the story of doctor dolittle-第14节

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

like　a　pirate。　　Could　you　tell　me　where　my

uncle　is？〃



〃I　am　afraid　I　can't；〃　said　the　Doctor。

〃When　did　you　see　him　last？〃



〃It　was　the　day　before　yesterday；〃　said　the

boy。　　〃I　and　my　uncle　were　out　fishing　in　our

little　boat；　when　the　pirates　came　and　caught

us。　　They　sunk　our　fishing…boat　and　brought　us

both　on　to　this　ship。　　They　told　my　uncle　that

they　wanted　him　to　be　a　pirate　like　themfor

he　was　clever　at　sailing　a　ship　in　all　weathers。

But　he　said　he　didn't　want　to　be　a　pirate；

because　killing　people　and　stealing　was　no　work

for　a　good　fisherman　to　do。　　Then　the　leader；

Ben　Ali；　got　very　angry　and　gnashed　his　teeth；

and　said　they　would　throw　my　uncle　into　the

sea　if　he　didn't　do　as　they　said。　　They　sent　me

downstairs；　and　I　heard　the　noise　of　a　fight

going　on　above。　　And　when　they　let　me　come　up

again　next　day；　my　uncle　was　nowhere　to　be

seen。　　I　asked　the　pirates　where　he　was；　but

they　wouldn't　tell　me。　　I　am　very　much　afraid

they　threw　him　into　the　sea　and　drowned　him。〃　　



And　the　little　boy　began　to　cry　again。



〃Well　nowwait　a　minute；〃　said　the　Doctor。

〃Don't　cry。　　Let's　go　and　have　tea　in　the　dining…

room；　and　we'll　talk　it　over。　　Maybe　your

uncle　is　quite　safe　all　the　time。　　You　don't　KNOW

that　he　was　drowned；　do　you？　　And　that's

something。　　Perhaps　we　can　find　him　for　you。　　First

we'll　go　and　have　teawith　strawberry…jam；

and　then　we　will　see　what　can　be　done。〃　　



All　the　animals　had　been　standing　around

listening　with　great　curiosity。　　And　when　they

had　gone　into　the　ship's　dining…room　and　were

having　tea；　Dab…Dab　came　up　behind　the

Doctor's　chair　and　whispered。



〃Ask　the　porpoises　if　the　boy's　uncle　was

drownedthey'll　know。〃　　



〃All　right；〃　said　the　Doctor；　taking　a　second

piece　of　bread…and…jam。



〃What　are　those　funny；　clicking　noises　you

are　making　with　your　tongue？〃　asked　the　boy。



〃Oh；　I　just　said　a　couple　of　words　in　duck…

language；〃　the　Doctor　answered。　　〃This　is

Dab…Dab；　one　of　my　pets。〃　　



〃I　didn't　even　know　that　ducks　had　a

language；〃　said　the　boy。　　〃Are　all　these　other

animals　your　pets；　too？　　What　is　that　strange…

looking　thing　with　two　heads？〃



〃Sh！〃　the　Doctor　whispered。　　〃That　is　the

pushmi…pullyu。　　Don't　let　him　see　we're　talking

about　himhe　gets　so　dreadfully　embarrassed。。。。

Tell　me；　how　did　you　come　to　be

locked　up　in　that　little　room？〃



〃The　pirates　shut　me　in　there　when　they

were　going　off　to　steal　things　from　another　ship。

When　I　heard　some　one　chopping　on　the　door；

I　didn't　know　who　it　could　be。　　I　was　very

glad　to　find　it　was　you。　　Do　you　think　you　will

be　able　to　find　my　uncle　for　me？〃



〃Well；　we　are　going　to　try　very　hard；〃　said

the　Doctor。　　〃Now　what　was　your　uncle　like　to

look　at？〃



〃He　had　red　hair；〃　the　boy　answered〃very

red　hair；　and　the　picture　of　an　anchor　tattooed

on　his　arm。　　He　was　a　strong　man；　a　kind　uncle

and　the　best　sailor　in　the　South　Atlantic。　　His

fishing…boat　was　called　The　Saucy　Sallya

cutter…rigged　sloop。〃　　



〃What's　‘cutterigsloop'？〃　whispered　Gub…

Gub；　turning　to　Jip。



〃Sh！That's　the　kind　of　a　ship　the　man　had；〃

said　Jip。　　〃Keep　still；　can't　you？〃



〃Oh；〃　said　the　pig；　〃is　that　all？　　I　thought

it　was　something　to　drink。〃　　



So　the　Doctor　left　the　boy　to　play　with　the

animals　in　the　dining…room；　and　went　upstairs

to　look　for　passing　porpoises。



And　soon　a　whole　school　came　dancing　and

jumping　through　the　water；　on　their　way　to

Brazil。



When　they　saw　the　Doctor　leaning　on　the

rail　of　his　ship；　they　came　over　to　see　how　he

was　getting　on。



And　the　Doctor　asked　them　if　they　had　seen

anything　of　a　man　with　red　hair　and　an　anchor

tattooed　on　his　arm。



〃Do　you　mean　the　master　of　The　Saucy　Sally？〃

asked　the　porpoises。



〃Yes；〃　said　the　Doctor。　　〃That's　the　man。

Has　he　been　drowned？〃



〃His　fishing…sloop　was　sunk；〃　said　the

porpoises〃for　we　saw　it　lying　on　the　bottom　of

the　sea。　　But　there　was　nobody　inside　it；　because

we　went　and　looked。〃　　



〃His　little　nephew　is　on　the　ship　with　me

here；〃　said　the　Doctor。　　〃And　he　is　terribly

afraid　that　the　pirates　threw　his　uncle　into　the

sea。　　Would　you　be　so　good　as　to　find　out　for

me；　for　sure；　whether　he　has　been　drowned　or

not？〃



〃Oh；　he　isn't　drowned；〃　said　the　porpoises。

〃If　he　were；　we　would　be　sure　to　have　heard　of

it　from　the　deep…sea　Decapods。　　We　hear　all

the　salt…water　news。　　The　shell…fish　call　us　‘The

Ocean　Gossips。'　Notell　the　little　boy　we　are

sorry　we　do　not　know　where　his　uncle　is；　but

we　are　quite　certain　he　hasn't　been　drowned　in

the　sea。〃　　



So　the　Doctor　ran　downstairs　with　the　news

and　told　the　nephew；　who　clapped　his　hands

with　happiness。　　And　the　pushmi…pullyu　took　the

little　boy　on　his　back　and　gave　him　a　ride　round

the　dining…room　table；　while　all　the　other　animals

followed　behind；　beating　the　dish…covers

with　spoons；　pretending　it　was　a　parade。







THE　EIGHTEENTH　CHAPTER



SMELLS



YOUR　uncle　must　now　be　FOUND；〃　said　the　Doctor〃that　is　the

next　thingnow　that　we　know　he　wasn't　thrown　into　the　sea。〃　　



Then　Dab…Dab　came　up　to　him　again　and　whispered；



〃Ask　the　eagles　to　look　for　the　man。　　No　living

creature　can　see　better　than　an　eagle。　　When　they

are　miles　high　in　the　air　they　can　count　the　ants

crawling　on　the　ground。　　Ask　the　eagles。〃　　



So　the　Doctor　sent　one　of　the　swallows　off

to　get　some　eagles。



And　in　about　an　hour　the　little　bird　came

back　with　six　different　kinds　of　eagles：　a　Black

Eagle；　a　Bald　Eagle；　a　Fish　Eagle；　a　Golden

Eagle；　an　Eagle…Vulture；　and　a　White…tailed

Sea　Eagle。　　Twice　as　high　as　the　boy　they　were；

each　one　of　them。　　And　they　stood　on　the　rail

of　the　ship；　like　round…shouldered　soldiers　all

in　a　row；　stern　and　still　and　stiff；　while　their

great；　gleaming；　black　eyes　shot　darting　glances

here　and　there　and　everywhere。



Gub…Gub　was　scared　of　them　and　got

behind　a　barrel。　　He　said　he　felt　as　though　those

terrible　eyes　were　looking　right　inside　of　him

to　see　what　he　had　stolen　for　lunch。



And　the　Doctor　said　to　the　eagles；



〃A　man　has　been　losta　fisherman　with　red

hair　and　an　anchor　marked　on　his　arm。　　Would

you　be　so　kind　as　to　see　if　you　can　find　him　for

us？　　This　boy　is　the　man's　nephew。〃　　



Eagles　do　not　talk　very　much。　　And　all　they

answered　in　their　husky　voices　was；



〃You　may　be　sure　that　we　will　do　our　best

for　John　Dolittle。〃　　



Then　they　flew　offand　Gub…Gub　came　out

from　behind　his　barrel　to　see　them　go。　　Up　and

up　and　up　they　wenthigher　and　higher　and

higher　still。　　Then；　when　the　Doctor　could　only

just　see　them；　they　parted　company　and　started

going　off　all　different　waysNorth；　East；

South　and　West；　looking　like　tiny　grains　of

black　sand　creeping　across　the　wide；　blue　sky。



〃My　gracious！〃　said　Gub…Gub　in　a　hushed

voice。　　〃What　a　height！　　I　wonder　they　don't

scorch　their　feathersso　near　the　sun！〃



They　were　gone　a　long　time。　　And　when

they　came　back　it　was　almost　night。



And　the　eagles　said　to　the　Doctor；



〃We　have　searched　all　the　seas　and　all　the

countries　and　all　the　islands　and　all　the　cities

and　all　the　villages　in　this　half　of　the　world。

But　we　have　failed。　　In　the　main　street　of

Gibraltar　we　saw　three　red　hairs　lying　on　a　wheel…

barrow　before　a　baker's　door。　　But　they　were

not　the　hairs　of　a　manthey　were　the　hairs　out

of　a　fur…coat。　　Nowhere；　on　land　or　water；　could

we　see　any　sign　of　this　boy's　uncle。　　And　if　WE

could　not　see　him；　then　he　is　not　to　be　seen。。。。

For　John　Dolittlewe　have　done　our　best。〃　　



Then　the　six　great　birds　flapped　their　big

wings　and　flew　back　to　their　homes　in　the

mountains　and　the　rocks。



〃Well；〃　said　Dab…Dab；　after　they　had　gone；

〃what　are　we　going　to　do　now？　　The　boy's

uncle　MUST　be　foundthere's　no　two　ways　about

that。　　The　lad　isn't　old　enough　to　be　knocking

around　the　world　by　himself。　　Boys　aren't　like

ducklingsthey　have　to　be　taken　care　of　till

they're　quite　old。。。。　　I　wish　Chee…Chee　were

here。　　He　would　soon　find　the　man。　　Good　old

Chee…Chee！　　I　wonder　how　he's　getting　on！〃



〃If　we　only　had　Polynesia　with　us；〃　said　the

white　mouse。　　〃SHE　would　soon　think　of　some

way。　　Do　you　remember　how　she　got　us　all

out　of　prisonthe　second　time？　　My；　but　she

was　a　clever　one！〃



〃I　don't　think　so　much　of　those　eagle…

fellows；〃said　Jip。　　〃They're　just　conceited。　　They

may　have　very　good　eyesight　and　all　that；　but

when　you　ask　them　to　find　a　man　for　you；　they

can't　do　itand　they　have　the　cheek　to　come

back　and　say　that　nobody　else　could　do　it。

They're　just　conceitedlike　that　collie　in

Puddleby。　　And　I　don't　think　a　whole　lot　of　those

gossipy　old　porpoises　either。　　All　they　could　tell

us　was　that　the　man　isn't　in　the　sea。　　We　don't

want　to　know　where　he　ISN'Twe　want　to　know

wher