Doctor Dolittle and the Green Canary

Introduction

If you have ever read Doctor Dolittle's Caravan you will remember Pippinella, the green canary—half canary, half greenfinch—whom Doctor Dolittle had bought from a pet shop, and how she became the prima donna of his opera company.

In the evenings she told such fascinating stories about her life that the Doctor said, 'You're a born story–teller, Pippinella. Would you be willing to help me write your biography?'

Of course, Pippinella was delighted to help, so evening after evening she related her experiences and the Doctor wrote them down, and all the animals listened with great attention—except Gub–Gub, who sometimes interrupted. They heard how she had lived in a wicked marquis's castle, worked as an air tester in a coal mine and flown to an uninhabited island, and all about her owners, from kind, silly Aunt Rosie to the best of all, a lonely window–cleaner who wrote books.

Pippinella brought her story right up to date, so then all it needed was a happy ending. Fortunate as she considered herself in joining the Dolittle household, she still longed to know what had become of her best master, the kind window–cleaner, for after many adventures and many happy days, they had been cruelly separated, and now she had no idea whether he was alive or dead. So once again Doctor Dolittle put off returning to his dear old home in Puddleby, to search for Pippinella's friend.