the story of doctor dolittle-第8节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



monkeys　that　he　must　now　go　back　to　Puddleby。



They　were　very　surprised　at　this；　for　they

had　thought　that　he　was　going　to　stay　with　them

forever。　　And　that　night　all　the　monkeys　got

together　in　the　jungle　to　talk　it　over。



And　the　Chief　Chimpanzee　rose　up　and　said；



〃Why　is　it　the　good　man　is　going　away？　　Is

he　not　happy　here　with　us？〃



But　none　of　them　could　answer　him。



Then　the　Grand　Gorilla　got　up　and　said；



〃I　think　we　all　should　go　to　him　and　ask　him

to　stay。　　Perhaps　if　we　make　him　a　new　house

and　a　bigger　bed；　and　promise　him　plenty　of

monkey…servants　to　work　for　him　and　to　make

life　pleasant　for　himperhaps　then　he　will

not　wish　to　go。〃　　





Then　Chee…Chee　got　up；　and　all　the　others

whispered；　〃Sh！　　Look！　　Chee…Chee；　the　great

Traveler；　is　about　to　speak！〃



And　Chee…Chee　said　to　the　other　monkeys；



〃My　friends；　I　am　afraid　it　is　useless　to　ask

the　Doctor　to　stay。　　He　owes　money　in　Puddleby；

and　he　says　he　must　go　back　and　pay　it。〃　　



And　the　monkeys　asked　him；　〃What　is　MONEY？〃





Then　Chee…Chee　told　them　that　in　the　Land　of　the

White　Men　you　could　get　nothing　without　money；

you　could　DO　nothing　without　moneythat　it　was

almost　impossible　to　LIVE　without　money。



And　some　of　them　asked；　〃But　can　you　not

even　eat　and　drink　without　paying？〃



But　Chee…Chee　shook　his　head。　　And　then　he

told　them　that　even　he；　when　he　was　with　the

organ…grinder；　had　been　made　to　ask　the

children　for　money。



And　the　Chief　Chimpanzee　turned　to　the　Oldest

Orangoutang　and　said；　〃Cousin；　surely　these　Men

be　strange　creatures！　　Who　would　wish　to　live

in　such　a　land？　　My　gracious；　how　paltry！〃



Then　Chee…Chee　said；



〃When　we　were　coming　to　you　we　had　no

boat　to　cross　the　sea　in　and　no　money　to　buy

food　to　eat　on　our　journey。　　So　a　man　lent　us

some　biscuits；　and　we　said　we　would　pay　him

when　we　came　back。　　And　we　borrowed　a　boat

from　a　sailor；　but　it　was　broken　on　the　rocks

when　we　reached　the　shores　of　Africa。　　Now

the　Doctor　says　he　must　go　back　and　get　the

sailor　another　boatbecause　the　man　was　poor

and　his　ship　was　all　he　had。〃　　



And　the　monkeys　were　all　silent　for　a　while；

sitting　quite　still　upon　the　ground　and　thinking

hard。



At　last　the　Biggest　Baboon　got　up　and　said；



〃I　do　not　think　we　ought　to　let　this　good　man

leave　our　land　till　we　have　given　him　a　fine

present　to　take　with　him；　so　that　he　may　know

we　are　grateful　for　all　that　he　has　done　for　us。〃　　



And　a　little；　tiny　red　monkey　who　was

sitting　up　in　a　tree　shouted　down；



〃I　think　that　too！〃



And　then　they　all　cried　out；　making　a　great

noise；　〃Yes；　yes。　　Let　us　give　him　the　finest

present　a　White　Man　ever　had！〃



Now　they　began　to　wonder　and　ask　one　another

what　would　be　the　best　thing　to　give　him。

And　one　said；　〃Fifty　bags　of　cocoanuts！〃

And　another〃A　hundred　bunches　of　bananas！

At　least　he　shall　not　have　to　buy　his　fruit　in　the

Land　Where　You　Pay　to　Eat！〃



But　Chee…Chee　told　them　that　all　these

things　would　be　too　heavy　to　carry　so　far　and

would　go　bad　before　half　was　eaten。



〃If　you　want　to　please　him；〃　he　said；　〃give

him　an　animal。　　You　may　be　sure　he　will　be

kind　to　it。　　Give　him　some　rare　animal　they

have　not　got　in　the　menageries。〃　　



And　the　monkeys　asked　him；　〃What　are

MENAGERIES？〃



Then　Chee…Chee　explained　to　them　that

menageries　were　places　in　the　Land　of　the

White　Men；　where　animals　were　put　in　cages

for　people　to　come　and　look　at。　　And　the

monkeys　were　very　shocked　and　said　to　one

another；



〃These　Men　are　like　thoughtless　young　onesstupid

and　easily　amused。　　Sh！　It　is　a　prison　he　means。〃　　



So　then　they　asked　Chee…Chee　what　rare

animal　it　could　be　that　they　should　give　the

Doctorone　the　White　Men　had　not　seen　before。

And　the　Major　of　the　Marmosettes　asked；



〃Have　they　an　iguana　over　there？〃



But　Chee…Chee　said；　〃Yes；　there　is　one　in　the

London　Zoo。〃　　



And　another　asked；　〃Have　they　an　okapi？〃



But　Chee…Chee　said；　〃Yes。　　In　Belgium；

where　my　organ…grinder　took　me　five　years　ago；

they　had　an　okapi　in　a　big　city　they　call　Antwerp。〃　　



And　another　asked；　〃Have　they　a　pushmi…pullyu？〃



Then　Chee…Chee　said；　〃No。　　No　White　Man

has　ever　seen　a　pushmi…pullyu。　　Let　us

give　him　that。〃　　







THE　TENTH　CHAPTER



THE　RAREST　ANIMAL　OF　ALL



PUSHMI…PULLYUS　are　now　extinct。　　That　means；　there　aren't

any　more。　　But　long　ago；　when　Doctor　Dolittle　was　alive；

there　were　some　of　them　still　left　in　the　deepest　jungles

of　Africa；　and　even　then　they　were　very；　very　scarce。

They　had　no　tail；　*but　a　head　at　each　end；

and　sharp　horns　on　each　head。　　They　were　very

shy　and　terribly　hard　to　catch。　　The　black　men

get　most　of　their　animals　by　sneaking　up　behind

them　while　they　are　not　looking。　　But　you　could

not　do　this　with　the　pushmi…pullyubecause；

no　matter　which　way　you　came　towards　him；　he

was　always　facing　you。　　And　besides；　only　one

half　of　him　slept　at　a　time。　　The　other　head

was　always　awakeand　watching。　　This　was

why　they　were　never　caught　and　never　seen　in

Zoos。　　Though　many　of　the　greatest　huntsmen

and　the　cleverest　menagerie…keepers　spent　years

of　their　lives　searching　through　the　jungles

in　all　weathers　for　pushmi…pullyus；　not　a　single

one　had　ever　been　caught。　　Even　then；　years

ago；　he　was　the　only　animal　in　the　world　with

two　heads。



Well；　the　monkeys　set　out　hunting　for　this

animal　through　the　forest。　　And　after　they　had

gone　a　good　many　miles；　one　of　them　found

peculiar　footprints　near　the　edge　of　a　river；

and　they　knew　that　a　pushmi…pullyu　must　be

very　near　that　spot。



Then　they　went　along　the　bank　of　the　river

a　little　way　and　they　saw　a　place　where　the

grass　was　high　and　thick；　and　they　guessed　that

he　was　in　there。



So　they　all　joined　hands　and　made　a　great

circle　round　the　high　grass。　　The　pushmi…

pullyu　heard　them　coming；　and　he　tried　hard

to　break　through　the　ring　of　monkeys。　　But　he

couldn't　do　it。　　When　he　saw　that　it　was　no

use　trying　to　escape；　he　sat　down　and　waited　to

see　what　they　wanted。



They　asked　him　if　he　would　go　with　Doctor　Dolittle

and　be　put　on　show　in　the　Land　of　the　White　Men。



But　he　shook　both　his　heads　hard　and　said；

〃Certainly　not！〃



They　explained　to　him　that　he　would　not　be

shut　up　in　a　menagerie　but　would　just　be　looked

at。　　They　told　him　that　the　Doctor　was　a　very

kind　man　but　hadn't　any　money；　and　people

would　pay　to　see　a　two…headed　animal　and　the

Doctor　would　get　rich　and　could　pay　for　the

boat　he　had　borrowed　to　come　to　Africa　in。



But　he　answered；　〃No。　　You　know　how　shy

I　amI　hate　being　stared　at。〃　　　And　he　almost

began　to　cry。



Then　for　three　days　they　tried　to　persuade

him。



And　at　the　end　of　the　third　day　he　said　he

would　come　with　them　and　see　what　kind　of　a

man　the　Doctor　was；　first。



So　the　monkeys　traveled　back　with　the

pushmi…pullyu。　　And　when　they　came　to　where

the　Doctor's　little　house　of　grass　was；　they

knocked　on　the　door。



The　duck；　who　was　packing　the　trunk；　said；

〃Come　in！〃



And　Chee…Chee　very　proudly　took　the　animal

inside　and　showed　him　to　the　Doctor。



〃What　in　the　world　is　it？〃　asked　John

Dolittle；　gazing　at　the　strange　creature。



〃Lord　save　us！〃　cried　the　duck。　　〃How　does

it　make　up　its　mind？〃



〃It　doesn't　look　to　me　as　though　it　had　any；〃

said　Jip；　the　dog。



〃This；　Doctor；〃　said　Chee…Chee；　〃is　the

pushmi…pullyuthe　rarest　animal　of　the　African

jungles；　the　only　two…headed　beast　in　the

world！　　Take　him　home　with　you　and　your

fortune's　made。　　People　will　pay　any　money　to

see　him。〃　　



〃But　I　don't　want　any　money；〃　said　the　Doctor。



〃Yes；　you　do；〃　said　Dab…Dab；　the　duck。

〃Don't　you　remember　how　we　had　to　pinch

and　scrape　to　pay　the　butcher's　bill　in

Puddleby？　　And　how　are　you　going　to　get　the

sailor　the　new　boat　you　spoke　ofunless　we

have　the　money　to　buy　it？〃





〃I　was　going　to　make　him　one；〃　said　the　Doctor。



〃Oh；　do　be　sensible！〃　cried　Dab…Dab。

〃Where　would　you　get　all　the　wood　and　the

nails　to　make　one　with？And　besides；　what　are

we　going　to　live　on？　　We　shall　be　poorer　than

ever　when　we　get　back。　　Chee…Chee's　perfectly

right：　take　the　funny…looking　thing　along；　do！〃



〃Well；　perhaps　there　is　something　in　what　you　say；〃

murmured　the　Doctor。　　〃It　certainly　would　make

a　nice　new　kind　of　pet。　　But　does　the　er

what…do…you…call…it　really　want　to　go　abroad？〃



〃Yes；　I'll　go；〃　said　the　pushmi…pullyu　who

saw　at　once；　from　the　Doctor's　face；　that　he　was

a　man　to　be　trusted。　　〃You　have　been　so　kind

to　the　animals　hereand　the　monkeys　tell　me

that　I　am　the　only　one　who　will　do。　　But　you

must　promise　me　that　if　I　do　not　like　it　in　the

Land　of　the　White　Men　you　will　send　me

back。〃　　



〃Why；　certainlyof　course；　of　course；〃　said

the　Doctor。　　〃Excuse　me；　surely　yo