All that I have written so far about Doctor Dolittle I heard
long after it happened from those who had known him-- indeed a
great deal of it took place before I was born. But I now come to
set down that part of the great man's life which I myself saw and
took part in. Many years ago the Doctor gave me permission to do this. But we
were both of us so busy then voyaging around the world, having
adventures and filling note-books full of natural history that I
never seemed to get time to sit down and write of our doings.
Now of course, when I am quite an old man, my memory isn't so good any more. But whenever I am in doubt and have to hesitate
and think, I always ask Polynesia, the parrot.