Part III Chapter 2 Doctor Dolittle's Garden by Hugh Lofting
THE TAPPING ON THE WINDOW
And so there followed on the general feeling of consternation one of acute disappointment. The whole household, with the possible exception of Dab-Dab (and I'm by no means sure she too would not have welcomed the idea of a voyage at this time) had been keyed up to the promise of departure for foreign shores. Now with the prospect of remaining home indefinitely, there was quite a let-down all round. Promptly remarks began to break forth.
"Well, but, Doctor," said Chee-Chee, "how about Long Arrow? You agreed that he might be most helpful in this study of insect language and er—What did you call it?—intuitive investigation. Are you going to give up the idea of consulting him, just because Bumpo struck the astronomic page in the atlas?"
"Chee-Chee," said the Doctor, "didn't I tell you that I don't know where he is and that I know of no way of finding out? I agree he might be most helpful—and perhaps the only scientist in the world who could aid me. But if I don't know where he is how can I get at him?"
This argument convinced me and, I must confess, saddened me quite a little. For I had really set my heart on a voyage with John Dolittle, which was an experience, I knew, like nothing else in life. But to my great joy another ally came to the aid of Chee-Chee and myself.
"Doctor," said Polynesia suddenly and severely, "you know you are just trying to fool us. Do you mean to say that with your knowledge of the animal world you couldn't find out where that man is—with all the birds and the beasts and the fishes of the seven seas more than anxious to assist you in anything you want?—Tut, tut!"
The Doctor for a moment looked almost guilty. And I suddenly realized that he had taken advantage of the outcome of our game of Blind Travel to put off any voyage for the present, deliberately, because he felt he ought to stick to his work at home.
"Oh, well, Polynesia," he said finally in some little confusion, "you must admit I have fulfilled my promise. We have obeyed the rules of the game. The land we hit on was an impossible destination. I repeat: if you can show me a way to get to the Moon, I'll take you there."
The shrewd old parrot, who had after all given John Dolittle his first lessons in animal language, was not easily fooled. She put her head on one side, dropped the piece of toast she had been chewing and regarded him with a very knowing expression.
"You haven't answered my question, Doctor," said she. "Do you, or do you not, believe it is impossible for you to find out where Long Arrow now is?"
"Well," said John Dolittle, "you remember what a dickens of a job we had in finding him last time we set out to hunt him?"
"Yes," said Polynesia, "but that was because he had got trapped in the cave by the falling rocks. If he is free now, as he probably is, it would be no great matter—for you."
For a moment the Doctor squirmed in his chair. Polynesia was the best arguer I have ever known.
"But don't you see," he said at last spreading out his hands in front of him, "I have such a tremendous lot of work here still unfinished. I told you this legend the moths spoke of, about a race of giant flies—moths as big as a house, who could lift a ton weight as though it were an ounce. That is something that must be looked into. Goodness only knows what it might lead to."
"And goodness only knows what your going abroad might lead to either," said Polynesia. "But the truth is, I suppose, you just don't want to go. You're tired of just ordinary exploration and voyaging. The Moon is the only thing that would satisfy you—like a baby."
A little silence fell on the assembly. Dab-Dab had not yet begun to clear away. Everybody seemed to be thinking hard.
And then there came the most mysterious tapping on the window, an odd, heavy, muffled sort of tapping.
"Boo!" grunted Gub-Gub, "Spookish!" and he crawled under the table.
"I'm not going to pull back the curtains," said Bumpo—"not for a fortune. You go, Tommy."
I was after all the nearest to that window. I guessed it was Cheapside, as usual, asking to come in. But I should have known. No sparrow ever made a noise like that. I swung aside the curtains and gazed out into the moonlit garden. Then I clapped my hand to my mouth to stop the yell of surprise that rose to my lips.