The Story of Dr. Dolittle | Leveled Reader

Editors

Jerry Stemach, MS, CCC-SLP

Karen Erickson, PhD Center for Literacy and Disability Studies University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Don Johnston Incorporated 26799 West Commerce Drive Volo, IL 60073 USA myreadtopia.com

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The Story of Dr. Dolittle

by Hugh Lofting

retold by Mary J. Chester

Don Johnston Incorporated Volo, Illinois Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Doctor Dolittle of Puddleby ...... 5 Chapter 2 An Animal Doctor ...... 11 Chapter 3 More Trouble with Money ...... 16 Chapter 4 The Great Journey ...... 22 Chapter 5 Polynesia and the King ...... 25 Chapter 6 Many Sick Animals ...... 31 Chapter 7 A Rare Animal ...... 39 Chapter 8 Prince Bumpo ...... 44 Chapter 9 Pirates! ...... 49 Chapter 10 Going Home ...... 56 About the Readtopia Author ...... 62 About the Original Author ...... 63 Chapter 1 5 Doctor Dolittle of Puddleby

Let’s meet Doctor John Dolittle. People call him “Dr. Dolittle” for short. You can, too. 6 Dr. Dolittle lives in Puddleby, England. His house is small. He needs a bigger house.

His garden is big. He needs an even bigger garden. Why? Dr. Dolittle has too many animals. 7

There are animals inside the house. There are animals outside the house. There are animals everywhere. 8

Dr. Dolittle has three favorite animals. Let’s meet them. This animal is Jip the dog.

This animal is Chee-Chee. 9 This animal is Polynesia, the parrot. Polynesia is always talking.

Dr. Dolittle has a problem. He loves animals more than people. 10 What’s wrong with that? People pay money to their doctor. Animals do not. Dr. Dolittle needs money. Chapter 2 11 An Animal Doctor

The parrot — Polynesia — has an idea. Dr. Dolittle can be an animal doctor! Polynesia will help him. 12 Dr. Dolittle knows that Polynesia can talk. Polynesia knows that all animals can talk. So, she teaches Dr. Dolittle animal language. 13

Soon, Dr. Dolittle can speak dog language. You name it, he speaks it! 14 Animals come from near and far. They tell Dr. Dolittle their problems. He helps them all. 15

Now Dr. Dolittle has two problems. No animal can pay him. No animal wants to leave. 16 Chapter 3 More Trouble with Money

Ladies bring their sick dogs. Farmers bring their sick cows. Dr. Dolittle talks to the animals. The people pay Dr. Dolittle! 17 One day, a crocodile meets Dr. Dolittle. Dr. Dolittle lets the crocodile stay. Bad idea!

The ladies and farmers stay away. Why? They are afraid of that crocodile! 18

One night, Chee-Chee gets a letter. The letter is from his family. They live in Africa. They are all sick. 19

Dr. Dolittle must help them! But Africa is far from England. 20 Dr. Dolittle needs a boat. Boats cost money. Does the doctor have any money? No, he does not. 21

But Dr. Dolittle knows a sailor. The sailor has a boat. Can the doctor borrow his boat? Yes, he can. 62

About the Readtopia Author

Mary J. Chester is not a real name. Mary J. Chester is a name that was made up by a real person who has a different name.

Have you ever heard of Mark Twain? Mark Twain wrote about Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer. But Mark Twain’s real name is Samuel Langhorne Clemens. We say that Mark Twain and Mary J. Chester are pen names.

So who is Mary J. Chester? What is Mary J. Chester’s real name? Jerry Stemach

Jerry took all of the letters in his name — J-e-r-r-y-S-t-e-m-a-c-h — then put them in a different order. What did he get? M-a-r-y-J-C-h-e-s-t-e-r

Would you like a pen name? What would it be? 63

About the Original Author

Hugh Lofting was born in England in 1886. During his life, he lived in England, Canada, Africa, and the United States. When World War I started in 1914, Hugh was married with two children. He left his family to fight in the war. He promised to write letters to his children. But the war was terrible! Hugh could not tell his children about bloody battles. He could not tell them about horses and men who were shot and killed. So, he decided to write letters about a make-believe man who talked to animals.

When the war ended, Hugh’s letters were made into a chapter book, The Story of Doctor Dolittle.