the story of doctor dolittle-第4章

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the　house　he　was　always　as　gentle　as　a　kitten。



But　now　the　old　ladies　grew　afraid　to　send

their　lap…dogs　to　Doctor　Dolittle　because　of　the

crocodile；　and　the　farmers　wouldn't　believe　that

he　would　not　eat　the　lambs　and　sick　calves　they

brought　to　be　cured。　　So　the　Doctor　went　to

the　crocodile　and　told　him　he　must　go　back

to　his　circus。　　But　he　wept　such　big　tears；　and

begged　so　hard　to　be　allowed　to　stay；　that　the

Doctor　hadn't　the　heart　to　turn　him　out。



So　then　the　Doctor's　sister　came　to　him　and　said；

〃John；　you　must　send　that　creature　away。

Now　the　farmers　and　the　old　ladies　are　afraid

to　send　their　animals　to　youjust　as　we　were

beginning　to　be　well　off　again。　　Now　we　shall

be　ruined　entirely。　　This　is　the　last　straw。　　I

will　no　longer　be　housekeeper　for　you　if　you

don't　send　away　that　alligator。〃　　



〃It　isn't　an　alligator；〃　said　the　Doctor〃it's

a　crocodile。〃　　



〃I　don't　care　what　you　call　it；〃　said　his　sister。

〃It's　a　nasty　thing　to　find　under　the　bed。　　I

won't　have　it　in　the　house。〃　　



〃But　he　has　promised　me；〃　the　Doctor

answered；　〃that　he　will　not　bite　any　one。　　He

doesn't　like　the　circus；　and　I　haven't　the　money

to　send　him　back　to　Africa　where　he　comes

from。　　He　minds　his　own　business　and　on　the

whole　is　very　well　behaved。　　Don't　be　so　fussy。〃　　



〃I　tell　you　I　WILL　NOT　have　him　around；〃　said

Sarah。　　〃He　eats　the　linoleum。　　If　you　don't　send

him　away　this　minute　I'llI'll　go　and　get　married！〃



〃All　right；〃　said　the　Doctor；　〃go　and　get

married。　　It　can't　be　helped。〃　　　And　he　took

down　his　hat　and　went　out　into　the　garden。



So　Sarah　Dolittle　packed　up　her　things　and

went　off；　and　the　Doctor　was　left　all　alone　with

his　animal　family。



And　very　soon　he　was　poorer　than　he　had

ever　been　before。　　With　all　these　mouths　to　fill；

and　the　house　to　look　after；　and　no　one　to　do

the　mending；　and　no　money　coming　in　to　pay

the　butcher's　bill；　things　began　to　look　very

difficult。　　But　the　Doctor　didn't　worry　at　all。



〃Money　is　a　nuisance；〃　he　used　to　say。

〃We'd　all　be　much　better　off　if　it　had　never

been　invented。　　What　does　money　matter；　so

long　as　we　are　happy？〃



But　soon　the　animals　themselves　began　to　get

worried。　　And　one　evening　when　the　Doctor

was　asleep　in　his　chair　before　the　kitchen…fire

they　began　talking　it　over　among　themselves　in

whispers。　　And　the　owl；　Too…Too；　who　was

good　at　arithmetic；　figured　it　out　that　there　was

only　money　enough　left　to　last　another　week

if　they　each　had　one　meal　a　day　and　no　more。



Then　the　parrot　said；　〃I　think　we　all　ought

to　do　the　housework　ourselves。　　At　least　we　can

do　that　much。　　After　all；　it　is　for　our　sakes　that

the　old　man　finds　himself　so　lonely　and　so　poor。〃　　



So　it　was　agreed　that　the　monkey；　Chee…Chee；

was　to　do　the　cooking　and　mending；　the　dog

was　to　sweep　the　floors；　the　duck　was　to　dust

and　make　the　beds；　the　owl；　Too…Too；　was　to

keep　the　accounts；　and　the　pig　was　to　do　the

gardening。　　They　made　Polynesia；　the　parrot；

housekeeper　and　laundress；　because　she　was　the　oldest。



Of　course　at　first　they　all　found　their　new

jobs　very　hard　to　doall　except　Chee…Chee；　who

had　hands；　and　could　do　things　like　a　man。　　But

they　soon　got　used　to　it；　and　they　used　to　think

it　great　fun　to　watch　Jip；　the　dog；　sweeping

his　tail　over　the　floor　with　a　rag　tied　onto　it　for

a　broom。　　After　a　little　they　got　to　do　the　work

so　well　that　the　Doctor　said　that　he　had　never

had　his　house　kept　so　tidy　or　so　clean　before。



In　this　way　things　went　along　all　right　for　a

while；　but　without　money　they　found　it　very　hard。



Then　the　animals　made　a　vegetable　and　flower

stall　outside　the　garden…gate　and　sold　radishes

and　roses　to　the　people　that　passed　by　along　the　road。



But　still　they　didn't　seem　to　make　enough

money　to　pay　all　the　billsand　still　the　Doctor

wouldn't　worry。　　When　the　parrot　came　to

him　and　told　him　that　the　fishmonger　wouldn't

give　them　any　more　fish；　he　said；



〃Never　mind。　　So　long　as　the　hens　lay　eggs

and　the　cow　gives　milk　we　can　have　omelettes

and　junket。　　And　there　are　plenty　of　vegetables

left　in　the　garden。　　The　Winter　is　still　a　long

way　off。　　Don't　fuss。　　That　was　the　trouble

with　Sarahshe　would　fuss。　　I　wonder　how

Sarah's　getting　onan　excellent　womanin

some　waysWell；　well！〃



But　the　snow　came　earlier　than　usual　that

year；　and　although　the　old　lame　horse　hauled

in　plenty　of　wood　from　the　forest　outside　the

town；　so　they　could　have　a　big　fire　in　the　kitchen；

most　of　the　vegetables　in　the　garden　were　gone；

and　the　rest　were　covered　with　snow；　and　many

of　the　animals　were　really　hungry。







THE　FOURTH　CHAPTER



A　MESSAGE　FROM　AFRICA



THAT　Winter　was　a　very　cold　one。　　And　one　night　in　December；

when　they　were　all　sitting　round　the　warm　fire　in　the

kitchen；　and　the　Doctor　was　reading　aloud　to　them　out　of

books　he　had　written　himself　in　animal…language；　the　owl；

Too…Too；　suddenly　said；　〃Sh！　　What's　that　noise　outside？〃



They　all　listened；　and　presently　they　heard

the　sound　of　some　one　running。　　Then　the　door

flew　open　and　the　monkey；　Chee…Chee；　ran　in；

badly　out　of　breath。



〃Doctor！〃　he　cried；　〃I've　just　had　a　message

from　a　cousin　of　mine　in　Africa。　　There　is　a

terrible　sickness　among　the　monkeys　out　there。

They　are　all　catching　itand　they　are　dying

in　hundreds。　　They　have　heard　of　you；　and　beg

you　to　come　to　Africa　to　stop　the　sickness。〃　　



〃Who　brought　the　message？〃　asked　the　Doctor；

taking　off　his　spectacles　and　laying　down

his　book。



〃A　swallow；〃　said　Chee…Chee。　　〃She　is

outside　on　the　rain…butt。〃　　



〃Bring　her　in　by　the　fire；〃　said　the　Doctor。

〃She　must　be　perished　with　the　cold。　　The　swallows

flew　South　six　weeks　ago！〃



So　the　swallow　was　brought　in；　all　huddled

and　shivering；　and　although　she　was　a　little

afraid　at　first；　she　soon　got　warmed　up　and　sat

on　the　edge　of　the　mantelpiece　and　began　to　talk。



When　she　had　finished　the　Doctor　said；



〃I　would　gladly　go　to　Africaespecially　in

this　bitter　weather。　　But　I'm　afraid　we　haven't

money　enough　to　buy　the　tickets。　　Get　me　the

money…box；　Chee…Chee。〃　　



So　the　monkey　climbed　up　and　got　it　off　the

top　shelf　of　the　dresser。



There　was　nothing　in　itnot　one　single　penny！



〃I　felt　sure　there　was　twopence　left；〃　said　the　Doctor。



〃There　WAS；〃　said　the　owl。　　〃But　you　spent

it　on　a　rattle　for　that　badger's　baby　when　he

was　teething。〃　　



〃Did　I？〃　said　the　Doctor〃dear　me；　dear

me！　　What　a　nuisance　money　is；　to　be　sure！

Well；　never　mind。　　Perhaps　if　I　go　down　to

the　seaside　I　shall　be　able　to　borrow　a　boat　that

will　take　us　to　Africa。　　I　knew　a　seaman　once

who　brought　his　baby　to　me　with　measles。

Maybe　he'll　lend　us　his　boatthe　baby　got　well。〃　　



So　early　the　next　morning　the　Doctor　went

down　to　the　seashore。　　And　when　he　came　back

he　told　the　animals　it　was　all　rightthe　sailor

was　going　to　lend　them　the　boat。



Then　the　crocodile　and　the　monkey　and　the

parrot　were　very　glad　and　began　to　sing；

because　they　were　going　back　to　Africa；　their　real

home。　　And　the　Doctor　said；



〃I　shall　only　be　able　to　take　you　threewith

Jip　the　dog；　Dab…Dab　the　duck；　Gub…Gub　the

pig　and　the　owl；　Too…Too。　　The　rest　of　the　animals；

like　the　dormice　and　the　water…voles　and

the　bats；　they　will　have　to　go　back　and　live　in

the　fields　where　they　were　born　till　we　come

home　again。　　But　as　most　of　them　sleep　through

the　Winter；　they　won't　mind　thatand　besides；

it　wouldn't　be　good　for　them　to　go　to　Africa。〃　　



So　then　the　parrot；　who　had　been　on　long　sea…

voyages　before；　began　telling　the　Doctor　all　the

things　he　would　have　to　take　with　him　on　the　ship。



〃You　must　have　plenty　of　pilot…bread；〃　she

said〃‘hard　tack'　they　call　it。　　And　you　must

have　beef　in　cansand　an　anchor。〃　　



〃I　expect　the　ship　will　have　its　own　anchor；〃

said　the　Doctor。



〃Well；　make　s