feeling. I had often wondered, when I had looked in from the front gate, what Doctor Dolittle would be like and what the funny little house would have inside it. But I never imagined it would be anything like this. Yet somehow after I had felt the Doctor's hand upon my arm I was not frightened, only confused. It all seemed like some queer dream; and I was beginning to wonder if I was really awake, when I heard the Doctor speaking again:
"My blessed matches are all wet. They won't strike. Have you got any?"
"No, I'm afraid I haven't," I called back.
"Never mind," said he. "Perhaps Dab-Dab can raise us a light somewhere."
Then the Doctor made some funny clicking noises with his tongue and I heard some one trundle up the stairs again and start moving about in the rooms above.
Then we waited quite a while without anything happening.
"Will the light be long in coming?" I asked. "Some animal is sitting on my foot and my toes are going to sleep."
"No, only a minute," said the Doctor. "She'll be back in a minute."
And just then I saw the first glimmerings of a light around the landing above. At once all the animals kept quiet.
