shelf of the dresser.

There was nothing in it--not one single penny!

"I felt sure there was twopence left," said the Doctor.

"There WAS," said the owl. "But you spent it on a rattle for that
badger's baby when he was teething."

"Did I?" said the Doctor--"dear me, dear me! What a nuisance money is,
to be sure! Well, never mind. Perhaps if I go down to the seaside I
shall be able to borrow a boat that will take us to Africa. I knew a
seaman once who brought his baby to me with measles. Maybe he'll lend
us his boat--the baby got well."

So early the next morning the Doctor went down to the seashore. And
when he came back he told the animals it was all right--the sailor was
going to lend them the boat.

Then the crocodile and the monkey and the parrot were very glad and
began to sing, because they were going back to Africa, their real home.
And the Doctor said,

"I shall only be able to take you three--with Jip the dog, Dab-Dab the
duck, Gub-Gub the pig and the owl, Too-Too. The rest of the animals,
like the dormice and the water-voles and the bats, they will have to go
back and live in the fields where they were born till we come home
again. But as most of them sleep through the Winter, they won't mind
that--and besides, it wouldn't be good for them to go to Africa."

So then the parrot, who had been on long sea-voyages before, began
telling the Doctor all the things he would have to take with him on the
ship.

"You must have plenty of pilot-bread," she said--"'hard tack' they call
it. And you must have beef in cans--and an anchor."

"I expect the ship will have its own anchor," said the Doctor.

"Well, make sure," said Polynesia. "Because it's very important. You
can't stop if you haven't got an anchor. And you'll need a bell."

"What's that for?" asked the Doctor.

"To tell the time by," said the parrot. "You go and ring it every
half-hour and then you know what time it is. And bring a whole lot of
rope--it always comes in handy on voyages."

Then they began to wonder where they were going to get the money from
to buy all the things they needed.

"Oh, bother it! Money again," cried the Doctor. "Goodness! I shall
be glad to get to Africa where we don't have to have any! I'll go and
ask the grocer if he will wait for his money till I get back--No, I'll
send the sailor to ask him."

So the sailor went to see the grocer. And presently he came back with
all the things they wanted.