Page 64 - English Expedition Class 4

‘Oh, we parrots can talk
in two languages – people’s
language and bird language,’
said Polynesia proudly. ‘If I say,

“Polly wants a cracker,” you
understand me. But hear this,
“Ka-ka oi-ee, fee-fee?” ’
‘Good Gracious!’ cried the

Doctor. ‘What does that mean?’
‘That means, “Is the
porridge hot yet?” in bird
language.’

‘My! You don’t say so!’ said
the Doctor. ‘You never talked
that way to me before.’
‘Tell me some more,’ said

the Doctor, all excited. Then
he rushed over to the dresser-
drawer and came back with a
notebook and a pencil. ‘Now don’t go too fast – and I’ll write it down. Give me the

birds’ ABC first – slowly now.’
All that afternoon, while it was raining, Polynesia sat on the kitchen table giving
him bird words to put down in the book.
So, that was the way the Doctor came to know that animals had a language of their

own and could talk to one another.
Hugh Lofting (adapted)

Hugh John Lofting (1886–1947) was a British author and engineer
renowned for creating the character of Doctor Dolittle. The character
fi rst appeared in the letters he wrote to his children while he was
fi ghting in World War I.

54