InmylonglifetimeIhaveseenmanygrandandinspiringthings,butneveranythingthatimpressedmehalfasmuchasthesightoftheWhisperingRocksastheylookedonthedayKingJongwascrowned. AsBumpo,Chee-Chee,Polynesia,JipandIfinallyreachedthedizzyedgeofthegreatbowlandlookeddowninsideit,itwaslikegazingoveranever-endingoceanofcopper-coloredfaces;foreveryseatinthetheatrewasfilled,everyman,womanandchildintheisland—includingLongArrowwhohadbeencarrieduponhissickbed—wastheretoseetheshow. Yetnotasound,notapin-drop,disturbedthesolemnsilenceoftheWhisperingRocks. Itwasquitecreepyandsentchillsrunningupanddownyourspine. Bumpotoldmeafterwardsthatittookhisbreathawaytoomuchforhimtospeak,butthathehadn'tknownbeforethattherewerethatmanypeopleintheworld. AwaydownbytheTableoftheThronestoodabrand-new,brightlycoloredtotem-pole. AlltheIndianfamilieshadtotem-polesandkeptthemsetupbeforethedoorsoftheirhouses. Theideaofatotem-poleissomethinglikeadoor-plateoravisitingcard. Itrepresentsinitscarvingsthedeedsandqualitiesofthefamilytowhichitbelongs. Thisone,beautifullydecoratedandmuchhigherthananyother,wastheDolittleor,asitwastobehenceforthcalled,theRoyalThinkalottotem. Ithadnothingbutanimalsonit,tosignifytheDoctor'sgreatknowledgeofcreatures. AndtheanimalschosentobeshownwerethosewhichtotheIndiansweresupposedtorepresentgoodqualitiesofcharacter,suchas,thedeerforspeed;theoxforperseverance;thefishfordiscretion,andsoon. Butatthetopofthetotemisalwaysplacedthesignoranimalbywhichthefamilyismostproudtobeknown. This,ontheThinkalotpole,wasanenormousparrot,inmemoryofthefamousPeaceoftheParrots. TheIvoryThronehadbeenallpolishedwithscentedoilanditglistenedwhitelyinthestrongsunlight. Atthefootofittherehadbeenstrewngreatquantitiesofbranchesoffloweringtrees,whichwiththenewwarmthofmilderclimateswerenowblossominginthevalleysoftheisland. Soonwesawtheroyallitter,withtheDoctorseatedinit,slowlyascendingthewindingstepsoftheTable. Reachingtheflattopatlast,ithaltedandtheDoctorsteppedoutupontheflowerycarpet. SostillandperfectwasthesilencethatevenatthatdistanceaboveIdistinctlyheardatwigsnapbeneathhistread. Walkingtothethroneaccompaniedbytheoldman,theDoctorgotupuponthestandandsatdown. Howtinyhislittleroundfigurelookedwhenseenfromthattremendousheight! Thethronehadbeenmadeforlonger-leggedkings;andwhenhewasseated,hisfeetdidnotreachthegroundbutdangledsixinchesfromthetopstep. Thentheoldmanturnedroundandlookingupatthepeoplebegantospeakinaquietevenvoice;buteverywordhesaidwaseasilyheardinthefurthestcorneroftheWhisperingRocks. FirstherecitedthenamesofallthegreatPopsipetelkingswhoindayslongagohadbeencrownedinthisivorychair. HespokeofthegreatnessofthePopsipetelpeople,oftheirtriumphs,oftheirhardships. ThenwavinghishandtowardstheDoctorhebeganrecountingthethingswhichthisking-to-behaddone. AndIamboundtosaythattheyeasilyoutmatchedthedeedsofthosewhohadgonebeforehim. AssoonashestartedtospeakofwhattheDoctorhadachievedforthetribe,thepeople,stillstrictlysilent,allbeganwavingtheirrighthandstowardsthethrone. Thisgavetothevasttheatreaverysingularappearance:acresandacresofsomethingmoving—withneverasound. Atlasttheoldmanfinishedhisspeechandsteppinguptothechair,veryrespectfullyremovedtheDoctor'sbatteredhighhat. Hewasabouttoputitupontheground;buttheDoctortookitfromhimhastilyandkeptitonhislap. ThentakinguptheSacredCrownheplacedituponJohnDolittle'shead. Itdidnotfitverywell(forithadbeenmadeforsmaller-headedkings),andwhenthewindblewinfreshlyfromthesunlitseatheDoctorhadsomedifficultyinkeepingiton.Butitlookedverysplendid. Turningoncemoretothepeople,theoldmansaid, "MenofPopsipetel,beholdyourelectedking!—Areyoucontent?" Andthenatlastthevoiceofthepeoplebrokeloose. "JONG!JONG!"theyshouted,"LONGLIVEKINGJONG!" Thesoundburstuponthesolemnsilencewiththecrashofahundredcannon. There,whereevenawhispercarriedmiles,theshockofitwaslikeablowintheface. Backandforththemountainsthrewittooneanother. Ithoughttheechoesofitwouldneverdieawayasitpassedrumblingthroughthewholeisland,janglingamongthelowervalleys,boominginthedistantsea-caves. SuddenlyIsawtheoldmanpointupward,tothehighestmountainintheisland;andlookingovermyshoulder,IwasjustintimetoseetheHangingStonetoppleslowlyoutofsight—downintotheheartofthevolcano. "Seeye,MenoftheMovingLand!"theoldmancried:"Thestonehasfallenandourlegendhascometrue:theKingofKingsiscrownedthisday!" TheDoctortoohadseenthestonefallandhewasnowstandinguplookingattheseaexpectantly. "He'sthinkingoftheair-chamber,"saidBumpoinmyear."Letushopethattheseaisn'tverydeepintheseparts." Afterafullminute(solongdidittakethestonetofallthatdepth)weheardamuffled,distant,crunchingthud—andthenimmediatelyafter,agreathissingofescapingair. TheDoctor,hisfacetensewithanxiety,satdowninthethroneagainstillwatchingthebluewateroftheoceanwithstaringeyes. Soonwefelttheislandslowlysinkingbeneathus. Wesawtheseacreepinlandoverthebeachesastheshoreswentdown—onefoot,threefeet,tenfeet,twenty,fifty,ahundred. Andthen,thankgoodness,gentlyasabutterflyalightingonarose,itstopped! SpidermonkeyIslandhadcometorestonthesandybottomoftheAtlantic,andearthwasjoinedtoearthoncemore. Ofcoursemanyofthehousesneartheshoreswerenowunderwater. PopsipetelVillageitselfhadentirelydisappeared.Butitdidn'tmatter. Noonewasdrowned;foreverysoulintheislandwashighupinthehillswatchingthecoronationofKingJong. TheIndiansthemselvesdidnotrealizeatthetimewhatwastakingplace,thoughofcoursetheyhadfeltthelandsinkingbeneaththem. TheDoctortoldusafterwardsthatitmusthavebeentheshockofthattremendousshout,comingfromamillionthroatsatonce,whichhadtoppledtheHangingStoneoffitsperch. ButinPopsipetelhistorythestorywashandeddown(anditisfirmlybelievedtothisday)thatwhenKingJongsatuponthethrone,sogreatwashismightyweight,thattheveryislanditselfsankdowntodohimhonorandnevermovedagain. 
