"But couldn't some of the other animals tell you as well?"

"I don't think so," said the Doctor, prodding the sausages with a
fork. "To be sure, the monkeys I knew in Africa some time ago
were very helpful in telling me about bygone days; but they only
went back a thousand years or so. No, I am certain that the
oldest history in the world is to be had from the shellfish--and
from them only. You see most of the other animals that were alive
in those very ancient times have now become extinct."

"Have you learned any shellfish language yet?" I asked.

"No. I've only just begun. I wanted this particular kind of a
pipe-fish because he is half a shellfish and half an ordinary
fish. I went all the way to the Eastern Mediterranean after him.
But I'm very much afraid he isn't going to be a great deal of
help to me. To tell you the truth, I'm rather disappointed in his
appearance. He doesn't LOOK very intelligent, does he?"

"No, he doesn't," I agreed.

"Ah," said the Doctor. "The sausages are done to a turn. Come
along--hold your plate near and let me give you some."

Then we sat down at the kitchen-table and started a hearty meal.

It was a wonderful kitchen, that. I had many meals there
afterwards and I found it a better place to eat in than the
grandest dining-room in the world. It was so cozy and home-like