the story of doctor dolittle-第4节

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gardening。　　They　made　Polynesia；　the　parrot；

housekeeper　and　laundress；　because　she　was　the　oldest。



Of　course　at　first　they　all　found　their　new

jobs　very　hard　to　doall　except　Chee…Chee；　who

had　hands；　and　could　do　things　like　a　man。　　But

they　soon　got　used　to　it；　and　they　used　to　think

it　great　fun　to　watch　Jip；　the　dog；　sweeping

his　tail　over　the　floor　with　a　rag　tied　onto　it　for

a　broom。　　After　a　little　they　got　to　do　the　work

so　well　that　the　Doctor　said　that　he　had　never

had　his　house　kept　so　tidy　or　so　clean　before。



In　this　way　things　went　along　all　right　for　a

while；　but　without　money　they　found　it　very　hard。



Then　the　animals　made　a　vegetable　and　flower

stall　outside　the　garden…gate　and　sold　radishes

and　roses　to　the　people　that　passed　by　along　the　road。



But　still　they　didn't　seem　to　make　enough

money　to　pay　all　the　billsand　still　the　Doctor

wouldn't　worry。　　When　the　parrot　came　to

him　and　told　him　that　the　fishmonger　wouldn't

give　them　any　more　fish；　he　said；



〃Never　mind。　　So　long　as　the　hens　lay　eggs

and　the　cow　gives　milk　we　can　have　omelettes

and　junket。　　And　there　are　plenty　of　vegetables

left　in　the　garden。　　The　Winter　is　still　a　long

way　off。　　Don't　fuss。　　That　was　the　trouble

with　Sarahshe　would　fuss。　　I　wonder　how

Sarah's　getting　onan　excellent　womanin

some　waysWell；　well！〃



But　the　snow　came　earlier　than　usual　that

year；　and　although　the　old　lame　horse　hauled

in　plenty　of　wood　from　the　forest　outside　the

town；　so　they　could　have　a　big　fire　in　the　kitchen；

most　of　the　vegetables　in　the　garden　were　gone；

and　the　rest　were　covered　with　snow；　and　many

of　the　animals　were　really　hungry。







THE　FOURTH　CHAPTER



A　MESSAGE　FROM　AFRICA



THAT　Winter　was　a　very　cold　one。　　And　one　night　in　December；

when　they　were　all　sitting　round　the　warm　fire　in　the

kitchen；　and　the　Doctor　was　reading　aloud　to　them　out　of

books　he　had　written　himself　in　animal…language；　the　owl；

Too…Too；　suddenly　said；　〃Sh！　　What's　that　noise　outside？〃



They　all　listened；　and　presently　they　heard

the　sound　of　some　one　running。　　Then　the　door

flew　open　and　the　monkey；　Chee…Chee；　ran　in；

badly　out　of　breath。



〃Doctor！〃　he　cried；　〃I've　just　had　a　message

from　a　cousin　of　mine　in　Africa。　　There　is　a

terrible　sickness　among　the　monkeys　out　there。

They　are　all　catching　itand　they　are　dying

in　hundreds。　　They　have　heard　of　you；　and　beg

you　to　come　to　Africa　to　stop　the　sickness。〃　　



〃Who　brought　the　message？〃　asked　the　Doctor；

taking　off　his　spectacles　and　laying　down

his　book。



〃A　swallow；〃　said　Chee…Chee。　　〃She　is

outside　on　the　rain…butt。〃　　



〃Bring　her　in　by　the　fire；〃　said　the　Doctor。

〃She　must　be　perished　with　the　cold。　　The　swallows

flew　South　six　weeks　ago！〃



So　the　swallow　was　brought　in；　all　huddled

and　shivering；　and　although　she　was　a　little

afraid　at　first；　she　soon　got　warmed　up　and　sat

on　the　edge　of　the　mantelpiece　and　began　to　talk。



When　she　had　finished　the　Doctor　said；



〃I　would　gladly　go　to　Africaespecially　in

this　bitter　weather。　　But　I'm　afraid　we　haven't

money　enough　to　buy　the　tickets。　　Get　me　the

money…box；　Chee…Chee。〃　　



So　the　monkey　climbed　up　and　got　it　off　the

top　shelf　of　the　dresser。



There　was　nothing　in　itnot　one　single　penny！



〃I　felt　sure　there　was　twopence　left；〃　said　the　Doctor。



〃There　WAS；〃　said　the　owl。　　〃But　you　spent

it　on　a　rattle　for　that　badger's　baby　when　he

was　teething。〃　　



〃Did　I？〃　said　the　Doctor〃dear　me；　dear

me！　　What　a　nuisance　money　is；　to　be　sure！

Well；　never　mind。　　Perhaps　if　I　go　down　to

the　seaside　I　shall　be　able　to　borrow　a　boat　that

will　take　us　to　Africa。　　I　knew　a　seaman　once

who　brought　his　baby　to　me　with　measles。

Maybe　he'll　lend　us　his　boatthe　baby　got　well。〃　　



So　early　the　next　morning　the　Doctor　went

down　to　the　seashore。　　And　when　he　came　back

he　told　the　animals　it　was　all　rightthe　sailor

was　going　to　lend　them　the　boat。



Then　the　crocodile　and　the　monkey　and　the

parrot　were　very　glad　and　began　to　sing；

because　they　were　going　back　to　Africa；　their　real

home。　　And　the　Doctor　said；



〃I　shall　only　be　able　to　take　you　threewith

Jip　the　dog；　Dab…Dab　the　duck；　Gub…Gub　the

pig　and　the　owl；　Too…Too。　　The　rest　of　the　animals；

like　the　dormice　and　the　water…voles　and

the　bats；　they　will　have　to　go　back　and　live　in

the　fields　where　they　were　born　till　we　come

home　again。　　But　as　most　of　them　sleep　through

the　Winter；　they　won't　mind　thatand　besides；

it　wouldn't　be　good　for　them　to　go　to　Africa。〃　　



So　then　the　parrot；　who　had　been　on　long　sea…

voyages　before；　began　telling　the　Doctor　all　the

things　he　would　have　to　take　with　him　on　the　ship。



〃You　must　have　plenty　of　pilot…bread；〃　she

said〃‘hard　tack'　they　call　it。　　And　you　must

have　beef　in　cansand　an　anchor。〃　　



〃I　expect　the　ship　will　have　its　own　anchor；〃

said　the　Doctor。



〃Well；　make　sure；〃　said　Polynesia。　　〃Because

it's　very　important。　　You　can't　stop　if　you

haven't　got　an　anchor。　　And　you'll　need　a　bell。〃　　



〃What's　that　for？〃　asked　the　Doctor。



〃To　tell　the　time　by；〃　said　the　parrot。　　〃You

go　and　ring　it　every　half…hour　and　then　you

know　what　time　it　is。　　And　bring　a　whole　lot　of

ropeit　always　comes　in　handy　on　voyages。〃　　



Then　they　began　to　wonder　where　they　were

going　to　get　the　money　from　to　buy　all　the

things　they　needed。



〃Oh；　bother　it！　　Money　again；〃　cried　the

Doctor。　　〃Goodness！　　I　shall　be　glad　to　get　to

Africa　where　we　don't　have　to　have　any！　　I'll

go　and　ask　the　grocer　if　he　will　wait　for　his

money　till　I　get　backNo；　I'll　send　the　sailor

to　ask　him。〃　　



So　the　sailor　went　to　see　the　grocer。　　And　presently

he　came　back　with　all　the　things　they　wanted。



Then　the　animals　packed　up；　and　after　they

had　turned　off　the　water　so　the　pipes　wouldn't

freeze；　and　put　up　the　shutters；　they　closed　the

house　and　gave　the　key　to　the　old　horse　who

lived　in　the　stable。　　And　when　they　had　seen

that　there　was　plenty　of　hay　in　the　loft　to　last

the　horse　through　the　Winter；　they　carried　all

their　luggage　down　to　the　seashore　and　got　on

to　the　boat。



The　Cat's…meat…Man　was　there　to　see　them

off；　and　he　brought　a　large　suet…pudding　as　a

present　for　the　Doctor　because；　he　said　he　had

been　told；　you　couldn't　get　suet…puddings　in

foreign　parts。



As　soon　as　they　were　on　the　ship；　Gub…Gub；

the　pig；　asked　where　the　beds　were；　for　it　was

four　o'clock　in　the　afternoon　and　he　wanted

his　nap。　　So　Polynesia　took　him　downstairs　into

the　inside　of　the　ship　and　showed　him　the　beds；

set　all　on　top　of　one　another　like　book…shelves

against　a　wall。



〃Why；　that　isn't　a　bed！〃　cried　Gub…Gub。

〃That's　a　shelf！〃



〃Beds　are　always　like　that　on　ships；〃　said　the

parrot。　　〃It　isn't　a　shelf。　　Climb　up　into　it　and

go　to　sleep。　　That's　what　you　call　‘a　bunk。'〃



〃I　don't　think　I'll　go　to　bed　yet；〃　said　Gub…

Gub。　　〃I'm　too　excited。　　I　want　to　go　upstairs

again　and　see　them　start。〃　　



〃Well；　this　is　your　first　trip；〃　said　Polynesia。

〃You　will　get　used　to　the　life　after　a　while。〃　　

And　she　went　back　up　the　stairs　of　the　ship；

humming　this　song　to　herself；



　

I've　seen　the　Black　Sea　and　the　Red　Sea；

　　　　　I　rounded　the　Isle　of　Wight；

I　discovered　the　Yellow　River；

　　　　　And　the　Orange　too　by　night。

Now　Greenland　drops　behind　again；

　　　　　And　I　sail　the　ocean　Blue。

I'm　tired　of　all　these　colors；　Jane；

　　　　　So　I'm　coming　back　to　you。





They　were　just　going　to　start　on　their　journey；

when　the　Doctor　said　he　would　have　to　go　back

and　ask　the　sailor　the　way　to　Africa。



But　the　swallow　said　she　had　been　to　that

country　many　times　and　would　show　them　how

to　get　there。



So　the　Doctor　told　Chee…Chee　to　pull　up　the

anchor　and　the　voyage　began。







THE　FIFTH　CHAPTER



THE　GREAT　JOURNEY



NOW　for　six　whole　weeks　they　went　sailing　on　and　on；　over

the　rolling　sea；　following　the　swallow　who　flew　before　the

ship　to　show　them　the　way。　　At　night　she　carried　a　tiny

lantern；　so　they　should　not　miss　her　in　the　dark；

and　the　people　on　the　other　ships　that　passed

said　that　the　light　must　be　a　shooting　star。



As　they　sailed　further　and　further　into　the

South；　it　got　warmer　and　warmer。　　Polynesia；

Chee…Chee　and　the　crocodile　enjoyed　the　hot

sun　no　end。　　They　ran　about　laughing　and　looking

over　the　side　of　the　ship　to　see　if　they　could

see　Africa　yet。



But　the　pig　and　the　dog　and　the　owl；　Too…

Too；　could　do　nothing　in　such　weather；　but

sat　at　the　end　of　the　ship　in　the　shade　of　a　big

barrel；　with　their　tongues　hanging　out；　drinking

lemonade。



Dab…Dab；　the　duck；　used　to　keep　herself　cool

by　jumping　into　the　sea　and　swimming　behind

the　ship。　　And　every　once　in　a　while；　when

the　top　of　her　head　got　too　hot；　she　would　dive

under　the　ship　and　come　up　on　the　other　side。