Dr. Dolittle told Long Arrow what the dolphins had said.
The Indian listened quietly then replied with two words: "Follow me."
So Dr. Dolittle and his friends did as he asked.
Long Arrow had lived on Spider Monkey Island for over three years.
He had discovered many places that even the natives did not know about.
He knew one that was especially interesting.
But they had to walk all day to get to it.
Tommy's feet hurt, but he did not complain.
Finally, Long Arrow stopped in the darkest part of the forest.
Tommy could barely see his hands in front of him.
"Over there." Long Arrow pointed upward.
Everyone looked up.
Beyond the tree tops they saw a very high mountain, the highest on the island.
On the edge of its cliff sat an enormous rock.
"It looks like it's going to fall," cried Charles.
Everyone agreed with him.
"I call that the hanging stone," said Long Arrow.
"It will help the island stop floating."
"How?" asked Charles.
But Long Arrow was already walking ahead.
They walked for many more hours.
Now Tommy was hungry, but he wasn't shivering.
"Dr. Dolittle," he said,
"I don't feel so cold anymore."
"Yes, I noticed that, too," the doctor replied.
"We must be moving toward warmer climates."
Long Arrow led them into an open area.
The surface was rocky and hard.
As they moved toward the center, they noticed a huge hole in the ground.
Dr. Dolittle bent down and looked into the hole.
"Amazing!" he said, and his voice echoed deep and long.
Charles bravely looked down the hole.
It was so deep that you could not see the bottom.
Dr. Dolittle stood next to him and said: "This must be an opening into the hollow area under the mountains."
"And look!" Charles pointed up excitedly.
The hanging stone was right above the huge hole.
Dr. Dolittle looked at Long Arrow.
"I understand now," the doctor said.
Tommy and Charles looked puzzled.
"If the hanging stone falls into this hole," the doctor explained, "it will drop all the way through the island.
When it hits the bottom, it will crack the hollow and the ocean will flood in."
Charles shook his head.
"What if it sinks the whole island?" he asked.
The doctor thought about Charles' words.
"We will need to find a place where the ocean is not so deep," he replied.
"Then the island will sink a little.
But there will still be lots of land sticking up above the waves."
Tommy clearly understood now.
"Come, Tommy," said the doctor, "we must tell the whales.
The whales can help us find a place."
Dr. Dolittle and Tommy ran to the other side of the mountain.
From where they stood, Tommy could see waves and water splashing everywhere.
It was the herd of whales working hard.
"Hello?" the doctor called out.
A large gray head popped up and sprayed water out through its blowhole.
The size and strength of the great creature made Tommy tremble.
Dr. Dolittle, however, was not afraid.
He walked up and said a few words to the whale.
The whale let out a loud sound through its blowhole.
Soon a series of toots were heard from all the other whales.
Dr. Dolittle turned back toward Tommy.
"Now we must return to the village," he said.
A few days later, Dr. Dolittle gathered all the Popsipetal people near the hanging stone.
Through Long Arrow, he explained what they were going to do.
In his hand Dr. Dolittle held a large stick.
He lifted it high and then, giving the signal, he dropped his hand.
Everyone started to stamp their feet and play the drums as loudly as they could.
The ground began to rumble and shake.
But the stone did not move.
"Louder!" shouted the doctor.
Tommy felt his feet moving on the shaking ground.
Suddenly from the sky came a sound like thunder.
Long Arrow was riding on an eagle and leading hundreds of the birds toward the stone.
The eagles called out with loud screeches.
They flew past the stone so fast that they created a strong wind.
The hanging stone began to sway back and forth.
A few moments later, the huge stone fell off the cliff and into the hole.
Everyone stopped and waited holding their breath.
Then the entire island shook as if a volcano had erupted.