After the bullfight, Polynesia and Charles collected the money from Don Enrique.
They found a woman opening up her shop again.
"Quickly, Charles!" said Polynesia.
"We must buy everything she has and get it to our boat."
"What's the hurry?" Charles asked.
"Soon the people will be angry at Dr. Dolittle," she replied.
"He has stopped all bullfights."
Charles carried food and supplies back and forth to the boat.
Soon Tommy came along and helped him.
"Where is the doctor?" whispered Charles.
"Hiding on the boat.
The people are looking for him," Tommy answered.
An angry mob appeared in the distance.
"Look! That's Dolittle's people!
Get them!" they yelled.
Charles and Tommy ran as fast as they could.
"Doctor! Get the boat started!" shouted Charles.
Dr. Dolittle came out of his hiding place.
He ran to the wheel and started the boat.
Charles and Tommy jumped on.
They were off to sea again.
The next few weeks were filled with beautiful warm weather.
Tommy was so glad to leave Capa Blanca.
"Will the mayor keep his promise never to have bullfights again?" Tommy asked.
"Yes," answered the doctor.
"That's why the people were so angry."
"Were you at all afraid of the bulls, Dr. Dolittle?" asked Charles.
Dr. Dolittle shook his head.
"Animals never hurt others unless they are hurt first," he said.
"They're very different from humans that way."
Then the doctor pulled up his net and shouted loudly, "A fidgit! I got a fidgit!"
Tommy had never heard of a fidgit.
It looked like a plain little silver fish to him.
"This," Dr. Dolittle pointed excitedly, "will help me understand the shellfish language."
"Do fidgits speak shellfish?" asked Tommy.
"No, but they are relatives of gorfins," explained the doctor.
"Gorfins are cousins of the crabs, who speak shellfish!"
Tommy did not understand at all.
Dr. Dolittle worked hard into the night.
Tommy stayed close by in case the doctor needed him.
Finally, the doctor poked his head out of the tank.
"Extraordinary," he remarked.
Tommy rubbed his eyes sleepily.
"What is it, Doctor?" he asked.
The doctor removed his goggles.
"I want you to listen," he said, "and tell me what you hear."
Tommy put the goggles on and stuck his head into the water.
The tiny fish swam around and around making no sound.
Suddenly Tommy heard a faint noise.
He listened more carefully.
It sounded like: "Don tappan dee gloss."
Tommy pulled his head out.
"Doctor," he gasped, "I think I know what it said."
"What?" asked Dr. Dolittle.
"Don't tap on the glass!" Tommy jumped up and down.
"I understood his language!"
Dr. Dolittle turned pink.
"Um, Tommy," he coughed, "I believe that fidgit is speaking English."
Tommy was very disappointed.
He was never going to learn animal talk.
"But see? If a fidgit can learn to speak human language, then surely we can speak theirs," the doctor reassured him.
Dr. Dolittle pulled out a notepad.
"Here is what I recorded from the fidgit so far."
He began to read.
"'Very rare. Do not smoke.
Please be quiet. Don't tap on the glass.'"
Dr. Dolittle scratched his head.
"I believe this little fish escaped from an aquarium!"
Dr. Dolittle and Tommy listened, recorded, and tried to speak to the fidgit all night.
Yes, it had escaped from an aquarium.
That's where it learned to speak human talk.
"Tommy!" cried the doctor, sticking his head out of the tank.
"The fidgit has something to say!"
They both put their faces back into the water and waited.
"Thank you for coming to see my show," the little fish began.
Tommy started to giggle, which made bubbles under the water.
"Please do not smoke.
Do not tap on the glass," the fidgit continued.
"And if you want to learn shellfish language, seek the great glass sea snail."
"Er, who is that?" asked the doctor.
"He is the oldest living creature in the world," the fidgit replied.
"A snail that is as big as a house."
"Where can we find him?" asked Tommy.
"The snail lives only in one place," the fidgit answered.
"Find Spider Monkey Island and you will find him."