and thick.

Then they all grew very sad; and Gub-Gub, the pig, began to cry. But
Chee-Chee said he would spank him if he didn't stop that horrible
noise; and he kept quiet.

"Are we all here?" asked the Doctor, after he had got used to the dim
light.

"Yes, I think so," said the duck and started to count them.

"Where's Polynesia?" asked the crocodile. "She isn't here."

"Are you sure?" said the Doctor. "Look again. Polynesia! Polynesia!
Where are you?"

"I suppose she escaped," grumbled the crocodile. "Well, that's just
like her!--Sneaked off into the jungle as soon as her friends got into
trouble."

"I'm not that kind of a bird," said the parrot, climbing out of the
pocket in the tail of the Doctor's coat. "You see, I'm small enough to
get through the bars of that window; and I was afraid they would put me
in a cage instead. So while the King was busy talking, I hid in the
Doctor's pocket--and here I am! That's what you call a 'ruse,'" she
said, smoothing down her feathers with her beak.

"Good Gracious!" cried the Doctor. "You're lucky I didn't sit on you."

"Now listen," said Polynesia, "to-night, as soon as it gets dark, I am
going to creep through the bars of that window and fly over to the
palace. And then--you'll see--I'll soon find a way to make the King
let us all out of prison."

"Oh, what can YOU do?" said Gub-Gub, turning up his nose and beginning
to cry again. "You're only a bird!"

"Quite true," said the parrot. "But do not forget that although I am
only a bird, I CAN TALK LIKE A MAN--and I know these people."

So that night, when the moon was shining through the palm-trees and all
the King's men were asleep, the parrot slipped out through the bars of
the prison and flew across to the palace. The pantry window had been
broken by a tennis ball the week before; and Polynesia popped in
through the hole in the glass.

She heard Prince Bumpo snoring in his bed-room at the back of the
palace. Then she tip-toed up the stairs till she came to the King's
bedroom. She opened the door gently and peeped in.

The Queen was away at a dance that night at her cousin's; but the King
was in bed fast asleep.

Polynesia crept in, very softly, and got under the bed.

Then she coughed--just the way Doctor Dolittle used to cough.
Polynesia could mimic any one.

The King opened his eyes and said sleepily: "Is that you, Ermintrude?"
(He thought it was the Queen come back from the dance.)

Then the