"Oh I fancy they have," said the Doctor--"and the beetles too.
But so far I haven't succeeded in learning much about insect
languages. I have been too busy lately trying to master the
shellfish-talk. I mean to take it up though."

At that moment Polynesia joined us and said, "Doctor, there are
two guinea-pigs at the back door. They say they have run away
from the boy who kept them because they didn't get the right
stuff to eat. They want to know if you will take them in."

"All right," said the Doctor. "Show them the way to the zoo.
Give them the house on the left, near the gate--the one the black
fox had. Tell them what the rules are and give them a square
meal--Now, Stubbins, we will go on to the aquariums. And first of
all I must show you my big, glass, sea-water tank where I keep
the shellfish."



THE ELEVENTH CHAPTER

MY SCHOOLMASTER, POLYNESIA

WELL, there were not many days after that, you may be sure, when
I did not come to see my new friend. Indeed I was at his house
practically all day and every day. So that one evening my mother
asked me jokingly why I did not take my bed over there and live
at the Doctor's house altogether.

After a while I think I got to be quite useful to the Doctor,