Gently, very carefully, Dr. Dolittle walked over to the man.
Just then his match went out again.
"Get away from me, Ben Ali!" shouted the man.
He thought it was a Barbary pirate.
"Wait! I'm not Ben Ali!" Dr. Dolittle cried.
"Who are you then?" asked the man with red hair.
"My name is John Dolittle.
And your nephew is with me," explained the doctor.
The man's eyes filled with tears.
"My dear nephew!
Where is he?"
Dr. Dolittle led the man out the hole.
The boy was so happy to see his uncle.
"Jip, I'm sorry I didn't believe you," Gub-Gub cried.
"We're all sorry!" cried Dab-Dab.
"You're the smartest dog in the world!" all the animals shouted.
The uncle explained what had happened.
"Ben Ali put me on this island because I didn't want to be a pirate.
I had no food or water.
I lived on pickles and lemons for four days!"
The man and his nephew lived in a fishing village.
Dr. Dolittle sailed the ship toward their home.
"There! There is my village!
And up there is my house!" the man pointed excitedly.
In the village, a woman spotted the red sails.
"It's the Barbary pirates!
It's Ben Ali! HELP!" she screamed.
People came running toward the beach.
It was indeed the Barbary ship.
The people of the village were ready to fight the pirates.
"Mommy! It's me!" the little boy shouted.
"What? Can it be?
Oh, my baby!" cried the woman.
Of course no pirates got off the ship—only the boy, his uncle, Dr. Dolittle and his animals.
The boy's mother was the sister of the red-haired man.
Dr. Dolittle and his animals stayed with them.
The boy was her son.
The boy and his uncle told the village people what had happened.
"That's how Dr. Dolittle got the Barbary ship!" said the boy.
"Then where is Ben Ali now?" asked a villager.
"He is on an island, where he is living as a farmer," replied the doctor.
"Ben Ali, the great Barbary pirate, is now a farmer? Ha-ha-ha!
Three cheers for Dr. Dolittle, who saved us from Ben Ali!" laughed the other village people.
After two days, it was time to leave the village.
The mayor gave Dr. Dolittle a gift.
"To the brave man who rescued us from pirates, Dr. Dolittle," said the mayor.
He handed the doctor a small box.
Inside was a beautiful pearl and diamond watch.
"Oh, my! Thank you very much," Dr. Dolittle exclaimed.
The mayor took another box.
"Where is the dog?" he asked.
Inside the box was a gold collar.
"For the bravest dog in the world!" the mayor said.
Everyone in the village waved good-bye.
"Have a safe journey!" they shouted.
They watched as the red sails disappeared across the waters.