Doctor Dolittle's Circus facts for kids
First edition
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| Author | Hugh Lofting |
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| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Series | Doctor Dolittle |
| Genre | Children's novel |
| Publisher | Frederick A. Stokes |
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Publication date
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1924 |
| Media type | Print (hardback and paperback) |
| Preceded by | Doctor Dolittle's Post Office |
| Followed by | Doctor Dolittle's Zoo |
Doctor Dolittle's Circus is an exciting adventure book by Hugh Lofting. It was published in 1924. This story takes place in England, somewhere between Doctor Dolittle's first big adventure and his later travels. You might know it because parts of this book were used in the 1967 Doctor Dolittle movie!
Contents
Discovering Doctor Dolittle's Circus Adventures
Joining the Circus for Money
The story starts with Doctor John Dolittle needing money. He wants to pay for his past trip to Africa. The Doctor gets an idea: he could take the amazing Pushmi-Pullyu to a circus! His friend, Matthew Mugg, helps him find a small circus. It belongs to a ringmaster named Blossum.
Doctor Dolittle visits Blossum. He convinces Blossum to come to his house in Puddleby. There, they talk about how much the Pushmi-Pullyu will be paid. They also discuss the rules for its performance.
Helping Animals in Need
The Pushmi-Pullyu's show is a big hit! The Doctor starts earning money. But he also sees that the circus animals are not treated well. They live in terrible conditions. Doctor Dolittle tries to give Blossum ideas to make things better. However, Blossum does not want to help.
The Doctor then meets Sophie, an Alaskan seal. She is owned by Mr. Higgins. Sophie tells the Doctor that she misses her husband, Slushy. He is the leader of her seal group. So, the Doctor plans a way for Sophie to escape.
Sophie's Daring Escape
On the night of the escape, Dolittle waits outside. Matthew and Jip try to get Sophie out of the circus. But the guards close the gate before Sophie can get away. Matthew and his wife, Theodosia, create a distraction. They trick the guards into going to Sophie's tank and push them in!
The whole circus becomes very chaotic when Sophie disappears. But Sophie finally manages to escape!
A Journey to the Sea
When Dolittle and Sophie reach the edge of town, Sophie has an idea. She suggests they follow the river to reach the sea faster. They ask some ducks for directions. The ducks tell them to go to Talbot's Bridge. This bridge leads to the Kippet River, which goes all the way to the Bristol coast.
Doctor Dolittle buys some women's clothes to disguise Sophie. They travel in a coach. But the other people in the coach become suspicious. They think the Doctor is a famous highwayman and Sophie is his helper. So, the Doctor and Sophie have to leave quickly.
They meet the same horse that the Doctor once gave glasses to. The horse agrees to take them in his wagon to the Kippet River. When they reach the river, Sophie swims most of the way. Finally, the Doctor throws Sophie into the sea from a cliff. She is still wearing her disguise!
Saving Foxes and Returning Home
The coastguard arrests the Doctor. They think he threw his wife into the sea! In prison, the Doctor meets Sir William. Sir William is an old school friend who now hunts foxes. The Doctor tries to convince him to stop killing foxes.
Later, the police sergeant explains that the coastguard made a mistake. The Doctor is free to go! On his way back to Appledyke, he meets a mother fox named Nightshade. She is running away with her cubs from fox hunters. The Doctor hides Nightshade and her cubs in his jacket. When he sees Sir William hunting, he tells the hunting dogs to go somewhere else. This allows the foxes to escape safely.
Taking Over the Circus
After saving Nightshade and her cubs, Dolittle returns to Blossum's Circus. He finds a talking horse named Nino. Nino uses signs to communicate. Nino gets sick, so the Doctor tells Blossum that he can talk to animals. He suggests using Beppo as a substitute talking horse for the act.
Beppo later tells the Doctor about a nice pasture where he wants to retire. The Doctor convinces the farmer to let him buy the farm. This pasture becomes "The Retirement Cab and Wagon Horse Association." Soon after, the farmer's son and his friends are paid by the Doctor to plant radishes to feed the horses.
The Doctor then gets his animal friends, including Dab-Dab, Gub-Gub, Jip, Toby, and Swizzle, to perform in a play. It is called "The Puddleby Pantomime." Mr. Bellamy approves of the show when it is finished.
However, Blossum disappears with all the money he owes everyone. The circus people then choose the Doctor as the new manager. The Doctor reluctantly agrees. He arranges everything to his liking, even giving tea and peppermints to his visitors!
Animals Take the Stage
One night, the circus's lion and leopard ask the Doctor if they can stretch their legs. They want to come out of their cages. The Doctor makes them promise not to eat anyone. The lion and leopard wander around each evening. But one night, the lion gets lost. He frightens the visitors and, because he is hungry, eats some of a farmer's chickens. The Doctor has to pay for them.
After this, the Doctor agrees with the leopard and the lion that he will watch them every time they go for a night stroll. He then decides to let the animals take over the performances in the circus. He gets rid of the human performers. He believes people will enjoy the circus more with only animals performing!
Meet the Characters
- Doctor John Dolittle – The main character. He is a doctor who can talk to animals.
- Matthew Mugg – Doctor Dolittle's friend. He suggests Blossum's Circus.
- Gub-Gub – Doctor Dolittle's pet pig.
- Pushmi-Pullyu – A special two-headed antelope. It performs in Blossum's circus.
- Jip – Doctor Dolittle's loyal dog.
- Dab-Dab – Doctor Dolittle's housemaid, who is a duck.
- Blossum – The ringmaster of the circus.
- Sophie – A seal who is forced to perform in the circus.
- Sir William – Doctor Dolittle's friend from childhood who hunts foxes.
- Mr. Higgins – The owner of Sophie the seal.
Movie Adaptations
Some parts of Doctor Dolittle's Circus were used in the 1967 film Doctor Dolittle. This movie starred Rex Harrison. Key parts included the circus with the Pushmi-Pullyu, the fox hunt, and Sophie the seal's escape.
