nearly all of the history of doctor dolittle's post office took place when he was returning from a voyage to west africa. therefore i will begin (as soon as i have told you a little about how he came to take the journey) from where he turned his ship towards home again and set sail for puddleby-on-the-marsh.

some time before this the pushmi-pullyu, after a long stay in england, had grown a little homesick for africa. and although he was tremendously fond of the doctor and never wanted to leave him altogether, he asked him one winter day when the weather was particularly cold and disagreeable if he would mind running down to africa for a holiday—just for a week or two.

the doctor readily agreed because he hadn't been on a voyage in a long while and he felt he too needed a change from the chilly december days of england.

so he started off. besides the pushmi-pullyu he took dab-dab the duck, jip the dog, gub-gub the pig, too-too the owl, and the white mouse—the same good company he had had with him on his adventurous return from the land of the monkeys. for this trip the doctor bought a little sailing boat—very old and battered and worn, but a good sound craft for bad weather.

they sailed away down to the south coast of the bight of benin. there they visited many african kingdoms and strange tribes. and while they were ashore the pushmi-pullyu had a chance to wander freely through his old grazing grounds. and he enjoyed his holiday thoroughly.

one morning the doctor was delighted to see his old friends the swallows gathering once more about his ship at anchor for their yearly flight to england. they asked him whether he too was returning; because if so, they said, they would accompany him, the same as they had done when he was escaping from the kingdom of jolliginki.

as the pushmi-pullyu was now quite ready to leave, the doctor thanked the swallows and told them he would be delighted to have their company. then for the remainder of that day all was hustle and hurry and bustle, getting the ship provisioned and making preparations for the long trip back to england.

by the following morning everything was in readiness to put to sea. the anchor was drawn up and with all sail set the doctor's ship moved northward before a favorable wind. and it is from this point that my story begins.