the story of doctor dolittle-第5节

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

under　the　ship　and　come　up　on　the　other　side。

In　this　way；　too；　she　used　to　catch　herrings　on

Tuesdays　and　Fridayswhen　everybody　on　the

boat　ate　fish　to　make　the　beef　last　longer。



When　they　got　near　to　the　Equator　they　saw

some　flying…fishes　coming　towards　them。　　And

the　fishes　asked　the　parrot　if　this　was　Doctor

Dolittle's　ship。　　When　she　told　them　it　was；　they

said　they　were　glad；　because　the　monkeys　in

Africa　were　getting　worried　that　he　would　never

come。　　Polynesia　asked　them　how　many　miles

they　had　yet　to　go；　and　the　flying…fishes　said

it　was　only　fifty…five　miles　now　to　the　coast　of

Africa。



And　another　time　a　whole　school　of　porpoises

came　dancing　through　the　waves；　and　they　too

asked　Polynesia　if　this　was　the　ship　of　the　fa…

mous　doctor。　　And　when　they　heard　that　it　was；

they　asked　the　parrot　if　the　Doctor　wanted

anything　for　his　journey。



And　Polynesia　said；　〃Yes。　　We　have　run

short　of　onions。〃　　



〃There　is　an　island　not　far　from　here；〃　said

the　porpoises；　〃where　the　wild　onions　grow　tall

and　strong。　　Keep　straight　onwe　will　get

some　and　catch　up　to　you。〃　　



So　the　porpoises　dashed　away　through　the

sea。　　And　very　soon　the　parrot　saw　them　again；

coming　up　behind；　dragging　the　onions　through

the　waves　in　big　nets　made　of　seaweed。



The　next　evening；　as　the　sun　was　going　down

the　Doctor　said；



〃Get　me　the　telescope；　Chee…Chee。　　Our

journey　is　nearly　ended。　　Very　soon　we　should

be　able　to　see　the　shores　of　Africa。〃　　



And　about　half　an　hour　later；　sure　enough；

they　thought　they　could　see　something　in　front

that　might　be　land。　　But　it　began　to　get　darker

and　darker　and　they　couldn't　be　sure。

Then　a　great　storm　came　up；　with　thunder

and　lightning。　　The　wind　howled；　the　rain

came　down　in　torrents；　and　the　waves　got　so

high　they　splashed　right　over　the　boat。



Presently　there　was　a　big　BANG！　　The　ship

stopped　and　rolled　over　on　its　side。



〃What's　happened？〃　asked　the　Doctor；

coming　up　from　downstairs。



〃I'm　not　sure；〃　said　the　parrot；　〃but　I　think

we're　ship…wrecked。　　Tell　the　duck　to　get　out

and　see。〃　　



So　Dab…Dab　dived　right　down　under　the

waves。　　And　when　she　came　up　she　said　they

had　struck　a　rock；　there　was　a　big　hole　in　the

bottom　of　the　ship；　the　water　was　coming　in；

and　they　were　sinking　fast。



〃We　must　have　run　into　Africa；〃　said　the

Doctor。　　〃Dear　me；　dear　me！Wellwe　must

all　swim　to　land。〃　　



But　Chee…Chee　and　Gub…Gub　did　not　know

how　to　swim。



〃Get　the　rope！〃　said　Polynesia。　　〃I　told　you

it　would　come　in　handy。　　Where's　that　duck？

Come　here；　Dab…Dab。　　Take　this　end　of　the

rope；　fly　to　the　shore　and　tie　it　on　to　a　palm…

tree；　and　we'll　hold　the　other　end　on　the　ship

here。　　Then　those　that　can't　swim　must　climb

along　the　rope　till　they　reach　the　land。　　That's

what　you　call　a　‘life…line。'〃



So　they　all　got　safely　to　the　shoresome

swimming；　some　flying；　and　those　that　climbed

along　the　rope　brought　the　Doctor's　trunk　and

handbag　with　them。



But　the　ship　was　no　good　any　morewith　the

big　hole　in　the　bottom；　and　presently　the　rough

sea　beat　it　to　pieces　on　the　rocks　and　the　timbers

floated　away。



Then　they　all　took　shelter　in　a　nice　dry　cave

they　found；　high　up　in　the　cliffs；　till　the　storm

was　over。



When　the　sun　came　out　next　morning　they

went　down　to　the　sandy　beach　to　dry　themselves。



〃Dear　old　Africa！〃　sighed　Polynesia。　　〃It's

good　to　get　back。　　Just　thinkit'll　be　a

hundred　and　sixty…nine　years　to…morrow　since　I　was

here！　　And　it　hasn't　changed　a　bit！　　Same　old

palm…trees；　same　old　red　earth；　same　old　black

ants！　　There's　no　place　like　home！〃



And　the　others　noticed　she　had　tears　in　her　eyes

she　was　so　pleased　to　see　her　country　once　again。



Then　the　Doctor　missed　his　high　hat；　for　it

had　been　blown　into　the　sea　during　the　storm。

So　Dab…Dab　went　out　to　look　for　it。　　And　presently

she　saw　it；　a　long　way　off；　floating　on　the

water　like　a　toy…boat。



When　she　flew　down　to　get　it；　she　found　one

of　the　white　mice；　very　frightened；　sitting

inside　it。



〃What　are　you　doing　here？〃　asked　the　duck。

〃You　were　told　to　stay　behind　in　Puddleby。〃　　



〃I　didn't　want　to　be　left　behind；〃　said　the

mouse。　　〃I　wanted　to　see　what　Africa　was　like

I　have　relatives　there。　　So　I　hid　in　the　baggage

and　was　brought　on　to　the　ship　with　the

hard…tack。　　When　the　ship　sank　I　was　terribly

frightenedbecause　I　cannot　swim　far。　　I

swam　as　long　as　I　could；　but　I　soon　got　all

exhausted　and　thought　I　was　going　to　sink。　　And

then；　just　at　that　moment；　the　old　man's　hat　came

floating　by；　and　I　got　into　it　because　I　did　not

want　to　be　drowned。〃　　



So　the　duck　took　up　the　hat　with　the　mouse　in

it　and　brought　it　to　the　Doctor　on　the　shore。

And　they　all　gathered　round　to　have　a　look。



〃That's　what　you　call　a　‘stowaway；'〃　said　the　parrot。



Presently；　when　they　were　looking　for　a　place

in　the　trunk　where　the　white　mouse　could　travel

comfortably；　the　monkey；　Chee…Chee；　suddenly　said；



〃Sh！　　I　hear　footsteps　in　the　jungle！〃



They　all　stopped　talking　and　listened。　　And

soon　a　black　man　came　down　out　of　the　woods

and　asked　them　what　they　were　doing　there。



〃My　name　is　John　DolittleM。　　D。；〃　said　the

Doctor。　　〃I　have　been　asked　to　come　to　Africa

to　cure　the　monkeys　who　are　sick。〃　　



〃You　must　all　come　before　the　King；〃　said

the　black　man。



〃What　king？〃　asked　the　Doctor；　who　didn't

want　to　waste　any　time。



〃The　King　of　the　Jolliginki；〃　the　man

answered。　　〃All　these　lands　belong　to　him；　and　all

strangers　must　be　brought　before　him。　　Follow　me。〃　　



So　they　gathered　up　their　baggage　and　went

off；　following　the　man　through　the　jungle。







THE　SIXTH　CHAPTER



POLYNESIA　AND　THE　KING



WHEN　they　had　gone　a　little　way　through

the　thick　forest　they　came　to　a　wide；　clear

space；　and　they　saw　the　King's　palace　which

was　made　of　mud。



This　was　where　the　King　lived　with　his

Queen；　Ermintrude；　and　their　son；　Prince

Bumpo。　　The　Prince　was　away　fishing　for　salmon

in　the　river。　　But　the　King　and　Queen

were　sitting　under　an　umbrella　before　the　palace

door。　　And　Queen　Ermintrude　was　asleep。



When　the　Doctor　had　come　up　to　the　palace

the　King　asked　him　his　business；　and　the　Doctor

told　him　why　he　had　come　to　Africa。



〃You　may　not　travel　through　my　lands；〃　said

the　King。　　〃Many　years　ago　a　white　man　came

to　these　shores；　and　I　was　very　kind　to　him。

But　after　he　had　dug　holes　in　the　ground　to　get

the　gold；　and　killed　all　the　elephants　to　get　their

ivory　tusks；　he　went　away　secretly　in　his　ship

without　so　much　as　saying　‘Thank　you。'　Never

again　shall　a　white　man　travel　through　the　lands

of　Jolliginki。〃　　



Then　the　King　turned　to　some　of　the　black

men　who　were　standing　near　and　said；　〃Take

away　this　medicine…manwith　all　his　animals；

and　lock　them　up　in　my　strongest　prison。〃　　



So　six　of　the　black　men　led　the　Doctor　and

all　his　pets　away　and　shut　them　up　in　a　stone

dungeon。　　The　dungeon　had　only　one　little　window；

high　up　in　the　wall；　with　bars　in　it；　and

the　door　was　strong　and　thick。



Then　they　all　grew　very　sad；　and　Gub…Gub；

the　pig；　began　to　cry。　　But　Chee…Chee　said　he

would　spank　him　if　he　didn't　stop　that　horrible

noise；　and　he　kept　quiet。



〃Are　we　all　here？〃　asked　the　Doctor；　after

he　had　got　used　to　the　dim　light。



〃Yes；　I　think　so；〃　said　the　duck　and　started

to　count　them。



〃Where's　Polynesia？〃　asked　the　crocodile。

〃She　isn't　here。〃　　



〃Are　you　sure？〃　said　the　Doctor。　　〃Look　again。

Polynesia！　　Polynesia！　　Where　are　you？〃



〃I　suppose　she　escaped；〃　grumbled　the　crocodile。

〃Well；　that's　just　like　her！Sneaked　off　into

the　jungle　as　soon　as　her　friends　got　into　trouble。〃　　



〃I'm　not　that　kind　of　a　bird；〃　said　the　parrot；

climbing　out　of　the　pocket　in　the　tail　of　the

Doctor's　coat。　　〃You　see；　I'm　small　enough　to

get　through　the　bars　of　that　window；　and　I　was

afraid　they　would　put　me　in　a　cage　instead。

So　while　the　King　was　busy　talking；　I　hid　in

the　Doctor's　pocketand　here　I　am！　　That's

what　you　call　a　‘ruse；'〃　she　said；　smoothing

down　her　feathers　with　her　beak。



〃Good　Gracious！〃　cried　the　Doctor。

〃You're　lucky　I　didn't　sit　on　you。〃　　



〃Now　listen；〃　said　Polynesia；　〃to…night；　as

soon　as　it　gets　dark；　I　am　going　to　creep　through

the　bars　of　that　window　and　fly　over　to　the

palace。　　And　thenyou'll　seeI'll　soon　find

a　way　to　make　the　King　let　us　all　out　of　prison。〃　　



〃Oh；　what　can　YOU　do？〃　said　Gub…Gub；

turning　up　his　nose　and　beginning　to　cry　again。

〃You're　only　a　bird！〃



〃Quite　true；〃　said　the　parrot。　　〃But　do　not

forget　that　although　I　am　only　a　bird；　I　CAN　TALK

LIKE　A　MANand　I　know　these　people。〃　　



So　that　night；　when　the　moon　was　shining

through　the　palm…trees　and　all　the　King's　men