I was glad too that they recognized me despite my unnatural size. Indeed I think they took a sort of pride in that I had, like Cæsar, “grown so great.” We sat in front of the fire and I told them all of our adventures as well as I could remember them.
It seemed strange that they, simple people though they were, accepted my preposterous story of a journey to the Moon with no vestige of doubt or disbelief. I feared there were no other humans in the world—outside of Matthew Mugg, who would so receive my statement. They asked me when I expected the Doctor’s return. I told them what Polynesia had said of the second smoke signal by which John Dolittle planned to notify me of his departure from the Moon. But I had to admit I felt none too sure of his escape from a land where his services were so urgently demanded. Then when I almost broke down, accusing myself of abandoning the Doctor, they both comforted me with assurances that I could not have done more than I had.
Finally my mother insisted that I stay the night at their house and not attempt to notify the Dolittle household until the morrow. I was clearly overtired and worn out, she said. So, still willing to put off the evil hour, I persuaded myself that I was tired and turned in.
The next day I sought out Matthew Mugg, the Cats’-meat-Man. I merely wanted his support when I should present myself at “the little house with the big garden.” But it took me two hours to answer all the questions he fired at me about the Moon and our voyage.
At last I did get to the Doctor’s house. My hand had hardly touched the gate-latch before I was surrounded by them all. Too-Too the vigilant sentinel had probably been on duty ever since we left and one hoot from him brought the whole family into the front garden like a fire alarm. A thousand exclamations and remarks about my increased growth and changed appearance filled the air. But there never was a doubt in their minds as to who I was.
And then suddenly a strange silence fell over them all when they saw that I had returned alone. Surrounded by them I entered the house and went to the kitchen. And there by the fireside, where the great man himself has so often sat and told us tales, I related the whole story of our visit to the Moon.
At the end they were nearly all in tears, Gub-Gub howling out loud.
“We’ll never see him again!” he wailed. “They’ll never let him go. Oh, Tommy, how could you have left him?”
“Oh, be quiet!” snapped Jip. “He couldn’t help it. He was kidnapped. Didn’t he tell you? Don’t worry. We’ll watch for the smoke signal. John Dolittle will come back to us, never fear. Remember he has Polynesia with him.”
“Aye!” squeaked the white mouse. “She’ll find a way.”