the story of doctor dolittle-第15章

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While　they　were　doing　this　they　discovered

a　lot　of　new　and　wonderful　things　that　the

pirates　must　have　stolen　from　other　ships：　Kashmir

shawls　as　thin　as　a　cobweb；　embroidered

with　flowers　of　gold；　jars　of　fine　tobacco　from

Jamaica；　carved　ivory　boxes　full　of　Russian

tea；　an　old　violin　with　a　string　broken　and　a

picture　on　the　back；　a　set　of　big　chess…men；

carved　out　of　coral　and　amber；　a　walking…stick

which　had　a　sword　inside　it　when　you　pulled

the　handle；　six　wine…glasses　with　turquoise

and　silver　round　the　rims；　and　a　lovely　great

sugar…bowl；　made　of　mother　o'　pearl。　　But

nowhere　in　the　whole　boat　could　they　find　a　key　to

fit　that　lock。



So　they　all　came　back　to　the　door；　and　Jip

peered　through　the　key…hole。　　But　something

had　been　stood　against　the　wall　on　the　inside

and　he　could　see　nothing。



While　they　were　standing　around；　wondering

what　they　should　do；　the　owl；　Too…Too；

suddenly　said；



〃Sh！Listen！I　do　believe　there's　some

one　in　there！〃



They　all　kept　still　a　moment。　　Then　the

Doctor　said；



〃You　must　be　mistaken；　Too…Too。　　I　don't

hear　anything。〃　　



〃I'm　sure　of　it；〃　said　the　owl。　　〃Sh！There

it　is　againDon't　you　hear　that？〃



〃No；　I　do　not；〃　said　the　Doctor。　　〃What

kind　of　a　sound　is　it？〃



〃I　hear　the　noise　of　some　one　putting　his

hand　in　his　pocket；〃　said　the　owl。



〃But　that　makes　hardly　any　sound　at　all；〃　said

the　Doctor。　　〃You　couldn't　hear　that　out　here。〃　　



〃Pardon　me；　but　I　can；〃　said　Too…Too。　　〃I

tell　you　there　is　some　one　on　the　other　side　of

that　door　putting　his　hand　in　his　pocket。　　Almost

everything　makes　SOME　noiseif　your　ears

are　only　sharp　enough　to　catch　it。　　Bats　can　hear

a　mole　walking　in　his　tunnel　under　the　earth

and　they　think　they're　good　hearers。　　But　we

owls　can　tell　you；　using　only　one　ear；　the　color

of　a　kitten　from　the　way　it　winks　in　the　dark。〃　　



〃Well；　well！〃　said　the　Doctor。　　〃You

surprise　me。　　That's　very　interesting。。。。　　Listen

again　and　tell　me　what　he's　doing　now。〃　　



〃I'm　not　sure　yet；〃　said　Too…Too；　〃if　it's　a

man　at　all。　　Maybe　it's　a　woman。　　Lift　me　up

and　let　me　listen　at　the　key…hole　and　I'll　soon

tell　you。〃　　



So　the　Doctor　lifted　the　owl　up　and　held　him

close　to　the　lock　of　the　door。



After　a　moment　Too…Too　said；



〃Now　he's　rubbing　his　face　with　his　left

hand。　　It　is　a　small　hand　and　a　small　face。

It　MIGHT　be　a　womanNo。　　Now　he　pushes　his

hair　back　off　his　foreheadIt's　a　man　all　right。〃　　



〃Women　sometimes　do　that；〃　said　the　Doctor。



〃True；〃　said　the　owl。　　〃But　when　they　do；

their　long　hair　makes　quite　a　different　sound。

。。。　　Sh！　　Make　that　fidgety　pig　keep　still。

Now　all　hold　your　breath　a　moment　so　I　can

listen　well。　　This　is　very　difficult；　what　I'm

doing　nowand　the　pesky　door　is　so　thick！　　Sh！

Everybody　quite　stillshut　your　eyes　and　don't　breathe。〃　　



Too…Too　leaned　down　and　listened　again

very　hard　and　long。



At　last　he　looked　up　into　the　Doctor's　face

and　said；



〃The　man　in　there　is　unhappy。　　He　weeps。

He　has　taken　care　not　to　blubber　or　sniffle；　lest

we　should　find　out　that　he　is　crying。　　But　I

heardquite　distinctlythe　sound　of　a　tear

falling　on　his　sleeve。〃　　



〃How　do　you　know　it　wasn't　a　drop　of　water

falling　off　the　ceiling　on　him？〃　asked　Gub…Gub。

〃Pshaw！Such　ignorance！〃　sniffed　Too…

Too。　　〃A　drop　of　water　falling　off　the　ceiling

would　have　made　ten　times　as　much　noise！〃



〃Well；〃　said　the　Doctor；　〃if　the　poor

fellow's　unhappy；　we've　got　to　get　in　and　see

what's　the　matter　with　him。　　Find　me　an　axe；

and　I'll　chop　the　door　down。〃　　









THE　SEVENTEENTH　CHAPTER



THE　OCEAN　GOSSIPS



RIGHT　away　an　axe　was　found。　　And　the　Doctor　soon　chopped　a

hole　in　the　door　big　enough　to　clamber　through。



At　first　he　could　see　nothing　at　all；　it　was　so　dark　inside。

So　he　struck　a　match。



The　room　was　quite　small；　no　window；　the

ceiling；　low。　　For　furniture　there　was　only　one

little　stool。　　All　round　the　room　big　barrels

stood　against　the　walls；　fastened　at　the　bottom

so　they　wouldn't　tumble　with　the　rolling　of　the

ship；　and　above　the　barrels；　pewter　jugs　of　all

sizes　hung　from　wooden　pegs。　　There　was　a

strong；　winey　smell。　　And　in　the　middle　of　the

floor　sat　a　little　boy；　about　eight　years　old；

crying　bitterly。



〃I　declare；　it　is　the　pirates'　rum…room！〃

said　Jip　in　a　whisper。



〃Yes。　　Very　rum！〃　said　Gub…Gub。

〃The　smell　makes　me　giddy。〃　　



The　little　boy　seemed　rather　frightened　to

find　a　man　standing　there　before　him　and　all

those　animals　staring　in　through　the　hole　in　the

broken　door。　　But　as　soon　as　he　saw　John

Dolittle's　face　by　the　light　of　the　match；　he　stopped

crying　and　got　up。



〃You　aren't　one　of　the　pirates；　are　you？〃　he　asked。



And　when　the　Doctor　threw　back　his　head

and　laughed　long　and　loud；　the　little　boy　smiled

too　and　came　and　took　his　hand。



〃You　laugh　like　a　friend；〃　he　said〃not

like　a　pirate。　　Could　you　tell　me　where　my

uncle　is？〃



〃I　am　afraid　I　can't；〃　said　the　Doctor。

〃When　did　you　see　him　last？〃



〃It　was　the　day　before　yesterday；〃　said　the

boy。　　〃I　and　my　uncle　were　out　fishing　in　our

little　boat；　when　the　pirates　came　and　caught

us。　　They　sunk　our　fishing…boat　and　brought　us

both　on　to　this　ship。　　They　told　my　uncle　that

they　wanted　him　to　be　a　pirate　like　themfor

he　was　clever　at　sailing　a　ship　in　all　weathers。

But　he　said　he　didn't　want　to　be　a　pirate；

because　killing　people　and　stealing　was　no　work

for　a　good　fisherman　to　do。　　Then　the　leader；

Ben　Ali；　got　very　angry　and　gnashed　his　teeth；

and　said　they　would　throw　my　uncle　into　the

sea　if　he　didn't　do　as　they　said。　　They　sent　me

downstairs；　and　I　heard　the　noise　of　a　fight

going　on　above。　　And　when　they　let　me　come　up

again　next　day；　my　uncle　was　nowhere　to　be

seen。　　I　asked　the　pirates　where　he　was；　but

they　wouldn't　tell　me。　　I　am　very　much　afraid

they　threw　him　into　the　sea　and　drowned　him。〃　　



And　the　little　boy　began　to　cry　again。



〃Well　nowwait　a　minute；〃　said　the　Doctor。

〃Don't　cry。　　Let's　go　and　have　tea　in　the　dining…

room；　and　we'll　talk　it　over。　　Maybe　your

uncle　is　quite　safe　all　the　time。　　You　don't　KNOW

that　he　was　drowned；　do　you？　　And　that's

something。　　Perhaps　we　can　find　him　for　you。　　First

we'll　go　and　have　teawith　strawberry…jam；

and　then　we　will　see　what　can　be　done。〃　　



All　the　animals　had　been　standing　around

listening　with　great　curiosity。　　And　when　they

had　gone　into　the　ship's　dining…room　and　were

having　tea；　Dab…Dab　came　up　behind　the

Doctor's　chair　and　whispered。



〃Ask　the　porpoises　if　the　boy's　uncle　was

drownedthey'll　know。〃　　



〃All　right；〃　said　the　Doctor；　taking　a　second

piece　of　bread…and…jam。



〃What　are　those　funny；　clicking　noises　you

are　making　with　your　tongue？〃　asked　the　boy。



〃Oh；　I　just　said　a　couple　of　words　in　duck…

language；〃　the　Doctor　answered。　　〃This　is

Dab…Dab；　one　of　my　pets。〃　　



〃I　didn't　even　know　that　ducks　had　a

language；〃　said　the　boy。　　〃Are　all　these　other

animals　your　pets；　too？　　What　is　that　strange…

looking　thing　with　two　heads？〃



〃Sh！〃　the　Doctor　whispered。　　〃That　is　the

pushmi…pullyu。　　Don't　let　him　see　we're　talking

about　himhe　gets　so　dreadfully　embarrassed。。。。

Tell　me；　how　did　you　come　to　be

locked　up　in　that　little　room？〃



〃The　pirates　shut　me　in　there　when　they

were　going　off　to　steal　things　from　another　ship。

When　I　heard　some　one　chopping　on　the　door；

I　didn't　know　who　it　could　be。　　I　was　very

glad　to　find　it　was　you。　　Do　you　think　you　will

be　able　to　find　my　uncle　for　me？〃



〃Well；　we　are　going　to　try　very　hard；〃　said

the　Doctor。　　〃Now　what　was　your　uncle　like　to

look　at？〃



〃He　had　red　hair；〃　the　boy　answered〃very

red　hair；　and　the　picture　of　an　anchor　tattooed

on　his　arm。　　He　was　a　strong　man；　a　kind　uncle

and　the　best　sailor　in　the　South　Atlantic。　　His

fishing