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"You never did have a grain of sense!" she screamed.

"All the animals from here to the Indian Ocean are talking about this wonderful man, and how he can cure any kind of sickness, and how kind he is-the only man in the whole world who can talk the language of the animals! And now, now-when we have a sick baby on our hands, you must go and offend him! You great booby! Nobody but a fool is ever rude to a good doctor.

You-," and she started pulling her husband's hair.

"Go back to that white man at once," she yelled, "and tell him you're sorry.

And take all the other empty-headed lions with you-and those stupid leopards and antelopes.

Then do everything the Doctor tells you.

Work hard! And perhaps he will be kind enough to come and see the cub later.

Now be off!-Hurry, I tell you! You're not fit to be a father!"

And she went into the den next door, where another mother-lion lived, and told her all about it.

So the Leader of the Lions went back to the Doctor and said, "I happened to be passing this way and thought I'd look in. Got any help yet?"

"No," said the Doctor. "I haven't. And I'm dreadfully worried."

"Help's pretty hard to get these days," said the lion.

"Animals don't seem to want to work any more.

You can't blame them-in a way... .

Well, seeing you're in difficulties, I don't mind doing what I can-just to oblige you-so long as I don't have to wash the creatures.

And I have told all the other hunting animals to come and do their share.

The leopards should be here any minute now... .

Oh, and by the way, we've got a sick cub at home.

I don't think there's much the matter with him myself.

But the wife is anxious.

If you are around that way this evening, you might take a look at him, will you?"

Then the Doctor was very happy; for all the lions and the leopards and the antelopes and the giraffes and the zebras-all the animals of the forests and the mountains and the plains-came to help him in his work. There were so many of them that he had to send some away, and only kept the cleverest.

And now very soon the monkeys began to get better. At the end of a week the big house full of beds was half empty. And at the end of the second week the last monkey had got well.

Then the Doctor's work was done; and he was so tired he went to bed and slept for three days without even turning over.

Chapter 9

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