At last the day of my release came. My contract was ended and with three pounds, fifteen shillings in my pocket, and a good suit of clothes upon my back I was free to go where I wished. I took the first coach in the direction of Puddleby. Of course many changes had to be made and I was compelled to stop the night at one point before I could make connections for my native town. On the way, because of my great size, I was stared and gaped at by all who saw me. But I did not mind it so much now. I knew that at least I was not a terrifying sight. On reaching Puddleby at last, I decided I would call on my parents first, before I went to the Doctor’s house. This may have been just a putting off of the evil hour. But anyway I had the good excuse that I should put an end to my parents’ anxiety. I found them just the same as they had always been—very glad to see me, eager for news of where I had gone and what I had done. I was astonished, however, that they had taken my unannounced departure so calmly—that is, I _was_ astonished until it came out that having heard that the Doctor also had mysteriously disappeared, they had not been nearly so worried as they might have been. Such was their faith in the great man, like the confidence that all placed in him. If _he_ had gone and taken me with him then everything was surely all right. I was glad too that they recognized me despite my unnatural size. Indeed I think they took a sort of pride in that I had, like Cæsar, “grown so great.” We sat in front of the fire and I told them all of our adventures as well as I could remember them. It seemed strange that they, simple people though they were, accepted my preposterous story of a journey to the Moon with no vestige of doubt or disbelief. I feared there were no other humans in the world—outside of Matthew Mugg, who would so receive my statement. They asked me when I expected the Doctor’s return. I told them what Polynesia had said of the second smoke signal by which John Dolittle planned to notify me of his departure from the Moon. But I had to admit I felt none too sure of his escape from a land where his services were so urgently demanded. Then when I almost broke down, accusing myself of abandoning the Doctor, they both comforted me with assurances that I could not have done more than I had. Finally my mother insisted that I stay the night at their house and not attempt to notify the Dolittle household until the morrow. I was clearly overtired and worn out, she said. So, still willing to put off the evil hour, I persuaded myself that I _was_ tired and turned in. The next day I sought out Matthew Mugg, the Cats’-meat-Man. I merely wanted his support when I should present myself at “the little house with the big garden.” But it took me two hours to answer all the questions he fired at me about the Moon and our voyage.