the story of doctor dolittle-第5章

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

said　the　Doctor。



〃Well；　make　sure；〃　said　Polynesia。　　〃Because

it's　very　important。　　You　can't　stop　if　you

haven't　got　an　anchor。　　And　you'll　need　a　bell。〃　　



〃What's　that　for？〃　asked　the　Doctor。



〃To　tell　the　time　by；〃　said　the　parrot。　　〃You

go　and　ring　it　every　half…hour　and　then　you

know　what　time　it　is。　　And　bring　a　whole　lot　of

ropeit　always　comes　in　handy　on　voyages。〃　　



Then　they　began　to　wonder　where　they　were

going　to　get　the　money　from　to　buy　all　the

things　they　needed。



〃Oh；　bother　it！　　Money　again；〃　cried　the

Doctor。　　〃Goodness！　　I　shall　be　glad　to　get　to

Africa　where　we　don't　have　to　have　any！　　I'll

go　and　ask　the　grocer　if　he　will　wait　for　his

money　till　I　get　backNo；　I'll　send　the　sailor

to　ask　him。〃　　



So　the　sailor　went　to　see　the　grocer。　　And　presently

he　came　back　with　all　the　things　they　wanted。



Then　the　animals　packed　up；　and　after　they

had　turned　off　the　water　so　the　pipes　wouldn't

freeze；　and　put　up　the　shutters；　they　closed　the

house　and　gave　the　key　to　the　old　horse　who

lived　in　the　stable。　　And　when　they　had　seen

that　there　was　plenty　of　hay　in　the　loft　to　last

the　horse　through　the　Winter；　they　carried　all

their　luggage　down　to　the　seashore　and　got　on

to　the　boat。



The　Cat's…meat…Man　was　there　to　see　them

off；　and　he　brought　a　large　suet…pudding　as　a

present　for　the　Doctor　because；　he　said　he　had

been　told；　you　couldn't　get　suet…puddings　in

foreign　parts。



As　soon　as　they　were　on　the　ship；　Gub…Gub；

the　pig；　asked　where　the　beds　were；　for　it　was

four　o'clock　in　the　afternoon　and　he　wanted

his　nap。　　So　Polynesia　took　him　downstairs　into

the　inside　of　the　ship　and　showed　him　the　beds；

set　all　on　top　of　one　another　like　book…shelves

against　a　wall。



〃Why；　that　isn't　a　bed！〃　cried　Gub…Gub。

〃That's　a　shelf！〃



〃Beds　are　always　like　that　on　ships；〃　said　the

parrot。　　〃It　isn't　a　shelf。　　Climb　up　into　it　and

go　to　sleep。　　That's　what　you　call　‘a　bunk。'〃



〃I　don't　think　I'll　go　to　bed　yet；〃　said　Gub…

Gub。　　〃I'm　too　excited。　　I　want　to　go　upstairs

again　and　see　them　start。〃　　



〃Well；　this　is　your　first　trip；〃　said　Polynesia。

〃You　will　get　used　to　the　life　after　a　while。〃　　

And　she　went　back　up　the　stairs　of　the　ship；

humming　this　song　to　herself；



　

I've　seen　the　Black　Sea　and　the　Red　Sea；

　　　　　I　rounded　the　Isle　of　Wight；

I　discovered　the　Yellow　River；

　　　　　And　the　Orange　too　by　night。

Now　Greenland　drops　behind　again；

　　　　　And　I　sail　the　ocean　Blue。

I'm　tired　of　all　these　colors；　Jane；

　　　　　So　I'm　coming　back　to　you。





They　were　just　going　to　start　on　their　journey；

when　the　Doctor　said　he　would　have　to　go　back

and　ask　the　sailor　the　way　to　Africa。



But　the　swallow　said　she　had　been　to　that

country　many　times　and　would　show　them　how

to　get　there。



So　the　Doctor　told　Chee…Chee　to　pull　up　the

anchor　and　the　voyage　began。







THE　FIFTH　CHAPTER



THE　GREAT　JOURNEY



NOW　for　six　whole　weeks　they　went　sailing　on　and　on；　over

the　rolling　sea；　following　the　swallow　who　flew　before　the

ship　to　show　them　the　way。　　At　night　she　carried　a　tiny

lantern；　so　they　should　not　miss　her　in　the　dark；

and　the　people　on　the　other　ships　that　passed

said　that　the　light　must　be　a　shooting　star。



As　they　sailed　further　and　further　into　the

South；　it　got　warmer　and　warmer。　　Polynesia；

Chee…Chee　and　the　crocodile　enjoyed　the　hot

sun　no　end。　　They　ran　about　laughing　and　looking

over　the　side　of　the　ship　to　see　if　they　could

see　Africa　yet。



But　the　pig　and　the　dog　and　the　owl；　Too…

Too；　could　do　nothing　in　such　weather；　but

sat　at　the　end　of　the　ship　in　the　shade　of　a　big

barrel；　with　their　tongues　hanging　out；　drinking

lemonade。



Dab…Dab；　the　duck；　used　to　keep　herself　cool

by　jumping　into　the　sea　and　swimming　behind

the　ship。　　And　every　once　in　a　while；　when

the　top　of　her　head　got　too　hot；　she　would　dive

under　the　ship　and　come　up　on　the　other　side。

In　this　way；　too；　she　used　to　catch　herrings　on

Tuesdays　and　Fridayswhen　everybody　on　the

boat　ate　fish　to　make　the　beef　last　longer。



When　they　got　near　to　the　Equator　they　saw

some　flying…fishes　coming　towards　them。　　And

the　fishes　asked　the　parrot　if　this　was　Doctor

Dolittle's　ship。　　When　she　told　them　it　was；　they

said　they　were　glad；　because　the　monkeys　in

Africa　were　getting　worried　that　he　would　never

come。　　Polynesia　asked　them　how　many　miles

they　had　yet　to　go；　and　the　flying…fishes　said

it　was　only　fifty…five　miles　now　to　the　coast　of

Africa。



And　another　time　a　whole　school　of　porpoises

came　dancing　through　the　waves；　and　they　too

asked　Polynesia　if　this　was　the　ship　of　the　fa…

mous　doctor。　　And　when　they　heard　that　it　was；

they　asked　the　parrot　if　the　Doctor　wanted

anything　for　his　journey。



And　Polynesia　said；　〃Yes。　　We　have　run

short　of　onions。〃　　



〃There　is　an　island　not　far　from　here；〃　said

the　porpoises；　〃where　the　wild　onions　grow　tall

and　strong。　　Keep　straight　onwe　will　get

some　and　catch　up　to　you。〃　　



So　the　porpoises　dashed　away　through　the

sea。　　And　very　soon　the　parrot　saw　them　again；

coming　up　behind；　dragging　the　onions　through

the　waves　in　big　nets　made　of　seaweed。



The　next　evening；　as　the　sun　was　going　down

the　Doctor　said；



〃Get　me　the　telescope；　Chee…Chee。　　Our

journey　is　nearly　ended。　　Very　soon　we　should

be　able　to　see　the　shores　of　Africa。〃　　



And　about　half　an　hour　later；　sure　enough；

they　thought　they　could　see　something　in　front

that　might　be　land。　　But　it　began　to　get　darker

and　darker　and　they　couldn't　be　sure。

Then　a　great　storm　came　up；　with　thunder

and　lightning。　　The　wind　howled；　the　rain

came　down　in　torrents；　and　the　waves　got　so

high　they　splashed　right　over　the　boat。



Presently　there　was　a　big　BANG！　　The　ship

stopped　and　rolled　over　on　its　side。



〃What's　happened？〃　asked　the　Doctor；

coming　up　from　downstairs。



〃I'm　not　sure；〃　said　the　parrot；　〃but　I　think

we're　ship…wrecked。　　Tell　the　duck　to　get　out

and　see。〃　　



So　Dab…Dab　dived　right　down　under　the

waves。　　And　when　she　came　up　she　said　they

had　struck　a　rock；　there　was　a　big　hole　in　the

bottom　of　the　ship；　the　water　was　coming　in；

and　they　were　sinking　fast。



〃We　must　have　run　into　Africa；〃　said　the

Doctor。　　〃Dear　me；　dear　me！Wellwe　must

all　swim　to　land。〃　　



But　Chee…Chee　and　Gub…Gub　did　not　know

how　to　swim。



〃Get　the　rope！〃　said　Polynesia。　　〃I　told　you

it　would　come　in　handy。　　Where's　that　duck？

Come　here；　Dab…Dab。　　Take　this　end　of　the

rope；　fly　to　the　shore　and　tie　it　on　to　a　palm…

tree；　and　we'll　hold　the　other　end　on　the　ship

here。　　Then　those　that　can't　swim　must　climb

along　the　rope　till　they　reach　the　land。　　That's

what　you　call　a　‘life…line。'〃



So　they　all　got　safely　to　the　shoresome

swimming；　some　flying；　and　those　that　climbed

along　the　rope　brought　the　Doctor's　trunk　and

handbag　with　them。



But　the　ship　was　no　good　any　morewith　the

big　hole　in　the　bottom；　and　presently　the　rough

sea　beat　it　to　pieces　on　the　rocks　and　the　timbers

floated　away。



Then　they　all　took　shelter　in　a　nice　dry　cave

they　found；　high　up　in　the　cliffs；　till　the　storm

was　over。



When　the　sun　came　out　next　morning　they

went　down　to　the　sandy　beach　to　dry　themselves。



〃Dear　old　Africa！〃　sighed　Polynesia。　　〃It's

good　to　get　back。　　Just　thinkit'll　be　a

hundred　and　sixty…nine　years　to…morrow　since　I　was

here！　　And　it　hasn't　changed　a　bit！　　Same　old

palm…trees；　same　old　red　earth；　same　old　black

ants！　　There's　no　place　like　home！〃



And　the　others　noticed　she　had　tears　in　her　eyes

she　was　so　pleased　to　see　her　country　once　again。



Then　the　Doctor　missed　his　high　hat；　for　it

had　been　blown　into　the　sea　during　the　storm。

So　Dab…Dab　went　out　to　look　for　it。　　And　presently

she　saw　it；　a　lo