Wewereawakenedbymusic.Theglaringnoondaysunlightwasstreaminginatourdoor,outsideofwhichsomekindofabandappearedtobeplaying. Wegotupandlookedout.OurhousewassurroundedbythewholepopulationofPopsipetel. WewereusedtohavingquiteanumberofcuriousandadmiringIndianswaitingatourdooratallhours;butthiswasquitedifferent. Thevastcrowdwasdressedinitsbestclothes. Brightbeads,gawdyfeathersandgayblanketsgavecheerfulcolortothescene. Everyoneseemedinverygoodhumor,singingorplayingonmusicalinstruments—mostlypaintedwoodenwhistlesordrumsmadefromskins. WefoundPolynesia—whowhileweslepthadarrivedbackfromBag-jagderag—sittingonourdoor-postwatchingtheshow.Weaskedherwhatalltheholiday-makingwasabout. "Theresultoftheelectionhasjustbeenannounced,"saidshe."Thenameofthenewchiefwasgivenoutatnoon." "Andwhoisthenewchief?"askedtheDoctor. "Youare,"saidPolynesiaquietly. "I!"gaspedtheDoctor—"Well,ofallthings!" "Yes,"saidshe."You'retheone—Andwhat'smore,they'vechangedyoursurnameforyou. Theydidn'tthinkthatDolittlewasaproperorrespectfulnameforamanwhohaddonesomuch. SoyouarenowtobeknownasJongThinkalot.Howdoyoulikeit?" "ButIdon'tWANTtobeachief,"saidtheDoctorinanirritablevoice. "I'mafraidyou'llhavehardworktogetoutofitnow,"saidshe—"unlessyou'rewillingtoputtoseaagaininoneoftheirricketycanoes. Youseeyou'vebeenelectednotmerelytheChiefofthePopsipetels;you'retobeaking—theKingofthewholeofSpidermonkeyIsland. TheBag-jagderags,whoweresoanxioustohaveyougovernthem,sentspiesandmessengersaheadofyou;andwhentheyfoundthatyouhadbeenelectedChiefofthePopsipetelsovernighttheywerebitterlydisappointed. However,ratherthanloseyoualtogether,theBag-jagderagswerewillingtogiveuptheirindependence,andinsistedthattheyandtheirlandsbeunitedtothePopsipetelsinorderthatyoucouldbemadekingofboth.Sonowyou'reinforit." "OhLord!"groanedtheDoctor,"Idowishtheywouldn'tbesoenthusiastic!Botherit,Idon'tWANTtobeaking!" "Ishouldthink,Doctor,"saidI,"you'dfeelratherproudandglad.IwishIhadachancetobeaking." "OhIknowitsoundsgrand,"saidhe,pullingonhisbootsmiserably. "Butthetroubleis,youcan'ttakeupresponsibilitiesandthenjustdropthemagainwhenyoufeellikeit.Ihavemyownworktodo. ScarcelyonemomenthaveIhadtogivetonaturalhistorysinceIlandedonthisisland. I'vebeendoingsomeoneelse'sbusinessallthetime.Andnowtheywantmetogoondoingit! Why,onceI'mmadeKingofthePopsipetels,that'stheendofmeasausefulnaturalist.I'dbetoobusyforanything. AllI'dbethenisjustaer—erjustaking." "Well,that'ssomething!"saidBumpo."Myfatherisakingandhasahundredandtwentywives." "Thatwouldmakeitworse,"saidtheDoctor—"ahundredandtwentytimesworse.Ihavemyworktodo.Idon'twanttobeaking." "Look,"saidPolynesia,"herecometheheadmentoannounceyourelection.Hurryupandgetyourbootslaced." Thethrongbeforeourdoorhadsuddenlypartedasunder,makingalonglane;anddownthiswenowsawagroupofpersonagescomingtowardsus. Themaninfront,ahandsomeoldIndianwithawrinkledface,carriedinhishandsawoodencrown—atrulybeautifulandgorgeouscrown,eventhoughofwood. Wonderfullycarvedandpainted,ithadtwolovelybluefeathersspringingfromthefrontofit. BehindtheoldmancameeightstrongIndiansbearingalitter,asortofchairwithlonghandlesunderneathtocarryitby. Kneelingdownononeknee,bendinghisheadalmosttotheground,theoldmanaddressedtheDoctorwhonowstoodinthedoorwayputtingonhiscollarandtie. "Oh,MightyOne,"saidhe,"webringyouwordfromthePopsipetelpeople. Greatareyourdeedsbeyondbelief,kindisyourheartandyourwisdom,deeperthanthesea.Ourchiefisdead.Thepeopleclamorforaworthyleader. Ouroldenemies,theBag-jagderagsarebecome,throughyou,ourbrothersandgoodfriends. Theytoodesiretobaskbeneaththesunshineofyoursmile. Beholdthen,IbringtoyoutheSacredCrownofPopsipetelwhich,sinceancientdayswhenthisislandanditspeopleswereone,beneathonemonarch,hasrestedonnokinglybrow. OhKindlyOne,wearebiddenbytheunitedvoicesofthepeoplesofthislandtocarryyoutotheWhisperingRocks,thatthere,withallrespectandmajesty,youmaybecrownedourking—KingofalltheMovingLand." ThegoodIndiansdidnotseemtohaveevenconsideredthepossibilityofJohnDolittle'srefusing. AsforthepoorDoctor,Ineversawhimsoupsetbyanything. ItwasinfacttheonlytimeIhaveknownhimtogetthoroughlyfussed. "Ohdear!"Iheardhimmurmur,lookingaroundwildlyforsomeescape."WhatSHALLIdo? —DidanyofyouseewhereIlaidthatstudofmine? —HowonearthcanIgetthiscollaronwithoutastud? Whatadaythisis,tobesureI—Maybeitrolledunderthebed,Bumpo—Idothinktheymighthavegivenmeadayorsotothinkitoverin. Whoeverheardofwakingamanrightoutofhissleep,andtellinghimhe'sgottobeaking,beforehehasevenwashedhisface?Can'tanyofyoufindit?Maybeyou'restandingonit,Bumpo.Moveyourfeet." "Ohdon'tbotheraboutyourstud,"saidPolynesia."Youwillhavetobecrownedwithoutacollar.Theywon'tknowthedifference." "ItellyouI'mnotgoingtobecrowned,"criedtheDoctor—"notifIcanhelpit.I'llmakethemaspeech.Perhapsthatwillsatisfythem."HeturnedbacktotheIndiansatthedoor. "Myfriends,"hesaid,"Iamnotworthyofthisgreathonoryouwoulddome. LittleornoskillhaveIintheartsofkingcraft. Assuredlyamongyourownbravemenyouwillfindmanybetterfittedtoleadyou. Forthiscompliment,thisconfidenceandtrust,Ithankyou. But,Iprayyou,donotthinkofmeforsuchhighdutieswhichIcouldnotpossiblyfulfil." Theoldmanrepeatedhiswordstothepeoplebehindhiminaloudervoice.Stolidlytheyshooktheirheads,movingnotaninch.TheoldmanturnedbacktotheDoctor. "Youarethechosenone,"saidhe."Theywillhavenonebutyou." IntotheDoctor'sperplexedfacesuddenlytherecameaflashofhope. "I'llgoandseeLongArrow,"hewhisperedtome."Perhapshewillknowofsomewaytogetmeoutofthis." Andaskingthepersonagestoexcusehimamoment,heleftthemthere,standingathisdoor,andhurriedoffinthedirectionofLongArrow'shouse.Ifollowedhim. Wefoundourbigfriendlyingonagrassbedoutsidehishome,wherehehadbeenmovedthathemightwitnesstheholiday-making. "LongArrow,"saidtheDoctorspeakingquicklyineagletonguesothatthebystandersshouldnotoverhear,"indireperilIcometoyouforhelp.Thesemenwouldmakemetheirking. Ifsuchathingbefallme,allthegreatworkIhopedtodomustgoundone,forwhoisthereunfreerthanaking? Iprayyouspeakwiththemandpersuadetheirkindwell-meaningheartsthatwhattheyplantodowouldbeunwise." LongArrowraisedhimselfuponhiselbow. "OhKindlyOne,"saidhe(thisseemednowtohavebecometheusualmannerofaddresswhenspeakingtotheDoctor),"sorelyitgrievesmethatthefirstwishyouaskofmeIshouldbeunabletogrant.Alas!Icandonothing. ThesepeoplehavesosettheirheartsonkeepingyouforkingthatifItriedtointerferetheywoulddrivemefromtheirlandandlikelycrownyouintheendinanycase. Akingyoumustbe,ifonlyforawhile. WemustsoarrangethebusinessofgoverningthatyoumayhavetimetogivetoNature'ssecrets. Laterwemaybeabletohituponsomeplantorelieveyouoftheburdenofthecrown.Butfornowyoumustbeking. Thesepeopleareaheadstrongtribeandtheywillhavetheirway.Thereisnoothercourse." SadlytheDoctorturnedawayfromthebedandfacedabout. Andtherebehindhimstoodtheoldmanagain,thecrownstillheldinhiswrinkledhandsandtheroyallitterwaitingathiselbow. Withadeepreverencethebearersmotionedtowardstheseatofthechair,invitingthewhitemantogetin. OncemorethepoorDoctorlookedwildly,hopelesslyabouthimforsomemeansofescape. ForamomentIthoughthewasgoingtotaketohisheelsandrunforit. Butthecrowdarounduswasfartoothickanddenselypackedforanyonetobreakthroughit. Abandofwhistlesanddrumsnearbysuddenlystartedthemusicofasolemnprocessionalmarch. HeturnedbackpleadinglyagaintoLongArrowinalastappealforhelp. ButthebigIndianmerelyshookhisheadandpointed,likethebearers,tothewaitingchair. Atlast,almostintears,JohnDolittlesteppedslowlyintothelitterandsatdown.AshewashoistedontothebroadshouldersofthebearersIheardhimstillfeeblymutteringbeneathhisbreath, "Botherationtakeit!—Idon'tWANTtobeaking!" "Farewell!"calledLongArrowfromhisbed,"andmaygoodfortuneeverstandwithintheshadowofyourthrone!" "Hecomes!—Hecomes!"murmuredthecrowd."Away!Away!—TotheWhisperingRocks!" Andastheprocessionformeduptoleavethevillage,thecrowdaboutusbeganhurryingoffinthedirectionofthemountainstomakesureofgoodseatsinthegianttheatrewherethecrowningceremonywouldtakeplace. 
