ForalongtimeafterthatCabinetMeetingofwhichIhavejusttoldyouwedidnotasktheDoctoranythingfurtheraboutgoinghome. LifeinSpidermonkeyIslandwentforward,monthinmonthout,busilyandpleasantly. TheWinter,withChristmascelebrations,cameandwent,andSummerwaswithusonceagainbeforeweknewit. AstimepassedtheDoctorbecamemoreandmoretakenupwiththecareofhisbigfamily;andthehourshecouldspareforhisnaturalhistoryworkgrewfewerandfewer. IknewthatheoftenstillthoughtofhishouseandgardeninPuddlebyandofhisoldplansandambitions;becauseonceinawhilewewouldnoticehisfacegrowthoughtfulandalittlesad,whensomethingremindedhimofEnglandorhisoldlife.Butheneverspokeofthesethings. AndItrulybelievehewouldhavespenttheremainderofhisdaysonSpidermonkeyIslandifithadn'tbeenforanaccident—andforPolynesia. TheoldparrothadgrownverytiredoftheIndiansandshemadenosecretofit. "Theveryidea,"shesaidtomeonedayaswewerewalkingontheseashore—"theideaofthefamousJohnDolittlespendinghisvaluablelifewaitingonthesegreasynatives!—Why,it'spreposterous!" AllthatmorningwehadbeenwatchingtheDoctorsuperintendthebuildingofthenewtheatreinPopsipetel—therewasalreadyanopera-houseandaconcert-hall;andfinallyshehadgotsogrouchyandannoyedatthesightthatIhadsuggestedhertakingawalkwithme. "Doyoureallythink,"Iaskedaswesatdownonthesands,"thathewillnevergobacktoPuddlebyagain?" "Idon'tknow,"saidshe."AtonetimeIfeltsurethatthethoughtofthepetshehadleftbehindatthehousewouldtakehimhomesoon. ButsinceMirandabroughthimwordlastAugustthateverythingwasallrightthere,thathope'sgone. FormonthsandmonthsI'vebeenrackingmybrainstothinkupaplan. Ifwecouldonlyhituponsomethingthatwouldturnhisthoughtsbacktonaturalhistoryagain—Imeansomethingbigenoughtogethimreallyexcited—wemightmanageit.Buthow?" —sheshruggedhershouldersindisgust—"How? —whenallhethinksofnowispavingstreetsandteachingpapoosesthattwiceonearetwo!" ItwasaperfectPopsipetelday,brightandhot,blueandyellow. DrowsilyIlookedouttoseathinkingofmymotherandfather. Iwonderediftheyweregettinganxiousovermylongabsence. BesidemeoldPolynesiawentongrumblingawayinlowsteadytones;andherwordsbegantomingleandmixwiththegentlelappingofthewavesupontheshore. Itmayhavebeentheevenmurmurofhervoice,helpedbythesoftandbalmyair,thatlulledmetosleep.Idon'tknow. AnyhowIpresentlydreamedthattheislandhadmovedagain—notfloatinglyasbefore,butsuddenly,jerkily,asthoughsomethingenormouslypowerfulhadheaveditupfromitsbedjustonceandletitdown. HowlongIsleptafterthatIhavenoidea.Iwasawakenedbyagentlepeckingonthenose. "Tommy!—Tommy!"(itwasPolynesia'svoice)"Wakeup!—Gosh,whataboy,tosleepthroughanearthquakeandnevernoticeit!—Tommy,listen:here'sourchancenow.Wakeup,forgoodness'sake!" "What'sthematter?"Iaskedsittingupwithayawn. "Sh!—Look!"whisperedPolynesiapointingouttosea. Stillonlyhalfawake,Istaredbeforemewithbleary,sleep-ladeneyes. Andintheshallowwater,notmorethanthirtyyardsfromshoreIsawanenormouspalepinkshell. Dome-shaped,ittoweredupinagracefulrainbowcurvetoatremendousheight;androunditsbasethesurfbrokegentlyinlittlewavesofwhite. Itcouldhavebelongedtothewildestdream. "Whatintheworldisit?"Iasked. "That,"whisperedPolynesia,"iswhatsailorsforhundredsofyearshavecalledtheSea-serpent. I'veseenitmyselfmorethanoncefromthedecksofships,atlongrange,curvinginandoutofthewater. ButnowthatIseeitcloseandstill,IverystronglysuspectthattheSea-serpentofhistoryisnootherthantheGreatGlassSea-snailthatthefidgittoldusof. Ifthatisn'ttheonlyfishofitskindinthesevenseas,callmeacarrion-crow—Tommy,we'reinluck. OurjobistogettheDoctordownheretolookatthatprizespecimenbeforeitmovesofftotheDeepHole. Ifwecan,thentrustme,wemayleavethisblessedislandyet. YoustayhereandkeepaneyeonitwhileIgoaftertheDoctor. Don'tmoveorspeak—don'tevenbreatheheavy:hemightgetscared—awfultimidthings,snails. Justwatchhim;andI'llbebackintwoshakes." Stealthilycreepingupthesandstillshecouldgetbehindthecoverofsomebushesbeforeshetooktoherwings,Polynesiawentoffinthedirectionofthetown;whileIremainedaloneupontheshorefascinatedlywatchingthisunbelievablemonsterwallowingintheshallowsea. Itmovedverylittle.Fromtimetotimeitlifteditsheadoutofthewatershowingitsenormouslylongneckandhorns. Occasionallyitwouldtryanddrawitselfup,thewayasnaildoeswhenhegoestomove,butalmostatonceitwouldsinkdownagainasifexhausted. Itseemedtometoactasthoughitwerehurtunderneath;butthelowerpartofit,whichwasbelowthelevelofthewater,Icouldnotsee. IwasstillabsorbedinwatchingthegreatbeastwhenPolynesiareturnedwiththeDoctor. TheyapproachedsosilentlyandsocautiouslythatIneithersawnorheardthemcomingtillIfoundthemcrouchingbesidemeonthesand. OnesightofthesnailchangedtheDoctorcompletely.Hiseyesjustsparkledwithdelight. IhadnotseenhimsothrilledandhappysincethetimewecaughttheJabizribeetlewhenwefirstlandedontheisland. "Itishe!"hewhispered—"theGreatGlassSea-snailhimself—notadoubtofit. Polynesia,godowntheshoreawayandseeifyoucanfindanyoftheporpoisesforme. Perhapstheycantelluswhatthesnailisdoinghere—It'sveryunusualforhimtobeinshallowwaterlikethis. AndStubbins,yougoovertotheharborandbringmeasmallcanoe. Butbemostcarefulhowyoupaddleitroundintothisbay. Ifthesnailshouldtakefrightandgooutintothedeeperwater,wemaynevergetachancetoseehimagain." "Anddon'ttellanyoftheIndians,"PolynesiaaddedinawhisperasImovedtogo. "Wemustkeepthisasecretorwe'llhaveacrowdofsightseersroundhereinfiveminutes. It'smightyluckywefoundthesnailinaquietbay." Reachingtheharbor,IpickedoutasmalllightcanoefromamongthenumberthatwerelyingthereandwithouttellinganyonewhatIwanteditfor,gotinandstartedofftopaddleitdowntheshore. IwasmortallyafraidthatthesnailmighthaveleftbeforeIgotback.AndyoucanimaginehowdelightedIwas,whenIroundedarockycapeandcameinsightofthebay,tofindhewasstillthere. Polynesia,Isaw,hadgothererranddoneandreturnedaheadofme,bringingwithherapairofporpoises. ThesewerealreadyconversinginlowtoneswithJohnDolittle. Ibeachedthecanoeandwentuptolisten. "WhatIwanttoknow,"theDoctorwassaying,"ishowthesnailcomestobehere. IwasgiventounderstandthatheusuallystayedintheDeepHole;andthatwhenhedidcometothesurfaceitwasalwaysinmid-ocean." "Oh,didn'tyouknow?—Haven'tyouheard?" theporpoisesreplied:"youcovereduptheDeepHolewhenyousanktheisland. Whyyes:youletitdownrightontopofthemouthoftheHole—sortofputthelidon,asitwere. Thefishesthatwereinitatthetimehavebeentryingtogetouteversince. TheGreatSnailhadtheworstluckofall:theislandnippedhimbythetailjustashewasleavingtheHoleforaquieteveningstroll. Andhewasheldthereforsixmonthstryingtowrigglehimselffree. Finallyhehadtoheavethewholeislandupatoneendtogethistailloose. Didn'tyoufeelasortofanearthquakeshockaboutanhourago?" "YesIdid,"saidtheDoctor,"itshookdownpartofthetheatreIwasbuilding." "Well,thatwasthesnailheavinguptheislandtogetoutoftheHole,"theysaid. "Alltheotherfishessawtheirchanceandescapedwhenheraisedthelid. Itwasluckyforthemhe'ssobigandstrong. Butthestrainofthatterrificheavetoldonhim:hesprainedamuscleinhistailanditstartedswellingratherbadly. Hewantedsomequietplacetorestup;andseeingthissoftbeachhandyhecrawledinhere." "Dearme!"saidtheDoctor."I'mterriblysorry. IsupposeIshouldhavegivensomesortofnoticethattheislandwasgoingtobeletdown. But,totellthetruth,wedidn'tknowitourselves;ithappenedbyakindofanaccident. Doyouimaginethepoorfellowishurtverybadly?" "We'renotsure,"saidtheporpoises;"becausenoneofuscanspeakhislanguage.Butweswamrightaroundhimonourwayinhere,andhedidnotseemtobereallyseriouslyinjured." "Can'tanyofyourpeoplespeakshellfish?"theDoctorasked. "Notaword,"saidthey."It'samostfrightfullydifficultlanguage." "Doyouthinkthatyoumightbeabletofindmesomekindofafishthatcould?" "Wedon'tknow,"saidtheporpoises."Wemighttry." "Ishouldbeextremelygratefultoyouifyouwould,"saidtheDoctor. "TherearemanyimportantquestionsIwanttoaskthissnail—Andbesides,Iwouldliketodomybesttocurehistailforhim.It'stheleastIcando. Afterall,itwasmyfault,indirectly,thathegothurt." "Well,ifyouwaithere,"saidtheporpoises,"we'llseewhatcanbedone." 
