That afternoon, Dr. Dolittle returned home with Tommy.
The doctor told Tommy's parents about Tommy's idea.
Tommy listened anxiously as they talked.
"I will teach Tommy everything I know," Dr. Dolittle promised.
"He will learn to read and write, and a great deal more."
Tommy saw his parents smile at each other.
His heart leapt with excitement.
"Tommy will make a fine assistant, I am certain," said the doctor.
So his parents let Tommy go.
As he left his home, strolling beside the great doctor, Tommy was bursting with pride.
It wasn't easy being an assistant, though.
"This is the chicken feed," Polynesia explained.
"But be careful that the raccoons don't steal the food."
"Rufus! You stay away!" squawked one chicken.
"I'm just passing by," the raccoon said innocently.
Every day Tommy learned something new.
"Did you irritate Coco again, Franny?" the doctor sternly asked a crying lamb.
"Of course not, Dr. Dolittle!
He just has a bad temper," Franny complained.
"What's going on?" whispered Tommy.
"Franny and Coco don't get along," Polynesia answered.
"Who's Coco?" asked Tommy.
"A chimpanzee with a short tail.
He can't hang from trees like other monkeys," Polynesia explained.
"So Franny teases him and Coco bites her."
The doctor put some medicine on Franny's sore bite.
"Ouch!" baaa-ed the lamb.
Being an assistant meant helping the doctor with many things.
This included learning the language of the wiff-waff.
The doctor pulled his head out of the fish tank and cooed:
"Boodi-bob-hop-sop."
Tommy stared at him blankly.
"Boodi-bob . . . oh, sorry, Tommy." Dr. Dolittle chuckled.
"I was speaking to you in pigeon language."
Tommy smiled.
"Can you get me some more water?"
Dr. Dolittle asked, this time in English.
Every chance she got, Polynesia helped Tommy learn the animals' language.
Tommy and Polynesia spent hours in the garden.
Tommy was anxious to learn, but it wasn't easy.
Tommy listened and watched a horse carefully.
"Now what is the horse saying?" Polynesia whispered.
"I am getting so fat!" the horse neighed.
"You're not! Don't be silly," mooed a nearby cow.
Tommy turned to Polynesia and tried to interpret.
"The horse is angry at the cow," he said, "because she eats too much."
Polynesia covered her mouth and giggled.
"I don't understand human language," neighed the horse to the cow, "but did he just call you fat?"
Tommy was puzzled why the cow snorted loudly at him.
After a while, Dr. Dolittle began teaching Tommy how to examine the animals.
"Lucas is very old,"
said Dr. Dolittle, as he patted an aging donkey.
"So you need to be very gentle.
Older animals have problems with their sight, digestion, and joints.
They are also forgetful."
Dr. Dolittle asked Tommy to stand in front of Lucas.
"Now hold up two fingers," he instructed.
Tommy did as he was told.
Dr. Dolittle made some hee-hawing noises.
"How many fingers do you see, Lucas?" he asked.
Lucas blinked once and yawned loudly.
"Pigs," continued the doctor, "are very smart animals.
They know when it is time for their shots.
So you have to distract them."
The doctor snuck up on a pig.
Tommy just stood there watching.
"Come on, Tommy, do something!" encouraged the doctor.
Tommy started to clap his hands and stamp his feet.
"Keep going, Tommy!" urged Dr. Dolittle.
Tommy waved his arms and danced.
"What on earth is that boy doing?" oinked one pig.
"Squeal! Snort!" said another in surprise.
All the pigs got their shots while they watched Tommy dance.
No, it was not easy being a doctor's assistant.