Chapter 4: A Message from Africa

_THE FOURTH CHAPTER_ A MESSAGE FROM AFRICA THAT Winter was a very cold one. And one night in December, when they were all sitting round the warm fire in the kitchen, and the Doctor was reading aloud to them out of books he had written himself in animal-language, the owl, Too-Too, suddenly said, “Sh! What’s that noise outside?” They all listened; and presently they heard the sound of some one running. Then the door flew open and the monkey, Chee-Chee, ran in, badly out of breath. “Doctor!” he cried, “I’ve just had a message from a cousin of mine in Africa. There