the story of doctor dolittle-第17节

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dogs　of　the　country…side　were　standing　round

him　speechless　with　admiration　and　respect。



When　Jip　was　brought　to　the　Doctor's　side；

the　Mayor　opened　the　larger　parcel；　and　inside

was　a　dog…collar　made　of　solid　gold！　　And　a

great　murmur　of　wonder　went　up　from　the　village…

folk　as　the　Mayor　bent　down　and　fastened

it　round　the　dog's　neck　with　his　own　hands。



For　written　on　the　collar　in　big　letters　were

these　words：　〃JIP…THE　CLEVEREST　DOG　IN　THE　WORLD。〃　　



Then　the　whole　crowd　moved　down　to　the

beach　to　see　them　off。　　And　after　the　red…haired

fisherman　and　his　sister　and　the　little　boy　had

thanked　the　Doctor　and　his　dog　over　and　over

and　over　again；　the　great；　swift　ship　with　the

red　sails　was　turned　once　more　towards　Puddleby

and　they　sailed　out　to　sea；　while　the　village…

band　played　music　on　the　shore。







THE　LAST　CHAPTER



HOME　AGAIN



MARCH　winds　had　come　and　gone；　April's　showers　were

over；　May's　buds　had　opened　into　flower；　and　the　June　sun

was　shining　on　the　pleasant　fields；　when　John　Dolittle　at

last　got　back　to　his　own　country。



But　he　did　not　yet　go　home　to　Puddleby。

First　he　went　traveling　through　the　land　with

the　pushmi…pullyu　in　a　gipsy…wagon；　stopping　at

all　the　country…fairs。　　And　there；　with　the　acrobats

on　one　side　of　them　and　the　Punch…and…

Judy　show　on　the　other；　they　would　hang　out

a　big　sign　which　read；　〃COME　AND　SEE　THE

MARVELOUS　TWO…HEADED　ANIMAL　FROM　THE

JUNGLES　OF　AFRICA。　　Admission　SIXPENCE。〃　　



And　the　pushmi…pullyu　would　stay　inside　the

wagon；　while　the　other　animals　would　lie　about

underneath。　　The　Doctor　sat　in　a　chair　in　front

taking　the　sixpences　and　smiling　on　the　people

as　they　went　in；　and　Dab…Dab　was　kept　busy

all　the　time　scolding　him　because　he　would

let　the　children　in　for　nothing　when　she　wasn't

looking。



And　menagerie…keepers　and　circus…men　came

and　asked　the　Doctor　to　sell　them　the　strange

creature；　saying　they　would　pay　a　tremendous

lot　of　money　for　him。　　But　the　Doctor　always

shook　his　head　and　said。



〃No。　　The　pushmi…pullyu　shall　never　be　shut

up　in　a　cage。　　He　shall　be　free　always　to　come

and　go；　like　you　and　me。〃　　



Many　curious　sights　and　happenings　they　saw

in　this　wandering　life；　but　they　all　seemed　quite

ordinary　after　the　great　things　they　had　seen

and　done　in　foreign　lands。　　It　was　very　interesting

at　first；　being　sort　of　part　of　a　circus；

but　after　a　few　weeks　they　all　got　dreadfully

tired　of　it　and　the　Doctor　and　all　of　them　were

longing　to　go　home。



But　so　many　people　came　flocking　to　the

little　wagon　and　paid　the　sixpence　to　go　inside　and

see　the　pushmi…pullyu　that　very　soon　the　Doctor

was　able　to　give　up　being　a　showman。



And　one　fine　day；　when　the　hollyhocks　were

in　full　bloom；　he　came　back　to　Puddleby　a　rich

man；　to　live　in　the　little　house　with　the　big

garden。



And　the　old　lame　horse　in　the　stable　was　glad

to　see　him；　and　so　were　the　swallows　who　had

already　built　their　nests　under　the　eaves　of　his

roof　and　had　young　ones。　　And　Dab…Dab　was

glad；　too；　to　get　back　to　the　house　she　knew　so

wellalthough　there　was　a　terrible　lot　of　dusting

to　be　done；　with　cobwebs　everywhere。



And　after　Jip　had　gone　and　shown　his　golden

collar　to　the　conceited　collie　next…door；　he　came

back　and　began　running　round　the　garden　like

a　crazy　thing；　looking　for　the　bones　he　had

buried　long　ago；　and　chasing　the　rats　out　of　the

tool…shed；　while　Gub…Gub　dug　up　the　horseradish

which　had　grown　three　feet　high　in　the

corner　by　the　garden…wall。



And　the　Doctor　went　and　saw　the　sailor　who

had　lent　him　the　boat；　and　he　bought　two　new

ships　for　him　and　a　rubber…doll　for　his　baby；

and　he　paid　the　grocer　for　the　food　he　had　lent

him　for　the　journey　to　Africa。　　And　he　bought

another　piano　and　put　the　white　mice　back　in

itbecause　they　said　the　bureau…drawer　was

drafty。



Even　when　the　Doctor　had　filled　the　old

money…box　on　the　dresser…shelf；　he　still　had　a

lot　of　money　left；　and　he　had　to　get　three　more

money…boxes；　just　as　big；　to　put　the　rest　in。



〃Money；〃　he　said；　〃is　a　terrible　nuisance。

But　it's　nice　not　to　have　to　worry。〃　　



〃Yes；〃　said　Dab…Dab；　who　was　toasting

muffins　for　his　tea；　〃it　is　indeed！〃



And　when　the　Winter　came　again；　and　the

snow　flew　against　the　kitchen…window；　the　Doctor

and　his　animals　would　sit　round　the　big；

warm　fire　after　supper；　and　he　would　read　aloud

to　them　out　of　his　books。



But　far　away　in　Africa；　where　the　monkeys

chattered　in　the　palm…trees　before　they　went　to

bed　under　the　big　yellow　moon；　they　would　say

to　one　another；



〃I　wonder　what　The　Good　Man's　doing　now

over　there；　in　the　Land　of　the　White　Men！

Do　you　think　he　ever　will　come　back？〃



And　Polynesia　would　squeak　out　from　the　vines；



〃I　think　he　willI　guess　he　willI　hope　he　will！〃



And　then　the　crocodile　would　grunt　up　at

them　from　the　black　mud　of　the　river；



〃I'm　SURE　he　willGo　to　sleep！〃









End