← The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle

The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle · Chapters

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Chapter companions for The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting.

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  1. Chapter 1

    Dedication

    The book is dedicated to Colin and Elizabeth.

  2. Chapter 2

    The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle

    The chapter introduces the beginning of Doctor Dolittle's voyages, setting the stage for adventure and exploration as he prepares to leave Puddleby with his animal companions and Tommy Stubbins.

  3. Chapter 3

    Prologue

    The narrator, now an old man, introduces his account of Doctor Dolittle's life, explaining that he was given permission long ago to write about their adventures. He relies on the parrot Polynesia's remarkable memory to fill in details he cannot recall.

  4. Chapter 4

    The Cobbler's Son

    Tommy Stubbins, the nine-and-a-half-year-old son of a cobbler, describes his life in the small town of Puddleby-on-the-Marsh. He dreams of sailing away on the ships that come up the river, and spends his days with his three great friends: Joe the mussel-man, Matthew Mugg the cat's-meatman, and Luke the Hermit. Though he does not attend school, he is fond of animals and enjoys collecting eggs and butterflies, fishing, and helping mend nets.

  5. Chapter 5

    I Hear of the Great Naturalist

    Tommy Stubbins rescues a squirrel from a hawk and seeks help from the renowned naturalist Doctor Dolittle. Through conversations with the mussel-man Joe and the cat's-meatman Matthew Mugg, Tommy learns of the Doctor's extraordinary ability to speak animal languages and his reputation as a great naturalist. Matthew takes Tommy to the Doctor's house, where they meet Jip, the Doctor's dog, who guards the locked gate. Tommy learns that the Doctor is away on a voyage and begins visiting the house daily, hoping for his return.

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  1. Chapter 6The Doctor's Home
  2. Chapter 7The Wiff-Waff
  3. Chapter 8Polynesia
  4. Chapter 9The Wounded Squirrel
  5. Chapter 10VII: Shellfish Talk
  6. Chapter 11Are You a Good Noticer?
  7. Chapter 12The Garden of Dreams
  8. Chapter 13The Private Zoo
  9. Chapter 14My Schoolmaster, Polynesia
  10. Chapter 15My Great Idea
  11. Chapter 16A Traveler Arrives
  12. Chapter 17Chee-Chee’s Voyage
  13. Chapter 18XV: I Become a Doctor's Assistant
  14. Chapter 19The Crew of The Curlew
  15. Chapter 20Luke the Hermit
  16. Chapter 21IV: Bob
  17. Chapter 22V: Mendoza
  18. Chapter 23VI: The Judge's Dog
  19. Chapter 24The End of the Mystery
  20. Chapter 25Three Cheers
  21. Chapter 26The Purple Bird-of-Paradise
  22. Chapter 27Long Arrow, the Son of Golden Arrow
  23. Chapter 28Blind Travel
  24. Chapter 29Destiny and Destination
  25. Chapter 30The Third Man
  26. Chapter 31Goodbye!
  27. Chapter 32Our Troubles Begin
  28. Chapter 33Our Troubles Continue
  29. Chapter 34Polynesia Has a Plan
  30. Chapter 35The Bed-Maker of Monteverde
  31. Chapter 36The Doctor's Wager
  32. Chapter 37VIII: The Great Bullfight
  33. Chapter 38We Depart in a Hurry
  34. Chapter 39I: Shellfish Languages Again
  35. Chapter 40The Fidgit's Story
  36. Chapter 41Bad Weather
  37. Chapter 42IV: Wrecked!
  38. Chapter 43Land!
  39. Chapter 44The Jabizri
  40. Chapter 45Hawk's-Head Mountain
  41. Chapter 46A Great Moment
  42. Chapter 47The Men of the Moving Land
  43. Chapter 48Fire
  44. Chapter 49What Makes an Island Float
  45. Chapter 50War!
  46. Chapter 51General Polynesia
  47. Chapter 52VII: The Peace of the Parrots
  48. Chapter 53The Hanging Stone
  49. Chapter 54IX: The Election
  50. Chapter 55X: The Coronation of King Jong
  51. Chapter 56I: New Popsipetel
  52. Chapter 57Thoughts of Home
  53. Chapter 58III: The Red Man’s Science
  54. Chapter 59IV: The Sea-Serpent
  55. Chapter 60The Shellfish Riddle Solved at Last
  56. Chapter 61The Last Cabinet Meeting
  57. Chapter 62VII: The Doctor's Decision