the story of doctor dolittle-第14章

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！



him。　　Our　old　ship　is　bound　to　sink　soonthe

rats　said　it　would　be　at　the　bottom　of　the　sea

before　to…morrow　nightand　the　rats　are　never

wrong。　　Be　pleasant；　till　the　ship　sinks　under

him。　　Keep　him　talking。〃　　



〃What；　until　to…morrow　night！〃　said　the　Doctor。

〃Well；　I'll　do　my　best。。。。　　Let　me　see

What　shall　I　talk　about？〃



〃Oh；　let　them　come　on；〃　said　Jip。　　〃We　can

fight　the　dirty　rascals。　　There　are　only　six　of

them。　　Let　them　come　on。　　I'd　love　to　tell　that

collie　next　door；　when　we　get　home；　that　I　had　bitten

a　real　pirate。　　Let　'em　come。　　We　can　fight　them。〃　　



〃But　they　have　pistols　and　swords；〃　said　the

Doctor。　　〃No；　that　would　never　do。　　I　must

talk　to　him。。。。　　Look　here；　Ben　Ali〃



But　before　the　Doctor　could　say　any　more；

the　pirates　began　to　sail　the　ship　nearer；　laughing

with　glee；　and　saying　one　to　another；　〃Who

shall　be　the　first　to　catch　the　pig？〃



Poor　Gub…Gub　was　dreadfully　frightened；

and　the　pushmi…pullyu　began　to　sharpen　his

horns　for　a　fight　by　rubbing　them　on　the　mast

of　the　ship；　while　Jip　kept　springing　into　the

air　and　barking　and　calling　Ben　Ali　bad　names

in　dog…language。



But　presently　something　seemed　to　go　wrong

with　the　pirates；　they　stopped　laughing　and

cracking　jokes；　they　looked　puzzled；　something

was　making　them　uneasy。



Then　Ben　Ali；　staring　down　at　his　feet；

suddenly　bellowed　out；



〃Thunder　and　Lightning！Men；　THE　BOAT'S　LEAKING！〃



And　then　the　other　pirates　peered　over　the

side　and　they　saw　that　the　boat　was　indeed　getting

lower　and　lower　in　the　water。　　And　one

of　them　said　to　Ben　Ali；



〃But　surely　if　this　old　boat　were　sinking　we

should　see　the　rats　leaving　it。〃　　



And　Jip　shouted　across　from　the　other　ship；



〃You　great　duffers；　there　are　no　rats　there

to　leave！　　They　left　two　hours　ago！　　‘Ha；　ha；'

to　you；　‘my　fine　friends！'〃



But　of　course　the　men　did　not　understand　him。

Soon　the　front　end　of　the　ship　began　to　go

down　and　down；　faster　and　fastertill　the　boat

looked　almost　as　though　it　were　standing　on　its

head；　and　the　pirates　had　to　cling　to　the　rails

and　the　masts　and　the　ropes　and　anything　to

keep　from　sliding　off。　　Then　the　sea　rushed

roaring　in　and　through　all　the　windows　and　the

doors。　　And　at　last　the　ship　plunged　right　down

to　the　bottom　of　the　sea；　making　a　dreadful

gurgling　sound；　and　the　six　bad　men　were　left

bobbing　about　in　the　deep　water　of　the　bay。



Some　of　them　started　to　swim　for　the　shores

of　the　island；　while　others　came　and　tried　to　get

on　to　the　boat　where　the　Doctor　was。　　But　Jip

kept　snapping　at　their　noses；　so　they　were　afraid

to　climb　up　the　side　of　the　ship。



Then　suddenly　they　all　cried　out　in　great　fear；



〃THE　SHARKS！　　The　sharks　are　coming！　　Let　us

get　on　to　the　ship　before　they　eat　us！　　Help；

help！The　sharks！　　The　sharks！〃



And　now　the　Doctor　could　see；　all　over　the

bay；　the　backs　of　big　fishes　swimming　swiftly

through　the　water。



And　one　great　shark　came　near　to　the　ship；

and　poking　his　nose　out　of　the　water　he　said　to

the　Doctor；



〃Are　you　John　Dolittle；　the　famous　animal…　doctor？〃



〃Yes；〃　said　Doctor　Dolittle。　　〃That　is　my

name。〃　　



〃Well；〃　said　the　shark；　〃we　know　these

pirates　to　be　a　bad　lotespecially　Ben　Ali。　　If　they

are　annoying　you；　we　will　gladly　eat　them　up

for　youand　then　you　won't　be　troubled　any

more。〃　　



〃Thank　you；〃　said　the　Doctor。　　〃This　is

really　most　attentive。　　But　I　don't　think　it　will

be　necessary　to　eat　them。　　Don't　let　any　of　them

reach　the　shore　until　I　tell　youjust　keep　them

swimming　about；　will　you？　　And　please　make

Ben　Ali　swim　over　here　that　I　may　talk　to

him。〃　　



So　the　shark　went　off　and　chased　Ben　Ali　over

to　the　Doctor。



〃Listen；　Ben　Ali；〃　said　John　Dolittle；

leaning　over　the　side。　　〃You　have　been　a　very　bad

man；　and　I　understand　that　you　have　killed

many　people。　　These　good　sharks　here　have　just

offered　to　eat　you　up　for　meand　'twould

indeed　be　a　good　thing　if　the　seas　were　rid　of　you。

But　if　you　will　promise　to　do　as　I　tell　you；　I

well　let　you　go　in　safety。〃　　



〃What　must　I　do？〃　asked　the　pirate；　looking

down　sideways　at　the　big　shark　who　was　smelling

his　leg　under　the　water。



〃You　must　kill　no　more　people；〃　said　the

Doctor；　〃you　must　stop　stealing；　you　must

never　sink　another　ship；　you　must　give　up　being

a　pirate　altogether。〃　　



〃But　what　shall　I　do　then？〃　asked　Ben　Ali。

〃How　shall　I　live？〃



〃You　and　all　your　men　must　go　on　to　this

island　and　be　bird…seed…farmers；〃　the　Doctor

answered。　　〃You　must　grow　bird…seed　for　the

canaries。〃　　



The　Barbary　Dragon　turned　pale　with　anger。

〃GROW　BIRD…SEED！〃　he　groaned　in　disgust。

〃Can't　I　be　a　sailor？〃



〃No；〃　said　the　Doctor；　〃you　cannot。　　You

have　been　a　sailor　long　enoughand　sent　many

stout　ships　and　good　men　to　the　bottom　of　the

sea。　　For　the　rest　of　your　life　you　must　be　la

peaceful　farmer。　　The　shark　is　waiting。　　Do

not　waste　any　more　of　his　time。　　Make　up　your

mind。〃　　



〃Thunder　and　Lightning！〃　Ben　Ali

muttered〃BIRD…SEED！〃　　Then　he　looked　down

into　the　water　again　and　saw　the　great　fish

smelling　his　other　leg。



〃Very　well；〃　he　said　sadly。　　〃We'll　be

farmers。〃　　



〃And　remember；〃　said　the　Doctor；　〃that　if

you　do　not　keep　your　promiseif　you　start

killing　and　stealing　again；　I　shall　hear　of　it；

because　the　canaries　will　come　and　tell　me。

And　be　very　sure　that　I　will　find　a　way　to　punish

you。　　For　though　I　may　not　be　able　to　sail

a　ship　as　well　as　you；　so　long　as　the　birds　and

the　beasts　and　the　fishes　are　my　friends；　I　do　not

have　to　be　afraid　of　a　pirate　chiefeven　though

he　call　himself　‘The　Dragon　of　Barbary。'　Now

go　and　be　a　good　farmer　and　live　in　peace。〃　　



Then　the　Doctor　turned　to　the　big　shark；　and

waving　his　hand　he　said；



〃All　right。　　Let　them　swim　safely　to　the　land。〃　　







THE　SIXTEENTH　CHAPTER



TOO…TOO；　THE　LISTENER



HAVING　thanked　the　sharks　again　for　their　kindness；

the　Doctor　and　his　pets　set　off　once　more　on　their

journey　home　in　the　swift　ship　with　the　three　red　sails。



As　they　moved　out　into　the　open　sea；　the

animals　all　went　downstairs　to　see　what　their　new

boat　was　like　inside；　while　the　Doctor　leant　on

the　rail　at　the　back　of　the　ship　with　a　pipe　in　his

mouth；　watching　the　Canary　Islands　fade　away

in　the　blue　dusk　of　the　evening。



While　he　was　standing　there；　wondering　how

the　monkeys　were　getting　onand　what　his

garden　would　look　like　when　he　got　back　to

Puddleby；　Dab…Dab　came　tumbling　up　the

stairs；　all　smiles　and　full　of　news。



〃Doctor！〃　she　cried。　　〃This　ship　of　the　pi…

rates　is　simply　beautifulabsolutely。　　The　beds

downstairs　are　made　of　primrose　silkwith

hundreds　of　big　pillows　and　cushions；　there　are

thick；　soft　carpets　on　the　floors；　the　dishes　are

made　of　silver；　and　there　are　all　sorts　of　good

things　to　eat　and　drinkspecial　things；　the

larderwell；　it's　just　like　a　shop；　that's　all。

You　never　saw　anything　like　it　in　your　life

Just　thinkthey　kept　five　different　kinds　of

sardines；　those　men！　　Come　and　look。。。。　　Oh；

and　we　found　a　little　room　down　there　with　the

door　locked；　and　we　are　all　crazy　to　get　in　and

see　what's　inside。　　Jip　says　it　must　be　where　the

pirates　kept　their　treasure。　　But　we　can't　open

the　door。　　Come　down　and　see　if　you　can　let

us　in。〃　　



So　the　Doctor　went　downstairs　and　he　saw

that　it　was　indeed　a　beautiful　ship。　　He　found

the　animals　gathered　round　a　little　door；　all

talking　at　once；　trying　to　guess　what　was　inside。

The　Doctor　turned　the　handle　but　it　wouldn't

open。　　Then　they　all　started　to　hunt　for　the　key。

They　looked　under　the　mat；　they　looked　under

all　the　carpets；　they　looked　in　all　the　cupboards

and　drawers　and　lockersin　the　big　chests　in　the

ship's　dining…room；　they　looked　everywhere。



While　they　were　doing　this　they　discovered

a　lot　of　new　and　wonderful　things　that　th