the story of doctor dolittle-第6章

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

she　saw　it；　a　long　way　off；　floating　on　the

water　like　a　toy…boat。



When　she　flew　down　to　get　it；　she　found　one

of　the　white　mice；　very　frightened；　sitting

inside　it。



〃What　are　you　doing　here？〃　asked　the　duck。

〃You　were　told　to　stay　behind　in　Puddleby。〃　　



〃I　didn't　want　to　be　left　behind；〃　said　the

mouse。　　〃I　wanted　to　see　what　Africa　was　like

I　have　relatives　there。　　So　I　hid　in　the　baggage

and　was　brought　on　to　the　ship　with　the

hard…tack。　　When　the　ship　sank　I　was　terribly

frightenedbecause　I　cannot　swim　far。　　I

swam　as　long　as　I　could；　but　I　soon　got　all

exhausted　and　thought　I　was　going　to　sink。　　And

then；　just　at　that　moment；　the　old　man's　hat　came

floating　by；　and　I　got　into　it　because　I　did　not

want　to　be　drowned。〃　　



So　the　duck　took　up　the　hat　with　the　mouse　in

it　and　brought　it　to　the　Doctor　on　the　shore。

And　they　all　gathered　round　to　have　a　look。



〃That's　what　you　call　a　‘stowaway；'〃　said　the　parrot。



Presently；　when　they　were　looking　for　a　place

in　the　trunk　where　the　white　mouse　could　travel

comfortably；　the　monkey；　Chee…Chee；　suddenly　said；



〃Sh！　　I　hear　footsteps　in　the　jungle！〃



They　all　stopped　talking　and　listened。　　And

soon　a　black　man　came　down　out　of　the　woods

and　asked　them　what　they　were　doing　there。



〃My　name　is　John　DolittleM。　　D。；〃　said　the

Doctor。　　〃I　have　been　asked　to　come　to　Africa

to　cure　the　monkeys　who　are　sick。〃　　



〃You　must　all　come　before　the　King；〃　said

the　black　man。



〃What　king？〃　asked　the　Doctor；　who　didn't

want　to　waste　any　time。



〃The　King　of　the　Jolliginki；〃　the　man

answered。　　〃All　these　lands　belong　to　him；　and　all

strangers　must　be　brought　before　him。　　Follow　me。〃　　



So　they　gathered　up　their　baggage　and　went

off；　following　the　man　through　the　jungle。







THE　SIXTH　CHAPTER



POLYNESIA　AND　THE　KING



WHEN　they　had　gone　a　little　way　through

the　thick　forest　they　came　to　a　wide；　clear

space；　and　they　saw　the　King's　palace　which

was　made　of　mud。



This　was　where　the　King　lived　with　his

Queen；　Ermintrude；　and　their　son；　Prince

Bumpo。　　The　Prince　was　away　fishing　for　salmon

in　the　river。　　But　the　King　and　Queen

were　sitting　under　an　umbrella　before　the　palace

door。　　And　Queen　Ermintrude　was　asleep。



When　the　Doctor　had　come　up　to　the　palace

the　King　asked　him　his　business；　and　the　Doctor

told　him　why　he　had　come　to　Africa。



〃You　may　not　travel　through　my　lands；〃　said

the　King。　　〃Many　years　ago　a　white　man　came

to　these　shores；　and　I　was　very　kind　to　him。

But　after　he　had　dug　holes　in　the　ground　to　get

the　gold；　and　killed　all　the　elephants　to　get　their

ivory　tusks；　he　went　away　secretly　in　his　ship

without　so　much　as　saying　‘Thank　you。'　Never

again　shall　a　white　man　travel　through　the　lands

of　Jolliginki。〃　　



Then　the　King　turned　to　some　of　the　black

men　who　were　standing　near　and　said；　〃Take

away　this　medicine…manwith　all　his　animals；

and　lock　them　up　in　my　strongest　prison。〃　　



So　six　of　the　black　men　led　the　Doctor　and

all　his　pets　away　and　shut　them　up　in　a　stone

dungeon。　　The　dungeon　had　only　one　little　window；

high　up　in　the　wall；　with　bars　in　it；　and

the　door　was　strong　and　thick。



Then　they　all　grew　very　sad；　and　Gub…Gub；

the　pig；　began　to　cry。　　But　Chee…Chee　said　he

would　spank　him　if　he　didn't　stop　that　horrible

noise；　and　he　kept　quiet。



〃Are　we　all　here？〃　asked　the　Doctor；　after

he　had　got　used　to　the　dim　light。



〃Yes；　I　think　so；〃　said　the　duck　and　started

to　count　them。



〃Where's　Polynesia？〃　asked　the　crocodile。

〃She　isn't　here。〃　　



〃Are　you　sure？〃　said　the　Doctor。　　〃Look　again。

Polynesia！　　Polynesia！　　Where　are　you？〃



〃I　suppose　she　escaped；〃　grumbled　the　crocodile。

〃Well；　that's　just　like　her！Sneaked　off　into

the　jungle　as　soon　as　her　friends　got　into　trouble。〃　　



〃I'm　not　that　kind　of　a　bird；〃　said　the　parrot；

climbing　out　of　the　pocket　in　the　tail　of　the

Doctor's　coat。　　〃You　see；　I'm　small　enough　to

get　through　the　bars　of　that　window；　and　I　was

afraid　they　would　put　me　in　a　cage　instead。

So　while　the　King　was　busy　talking；　I　hid　in

the　Doctor's　pocketand　here　I　am！　　That's

what　you　call　a　‘ruse；'〃　she　said；　smoothing

down　her　feathers　with　her　beak。



〃Good　Gracious！〃　cried　the　Doctor。

〃You're　lucky　I　didn't　sit　on　you。〃　　



〃Now　listen；〃　said　Polynesia；　〃to…night；　as

soon　as　it　gets　dark；　I　am　going　to　creep　through

the　bars　of　that　window　and　fly　over　to　the

palace。　　And　thenyou'll　seeI'll　soon　find

a　way　to　make　the　King　let　us　all　out　of　prison。〃　　



〃Oh；　what　can　YOU　do？〃　said　Gub…Gub；

turning　up　his　nose　and　beginning　to　cry　again。

〃You're　only　a　bird！〃



〃Quite　true；〃　said　the　parrot。　　〃But　do　not

forget　that　although　I　am　only　a　bird；　I　CAN　TALK

LIKE　A　MANand　I　know　these　people。〃　　



So　that　night；　when　the　moon　was　shining

through　the　palm…trees　and　all　the　King's　men

were　asleep；　the　parrot　slipped　out　through　the

bars　of　the　prison　and　flew　across　to　the　palace。

The　pantry　window　had　been　broken　by　a　tennis

ball　the　week　before；　and　Polynesia　popped

in　through　the　hole　in　the　glass。



She　heard　Prince　Bumpo　snoring　in　his　bed…

room　at　the　back　of　the　palace。　　Then　she　tip…

toed　up　the　stairs　till　she　came　to　the　King's

bedroom。　　She　opened　the　door　gently　and

peeped　in。



The　Queen　was　away　at　a　dance　that　night

at　her　cousin's；　but　the　King　was　in　bed　fast

asleep。



Polynesia　crept　in；　very　softly；　and　got　under

the　bed。



Then　she　coughedjust　the　way　Doctor

Dolittle　used　to　cough。　　Polynesia　could　mimic

any　one。



The　King　opened　his　eyes　and　said　sleepily：

〃Is　that　you；　Ermintrude？〃　（He　thought　it

was　the　Queen　come　back　from　the　dance。）



Then　the　parrot　coughed　againloud；　like　a

man。　　And　the　King　sat　up；　wide　awake；　and

said；　〃Who's　that？〃



〃I　am　Doctor　Dolittle；〃　said　the　parrotjust

the　way　the　Doctor　would　have　said　it。



〃What　are　you　doing　in　my　bedroom？〃　cried

the　King。　　〃How　dare　you　get　out　of　prison！

Where　are　you？I　don't　see　you。〃　　



But　the　parrot　just　laugheda　long；　deep

jolly　laugh；　like　the　Doctor's。



〃Stop　laughing　and　come　here　at　once；　so　I

can　see　you；〃　said　the　King。



〃Foolish　King！〃　answered　Polynesia。　　〃Have

you　forgotten　that　you　are　talking　to　John

Dolittle；　M。D。the　most　wonderful　man　on　earth？

Of　course　you　cannot　see　me。　　I　have　made　myself

invisible。　　There　is　nothing　I　cannot　do。

Now　listen：　I　have　come　here　to…night　to　warn

you。　　If　you　don't　let　me　and　my　animals　travel

through　your　kingdom；　I　will　make　you　and　all

your　people　sick　like　the　monkeys。　　For　I　can

make　people　well：　and　I　can　make　people　ill

just　by　raising　my　little　finger。　　Send　your

soldiers　at　once　to　open　the　dungeon　door；　or　you

shall　have　mumps　before　the　morning　sun　has

risen　on　the　hills　of　Jolliginki。〃　　



Then　the　King　began　to　tremble　and　was

very　much　afraid。



〃Doctor；〃　he　cried；　〃it　shall　be　as　you　say。

Do　not　raise　your　little　finger；　please！〃　　And　he

jumped　out　of　bed　and　ran　to　tell　the　soldiers

to　open　the　prison　door。



As　soon　as　he　was　gone；　Polynesia　crept

downstairs　and　left　the　palace　by　the　pantry　window。



But　the　Queen；　who　was　just　letting　herself

in　at　the　backdoor　with　a　latch…key；　saw　the　par…

rot　getting　out　through　the　broken　glass。　　And

when　the　King　came　back　to　bed　she　told　him

what　she　had　seen。



Then　the　King　understood　that　he　had　been

tricked；　and　he　was　dreadfully　angry。　　He　hurried

back　to　the　prison　at　once



But　he　was　too　late。　　The　door　stood　open。

The　dungeon　was　empty。　　The　Doctor　and　all

his　animals　were　gone。







THE　SEVENTH　CHAPTER



THE　BRIDGE　OF　APES



QUEEN　ERMINTRUDE　had　never　in　her　life　seen　her　husband

so　terrible　as　he　got　that　night。　　He　gnashed　his　teeth

with　rage。　　He