Dr. Dolittle had to let the fish go.
"I wanted to take him back to Puddleby," the doctor said,
"but he is so much happier in his own water world."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"Just look how beautiful and calm the waters are," sighed Charles.
"Look at that silly bird!"
Tommy stood up and pointed.
A bird was coming toward them, but it couldn't seem to fly straight.
Everyone except Polynesia laughed.
"Dr. Dolittle," she said seriously,
"I think it's Miranda."
"Miranda?" exclaimed the doctor.
"What is she doing here?"
As the bird approached, they recognized the purple bird of paradise.
"Oh," Miranda gasped as she fell onto the boat.
"Miranda! Are you all right?" the doctor called out.
"Yes," she finally said.
"I was looking for you for weeks!
But I couldn't find The Curlew anywhere!"
"Yes, er, well . . . we had to change boats," stammered the doctor.
"I bring bad news," she continued.
"A storm, a big storm, is coming."
Tommy looked up at the clear sunny sky.
It certainly didn't look as if a storm were coming.
"It's not too late to turn back, Dr. Dolittle," Miranda said.
The doctor shook his head.
She tried again.
"I wish you would."
"We are going to Spider Monkey Island," the doctor said firmly.
"Then be very careful, Doctor," she said sadly.
Miranda shook her wings and flew away.
Everyone watched her disappear into the blue sky.
That night Miranda's words came true.
"Tommy! Charles! Wake up!"
Dr. Dolittle's voice sounded from the dark.
Tommy turned the lamp on.
"I need you on the deck!" the doctor said urgently.
"The storm is here."
Dr. Dolittle stood by the wheel trying to turn it to the right.
But the wind kept pushing the boat to the left.
"The sails," Dr. Dolittle shouted loudly.
"Take the sails down!"
Polynesia was untying the ropes with her beak.
"Where is Charles?" she screeched.
"Still asleep!" Tommy yelled back.
Polynesia was very upset.
She flew down to the cabin to wake Charles up.
"Get up! Get up!" she yelled.
She pecked him on the nose and forehead.
And she pulled his ears─hard!
"Ouch!" He jumped up out of bed.
The wind tossed the boat this way and that.
The wheel spun out of control, knocking Dr. Dolittle to the floor.
As for poor Tommy, he could not get the sails off by himself.
In fact, the wind was so strong that it lifted him off his feet!
"Hang on tightly!" Dr. Dolittle shouted.
Charles ran onto the deck.
The rain beat against his face.
"That hurts more than Polynesia's pecking!" he cried.
Charles was a big strong man, but even he could not get the sails down.
"The wind is blowing too hard," he yelled.
Tommy was never so frightened in his whole life.
But he knew he must help Charles.
"The sail is stuck!" Polynesia was saying to Charles.
"Tommy! Can you climb up the mast?" she shouted.
Tommy looked up.
The mast was awfully high up.
But he knew he had to do it.
"Yes," he answered.
Then he started to climb up the thick pole.
Tommy reached the top.
One of the sails was caught between the ropes.
That's why they weren't able to pull the sails down.
Tommy used all his strength and pulled the sail loose.
As it fell onto the boat, he heard Charles and Polynesia yelling up at him.
Tommy turned his head and saw a huge wave coming toward him.
There was no time to climb down.
He closed his eyes and held tightly to the mast.
He thought about his mother and father in Puddleby.
Then everything went black.