SODoctorDolittlewithacrownonhisheadsatdownupontheshorelikeKingKnut,andwaited. Andforawholehourtheporpoiseskeptgoingandcoming,bringingupdifferentkindsofsea-beastsfromthedeeptoseeiftheycouldhelphim. Manyandcuriouswerethecreaturestheyproduced. Itwouldseemhoweverthattherewereveryfewthingsthatspokeshellfishexcepttheshellfishthemselves. Still,theporpoisesgrewalittlemorehopefulwhentheydiscoveredaveryoldsea-urchin(afunny,ball-like,littlefellowwithlongwhiskersalloverhim)whosaidhecouldnotspeakpureshellfish,butheusedtounderstandstarfish—enoughtogetalong—whenhewasyoung. Thiswascomingnearer,evenifitwasn'tanythingtogocrazyabout. Leavingtheurchinwithus,theporpoiseswentoffoncemoretohuntupastarfish. Theywerenotlonggettingone,fortheywerequitecommoninthoseparts. Then,usingthesea-urchinasaninterpreter,theyquestionedthestarfish. Hewasaratherstupidsortofcreature;buthetriedhisbesttobehelpful. Andafteralittlepatientexaminationwefoundtoourdelightthathecouldspeakshellfishmoderatelywell. Feelingquiteencouraged,theDoctorandInowgotintothecanoe;and,withtheporpoises,theurchinandthestarfishswimmingalongside,wepaddledverygentlyouttillwewerecloseunderthetoweringshelloftheGreatSnail. AndthenbeganthemostcuriousconversationIhaveeverwitnessed. Firstthestarfishwouldaskthesnailsomething;andwhateveranswerthesnailgave,thestarfishwouldtellittothesea-urchin,theurchinwouldtellittotheporpoisesandtheporpoiseswouldtellittotheDoctor. Inthiswayweobtainedconsiderableinformation,mostlyabouttheveryancienthistoryoftheAnimalKingdom;butwemissedagoodmanyofthefinerpointsinthesnail'slongerspeechesonaccountofthestupidityofthestarfishandallthistranslatingfromonelanguagetoanother. Whilethesnailwasspeaking,theDoctorandIputourearsagainstthewallofhisshellandfoundthatwecouldinthiswayhearthesoundofhisvoicequiteplainly. Itwas,asthefidgithaddescribed,deepandbell-like. Butofcoursewecouldnotunderstandasinglewordhesaid. HowevertheDoctorwasbythistimeterrificallyexcitedaboutgettingneartolearningthelanguagehehadsoughtsolong. Andpresentlybymakingtheotherfishesrepeatoverandoveragainshortphraseswhichthesnailused,hebegantoputwordstogetherforhimself. Yousee,hewasalreadyfamiliarwithoneortwofishlanguages;andthathelpedhimquitealittle. Afterhehadpractisedforawhilelikethisheleantoverthesideofthecanoeandputtinghisfacebelowthewater,triedspeakingtothesnaildirect. Itwashardanddifficultwork;andhourswentbybeforehegotanyresults.ButpresentlyIcouldtellbythehappylookonhisface,thatlittlebylittlehewassucceeding. ThesunwaslowintheWestandthecooleveningbreezewasbeginningtorustlesoftlythroughthebamboo-groveswhentheDoctorfinallyturnedfromhisworkandsaidtome, "Stubbins,Ihavepersuadedthesnailtocomeinontothedrypartofthebeachandletmeexaminehistail. Willyoupleasegobacktothetownandtelltheworkmentostopworkingonthetheatreforto-day? Thengoontothepalaceandgetmymedicine-bag. IthinkIleftitunderthethroneintheAudienceChamber." "Andremember,"PolynesiawhisperedasIturnedaway,"notawordtoasoul.Ifyougetaskedquestions,keepyourmouthshut.Pretendyouhaveatoothacheorsomething." ThistimewhenIgotbacktotheshore—withthemedicine-bag—Ifoundthesnailhighanddryonthebeach. Seeinghiminhisfulllengthlikethis,itwaseasytounderstandhowold-time,superstitioussailorshadcalledhimtheSea-serpent. Hecertainlywasamostgigantic,andinhisway,agraceful,beautifulcreature. JohnDolittlewasexaminingaswellingonhistail. FromthebagwhichIhadbroughttheDoctortookalargebottleofembrocationandbeganrubbingthesprain. Nexthetookallthebandageshehadinthebagandfastenedthemendtoend. Butevenlikethat,theywerenotlongenoughtogomorethanhalfwayroundtheenormoustail. TheDoctorinsistedthathemustgettheswellingstrappedtightsomehow. SohesentmeofftothepalaceoncemoretogetallthesheetsfromtheRoyalLinen-closet. ThesePolynesiaandItoreintobandagesforhim. Andatlast,afterterrificexertions,wegotthesprainstrappedtohissatisfaction. Thesnailreallyseemedtobequitepleasedwiththeattentionhehadreceived;andhestretchedhimselfinlazycomfortwhentheDoctorwasdone. Inthisposition,whentheshellonhisbackwasempty,youcouldlookrightthroughitandseethepalm-treesontheotherside. "Ithinkoneofushadbettersitupwithhimallnight,"saidtheDoctor. "WemightputBumpoonthatduty;he'sbeennappingallday,Iknow—inthesummer-house. It'saprettybadsprain,that;andifthesnailshouldn'tbeabletosleep,he'llbehappierwithsomeonewithhimforcompany. He'llgetallrightthough—inafewdaysIshouldjudge. IfIwasn'tsoconfoundedlybusyI'dsitupwithhimmyself. IwishIcould,becauseIstillhavealotofthingstotalkoverwithhim." "ButDoctor,"saidPolynesiaaswepreparedtogobacktothetown,"yououghttotakeaholiday. AllKingstakeholidaysonceinthewhile—everyoneofthem. KingCharles,forinstance—ofcourseCharleswasbeforeyourtime—buthe!—why,hewasALWAYSholiday-making. Notthathewaseverwhatyouwouldcallamodelking. Butjustthesame,hewasfrightfullypopular. Everybodylikedhim—eventhegolden-carpinthefish-pondatHamptonCourt. Asaking,theonlythingIhadagainsthimwashisinventingthosestupid,little,snappydogstheycallKingCharlesSpaniels. TherearelotsofstoriestoldaboutpoorCharles;butthat,inmyopinion,istheworstthinghedid.However,allthisisbesidethepoint. AsIwassaying,kingshavetotakeholidaysthesameasanybodyelse. Andyouhaven'ttakenonesinceyouwerecrowned,haveyounow?" "No,"saidtheDoctor,"Isupposethat'strue." "WellnowItellyouwhatyoudo,"saidshe:"assoonasyougetbacktothepalaceyoupublisharoyalproclamationthatyouaregoingawayforaweekintothecountryforyourhealth. Andyou'regoingWITHOUTANYSERVANTS,youunderstand—justlikeaplainperson. It'scalledtravelingincognito,whenkingsgoofflikethat. Theyalldoit—It'stheonlywaytheycaneverhaveagoodtime. Thentheweekyou'reawayyoucanspendlollingonthebeachbacktherewiththesnail.How'sthat?" "I'dliketo,"saidtheDoctor."Itsoundsmostattractive. Butthere'sthatnewtheatretobebuilt;noneofourcarpenterswouldknowhowtogetthoseraftersonwithoutmetoshowthem—Andthentherearethebabies:thesenativemothersaresofrightfullyignorant." "Ohbotherthetheatre—andthebabiestoo,"snappedPolynesia."Thetheatrecanwaitaweek. Andasforbabies,theyneverhaveanythingmorethancolic. Howdoyousupposebabiesgotalongbeforeyoucamehere,forheaven'ssake?—Takeaholiday....Youneedit." 
