Webothopenedoureyes;thenbumpedourheadstogetherwithacrackinoureagernesstoleanoverandseewhereweweretogo. Theatlaslayopenatamapcalled,ChartoftheSouthAtlanticOcean. Mypencil-pointwasrestingrightinthecenterofatinyisland. ThenameofitwasprintedsosmallthattheDoctorhadtogetouthisstrongspectaclestoreadit.Iwastremblingwithexcitement. "SpidermonkeyIsland,"hereadoutslowly. Thenhewhistledsoftlybeneathhisbreath."Ofalltheextraordinarythings! You'vehitupontheveryislandwhereLongArrowwaslastseenonearth—Iwonder—Well,well!Howverysingular!" "We'llgothere,Doctor,won'twe?"Iasked. "Ofcoursewewill.Therulesofthegamesaywe'vegotto." "I'msogladitwasn'tOxenthorpeorBristol,"Isaid."It'llbeagrandvoyage,this.Lookatalltheseawe'vegottocross.Willittakeuslong?" "Oh,no,"saidtheDoctor—"notvery.Withagoodboatandagoodwindweshouldmakeiteasilyinfourweeks.Butisn'titextraordinary? Ofalltheplacesintheworldyoupickedoutthatonewithyoureyesshut.SpidermonkeyIslandafterall! —Well,there'sonegoodthingaboutit:IshallbeabletogetsomeJabizribeetles." "Theyareaveryrarekindofbeetleswithpeculiarhabits.Iwanttostudythem. Thereareonlythreecountriesintheworldwheretheyaretobefound.SpidermonkeyIslandisoneofthem.Buteventheretheyareveryscarce." "Whatisthislittlequestion-markafterthenameoftheislandfor?"Iasked,pointingtothemap. "Thatmeansthattheisland'spositionintheoceanisnotknownveryexactly—thatitissomewhereABOUTthere. Shipshaveprobablyseenitinthatneighborhood,thatisall,mostlikely. Itisquitepossibleweshallbethefirstwhitementolandthere. ButIdaresayweshallhavesomedifficultyinfindingitfirst." Howlikeadreamitallsounded!Thetwoofussittingthereatthebigstudy-table;thecandleslit;thesmokecurlingtowardsthedimceilingfromtheDoctor'spipe—thetwoofussittingthere,talkingaboutfindinganislandintheoceanandbeingthefirstwhitementolanduponit! "I'llbetitwillbeagreatvoyage,"Isaid."Itlooksalovelyislandonthemap.Willtherebeblackmenthere?" "No.ApeculiartribeofRedIndianslivesonit,Mirandatellsme." AtthispointthepoorBird-of-Paradisestirredandwokeup.Inourexcitementwehadforgottentospeaklow. "WearegoingtoSpidermonkeyIsland,Miranda,"saidtheDoctor."Youknowwhereitis,doyounot?" "IknowwhereitwasthelasttimeIsawit,"saidthebird."Butwhetheritwillbetherestill,Ican'tsay." "Whatdoyoumean?"askedtheDoctor."Itisalwaysinthesameplacesurely?" "Notbyanymeans,"saidMiranda."Why,didn'tyouknow? —SpidermonkeyIslandisaFLOATINGisland. Itmovesaroundallovertheplace—usuallysomewherenearsouthernSouthAmerica. ButofcourseIcouldsurelyfinditforyouifyouwanttogothere." AtthisfreshpieceofnewsIcouldcontainmyselfnolonger.Iwasburstingtotellsomeone.IrandancingandsingingfromtheroomtofindChee-Chee. AtthedoorItrippedoverDab-Dab,whowasjustcominginwithherwingsfullofplates,andfellheadlongonmynose, "Hastheboygonecrazy?"criedtheduck."Wheredoyouthinkyou'regoing,ninny?" "ToSpidermonkeyIsland!"Ishouted,pickingmyselfupanddoingcart-wheelsdownthehall—"SpidermonkeyIsland!Hooray!—Andit'saFLOATINGisland!" "You'regoingtoBedlam,Ishouldsay,"snortedthehousekeeper."Lookwhatyou'vedonetomybestchina!" ButIwasfartoohappytolistentoherscolding;andIranon,singing,intothekitchentofindChee-Chee. 
