the story of doctor dolittle-第9节

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Land　of　the　White　Men　you　will　send　me

back。〃　　



〃Why；　certainlyof　course；　of　course；〃　said

the　Doctor。　　〃Excuse　me；　surely　you　are

related　to　the　Deer　Family；　are　you　not？〃



〃Yes；〃　said　the　pushmi…pullyu〃to　the

Abyssinian　Gazelles　and　the　Asiatic　Chamois

on　my　mother's　side。　　My　father's　great…

grandfather　was　the　last　of　the　Unicorns。〃　　



〃Most　interesting！〃　murmured　the　Doctor；

and　he　took　a　book　out　of　the　trunk　which　Dab…

Dab　was　packing　and　began　turning　the　pages。

〃Let　us　see　if　Buffon　says　anything〃



〃I　notice；〃　said　the　duck；　〃that　you　only　talk

with　one　of　your　mouths。　　Can't　the　other　head

talk　as　well？〃



〃Oh；　yes；〃　said　the　pushmi…pullyu。　　〃But　I

keep　the　other　mouth　for　eatingmostly。　　In

that　way　I　can　talk　while　I　am　eating　without

being　rude。　　Our　people　have　always　been　very

polite。〃　　



When　the　packing　was　finished　and　everything

was　ready　to　start；　the　monkeys　gave　a

grand　party　for　the　Doctor；　and　all　the　animals

of　the　jungle　came。　　And　they　had　pineapples

and　mangoes　and　honey　and　all　sorts　of　good

things　to　eat　and　drink。



After　they　had　all　finished　eating；　the　Doctor

got　up　and　said；



〃My　friends：　I　am　not　clever　at　speaking

long　words　after　dinner；　like　some　men；　and　I

have　just　eaten　many　fruits　and　much　honey。

But　I　wish　to　tell　you　that　I　am　very　sad　at

leaving　your　beautiful　country。　　Because　I　have

things　to　do　in　the　Land　of　the　White　Men；　I

must　go。　　After　I　have　gone；　remember　never

to　let　the　flies　settle　on　your　food　before　you

eat　it；　and　do　not　sleep　on　the　ground　when　the

rains　are　coming。　　IererI　hope　you　will

all　live　happily　ever　after。〃　　



When　the　Doctor　stopped　speaking　and　sat

down；　all　the　monkeys　clapped　their　hands　a

long　time　and　said　to　one　another；　〃Let　it　be

remembered　always　among　our　people　that　he

sat　and　ate　with　us；　here；　under　the　trees。

For　surely　he　is　the　Greatest　of　Men！〃



And　the　Grand　Gorilla；　who　had　the　strength

of　seven　horses　in　his　hairy　arms；　rolled　a　great

rock　up　to　the　head　of　the　table　and　said；



〃This　stone　for　all　time　shall　mark　the　spot。〃　　



And　even　to　this　day；　in　the　heart　of　the

Jungle；　that　stone　still　is　there。　　And　monkey…

mothers；　passing　through　the　forest　with　their

families；　still　point　down　at　it　from　the　branches

and　whisper　to　their　children；　〃Sh！　There　it　is

lookwhere　the　Good　White　Man　sat　and　ate　food

with　us　in　the　Year　of　the　Great　Sickness！〃



Then；　when　the　party　was　over；　the　Doctor

and　his　pets　started　out　to　go　back　to　the　seashore。

And　all　the　monkeys　went　with　him　as

far　as　the　edge　of　their　country；　carrying　his

trunk　and　bags；　to　see　him　off。







THE　ELEVENTH　CHAPTER



THE　BLACK　PRINCE



BY　the　edge　of　the　river　they　stopped　and　said　farewell。



This　took　a　long　time；　because　all　those　thousands

of　monkeys　wanted　to　shake　John　Dolittle　by　the　hand。



Afterwards；　when　the　Doctor　and　his　pets

were　going　on　alone；　Polynesia　said；



〃We　must　tread　softly　and　talk　low　as　we

go　through　the　land　of　the　Jolliginki。　　If　the

King　should　hear　us；　he　will　send　his　soldiers

to　catch　us　again；　for　I　am　sure　he　is　still　very

angry　over　the　trick　I　played　on　him。〃　　



〃What　I　am　wondering；〃　said　the　Doctor；

〃is　where　we　are　going　to　get　another　boat　to

go　home　in。。。。　　Oh　well；　perhaps　we'll　find

one　lying　about　on　the　beach　that　nobody　is

using。　　‘Never　lift　your　foot　till　you　come　to

the　stile。'〃



One　day；　while　they　were　passing　through

a　very　thick　part　of　the　forest；　Chee…Chee　went

ahead　of　them　to　look　for　cocoanuts。　　And

while　he　was　away；　the　Doctor　and　the　rest　of

the　animals；　who　did　not　know　the　jungle…paths

so　well；　got　lost　in　the　deep　woods。　　They　wandered

around　and　around　but　could　not　find

their　way　down　to　the　seashore。



Chee…Chee；　when　he　could　not　see　them

anywhere；　was　terribly　upset。　　He　climbed　high

trees　and　looked　out　from　the　top　branches　to

try　and　see　the　Doctor's　high　hat；　he　waved　and

shouted；　he　called　to　all　the　animals　by　name。

But　it　was　no　use。　　They　seemed　to　have

disappeared　altogether。



Indeed　they　had　lost　their　way　very　badly。

They　had　strayed　a　long　way　off　the　path；　and

the　jungle　was　so　thick　with　bushes　and

creepers　and　vines　that　sometimes　they　could　hardly

move　at　all；　and　the　Doctor　had　to　take　out

his　pocket…knife　and　cut　his　way　along。　　They

stumbled　into　wet；　boggy　places；　they　got　all

tangled　up　in　thick　convolvulus…runners；　they

scratched　themselves　on　thorns；　and　twice　they

nearly　lost　the　medicine…bag　in　the　under…brush。

There　seemed　no　end　to　their　troubles；　and

nowhere　could　they　come　upon　a　path。



At　last；　after　blundering　about　like　this　for

many　days；　getting　their　clothes　torn　and　their

faces　covered　with　mud；　they　walked　right　into

the　King's　back…garden　by　mistake。　　The　King's

men　came　running　up　at　once　and　caught　them。



But　Polynesia　flew　into　a　tree　in　the　garden；

without　anybody　seeing　her；　and　hid　herself。

The　Doctor　and　the　rest　were　taken　before　the　King。



〃Ha；　ha！〃　cried　the　King。　　〃So　you　are

caught　again！　This　time　you　shall　not　escape。

Take　them　all　back　to　prison　and　put　double

locks　on　the　door。　　This　White　Man　shall　scrub

my　kitchen…floor　for　the　rest　of　his　life！〃



So　the　Doctor　and　his　pets　were　led　back　to

prison　and　locked　up。　　And　the　Doctor　was　told

that　in　the　morning　he　must　begin　scrubbing　the

kitchen…floor。



They　were　all　very　unhappy。



〃This　is　a　great　nuisance；〃　said　the　Doctor。

〃I　really　must　get　back　to　Puddleby。　　That

poor　sailor　will　think　I've　stolen　his　ship　if　I

don't　get　home　soon。。。。　　I　wonder　if　those

hinges　are　loose。〃　　



But　the　door　was　very　strong　and　firmly

locked。　　There　seemed　no　chance　of　getting　out。

Then　Gub…Gub　began　to　cry　again。



All　this　time　Polynesia　was　still　sitting　in　the

tree　in　the　palace…garden。　　She　was　saying　nothing

and　blinking　her　eyes。



This　was　always　a　very　bad　sign　with

Polynesia。　　Whenever　she　said　nothing　and　blinked

her　eyes；　it　meant　that　somebody　had　been　making

trouble；　and　she　was　thinking　out　some　way

to　put　things　right。　　People　who　made　trouble

for　Polynesia　or　her　friends　were　nearly　always

sorry　for　it　afterwards。



Presently　she　spied　Chee…Chee　swinging

through　the　trees　still　looking　for　the　Doctor。

When　Chee…Chee　saw　her；　he　came　into　her

tree　and　asked　her　what　had　become　of　him。



〃The　Doctor　and　all　the　animals　have　been

caught　by　the　King's　men　and　locked　up　again；〃

whispered　Polynesia。　　〃We　lost　our　way　in　the

jungle　and　blundered　into　the　palace…garden　by

mistake。〃　　



〃But　couldn't　you　guide　them？〃　asked　Chee…

Chee；　and　he　began　to　scold　the　parrot　for

letting　them　get　lost　while　he　was　away　looking

for　the　cocoanuts。



〃It　was　all　that　stupid　pig's　fault；〃　said

Polynesia。　　〃He　would　keep　running　off　the

path　hunting　for　ginger…roots。　　And　I　was　kept

so　busy　catching　him　and　bringing　him　back；

that　I　turned　to　the　left；　instead　of　the　right；

when　we　reached　the　swamp。Sh！Look！

There's　Prince　Bumpo　coming　into　the　garden！

He　must　not　see　us。Don't　move；　whatever　you　do！〃



And　there；　sure　enough；　was　Prince　Bumpo；

the　King's　son；　opening　the　garden…gate。　　He

carried　a　book　of　fairy…tales　under　his　arm。　　He

came　strolling　down　the　gravel…walk；　humming

a　sad　song；　till　he　reached　a　stone　seat　right

under　the　tree　where　the　parrot　and　the　monkey

were　hiding。　　Then　he　lay　down　on　the　seat

and　began　reading　the　fairy…stories　to　himself。



Chee…Chee　and　Polynesia　watched　him；

keeping　very　quiet　and　still。



After　a　while　the　King's　son　laid　the　book

down　and　sighed　a　weary　sigh。



〃If　I　were　only　a　WHITE　prince！〃　said　he；　with

a　dreamy；　far…away　look　in　his　eyes。



Then　the　parrot；　talking　in　a　small；　high

voice　like　a　little　girl；　said　aloud；



〃Bumpo；　some　one　might　turn　thee　into　a

white　prince　perchance。〃　　



The　King's　son　started　up　off　the　seat　and

looked　all　around。



〃What　is　this　I　hear？〃　he　cried。　　〃Methought

the　sweet　music　of　a　fairy's　silver　voice　rang

from　yonder　bower！　　Strange！〃



〃Worthy　Prince；〃　said　Polynesia；　keeping

very　still　so　Bumpo　couldn't　see　her；　〃thou　sayest

winged　words　of　truth。　　For　'tis　I；　Tripsitinka；

the　Queen　of　the　Fairies；　that　speak　to

thee。　　I　am　hiding　in　a　rose…bud。〃　　



〃Oh　tell　me；　Fairy…Queen；〃　cried　Bumpo；

clasping　his　hands　in　joy；　〃who　is　it　can　turn

me　white？〃



〃In　thy　father's　prison；〃　said　the　parrot；

〃there　lies　a　famous　wizard；　John　Dolittle　by

name。　　Many　things　he　knows　of　medicine　and

magic；　and　mighty　deeds　has　he　performed。

Yet　thy　kingly　father　leaves　him　languishing

long　and　lingering　hours。　　Go　to　him；　brave

Bumpo；　secretly；　when　the　sun　has　set；　and

behold；　thou　shalt　be　made　the　whitest　prince　that

ever　won　fair　lady！　　I　have　s