the story of doctor dolittle-第13章

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on　to　the　front　of　the　ship；　and　the　swallows

took　hold　of　the　strings　with　their　feet　and　flew

off；　pulling　the　boat　along。



And　although　swallows　are　not　very　strong

when　only　one　or　two　are　by　themselves；　it　is

different　when　there　are　a　great　lot　of　them

together。　　And　there；　tied　to　the　Doctor's　ship；

were　a　thousand　strings；　and　two　thousand

swallows　were　pulling　on　each　stringall　terribly

swift　fliers。



And　in　a　moment　the　Doctor　found　himself

traveling　so　fast　he　had　to　hold　his　hat　on　with

both　hands；　for　he　felt　as　though　the　ship　itself

were　flying　through　waves　that　frothed　and

boiled　with　speed。



And　all　the　animals　on　the　ship　began　to

laugh　and　dance　about　in　the　rushing　air；　for

when　they　looked　back　at　the　pirates'　ship；　they

could　see　that　it　was　growing　smaller　now；

instead　of　bigger。　　The　red　sails　were　being　left

far；　far　behind。







THE　FOURTEENTH　CHAPTER



THE　RATS'　WARNING



DRAGGING　a　ship　through　the　sea　is　hard　work。　　And　after

two　or　three　hours　the　swallows　began　to　get　tired　in　the

wings　and　short　of　breath。　Then　they　sent　a　message

down　to　the　Doctor　to　say　that　they　would　have

to　take　a　rest　soon；　and　that　they　would　pull　the

boat　over　to　an　island　not　far　off；　and　hide　it　in

a　deep　bay　till　they　had　got　breath　enough　to　go　on。



And　presently　the　Doctor　saw　the　island　they

had　spoken　of。　　It　had　a　very　beautiful；　high；

green　mountain　in　the　middle　of　it。



When　the　ship　had　sailed　safely　into　the　bay

where　it　could　not　be　seen　from　the　open　sea；

the　Doctor　said　he　would　get　off　on　to　the　island

to　look　for　waterbecause　there　was　none　left

to　drink　on　his　ship。　　And　he　told　all　the　animals

to　get　out　too　and　romp　on　the　grass　to

stretch　their　legs。



Now　as　they　were　getting　off；　the　Doctor

noticed　that　a　whole　lot　of　rats　were　coming　up

from　downstairs　and　leaving　the　ship　as　well。

Jip　started　to　run　after　them；　because　chasing

rats　had　always　been　his　favorite　game。　　But

the　Doctor　told　him　to　stop。



And　one　big　black　rat；　who　seemed　to　want

to　say　something　to　the　Doctor；　now　crept　forward

timidly　along　the　rail；　watching　the　dog

out　of　the　corner　of　his　eye。　　And　after　he　had

coughed　nervously　two　or　three　times；　and

cleaned　his　whiskers　and　wiped　his　mouth；　he

said；



〃Ahemeryou　know　of　course　that　all

ships　have　rats　in　them；　Doctor；　do　you　not？〃



And　the　Doctor　said；　〃Yes。〃　　



〃And　you　have　heard　that　rats　always　leave

a　sinking　ship？〃



〃Yes；〃　said　the　Doctor〃so　I've　been　told。〃　　



〃People；〃　said　the　rat；　〃always　speak　of　it

with　a　sneeras　though　it　were　something　dis…

graceful。　　But　you　can't　blame　us；　can　you？

After　all；　who　WOULD　stay　on　a　sinking　ship；　if

he　could　get　off　it？〃



〃It's　very　natural；〃　said　the　Doctor〃very

natural。　　I　quite　understand。。。。　　Was　there

Was　there　anything　else　you　wished　to　say？〃



〃Yes；〃　said　the　rat。　　〃I've　come　to　tell　you

that　we　are　leaving　this　one。　　But　we　wanted　to

warn　you　before　we　go。　　This　is　a　bad　ship

you　have　here。　　It　isn't　safe。　　The　sides　aren't

strong　enough。　　Its　boards　are　rotten。　　Before

to…morrow　night　it　will　sink　to　the　bottom　of

the　sea。〃　　



〃But　how　do　you　know？〃　asked　the　Doctor。



〃We　always　know；〃　answered　the　rat。　　〃The

tips　of　our　tails　get　that　tingly　feelinglike

when　your　foot's　asleep。　　This　morning；　at　six

o'clock；　while　I　was　getting　breakfast；　my　tail

suddenly　began　to　tingle。　　At　first　I　thought　it

was　my　rheumatism　coming　back。　　So　I　went

and　asked　my　aunt　how　she　feltyou　remember

her？the　long；　piebald　rat；　rather　skinny；　who

came　to　see　you　in　Puddleby　last　Spring　with

jaundice？　　Welland　she　said　HER　tail　was

tingling　like　everything！　　Then　we　knew；　for

sure；　that　this　boat　was　going　to　sink　in　less　than

two　days；　and　we　all　made　up　our　minds　to

leave　it　as　soon　as　we　got　near　enough　to　any

land。　　It's　a　bad　ship；　Doctor。　　Don't　sail　in

it　any　more；　or　you'll　be　surely　drowned。。。。

Good…by！　　We　are　now　going　to　look　for　a　good

place　to　live　on　this　island。〃　　



〃Good…by！〃　said　the　Doctor。　　〃And　thank

you　very　much　for　coming　to　tell　me。　　Very

considerate　of　youvery！　Give　my　regards　to

your　aunt。　　I　remember　her　perfectly。。。。

Leave　that　rat　alone；　Jip！　　Come　here！　　Lie　down！〃



So　then　the　Doctor　and　all　his　animals　went

off；　carrying　pails　and　saucepans；　to　look　for

water　on　the　island；　while　the　swallows　took

their　rest。



〃I　wonder　what　is　the　name　of　this　island；〃

said　the　Doctor；　as　he　was　climbing　up　the

mountainside。　　〃It　seems　a　pleasant　place。

What　a　lot　of　birds　there　are！〃



〃Why；　these　are　the　Canary　Islands；〃　said

Dab…Dab。　　〃Don't　you　hear　the　canaries　singing？〃



The　Doctor　stopped　and　listened。



〃Why；　to　be　sureof　course！〃　he　said。

〃How　stupid　of　me！　　I　wonder　if　they　can　tell

us　where　to　find　water。〃　　



And　presently　the　canaries；　who　had　heard　all

about　Doctor　Dolittle　from　birds　of　passage；

came　and　led　him　to　a　beautiful　spring　of　cool；

clear　water　where　the　canaries　used　to　take　their

bath；　and　they　showed　him　lovely　meadows

where　the　bird…seed　grew　and　all　the　other

sights　of　their　island。



And　the　pushmi…pullyu　was　glad　they　had

come；　because　he　liked　the　green　grass　so　much

better　than　the　dried　apples　he　had　been　eating

on　the　ship。　　And　Gub…Gub　squeaked　for　joy

when　he　found　a　whole　valley　full　of　wild

sugarcane。



A　little　later；　when　they　had　all　had　plenty

to　eat　and　drink；　and　were　lying　on　their　backs

while　the　canaries　sang　for　them；　two　of　the　swallows

came　hurrying　up；　very　flustered　and　excited。



〃Doctor！〃　they　cried；　〃the　pirates　have　come

into　the　bay；　and　they've　all　got　on　to　your　ship。

They　are　downstairs　looking　for　things　to　steal。

They　have　left　their　own　ship　with　nobody　on

it。　　If　you　hurry　and　come　down　to　the　shore；

you　can　get　on　to　their　shipwhich　is　very　fast

and　escape。　　But　you'll　have　to　hurry。〃　　



〃That's　a　good　idea；〃　said　the　Doctor〃splendid！〃



And　he　called　his　animals　together　at　once；

said　Good…by　to　the　canaries　and　ran　down　to　the　beach。



When　they　reached　the　shore　they　saw　the

pirate…ship；　with　the　three　red　sails；　standing　in

the　water；　andjust　as　the　swallows　had　said

there　was　nobody　on　it；　all　the　pirates　were

downstairs　in　the　Doctor's　ship；　looking　for

things　to　steal。



So　John　Dolittle　told　his　animals　to　walk　very

softly　and　they　all　crept　on　to　the　pirate…ship。







THE　FIFTEENTH　CHAPTER



THE　BARBARY　DRAGON



EVERYTHING　would　have　gone　all　right　if　the　pig　had　not　caught

a　cold　in　his　head　while　eating　the　damp　sugar…cane　on　the

island。　　This　is　what　happened：



After　they　had　pulled　up　the　anchor　without　a　sound；

and　were　moving　the　ship　very；　very　carefully　out　of　the　bay；

Gub…Gub　suddenly　sneezed　so　loud　that　the　pirates

on　the　other　ship　came　rushing　upstairs　to　see

what　the　noise　was。



As　soon　as　they　saw　that　the　Doctor　was

escaping；　they　sailed　the　other　boat　right　across

the　entrance　to　the　bay　so　that　the　Doctor　could

not　get　out　into　the　open　sea。



Then　the　leader　of　these　bad　men　（who　called

himself　〃Ben　Ali；　The　Dragon〃）　shook　his　fist

at　the　Doctor　and　shouted　across　the　water；



〃Ha！　Ha！　　You　are　caught；　my　fine　friend！

You　were　going　to　run　off　in　my　ship；　eh？　　But

you　are　not　a　good　enough　sailor　to　beat　Ben

Ali；　the　Barbary　Dragon。　　I　want　that　duck

you've　gotand　the　pig　too。　　We'll　have　pork…

chops　and　roast　duck　for　supper　to…night。　　And

before　I　let　you　go　home；　you　must　make　your

friends　send　me　a　trunk…full　of　gold。〃　　



Poor　Gub…Gub　began　to　weep；　and　Dab…Dab

made　ready　to　fly　to　save　her　life。　　But　the　owl；

Too…Too；　whispered　to　the　Doctor；



〃Keep　him　talking；　Doctor。　　Be　pleasant　to

him。　　Our　old　ship　is　bound　to　sink　soonthe

rats　said　it　would　be　at　the　bottom　of　the　sea

before　to…morrow　night