the story of doctor dolittle-第12章

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a　dark　black。〃　　



〃But　HE　didn't　have　anything　to　do　with　it；〃

said　the　Doctor。　　〃It　was　the　King；　his　father；

who　had　us　locked　upit　wasn't　Bumpo's　fault。

。。。I　wonder　if　I　ought　to　go　back　and　apologize

Oh；　wellI'll　send　him　some　candy

when　I　get　to　Puddleby。　　And　who　knows？

he　may　stay　white　after　all。〃　　



〃The　Sleeping　Beauty　would　never　have　him；

even　if　he　did；〃　said　Dab…Dab。　　〃He　looked

better　the　way　he　was；　I　thought。　　But　he'd

never　be　anything　but　ugly；　no　matter　what

color　he　was　made。〃　　



〃Still；　he　had　a　good　heart；〃　said　the　Doctor

〃romantic；　of　coursebut　a　good　heart。

After　all；　‘handsome　is　as　handsome　does。'〃



〃I　don't　believe　the　poor　booby　found　The

Sleeping　Beauty　at　all；〃　said　Jip；　the　dog。

〃Most　likely　he　kissed　some　farmer's　fat　wife

who　was　taking　a　snooze　under　an　apple…tree。

Can't　blame　her　for　getting　scared！　　I　wonder

who　he'll　go　and　kiss　this　time。　　Silly　business！〃



Then　the　pushmi…pullyu；　the　white　mouse；

Gub…Gub；　Dab…Dab；　Jip　and　the　owl；　Too…Too；

went　on　to　the　ship　with　the　Doctor。　　But　Chee…

Chee；　Polynesia　and　the　crocodile　stayed　behind；

because　Africa　was　their　proper　home；　the　land

where　they　were　born。



And　when　the　Doctor　stood　upon　the　boat；　he

looked　over　the　side　across　the　water。　　And　then

he　remembered　that　they　had　no　one　with　them

to　guide　them　back　to　Puddleby。



The　wide；　wide　sea　looked　terribly　big　and

lonesome　in　the　moonlight；　and　he　began　to

wonder　if　they　would　lose　their　way　when　they

passed　out　of　sight　of　land。



But　even　while　he　was　wondering；　they　heard

a　strange　whispering　noise；　high　in　the　air；

coming　through　the　night。　　And　the　animals　all

stopped　saying　Good…by　and　listened。



The　noise　grew　louder　and　bigger。　　It　seemed

to　be　coming　nearer　to　thema　sound　like　the

Autumn　wind　blowing　through　the　leaves　of　a

poplar…tree；　or　a　great；　great　rain　beating　down

upon　a　roof。



And　Jip；　with　his　nose　pointing　and　his　tail

quite　straight；　said；



〃Birds！millions　of　themflying　fastthat's　it！〃



And　then　they　all　looked　up。　　And　there；

streaming　across　the　face　of　the　moon；　like　a

huge　swarm　of　tiny　ants；　they　could　see　thousands

and　thousands　of　little　birds。　　Soon　the

whole　sky　seemed　full　of　them；　and　still　more

kept　comingmore　and　more。　　There　were　so

many　that　for　a　little　they　covered　the　whole

moon　so　it　could　not　shine；　and　the　sea　grew

dark　and　blacklike　when　a　storm…cloud　passes

over　the　sun。



And　presently　all　these　birds　came　down　close；

skimming　over　the　water　and　the　land；　and　the

night…sky　was　left　clear　above；　and　the　moon

shone　as　before。　　Still　never　a　call　nor　a　cry

nor　a　song　they　madeno　sound　but　this　great

rustling　of　feathers　which　grew　greater　now

than　ever。　　When　they　began　to　settle　on　the

sands；　along　the　ropes　of　the　shipanywhere

and　everywhere　except　the　treesthe　Doctor

could　see　that　they　had　blue　wings　and　white

breasts　and　very　short；　feathered　legs。　　As　soon

as　they　had　all　found　a　place　to　sit；　suddenly；

there　was　no　noise　left　anywhereall　was　quiet；

all　was　still。



And　in　the　silent　moonlight　John　Dolittle

spoke：



〃I　had　no　idea　that　we　had　been　in　Africa

so　long。　　It　will　be　nearly　Summer　when　we

get　home。　　For　these　are　the　swallows　going

back。　　Swallows；　I　thank　you　for　waiting　for

us。　　It　is　very　thoughtful　of　you。　　Now　we　need

not　be　afraid　that　we　will　lose　our　way　upon　the

sea。。。。　　Pull　up　the　anchor　and　set　the　sail！〃



When　the　ship　moved　out　upon　the　water；

those　who　stayed　behind；　Chee…Chee；　Polynesia

and　the　crocodile；　grew　terribly　sad。　　For　never

in　their　lives　had　they　known　any　one　they　liked

so　well　as　Doctor　John　Dolittle　of　Puddleby…on…

the…Marsh。



And　after　they　had　called　Good…by　to　him

again　and　again　and　again；　they　still　stood　there

upon　the　rocks；　crying　bitterly　and　waving　till

the　ship　was　out　of　sight。







THE　THIRTEENTH　CHAPTER



RED　SAILS　AND　BLUE　WINGS



SAILING　homeward；　the　Doctor's　ship　had　to　pass　the　coast

of　Barbary。　　This　coast　is　the　seashore　of　the　Great　Desert。

It　is　a　wild；　lonely　placeall　sand　and　stones。　　And　it　was

here　that　the　Barbary　pirates　lived。



These　pirates；　a　bad　lot　of　men；　used　to　wait

for　sailors　to　be　shipwrecked　on　their　shores。

And　often；　if　they　saw　a　boat　passing；　they　would

come　out　in　their　fast　sailing…ships　and　chase　it。

When　they　caught　a　boat　like　this　at　sea；　they

would　steal　everything　on　it；　and　after　they　had

taken　the　people　off　they　would　sink　the　ship

and　sail　back　to　Barbary　singing　songs　and　feeling

proud　of　the　mischief　they　had　done。　　Then

they　used　to　make　the　people　they　had　caught

write　home　to　their　friends　for　money。　　And　if

the　friends　sent　no　money；　the　pirates　often

threw　the　people　into　the　sea。



Now　one　sunshiny　day　the　Doctor　and　Dab…

Dab　were　walking　up　and　down　on　the　ship

for　exercise；　a　nice　fresh　wind　was　blowing　the

boat　along；　and　everybody　was　happy。　　Presently

Dab…Dab　saw　the　sail　of　another　ship　a

long　way　behind　them　on　the　edge　of　the　sea。

It　was　a　red　sail。



〃I　don't　like　the　look　of　that　sail；〃　said　Dab…

Dab。　　〃I　have　a　feeling　it　isn't　a　friendly　ship。

I　am　afraid　there　is　more　trouble　coming　to　us。〃　　



Jip；　who　was　lying　near　taking　a　nap　in　the

sun；　began　to　growl　and　talk　in　his　sleep。



〃I　smell　roast　beef　cooking；〃　he　mumbled

〃underdone　roast　beefwith　brown　gravy　over　it。〃　　



〃Good　gracious！〃　cried　the　Doctor。　　〃What's

the　matter　with　the　dog？　　Is　he　SMELLING　in　his

sleepas　well　as　talking？〃



〃I　suppose　he　is；〃　said　Dab…Dab。　　〃All　dogs

can　smell　in　their　sleep。〃　　



〃But　what　is　he　smelling？〃　asked　the　Doctor。



〃There　is　no　roast　beef　cooking　on　our　ship。〃　　

〃No；〃　said　Dab…Dab。　　〃The　roast　beef　must

be　on　that　other　ship　over　there。〃　　



〃But　that's　ten　miles　away；〃　said　the　Doctor。

〃He　couldn't　smell　that　far　surely！〃



〃Oh；　yes；　he　could；〃　said　Dab…Dab。　　〃You　ask　him。〃　　



Then　Jip；　still　fast　asleep；　began　to　growl

again　and　his　lip　curled　up　angrily；　showing

his　clean；　white　teeth。



〃I　smell　bad　men；〃　he　growled〃the　worst

men　I　ever　smelt。　　I　smell　trouble。　　I　smell　a

fightsix　bad　scoundrels　fighting　against　one

brave　man。　　I　want　to　help　him。　　WoofooWOOF！〃

Then　he　barked；　loud；　and　woke　himself　up　with

a　surprised　look　on　his　face。



〃See！〃　cried　Dab…Dab。　　〃That　boat　is　nearer　now。

You　can　count　its　three　big　sailsall　red。

Whoever　it　is；　they　are　coming　after　us。。。。

I　wonder　who　they　are。〃　　



〃They　are　bad　sailors；〃　said　Jip；　〃and　their

ship　is　very　swift。　　They　are　surely　the　pirates

of　Barbary。〃　　



〃Well；　we　must　put　up　more　sails　on　our

boat；〃　said　the　Doctor；　〃so　we　can　go　faster　and

get　away　from　them。　　Run　downstairs；　Jip；　and

fetch　me　all　the　sails　you　see。〃　　



The　dog　hurried　downstairs　and　dragged　up

every　sail　he　could　find。



But　even　when　all　these　were　put　up　on　the

masts　to　catch　the　wind；　the　boat　did　not　go

nearly　as　fast　as　the　pirates'which　kept　coming

on　behind；　closer　and　closer。



〃This　is　a　poor　ship　the　Prince　gave　us；〃　said

Gub…Gub；　the　pig〃the　slowest　he　could　find；

I　should　think。　　Might　as　well　try　to　win　a　race

in　a　soup…tureen　as　hope　to　get　away　from　them

in　this　old　barge。　　Look　how　near　they　are　now！

You　can　see　the　mustaches　on　the　faces　of　the

mensix　of　them。　　What　are　we　going　to　do？〃



Then　the　Doctor　asked　Dab…Dab　to　fly　up　and

tell　the　swallows　that　pirates　were　coming　after

them　in　a　swift　ship；　and　what　should　he　do

about　it。



When　the　swallows　heard　this；　they　all　came

down　on　to　the　Doctor's　ship；　and　they　told　him

to　unravel　some　pieces　of　long　rope　and　make

them　into　a　lot　of　thin　strings　as　quickly　as　he

could。　　Then　the　ends　of　these　strings　were　tied

on　to　the　front　of　the　ship；　and　the　swallows

took　hold　of　the　strings　with　their　feet　and　flew