the story of doctor dolittle-第13节

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offered　to　eat　you　up　for　meand　'twould

indeed　be　a　good　thing　if　the　seas　were　rid　of　you。

But　if　you　will　promise　to　do　as　I　tell　you；　I

well　let　you　go　in　safety。〃　　



〃What　must　I　do？〃　asked　the　pirate；　looking

down　sideways　at　the　big　shark　who　was　smelling

his　leg　under　the　water。



〃You　must　kill　no　more　people；〃　said　the

Doctor；　〃you　must　stop　stealing；　you　must

never　sink　another　ship；　you　must　give　up　being

a　pirate　altogether。〃　　



〃But　what　shall　I　do　then？〃　asked　Ben　Ali。

〃How　shall　I　live？〃



〃You　and　all　your　men　must　go　on　to　this

island　and　be　bird…seed…farmers；〃　the　Doctor

answered。　　〃You　must　grow　bird…seed　for　the

canaries。〃　　



The　Barbary　Dragon　turned　pale　with　anger。

〃GROW　BIRD…SEED！〃　he　groaned　in　disgust。

〃Can't　I　be　a　sailor？〃



〃No；〃　said　the　Doctor；　〃you　cannot。　　You

have　been　a　sailor　long　enoughand　sent　many

stout　ships　and　good　men　to　the　bottom　of　the

sea。　　For　the　rest　of　your　life　you　must　be　la

peaceful　farmer。　　The　shark　is　waiting。　　Do

not　waste　any　more　of　his　time。　　Make　up　your

mind。〃　　



〃Thunder　and　Lightning！〃　Ben　Ali

muttered〃BIRD…SEED！〃　　Then　he　looked　down

into　the　water　again　and　saw　the　great　fish

smelling　his　other　leg。



〃Very　well；〃　he　said　sadly。　　〃We'll　be

farmers。〃　　



〃And　remember；〃　said　the　Doctor；　〃that　if

you　do　not　keep　your　promiseif　you　start

killing　and　stealing　again；　I　shall　hear　of　it；

because　the　canaries　will　come　and　tell　me。

And　be　very　sure　that　I　will　find　a　way　to　punish

you。　　For　though　I　may　not　be　able　to　sail

a　ship　as　well　as　you；　so　long　as　the　birds　and

the　beasts　and　the　fishes　are　my　friends；　I　do　not

have　to　be　afraid　of　a　pirate　chiefeven　though

he　call　himself　‘The　Dragon　of　Barbary。'　Now

go　and　be　a　good　farmer　and　live　in　peace。〃　　



Then　the　Doctor　turned　to　the　big　shark；　and

waving　his　hand　he　said；



〃All　right。　　Let　them　swim　safely　to　the　land。〃　　







THE　SIXTEENTH　CHAPTER



TOO…TOO；　THE　LISTENER



HAVING　thanked　the　sharks　again　for　their　kindness；

the　Doctor　and　his　pets　set　off　once　more　on　their

journey　home　in　the　swift　ship　with　the　three　red　sails。



As　they　moved　out　into　the　open　sea；　the

animals　all　went　downstairs　to　see　what　their　new

boat　was　like　inside；　while　the　Doctor　leant　on

the　rail　at　the　back　of　the　ship　with　a　pipe　in　his

mouth；　watching　the　Canary　Islands　fade　away

in　the　blue　dusk　of　the　evening。



While　he　was　standing　there；　wondering　how

the　monkeys　were　getting　onand　what　his

garden　would　look　like　when　he　got　back　to

Puddleby；　Dab…Dab　came　tumbling　up　the

stairs；　all　smiles　and　full　of　news。



〃Doctor！〃　she　cried。　　〃This　ship　of　the　pi…

rates　is　simply　beautifulabsolutely。　　The　beds

downstairs　are　made　of　primrose　silkwith

hundreds　of　big　pillows　and　cushions；　there　are

thick；　soft　carpets　on　the　floors；　the　dishes　are

made　of　silver；　and　there　are　all　sorts　of　good

things　to　eat　and　drinkspecial　things；　the

larderwell；　it's　just　like　a　shop；　that's　all。

You　never　saw　anything　like　it　in　your　life

Just　thinkthey　kept　five　different　kinds　of

sardines；　those　men！　　Come　and　look。。。。　　Oh；

and　we　found　a　little　room　down　there　with　the

door　locked；　and　we　are　all　crazy　to　get　in　and

see　what's　inside。　　Jip　says　it　must　be　where　the

pirates　kept　their　treasure。　　But　we　can't　open

the　door。　　Come　down　and　see　if　you　can　let

us　in。〃　　



So　the　Doctor　went　downstairs　and　he　saw

that　it　was　indeed　a　beautiful　ship。　　He　found

the　animals　gathered　round　a　little　door；　all

talking　at　once；　trying　to　guess　what　was　inside。

The　Doctor　turned　the　handle　but　it　wouldn't

open。　　Then　they　all　started　to　hunt　for　the　key。

They　looked　under　the　mat；　they　looked　under

all　the　carpets；　they　looked　in　all　the　cupboards

and　drawers　and　lockersin　the　big　chests　in　the

ship's　dining…room；　they　looked　everywhere。



While　they　were　doing　this　they　discovered

a　lot　of　new　and　wonderful　things　that　the

pirates　must　have　stolen　from　other　ships：　Kashmir

shawls　as　thin　as　a　cobweb；　embroidered

with　flowers　of　gold；　jars　of　fine　tobacco　from

Jamaica；　carved　ivory　boxes　full　of　Russian

tea；　an　old　violin　with　a　string　broken　and　a

picture　on　the　back；　a　set　of　big　chess…men；

carved　out　of　coral　and　amber；　a　walking…stick

which　had　a　sword　inside　it　when　you　pulled

the　handle；　six　wine…glasses　with　turquoise

and　silver　round　the　rims；　and　a　lovely　great

sugar…bowl；　made　of　mother　o'　pearl。　　But

nowhere　in　the　whole　boat　could　they　find　a　key　to

fit　that　lock。



So　they　all　came　back　to　the　door；　and　Jip

peered　through　the　key…hole。　　But　something

had　been　stood　against　the　wall　on　the　inside

and　he　could　see　nothing。



While　they　were　standing　around；　wondering

what　they　should　do；　the　owl；　Too…Too；

suddenly　said；



〃Sh！Listen！I　do　believe　there's　some

one　in　there！〃



They　all　kept　still　a　moment。　　Then　the

Doctor　said；



〃You　must　be　mistaken；　Too…Too。　　I　don't

hear　anything。〃　　



〃I'm　sure　of　it；〃　said　the　owl。　　〃Sh！There

it　is　againDon't　you　hear　that？〃



〃No；　I　do　not；〃　said　the　Doctor。　　〃What

kind　of　a　sound　is　it？〃



〃I　hear　the　noise　of　some　one　putting　his

hand　in　his　pocket；〃　said　the　owl。



〃But　that　makes　hardly　any　sound　at　all；〃　said

the　Doctor。　　〃You　couldn't　hear　that　out　here。〃　　



〃Pardon　me；　but　I　can；〃　said　Too…Too。　　〃I

tell　you　there　is　some　one　on　the　other　side　of

that　door　putting　his　hand　in　his　pocket。　　Almost

everything　makes　SOME　noiseif　your　ears

are　only　sharp　enough　to　catch　it。　　Bats　can　hear

a　mole　walking　in　his　tunnel　under　the　earth

and　they　think　they're　good　hearers。　　But　we

owls　can　tell　you；　using　only　one　ear；　the　color

of　a　kitten　from　the　way　it　winks　in　the　dark。〃　　



〃Well；　well！〃　said　the　Doctor。　　〃You

surprise　me。　　That's　very　interesting。。。。　　Listen

again　and　tell　me　what　he's　doing　now。〃　　



〃I'm　not　sure　yet；〃　said　Too…Too；　〃if　it's　a

man　at　all。　　Maybe　it's　a　woman。　　Lift　me　up

and　let　me　listen　at　the　key…hole　and　I'll　soon

tell　you。〃　　



So　the　Doctor　lifted　the　owl　up　and　held　him

close　to　the　lock　of　the　door。



After　a　moment　Too…Too　said；



〃Now　he's　rubbing　his　face　with　his　left

hand。　　It　is　a　small　hand　and　a　small　face。

It　MIGHT　be　a　womanNo。　　Now　he　pushes　his

hair　back　off　his　foreheadIt's　a　man　all　right。〃　　



〃Women　sometimes　do　that；〃　said　the　Doctor。



〃True；〃　said　the　owl。　　〃But　when　they　do；

their　long　hair　makes　quite　a　different　sound。

。。。　　Sh！　　Make　that　fidgety　pig　keep　still。

Now　all　hold　your　breath　a　moment　so　I　can

listen　well。　　This　is　very　difficult；　what　I'm

doing　nowand　the　pesky　door　is　so　thick！　　Sh！

Everybody　quite　stillshut　your　eyes　and　don't　breathe。〃　　



Too…Too　leaned　down　and　listened　again

very　hard　and　long。



At　last　he　looked　up　into　the　Doctor's　face

and　said；



〃The　man　in　there　is　unhappy。　　He　weeps。

He　has　taken　care　not　to　blubber　or　sniffle；　lest

we　should　find　out　that　he　is　crying。　　But　I

heardquite　distinctlythe　sound　of　a　tear

falling　on　his　sleeve。〃　　



〃How　do　you　know　it　wasn't　a　drop　of　water

falling　off　the　ceiling　on　him？〃　asked　Gub…Gub。

〃Pshaw！Such　ignorance！〃　sniffed　Too…

Too。　　〃A　drop　of　water　falling　off　the　ceiling

would　have　made　ten　times　as　much　noise！〃



〃Well；〃　said　the　Doctor；　〃if　the　poor

fellow's　unhappy；　we've　got　to　get　in　and　see

what's　the　matter　with　him。　　Find　me　an　axe；

and　I'll　chop　the　door　down。〃　　









THE　SEVENTEENTH　CHAPTER



THE　OCEAN　GOSSIPS



RIGHT　away　an　axe　was　found。　　And　the　Doctor　soon　chopped　a

hole　in　the　door　big　enough　to　clamber　through。



At　first　he　could　see　nothing　at　all；　it　was　so　dark　inside。

So　he　struck　a　match。



The　room　was　quite　small；　no　window；　the

ceiling；　low。　　For　furniture　there　was　only　one

little　stool。　　All　round　the　room　big　barrels

stood　against　the　walls；　fastened　at　the　bottom

so　they　wouldn't　tumble　with　the　rolling　of　the

ship；　and　above　the　barrels；　pewter　jugs　of　all

sizes　hung　from　wooden　pegs。　　There　was　a

strong；　winey　smell。　　And　in　the　middle　of　the

floor　sat　a　little　boy；　about　eight　years　old；

crying　bitterly。



〃I　declare；　it　is　the　pirates'　rum…room！〃

said　Jip　in　a　whisper。



〃Yes。　　Very　rum！〃　said　Gub…Gub。

〃The　smell　makes　me　giddy。〃　　



The　little　boy　seemed　rather　frightened　to

find　a　man　standing　there　before　him　and　all

those　animals　staring　in　through　the　hole　in　the

broken　door。　　But　as　soon　as　he　saw　John

Dolittle's　face　by　the　light　of　the　match；　he　stopped

crying　and　got　up。



〃You　aren't　one　of　the　pirates；　are　you？〃　he　asked。



And　when　the　Doctor　threw　back　his　head

and　laughed　long　and　loud；　the　little　boy　smiled

too　and　came　and　took　his　hand。



〃You　laugh　like　a　friend；〃　he　said〃not

like　a　pirate。　　Could　you　tell　me　where　my