,hewoulddiscoversomewonderfulthings—thingsthatpeoplehaveneverdreamedof." "Butmendogodown,don'tthey?"Iasked—"diversandpeoplelikethat?" "Ohyes,tobesure,"saidtheDoctor."Diversgodown. I'vebeendownmyselfinadiving-suit,forthatmatter.Butmy!—theyonlygowheretheseaisshallow. Diverscan'tgodownwhereitisreallydeep. WhatIwouldliketodoistogodowntothegreatdepths—whereitismilesdeep—Well,well,IdaresayIshallmanageitsomeday.Letmegiveyouanothercupoftea." 
