The Story of Doctor Dolittle · Chapter
Smells explained
The Doctor enlists eagles to search for the boy's lost uncle, but they fail.
What happens
The Doctor enlists eagles to search for the boy's lost uncle, but they fail. Jip then uses his extraordinary sense of smell to identify the uncle's scent from a snuff-filled handkerchief and vows to find him.
Themes in this chapter
Communication and Understanding
The Doctor communicates with eagles and Jip to solve the problem, highlighting cross-species cooperation.
Adventure and Exploration
The search for the lost uncle across seas and lands, using eagles and scent tracking, embodies the spirit of adventure.
Characters to notice
- Doctor Dolittle
Organizes the search for the boy's uncle, first via eagles and then by consulting Jip.
- Jip
Demonstrates his remarkable olfactory abilities, identifying the uncle's snuff scent and planning to track him by smell.
- Gub-Gub
Skeptical of Jip's claims, teases him about finding a man by smell, and is scared of the eagles.
- Dab-Dab
Suggests using eagles for the search and later expresses concern about the boy's welfare.
- Too-Too
Mentions Polynesia's cleverness in escaping prison, though not directly present.
Key passages
“Your uncle must now be found ,” said the Doctor—“that is the next thing—now that we know he wasn’t thrown into the sea.””
The Doctor declares that finding the boy's uncle is the next priority, since they've confirmed he wasn't thrown overboard.
Sets the chapter's central goal.
“Eagles do not talk very much. And all they answered in their husky voices was, “You may be sure that we will do our best—for John Dolittle.””
The eagles are brief and loyal, promising to do their utmost for the Doctor.
Highlights the eagles' respect for the Doctor.
“Snuff , by Jingo!—Black Rappee snuff. Don’t you smell it? His uncle took snuff—Ask him, Doctor.”
Jip excitedly identifies the snuff scent on the uncle's handkerchief, confirming the man used snuff.
Key moment where Jip discovers the crucial clue.
“I don’t need any light to look for a man who smells of Black Rappee snuff,” said Jip as he climbed the stairs. “If the man had a hard smell, like string, now—or hot water, it would be different. But snuff !—Tut, tut!””
Jip boasts that tracking a snuff-scented man is easy, unlike more challenging smells like string or hot water.
Shows Jip's confidence and expertise in scent tracking.