Meet Doctor Wize

Once, there was an odd little man who lived in a very big city. This man was a scientist and his name was Dr. Wize. He wore a long white coat that came right down to the tops of his shoes.

When Dr. Wize would work on one of his many experiments, he would wear his tiny square spectacles, to help him see better. Dr. Wize was also very bald, so he put a tiny black toque on the top of his head to help keep his head and brains warm. He also had a fringe of hair around the sides and back of his head.

However, the most peculiar thing about Dr. Wize was the way that he talked. He did not speak English and he did not speak Spanish or Mandarin. Instead, he spoke in a language that nobody could understand. When he worked in the laboratory, he spoke using funny sounds and symbols. When he watched the stars at night, through his telescope, he spoke using the same funny sounds and symbols.

Even when he walked down the streets of the city he spoke in his strange language. Nobody could understand what he was saying. Even the dogs in town wondered what he was talking about.

One day, Dr. Wize decided to leave the city to see if there was anyone, anywhere who could understand the many things that he had to tell. He did not have much money, so after packing his suitcase he walked out to the highway. From there, Dr. Wize started to hitchhike to the coast. The little scientist felt that he might get a ride more easily if he put a 100-watt light bulb in his thumb. When Dr. Wize stuck out his hand, his thumb would light up brightly and motorists could see him clearly.

Soon a large semi-trailer truck approached the spot on the road where Dr. Wize was standing. Dr. Wize flashed his incandescent thumb, and lo and behold, the truck driver pulled over and stopped. The doctor rushed to the cab of the truck and climbed in. As the truck started away down the highway, the driver asked Dr. Wize where he was going. Dr. Wize answered in his peculiar language.

The driver just looked at him with one eyebrow raised and started singing, “. . . oh, those 18 wheels just keep on rollin’ . . .”

In three hours or so, the truck reached a major intersection in the road. The driver said he would have to turn. Dr. motioned that he would like to get out there. He thought, “I can walk the rest of the way to Oceanville.” He nodded thank you as he climbed out of the cab and waved as the driver sped off into the distance. Dr. Wize started to walk toward Oceanville. It was dark by the time he got there. However, he liked the looks of the city and the ocean as they both shone by the light of the moon.

Bright and early the next morning, the little doctor took a stroll out onto one of the piers along the shoreline. He looked out to sea and began to think out loud. Then, the strangest thing happened. Two dolphins appeared and playfully welcomed Dr. Wize to their home in the sea. Dr. Wize was flabbergasted to hear the dolphins talk. For they, in fact, spoke the same language that he did. He could understand them and they could understand him. Oh, how simply wonderful it was!

The dolphins invited the doctor to come into the water and visit their home. He was delighted so he quickly ran back to shore and rented a diving suit. He put it on. He then jumped into the water and swam around with his new friends. Soon he met a dolphin named Isaac. Isaac wore a little black toque just like Dr. Wize. Isaac told him that he used it to keep his head and brains warm so that he could think better. Isaac also had something very special to show Dr. Wize.

“What could it be?”, the doctor wondered.

It looked like a spaceship or something.

Isaac told him, “That is exactly what it is.”

“How did you ever come to have a spaceship of your own?”, the doctor asked.

Isaac then told him the story. It seems that some little men from outer space came to visit the earth not so long ago. Instead of going to visit the humans, they dropped into the ocean, the dolphins treated them very kindly and a good time was had by all. Before the spacemen left for home, they built the dolphins a spaceship so that they could travel in outer space. The spacemen hoped that the dolphins would, in turn, come and visit them. They gave the dolphins directions on how to fly the craft and on how to find their planet – Cetacea.

Isaac asked Dr. Wize if he would be interested in going for a ride into outer space – to the planet Cetacea – to visit the little men.

“Of course,” said Dr. Wize, “I would be delighted.”

It felt like a special holiday. The doctor was so excited. They floated into the spaceship. Isaac told the doctor that he was in for a very big surprise but he did not tell him what or why. They shot out of the water and into the sky. Soon, the planet Earth was far behind them. The doctor pinched himself to see if he was dreaming. They traveled for many days. They had a jolly time singing and talking and looking at the stars.

When Isaac finally landed the spaceship on the planet Cetacea the doctor knew what the big surprise was. All of the people on this planet looked and talked exactly the same as Dr. Wize. The little men were all very glad to see Isaac, of course. They were also glad to see Dr. Wize. The people of Cetacea were so happy in fact, that they decided to teach the good doctor how to speak English - one of the Earth languages, so he could talk to some of the people back on the planet Earth. The doctor was very happy. He promised that he would work very hard to learn the language.

The doctor learned the alphabet. He learned how to read and how to write. He learned how to tell time by looking at a clock. He worked very hard and stayed up late at night, so that he could learn to speak like the other people back on earth.

Before too long, it was time to leave. It was time to go home to the planet Earth. The people of Cetacea waved good-bye.

“Come again soon.”, they said.

“Thanks so much.”, replied the doctor.

Then Isaac and Dr. Wize zoomed away.

Soon Isaac and the doctor arrived back at Oceanville. Dr. Wize thanked Isaac and the other dolphins for everything. Everyone had tears in their eyes as they said good-bye but deep inside, they were all happy.

Then Dr. Wize packed his suitcase and left Oceanville. He was very pleased. He was so pleased that he jumped in the air and clicked his heels. He was so pleased because now he was going home. To top it all off, he could finally talk to other people. He could finally speak an earth-language. He could tell the other folks all of the wonderful things that he knew. He could tell them about outer space. He could tell them about the dolphins. He could tell them about his experiments.

“I wonder if they will believe me?”, he thought and he continued on his way.