The Story of Doctor Dolittle (Chapters 1-4)

The Story of Doctor Dolittle

by Hugh Lofting

CHAPTER 1: PUDDLEBY

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1. What was said as Dr. Dolittle went down the street?

2. Who would follow behind him?

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3. Compare his garden and house.

4. Where were the white mice kept?

5. Where was the squirrel kept?

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6. List his four favorite animals.

7. Why did his sister complain about the animals?

8. Why did the old lady with rheumatism change doctors?

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9. What was the problem with having animals in the house?

10. At the end, who was the only patient the doctor had?

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11. Why did the doctor’s savings decrease over time?

12. What items did he sell to make money?

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13. What did people say about the doctor later? (see the end of Chapter 1)

14. Who still loved and admired him?

The Story of Doctor Dolittle

by Hugh Lofting

CHAPTER 2: Animal Language

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1. What suggestion did Cat’s-meat-Man make?

2. How do we know that this was an interesting conversation between Dr. Dolittle and Cat’s-meat-Man?

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3. Why didn’t Cat’s-meat-Man read Dr. Dolittle’s books?

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5. According to Cat’s-meat-Man why do the animals get sick anyway?

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6. What was the parrot’s opinion of Dr. Dolittle?

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7. At the end of page 5, who is engaged in conversation?

8. Who informed Dr. Dolittle that animals/birds had a language of their own?

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9. In what way did Dr. Dolittle write the bird-words?

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10. At the end of page 6, what did Polly explain about how animals speak?

11. What did the dog twitching up the side of his nose mean?

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12. What did the doctor eventually learn?

13. Why was the plow horse so glad to see Dr. Dolittle?

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14. What did the horse need to become better?

15. What did the plow horse identify as the problem with animal doctors?

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16. What did the horse do when the farmer boy tried to put a mustard plaster on him?

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17. What did Dr. Dolittle give the horse to stop him going blind?

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18. How did the doctor organize the animals who came to see him?

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19. What was Polynesia’s opinion of people?

20. What special skills had the macaw?

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21. How old was Polynesia?

The Story of Doctor Dolittle

by Hugh Lofting

CHAPTER 3: More Money Troubles

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1. How did Dr. Dolittle begin to make money again?

2. Why did some of the animals stay at the doctor’s house?

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4. Why did Dr. Dolittle take the monkey from the organ grinder?

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5. Why did the crocodile come to see Dr. Dolittle?

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6. Why did the doctor ask the crocodile to return to the circus?

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7. What ultimatum did the doctor’s sister give?

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8. Why did Sarah Dolittle leave?

9. How did the doctor became poor again?

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10. What was Dr. Dolittle’s attitude to money?

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11. Which animal was good at arithmetic?

12. Whose idea was it that the animal should do the housework?

13. Who would do the cooking?

14. Who became the housekeeper and laundress?

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15. What did the animals do to make money?

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16. What had the animals left to eat?

17. Why didn’t vegetables grow that year?

18. What problem was Dr. Dolittle facing?

The Story of Doctor Dolittle

by Hugh Lofting

CHAPTER 4: A Message from Africa

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1. What disturbed the doctor reading aloud?

2. What news did Chee-Chee have?

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3. Why was Dr. Dolittle invited to Africa?

4. Who brought the news from Africa?

5. Why did Dr. Dolittle invite the swallow inside?

6. Where did the swallow sit?

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7. What was stopping Dr. Dolittle going to Africa?

8. What had Dr. Dolittle spent one penny on?

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9. What idea had Dr. Dolittle regarding getting a boat?

10. Why were the crocodile, monkey and parrot so excited?

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11. What had to happen to the animals who couldn’t go to Africa?

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12. According to Polynesia, why was the anchor so important?

13. What was the purpose of a bell on a trip?

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14. What problem did Dr. Dolittle still face?

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15. Who was given the key of the house?

16. Why did the Cat-meat-Man give Dr. Dolittle a suet pudding?

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017. What did Jip (Gub-Gub) think about the bed on the ship?

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18. Which animal / bird would show them the way to Africa?