butterflies and plants and rocks an' all. John Dolittle is a
very great nacheralist. I'm surprised you never heard of him--and
you daft over animals. He knows a whole lot about shellfish--that
I know from my own knowledge. He's a quiet man and don't talk
much; but there's folks who do say he's the greatest nacheralist
in the world."
"Where does he live?" I asked.
"Over on the Oxenthorpe Road, t'other side the town. Don't know
just which house it is, but 'most anyone 'cross there could tell
you, I reckon. Go and see him. He's a great man."
So I thanked the mussel-man, took up my squirrel again and
started oft towards the Oxenthorpe Road.
The first thing I heard as I came into the marketplace was some
one calling "Meat! M-E-A-T!"
"There's Matthew Mugg," I said to myself. "He'll know where this
Doctor lives. Matthew knows everyone."
So I hurried across the market-place and caught him up.
"Matthew," I said, "do you know Doctor Dolittle?"
"Do I know John Dolittle!" said he. "Well, I should think I do!
I know him as well as I know my own wife--better, I sometimes
think. He's a great man--a very great man."
"Can you show me where he lives?" I asked. "I want to take this
squirrel to him. It has a broken leg."
"Certainly," said the cat's-meat-man. "I'll be going right by his
house directly. Come along and I'll show you."
So off we went together.
"Oh, I've known John Dolittle for years and years," said Matthew
as we made our way out of the market-place. "But I'm pretty sure
he ain't home just now. He's away on a voyage. But he's liable
to be back any day. I'll show you his house and then you'll know
where to find him."
All the way down the Oxenthorpe Road Matthew hardly stopped
talking about his great friend, Doctor John Dolittle--"M. D." He
talked so much that he forgot all about calling out "Meat!" until
we both suddenly noticed that we had a whole procession of dogs
following us patiently.
