One quiet afternoon, something extraordinary happened. "Snort, snort, OOOOOOOOOOIIIIINNK, snort," cried the little pig. He seemed to be in pain.
"Why don’t you look after your animals?" Sarah shouted.
"What’s the matter, Gub-Gub?" Dr. Dolittle asked.
"He ate something bad, of course," Sarah said.
"No, he hurt his foot," the doctor said.
"How did you know that?" Sarah asked.
"Well, I think Gub-Gub told me," he answered.
"Are you out of your mind?" she shouted. "Animals can’t talk!"
"Maybe I am crazy," Dr. Dolittle said to himself.
"No, you’re not. You’re talking to me right now!" Polynesia pointed out.
"But you’re a parrot," the doctor replied.
"You understood Gub-Gub," Polynesia continued.
"But that’s impossible!" Dr. Dolittle sat up.
"Dr. Dolittle, you have the gift," the parrot said.
"What gift?" the doctor asked.
"You can understand animal language," she answered.
Dr. Dolittle was very excited. "I didn’t know animals have their own language!" he said to Polynesia.
"Most humans don’t. But animals speak to each other just like people do," she said.
"Animals also talk to people all the time.
‘I’m HUNGRY!’ ‘I don’t want to play!’ ‘I’m HUNGRY!’
‘Oh, look at the yarn! Jump, Muffin! Jump, kitty!’
‘Meow, Meow, Meow’"
"Then why can’t people learn animal language?" Dr. Dolittle asked.
"Only those who truly love animals can learn it," nodded Polynesia.
"Yes, I do love animals very much," admitted the doctor. Every day, Dr. Dolittle studied the animal language with Polynesia’s help.
"Animals don’t always talk with words," Polynesia whispered. "We can speak with our eyes, our tails, our feet . . . with everything. What do you think Jip is saying?"
"It looks like he is playing," the doctor answered.
Polynesia shook her head. "But what he’s really saying is: ‘Get off my back, you annoying flea!’"
It wasn’t easy to learn the animal language. Dr. Dolittle made many mistakes. "This one wants to live in the garden, but the other one doesn’t," the doctor observed.
"Listen more carefully, Doctor," said Polynesia.
"Squeak, squeak, JEEEEEEEEEEEPPPPPP! Jeep, Jeep, squeakkkkk!" cried one mouse.
"OH!" the doctor shouted excitedly. "He stepped on her feet so she’s angry with him!"
"That’s right! And he didn’t even say sorry!" squeaked the mouse.
Soon Dr. Dolittle could speak and understand the animal language perfectly.
"Oh, please, someone help me," the horse cried.
"I’ll help you," Dr. Dolittle gently answered.
"You can speak our language?" the horse whispered.
"Yes. Now tell me what the problem is," said the doctor.
"I’m so thirsty and hot, but the old man won’t give me any water!" complained the horse.
"You can have some water from my garden," Dr. Dolittle offered.
"You seem to understand animals," the old man said. "You should be an animal doctor."