the story of doctor dolittle-第16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！



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

and　the　best　sailor　in　the　South　Atlantic。　　His

fishing…boat　was　called　The　Saucy　Sallya

cutter…rigged　sloop。〃　　



〃What's　‘cutterigsloop'？〃　whispered　Gub…

Gub；　turning　to　Jip。



〃Sh！That's　the　kind　of　a　ship　the　man　had；〃

said　Jip。　　〃Keep　still；　can't　you？〃



〃Oh；〃　said　the　pig；　〃is　that　all？　　I　thought

it　was　something　to　drink。〃　　



So　the　Doctor　left　the　boy　to　play　with　the

animals　in　the　dining…room；　and　went　upstairs

to　look　for　passing　porpoises。



And　soon　a　whole　school　came　dancing　and

jumping　through　the　water；　on　their　way　to

Brazil。



When　they　saw　the　Doctor　leaning　on　the

rail　of　his　ship；　they　came　over　to　see　how　he

was　getting　on。



And　the　Doctor　asked　them　if　they　had　seen

anything　of　a　man　with　red　hair　and　an　anchor

tattooed　on　his　arm。



〃Do　you　mean　the　master　of　The　Saucy　Sally？〃

asked　the　porpoises。



〃Yes；〃　said　the　Doctor。　　〃That's　the　man。

Has　he　been　drowned？〃



〃His　fishing…sloop　was　sunk；〃　said　the

porpoises〃for　we　saw　it　lying　on　the　bottom　of

the　sea。　　But　there　was　nobody　inside　it；　because

we　went　and　looked。〃　　



〃His　little　nephew　is　on　the　ship　with　me

here；〃　said　the　Doctor。　　〃And　he　is　terribly

afraid　that　the　pirates　threw　his　uncle　into　the

sea。　　Would　you　be　so　good　as　to　find　out　for

me；　for　sure；　whether　he　has　been　drowned　or

not？〃



〃Oh；　he　isn't　drowned；〃　said　the　porpoises。

〃If　he　were；　we　would　be　sure　to　have　heard　of

it　from　the　deep…sea　Decapods。　　We　hear　all

the　salt…water　news。　　The　shell…fish　call　us　‘The

Ocean　Gossips。'　Notell　the　little　boy　we　are

sorry　we　do　not　know　where　his　uncle　is；　but

we　are　quite　certain　he　hasn't　been　drowned　in

the　sea。〃　　



So　the　Doctor　ran　downstairs　with　the　news

and　told　the　nephew；　who　clapped　his　hands

with　happiness。　　And　the　pushmi…pullyu　took　the

little　boy　on　his　back　and　gave　him　a　ride　round

the　dining…room　table；　while　all　the　other　animals

followed　behind；　beating　the　dish…covers

with　spoons；　pretending　it　was　a　parade。







THE　EIGHTEENTH　CHAPTER



SMELLS



YOUR　uncle　must　now　be　FOUND；〃　said　the　Doctor〃that　is　the

next　thingnow　that　we　know　he　wasn't　thrown　into　the　sea。〃　　



Then　Dab…Dab　came　up　to　him　again　and　whispered；



〃Ask　the　eagles　to　look　for　the　man。　　No　living

creature　can　see　better　than　an　eagle。　　When　they

are　miles　high　in　the　air　they　can　count　the　ants

crawling　on　the　ground。　　Ask　the　eagles。〃　　



So　the　Doctor　sent　one　of　the　swallows　off

to　get　some　eagles。



And　in　about　an　hour　the　little　bird　came

back　with　six　different　kinds　of　eagles：　a　Black

Eagle；　a　Bald　Eagle；　a　Fish　Eagle；　a　Golden

Eagle；　an　Eagle…Vulture；　and　a　White…tailed

Sea　Eagle。　　Twice　as　high　as　the　boy　they　were；

each　one　of　them。　　And　they　stood　on　the　rail

of　the　ship；　like　round…shouldered　soldiers　all

in　a　row；　stern　and　still　and　stiff；　while　their

great；　gleaming；　black　eyes　shot　darting　glances

here　and　there　and　everywhere。



Gub…Gub　was　scared　of　them　and　got

behind　a　barrel。　　He　said　he　felt　as　though　those

terrible　eyes　were　looking　right　inside　of　him

to　see　what　he　had　stolen　for　lunch。



And　the　Doctor　said　to　the　eagles；



〃A　man　has　been　losta　fisherman　with　red

hair　and　an　anchor　marked　on　his　arm。　　Would

you　be　so　kind　as　to　see　if　you　can　find　him　for

us？　　This　boy　is　the　man's　nephew。〃　　



Eagles　do　not　talk　very　much。　　And　all　they

answered　in　their　husky　voices　was；



〃You　may　be　sure　that　we　will　do　our　best

for　John　Dolittle。〃　　



Then　they　flew　offand　Gub…Gub　came　out

from　behind　his　barrel　to　see　them　go。　　Up　and

up　and　up　they　wenthigher　and　higher　and

higher　still。　　Then；　when　the　Doctor　could　only

just　see　them；　they　parted　company　and　started

going　off　all　different　waysNorth；　East；

South　and　West；　looking　like　tiny　grains　of

black　sand　creeping　across　the　wide；　blue　sky。



〃My　gracious！〃　said　Gub…Gub　in　a　hushed

voice。　　〃What　a　height！　　I　wonder　they　don't

scorch　their　feathersso　near　the　sun！〃



They　were　gone　a　long　time。　　And　when

they　came　back　it　was　almost　night。



And　the　eagles　said　to　the　Doctor；



〃We　have　searched　all　the　seas　and　all　the

countries　and　all　the　islands　and　all　the　cities

and　all　the　villages　in　this　half　of　the　world。

But　we　have　failed。　　In　the　main　street　of

Gibraltar　we　saw　three　red　hairs　lying　on　a　wheel…

barrow　before　a　baker's　door。　　But　they　were

not　the　hairs　of　a　manthey　were　the　hairs　out

of　a　fur…coat。　　Nowhere；　on　land　or　water；　could

we　see　any　sign　of　this　boy's　uncle。　　And　if　WE

could　not　see　him；　then　he　is　not　to　be　seen。。。。

For　John　Dolittlewe　have　done　our　best。〃　　



Then　the　six　great　birds　flapped　their　big

wings　and　flew　back　to　their　homes　in　the

mountains　and　the　rocks。



〃Well；〃　said　Dab…Dab；　after　they　had　gone；

〃what　are　we　going　to　do　now？　　The　boy's

uncle　MUST　be　foundthere's　no　two　ways　about

that。　　The　lad　isn't　old　enough　to　be　knocking

around　the　world　by　himself。　　Boys　aren't　like

ducklingsthey　have　to　be　taken　care　of　till

they're　quite　old。。。。　　I　wish　Chee…Chee　were

here。　　He　would　soon　find　the　man。　　Good　old

Chee…Chee！　　I　wonder　how　he's　getting　on！〃



〃If　we　only　had　Polynesia　with　us；〃　said　the

white　mouse。　　〃SHE　would　soon　think　of　some

way。　　Do　you　remember　how　she　got　us　all

out　of　prisonthe　second　time？　　My；　but　she

was　a　clever　one！〃



〃I　don't　think　so　much　of　those　eagle…

fellows；〃said　Jip。　　〃They're　just　conceited。　　They

may　have　very　good　eyesight　and　all　that；　but

when　you　ask　them　to　find　a　man　for　you；　they

can't　do　itand　they　have　the　cheek　to　come

back　and　say　that　nobody　else　could　do　it。

They're　just　conceitedlike　that　collie　in

Puddleby。　　And　I　don't　think　a　whole　lot　of　those

gossipy　old　porpoises　either。　　All　they　could　tell

us　was　that　the　man　isn't　in　the　sea。　　We　don't

want　to　know　where　he　ISN'Twe　want　to　know

where　he　IS。〃　　



〃Oh；　don't　talk　so　much；〃　said　Gub…Gub。

〃It's　easy　to　talk；　but　it　isn't　so　easy　to　find　a

man　when　you　have　got　the　whole　world　to　hunt

him　in。　　Maybe　the　fisherman's　hair　has　turned

white；　worrying　about　the　boy；　and　that　was

why　the　eagles　didn't　find　him。　　You　don't

know　everything。　　You're　just　talking。　　You

are　not　doing　anything　to　help。　　You　couldn't

find　the　boy's　uncle　any　more　than　the　eagles

couldyou　couldn't　do　as　well。〃　　



〃Couldn't　I？〃　said　the　dog。　　〃That's　all　you

know；　you　stupid　piece　of　warm　bacon！　　I　haven't

begun　to　try　yet；　have　I？　　You　wait　and　see！〃



Then　Jip　went　to　the　Doctor　and　said；



〃Ask　the　boy　if　he　has　anything　in　his　pockets

that　belonged　to　his　uncle；　will　you；　please？〃



So　the　Doctor　asked　him。　　And　the　boy

showed　them　a　gold　ring　which　he　wore　on　a

piece　of　string　around　his　neck　because　it　was

too　big　for　his　finger。　　He　said　his　uncle　gave

it　to　him　when　they　saw　the　pirates　coming。



Jip　smelt　the　ring　and　said；



〃That's　no　good。　　Ask　him　if　he　has

anything　else　that　belonged　to　his　uncle。〃　　



Then　the　boy　took　from　his　pocket　a　great；

big　red　handkerchief　and　said；　〃This　was　my

uncle's　too。〃　　



As　soon　as　the　boy　pulled　it　out；　Jip　shouted；



〃SNUFF；　by　Jingo！Black　Rappee　snuff。

Don't　you　smell　it？　　His　uncle　took　snuff

Ask　him；　Doctor。〃　　



The　Doctor　questioned　the　boy　again；

and　he　said；　〃Yes。　　My　uncle　took　a　lot　of

snuff。〃　　



〃Fine！〃　said　Jip。　　〃The　man's　as　good　as

found。　　'Twill　be　as　easy　as　stealing　milk　from

a　kitten。　　Tell　the　boy　I'll　find　his　uncle　for

him　in　less　than　a　week。　　Let　us　go　upstairs

and　see　which　way　the　wind　is　blowing。〃　　



〃But　it　is　dark　now；〃　said　the　Doctor。　　〃You

can't　find　him　in　the　dark！〃



〃I　don't　need　any　light　to　look　for　a　man　who

smells　of　Black　Rappee　snuff；〃　said　Jip　as　he

climbed　the　stairs。　　〃If　the　man　had　a　hard

smell