"Have you seen a man with red hair?" said Dr. Dolittle.
"What’s his ship called?" asked a dolphin.
"The Saucy Sally. Please find him."
Dr. Dolittle waited for the dolphins.
"We found the boat," one dolphin said.
"But there was no one inside," said the other.
"And we didn’t find any body in the water," said the first one.
"He is not in the ocean," the second one said.
Dr. Dolittle told the boy what the dolphins said.
"My uncle is alive!" The boy clapped his hands. All the animals were happy too. They danced and sang together.
After eating a big meal, Dr. Dolittle said: "Now we must continue to search for your uncle."
"Dr. Dolittle, ask the eagles," Dab-Dab whispered. "Eagles can see better than any other creature."
Dr. Dolittle called and spoke with two eagles. Eagles don’t like to talk much. But they agreed to help the good doctor.
"We’ll be back," one said in a deep voice.
That evening, the eagles returned to the ship.
"We searched everywhere. But this man is nowhere to be seen," said one eagle. The other one didn’t say a word. "He is not on land," continued the eagle. They bowed their heads and flew off.
Dr. Dolittle did not know what to do.
"But he must be alive!" he said.
"Let me try to find him, Doctor," Jip offered.
"You? How can YOU find him?" laughed Gub-Gub.
"Dogs have a great sense of smell," Jip growled.
The other animals laughed at Jip.
"Dolphins and eagles are the smartest creatures," Dab-Dab pointed out. "They couldn’t find him. So how can you?"
"I’ll find the uncle!" Jip barked. "Just you wait and see!"
Jip spoke quietly to the doctor.
"Do you have something of your uncle’s?" Dr. Dolittle asked the boy.
"Only this," the boy took out a red handkerchief. Jip sniffed and smelled the handkerchief.
"I smell pickles and lemons," Jip said.
Dr. Dolittle asked the boy: "Does your uncle like pickles and lemons?"
"Yes! How did you know?" The boy was surprised. "He carries them in a jar and eats them all the time."
Everyone watched as Jip smelled and smelled the air.
"Onions, wet raincoats, burning leaves," Jip mumbled.
"Can you really smell all those things?" Dr. Dolittle asked.
"Of course! The wind carries the smell," Jip replied.
Many hours went by.
"He’s not going to find the uncle," Gub-Gub sighed. "Let’s go and eat."
Suddenly, Jip let out a sharp cry. "Pickles and lemons! Over there!"