the story of doctor dolittle-第12节

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〃Yes；〃　said　the　rat。　　〃I've　come　to　tell　you

that　we　are　leaving　this　one。　　But　we　wanted　to

warn　you　before　we　go。　　This　is　a　bad　ship

you　have　here。　　It　isn't　safe。　　The　sides　aren't

strong　enough。　　Its　boards　are　rotten。　　Before

to…morrow　night　it　will　sink　to　the　bottom　of

the　sea。〃　　



〃But　how　do　you　know？〃　asked　the　Doctor。



〃We　always　know；〃　answered　the　rat。　　〃The

tips　of　our　tails　get　that　tingly　feelinglike

when　your　foot's　asleep。　　This　morning；　at　six

o'clock；　while　I　was　getting　breakfast；　my　tail

suddenly　began　to　tingle。　　At　first　I　thought　it

was　my　rheumatism　coming　back。　　So　I　went

and　asked　my　aunt　how　she　feltyou　remember

her？the　long；　piebald　rat；　rather　skinny；　who

came　to　see　you　in　Puddleby　last　Spring　with

jaundice？　　Welland　she　said　HER　tail　was

tingling　like　everything！　　Then　we　knew；　for

sure；　that　this　boat　was　going　to　sink　in　less　than

two　days；　and　we　all　made　up　our　minds　to

leave　it　as　soon　as　we　got　near　enough　to　any

land。　　It's　a　bad　ship；　Doctor。　　Don't　sail　in

it　any　more；　or　you'll　be　surely　drowned。。。。

Good…by！　　We　are　now　going　to　look　for　a　good

place　to　live　on　this　island。〃　　



〃Good…by！〃　said　the　Doctor。　　〃And　thank

you　very　much　for　coming　to　tell　me。　　Very

considerate　of　youvery！　Give　my　regards　to

your　aunt。　　I　remember　her　perfectly。。。。

Leave　that　rat　alone；　Jip！　　Come　here！　　Lie　down！〃



So　then　the　Doctor　and　all　his　animals　went

off；　carrying　pails　and　saucepans；　to　look　for

water　on　the　island；　while　the　swallows　took

their　rest。



〃I　wonder　what　is　the　name　of　this　island；〃

said　the　Doctor；　as　he　was　climbing　up　the

mountainside。　　〃It　seems　a　pleasant　place。

What　a　lot　of　birds　there　are！〃



〃Why；　these　are　the　Canary　Islands；〃　said

Dab…Dab。　　〃Don't　you　hear　the　canaries　singing？〃



The　Doctor　stopped　and　listened。



〃Why；　to　be　sureof　course！〃　he　said。

〃How　stupid　of　me！　　I　wonder　if　they　can　tell

us　where　to　find　water。〃　　



And　presently　the　canaries；　who　had　heard　all

about　Doctor　Dolittle　from　birds　of　passage；

came　and　led　him　to　a　beautiful　spring　of　cool；

clear　water　where　the　canaries　used　to　take　their

bath；　and　they　showed　him　lovely　meadows

where　the　bird…seed　grew　and　all　the　other

sights　of　their　island。



And　the　pushmi…pullyu　was　glad　they　had

come；　because　he　liked　the　green　grass　so　much

better　than　the　dried　apples　he　had　been　eating

on　the　ship。　　And　Gub…Gub　squeaked　for　joy

when　he　found　a　whole　valley　full　of　wild

sugarcane。



A　little　later；　when　they　had　all　had　plenty

to　eat　and　drink；　and　were　lying　on　their　backs

while　the　canaries　sang　for　them；　two　of　the　swallows

came　hurrying　up；　very　flustered　and　excited。



〃Doctor！〃　they　cried；　〃the　pirates　have　come

into　the　bay；　and　they've　all　got　on　to　your　ship。

They　are　downstairs　looking　for　things　to　steal。

They　have　left　their　own　ship　with　nobody　on

it。　　If　you　hurry　and　come　down　to　the　shore；

you　can　get　on　to　their　shipwhich　is　very　fast

and　escape。　　But　you'll　have　to　hurry。〃　　



〃That's　a　good　idea；〃　said　the　Doctor〃splendid！〃



And　he　called　his　animals　together　at　once；

said　Good…by　to　the　canaries　and　ran　down　to　the　beach。



When　they　reached　the　shore　they　saw　the

pirate…ship；　with　the　three　red　sails；　standing　in

the　water；　andjust　as　the　swallows　had　said

there　was　nobody　on　it；　all　the　pirates　were

downstairs　in　the　Doctor's　ship；　looking　for

things　to　steal。



So　John　Dolittle　told　his　animals　to　walk　very

softly　and　they　all　crept　on　to　the　pirate…ship。







THE　FIFTEENTH　CHAPTER



THE　BARBARY　DRAGON



EVERYTHING　would　have　gone　all　right　if　the　pig　had　not　caught

a　cold　in　his　head　while　eating　the　damp　sugar…cane　on　the

island。　　This　is　what　happened：



After　they　had　pulled　up　the　anchor　without　a　sound；

and　were　moving　the　ship　very；　very　carefully　out　of　the　bay；

Gub…Gub　suddenly　sneezed　so　loud　that　the　pirates

on　the　other　ship　came　rushing　upstairs　to　see

what　the　noise　was。



As　soon　as　they　saw　that　the　Doctor　was

escaping；　they　sailed　the　other　boat　right　across

the　entrance　to　the　bay　so　that　the　Doctor　could

not　get　out　into　the　open　sea。



Then　the　leader　of　these　bad　men　（who　called

himself　〃Ben　Ali；　The　Dragon〃）　shook　his　fist

at　the　Doctor　and　shouted　across　the　water；



〃Ha！　Ha！　　You　are　caught；　my　fine　friend！

You　were　going　to　run　off　in　my　ship；　eh？　　But

you　are　not　a　good　enough　sailor　to　beat　Ben

Ali；　the　Barbary　Dragon。　　I　want　that　duck

you've　gotand　the　pig　too。　　We'll　have　pork…

chops　and　roast　duck　for　supper　to…night。　　And

before　I　let　you　go　home；　you　must　make　your

friends　send　me　a　trunk…full　of　gold。〃　　



Poor　Gub…Gub　began　to　weep；　and　Dab…Dab

made　ready　to　fly　to　save　her　life。　　But　the　owl；

Too…Too；　whispered　to　the　Doctor；



〃Keep　him　talking；　Doctor。　　Be　pleasant　to

him。　　Our　old　ship　is　bound　to　sink　soonthe

rats　said　it　would　be　at　the　bottom　of　the　sea

before　to…morrow　nightand　the　rats　are　never

wrong。　　Be　pleasant；　till　the　ship　sinks　under

him。　　Keep　him　talking。〃　　



〃What；　until　to…morrow　night！〃　said　the　Doctor。

〃Well；　I'll　do　my　best。。。。　　Let　me　see

What　shall　I　talk　about？〃



〃Oh；　let　them　come　on；〃　said　Jip。　　〃We　can

fight　the　dirty　rascals。　　There　are　only　six　of

them。　　Let　them　come　on。　　I'd　love　to　tell　that

collie　next　door；　when　we　get　home；　that　I　had　bitten

a　real　pirate。　　Let　'em　come。　　We　can　fight　them。〃　　



〃But　they　have　pistols　and　swords；〃　said　the

Doctor。　　〃No；　that　would　never　do。　　I　must

talk　to　him。。。。　　Look　here；　Ben　Ali〃



But　before　the　Doctor　could　say　any　more；

the　pirates　began　to　sail　the　ship　nearer；　laughing

with　glee；　and　saying　one　to　another；　〃Who

shall　be　the　first　to　catch　the　pig？〃



Poor　Gub…Gub　was　dreadfully　frightened；

and　the　pushmi…pullyu　began　to　sharpen　his

horns　for　a　fight　by　rubbing　them　on　the　mast

of　the　ship；　while　Jip　kept　springing　into　the

air　and　barking　and　calling　Ben　Ali　bad　names

in　dog…language。



But　presently　something　seemed　to　go　wrong

with　the　pirates；　they　stopped　laughing　and

cracking　jokes；　they　looked　puzzled；　something

was　making　them　uneasy。



Then　Ben　Ali；　staring　down　at　his　feet；

suddenly　bellowed　out；



〃Thunder　and　Lightning！Men；　THE　BOAT'S　LEAKING！〃



And　then　the　other　pirates　peered　over　the

side　and　they　saw　that　the　boat　was　indeed　getting

lower　and　lower　in　the　water。　　And　one

of　them　said　to　Ben　Ali；



〃But　surely　if　this　old　boat　were　sinking　we

should　see　the　rats　leaving　it。〃　　



And　Jip　shouted　across　from　the　other　ship；



〃You　great　duffers；　there　are　no　rats　there

to　leave！　　They　left　two　hours　ago！　　‘Ha；　ha；'

to　you；　‘my　fine　friends！'〃



But　of　course　the　men　did　not　understand　him。

Soon　the　front　end　of　the　ship　began　to　go

down　and　down；　faster　and　fastertill　the　boat

looked　almost　as　though　it　were　standing　on　its

head；　and　the　pirates　had　to　cling　to　the　rails

and　the　masts　and　the　ropes　and　anything　to

keep　from　sliding　off。　　Then　the　sea　rushed

roaring　in　and　through　all　the　windows　and　the

doors。　　And　at　last　the　ship　plunged　right　down

to　the　bottom　of　the　sea；　making　a　dreadful

gurgling　sound；　and　the　six　bad　men　were　left

bobbing　about　in　the　deep　water　of　the　bay。



Some　of　them　started　to　swim　for　the　shores

of　the　island；　while　others　came　and　tried　to　get

on　to　the　boat　where　the　Doctor　was。　　But　Jip

kept　snapping　at　their　noses；　so　they　were　afraid

to　climb　up　the　side　of　the　ship。



Then　suddenly　they　all　cried　out　in　great　fear；



〃THE　SHARKS！　　The　sharks　are　coming！　　Let　us

get　on　to　the　ship　before　they　eat　us！　　Help；

help！The　sharks！　　The　sharks！〃



And　now　the　Doctor　could　see；　all　over　the

bay；　the　backs　of　big　fishes　swimming　swiftly

through　the　water。



And　one　great　shark　came　near　to　the　ship；

and　poking　his　nose　out　of　the　water　he　said　to

the　Doctor；



〃Are　you　John　Dolittle；　the　famous　animal…　doctor？〃



〃Yes；〃　said　Doctor　Dolittle。　　〃That　is　my

name。〃　　



〃Well；〃　said　the　shark；　〃we　know　these

pirates　to　be　a　bad　lotespecially　Ben　Ali。　　If　they

are　annoying　you；　we　will　gladly　eat　them　up

for　youand　then　you　won't　be　troubled　any

more。〃　　



〃Thank　you；〃　said　the　Doctor。　　〃This　is

really　most　attentive。　　But　I　don't　think　it　will

be　necessary　to　eat　them。　　Don't　let　any　of　them

reach　the　shore　until　I　tell　youjust　keep　them

swimming　about；　will　you？　　And　please　make

Ben　Ali　swim　over　here　that　I　may　talk　to

him。〃　　



So　the　shark　went　off　and　chased　Ben　Ali　over

to　the　Doctor。



〃Listen；　Ben　Ali；〃　said　John　Dolittle；

leaning　over　the　side。　　〃You　have　been　a　very　bad

man；　and　I　understand　that　you　have　killed

many　people。　　These　good　sharks　here　have　just

offered　to　eat　you　up　for　meand　'twould

indeed　be　a　good　thing　if　the　seas　w