m right around him on our way in here, and he did
not seem to be really seriously injured."

"Can't any of your people speak shellfish?" the Doctor asked.

"Not a word," said they. "It's a most frightfully difficult language."

"Do you think that you might be able to find me some kind of a fish that
could?"

"We don't know," said the porpoises. "We might try."

"I should be extremely grateful to you if you would," said the Doctor.
"There are many important questions I want to ask this snail--And
besides, I would like to do my best to cure his tail for him. It's the
least I can do. After all, it was my fault, indirectly, that he got
hurt."

"Well, if you wait here," said the porpoises, "we'll see what can be
done."

THE FIFTH CHAPTER. THE SHELLFISH RIDDLE SOLVED AT LAST

SO Doctor Dolittle with a crown on his head sat down upon the shore like
King Knut, and waited. And for a whole hour the porpoises kept going and
coming, bringing up different kinds of sea-beasts from the deep to see
if they could help him.

Many and curious were the creatures they produced. It would seem
however that there were very few things that spoke shellfish except the
shellfish themselves. Still, the porpoises grew a little more hopeful
when they discovered a very old sea-urchin (a funny, ball-like, little
fellow with long whiskers all over him) who said he could not speak pure
shellfish, but he used to understand starfish--enough to get along--when
he was young. This was coming nearer, even if it wasn't anything to go
crazy about. Leaving the urchin with us, the porpoises went off once
more to hunt up a starfish.

They were not long getting one, for they were quite common in those
parts. Then, using the sea-urchin as an interpreter, they questioned the
starfish. He was a rather stupid sort of creature; but he tried his best
to be helpful. And after a little patient examination we found to our
delight that he could speak shellfish moderately well.

Feeling quite encouraged, the Doctor and I now got into the canoe; and,
with the porpoises, the urchin and the starfish swimming alongside, we
paddled very gently out till we were close under the towering shell of
the Great Snail.

And then began the most curious conversation I have ever witnessed.
First the starfish would ask the snail something; and whatever answer
the snail gave, the starfish would tell it to the sea-urchin, the urchin
would tell it to the porpoises and the porp