The Story of Doctor Dolittle quotes
The lines readers remember from The Story of Doctor Dolittle, by Hugh Lofting.
17 quotes · About the book
Standout lines
Dogs nearly always use their noses for asking questions.
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“That means, ‘Can’t you see that it has stopped raining?’ ” Polynesia answered. “He is asking you a question.
Dogs nearly always use their noses for asking questions.
”
Nobody but a fool is ever rude to a good doctor.
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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.
In that way I can talk while I am eating without being rude. Our people have always been very polite.
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“Oh, yes,” said the pushmi-pullyu. “But I keep the other mouth for eating—mostly.
In that way I can talk while I am eating without being rude. Our people have always been very polite.
”
People who made trouble for Polynesia or her friends were nearly always sorry for it afterwards.
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This was always a very bad sign with Polynesia. Whenever she said nothing and blinked her eyes, it meant that somebody had been making trouble, and she was thinking out some way to put things right.
People who made trouble for Polynesia or her friends were nearly always sorry for it afterwards.
Presently she spied Chee-Chee swinging through the trees still looking for the Doctor. When Chee-Chee saw her, he came into her tree and asked her what had become of him.
Might as well try to win a race in a soup-tureen as hope to get away from them in this old barge.
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“This is a poor ship the Prince gave us,” said Gub-Gub, the pig—“the slowest he could find, I should think.
Might as well try to win a race in a soup-tureen as hope to get away from them in this old barge.
Look how near they are now!—You can see the mustaches on the faces of the men—six of them. What are we going to do?”
But we owls can tell you, using only one ear, the color of a kitten from the way it winks in the dark.
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Almost everything makes some noise—if your ears are only sharp enough to catch it. Bats can hear a mole walking in his tunnel under the earth—and they think they’re good hearers.
But we owls can tell you, using only one ear, the color of a kitten from the way it winks in the dark.
”
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I: Puddleby
“But I like the animals better than the ‘best people,’ ” said the Doctor.
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Squire Jenkins and the Parson say they wouldn’t come near your house again—no matter how sick they are. We are getting poorer every day. If you go on like this, none of the best people will have you for a doctor.”
“But I like the animals better than the ‘best people,’ ” said the Doctor.
“You are ridiculous,” said his sister, and walked out of the room.
II: Animal Language
Dogs nearly always use their noses for asking questions.
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“That means, ‘Can’t you see that it has stopped raining?’ ” Polynesia answered. “He is asking you a question.
Dogs nearly always use their noses for asking questions.
”
I kicked him in the right place.
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“Oh, no,” said the horse. “
I kicked him in the right place.
The vet’s looking after him now. When will my glasses be ready?”
VIII: The Leader of the Lions
Why, I wouldn’t even eat them between meals!
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“Do you dare to ask me, Sir?” he said, glaring at the Doctor. “Do you dare to ask me—Me, the King of Beasts, to wait on a lot of dirty monkeys?
Why, I wouldn’t even eat them between meals!
”
Nobody but a fool is ever rude to a good doctor.
Show the passage
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.
IX: The Monkeys’ Council
Cousin, surely these Men be strange creatures! Who would wish to live in such a land? My gracious, how paltry!
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And the Chief Chimpanzee turned to the Oldest Orangutan and said, “
Cousin, surely these Men be strange creatures! Who would wish to live in such a land? My gracious, how paltry!
”
X: The Rarest Animal of All
Pushmi-pullyus are now extinct. That means, there aren’t any more.
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Pushmi-pullyus are now extinct. That means, there aren’t any more.
But long ago, when Doctor Dolittle was alive, there were some of them still left in the deepest jungles of Africa; and even then they were very, very scarce. They had no tail, but a head at each end, and sharp horns on each head.
“Lord save us!” cried the duck. “How does it make up its mind?”
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“What in the world is it?” asked John Dolittle, gazing at the strange creature.
“Lord save us!” cried the duck. “How does it make up its mind?”
“It doesn’t look to me as though it had any,” said Jip, the dog.
In that way I can talk while I am eating without being rude. Our people have always been very polite.
Show the passage
“Oh, yes,” said the pushmi-pullyu. “But I keep the other mouth for eating—mostly.
In that way I can talk while I am eating without being rude. Our people have always been very polite.
”
XI: The Black Prince
People who made trouble for Polynesia or her friends were nearly always sorry for it afterwards.
Show the passage
This was always a very bad sign with Polynesia. Whenever she said nothing and blinked her eyes, it meant that somebody had been making trouble, and she was thinking out some way to put things right.
People who made trouble for Polynesia or her friends were nearly always sorry for it afterwards.
Presently she spied Chee-Chee swinging through the trees still looking for the Doctor. When Chee-Chee saw her, he came into her tree and asked her what had become of him.
Whenever she said nothing and blinked her eyes, it meant that somebody had been making trouble, and she was thinking out some way to put things right.
Show the passage
This was always a very bad sign with Polynesia.
Whenever she said nothing and blinked her eyes, it meant that somebody had been making trouble, and she was thinking out some way to put things right.
People who made trouble for Polynesia or her friends were nearly always sorry for it afterwards.
XIII: Red Sails and Blue Wings
Might as well try to win a race in a soup-tureen as hope to get away from them in this old barge.
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“This is a poor ship the Prince gave us,” said Gub-Gub, the pig—“the slowest he could find, I should think.
Might as well try to win a race in a soup-tureen as hope to get away from them in this old barge.
Look how near they are now!—You can see the mustaches on the faces of the men—six of them. What are we going to do?”
XIV: The Rats’ Warning
After all, who would stay on a sinking ship, if he could get off it?
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“People,” said the rat, “always speak of it with a sneer—as though it were something disgraceful. But you can’t blame us, can you?
After all, who would stay on a sinking ship, if he could get off it?
”
XVI: Too-Too, the Listener
But we owls can tell you, using only one ear, the color of a kitten from the way it winks in the dark.
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Almost everything makes some noise—if your ears are only sharp enough to catch it. Bats can hear a mole walking in his tunnel under the earth—and they think they’re good hearers.
But we owls can tell you, using only one ear, the color of a kitten from the way it winks in the dark.
”
XVIII: Smells
He said he felt as though those terrible eyes were looking right inside of him to see what he had stolen for lunch.
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Gub-Gub was scared of them and got behind a barrel.
He said he felt as though those terrible eyes were looking right inside of him to see what he had stolen for lunch.
And the Doctor said to the eagles,
Hot water smells quite different from cold water.
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“Certainly it has,” said Jip. “
Hot water smells quite different from cold water.
It is warm water—or ice—that has the really difficult smell. Why, I once followed a man for ten miles on a dark night by the smell of the hot water he had used to shave with—for the poor fellow had no soap.
XX: The Fisherman’s Town
Oh, that’s nothing special. But it takes a dog to find a man, you know.
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“
Oh, that’s nothing special. But it takes a dog to find a man, you know.
Birds are no good for a game like that.”
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