AndhetoldthemoftheGreatMammothsandLizards,aslongasatrain,thatwanderedoverthemountainsinthosetimes,nibblingfromthetree—tops。Andoftentheygotsointerestedlistening,thatwhenhehadfinishedtheyfoundtheirfirehadgonerightout;andtheyhadtoscurryroundtogetmoresticksandbuildanewone。
NowwhentheKing’sarmyhadgonebackandtoldtheKingthattheycouldn’tfindtheDoctor,theKingsentthemoutagainandtoldthemtheymuststayinthejungletilltheycaughthim。Soallthistime,whiletheDoctorandhisanimalsweregoingalongtowardstheLandoftheMonkeys,thinkingthemselvesquitesafe,theywerestillbeingfollowedbytheKing’smen。
IfChee—Cheehadknownthis,hewouldmostlikelyhavehiddenthemagain。Buthedidn’tknowit。
OnedayChee—Cheeclimbedupahighrockandlookedoutoverthetree—tops。AndwhenhecamedownhesaidtheywerenowquiteclosetotheLandoftheMonkeysandwouldsoonbethere。
Andthatsameevening,sureenough,theysawChee—Chee’scousinandalotofothermonkeys,whohadnotyetgotsick,sittinginthetreesbytheedgeofaswamp,lookingandwaitingforthem。Andwhentheysawthefamousdoctorreallycome,thesemonkeysmadeatremendousnoise,cheeringandwavingleavesandswingingoutofthebranchestogreethim。
Theywantedtocarryhisbagandhistrunkandeverythinghehad——andoneofthebiggeronesevencarriedGub—Gubwhohadgottiredagain。Thentwoofthemrushedoninfronttotellthesickmonkeysthatthegreatdoctorhadcomeatlast。
ButtheKing’smen,whowerestillfollowing,hadheardthenoiseofthemonkeyscheering;
andtheyatlastknewwheretheDoctorwas,andhastenedontocatchhim。
ThebigmonkeycarryingGub—Gubwascomingalongbehindslowly,andhesawtheCaptainofthearmysneakingthroughthetrees。
SohehurriedaftertheDoctorandtoldhimtorun。
Thentheyallranharderthantheyhadeverrunintheirlives;andtheKing’smen,comingafterthem,begantoruntoo;andtheCaptainranhardestofall。
ThentheDoctortrippedoverhismedicine—
bagandfelldowninthemud,andtheCaptainthoughthewouldsurelycatchhimthistime。
ButtheCaptainhadverylongears——thoughhishairwasveryshort。AndashesprangforwardtotakeholdoftheDoctor,oneofhisearscaughtfastinatree;andtherestofthearmyhadtostopandhelphim。
BythistimetheDoctorhadpickedhimselfup,andontheywentagain,runningandrunning。
AndChee—Cheeshouted,\"It’sallright!Wehaven’tfartogonow!\"
ButbeforetheycouldgetintotheLandoftheMonkeys,theycametoasteepcliffwithariverflowingbelow。ThiswastheendoftheKingdomofJolliginki;andtheLandoftheMonkeyswasontheotherside——acrosstheriver。
AndJip,thedog,lookeddownovertheedgeofthesteep,steepcliffandsaid,\"Golly!Howareweevergoingtogetacross?\"
\"Oh,dear!\"saidGub—Gub。\"TheKing’smenarequiteclosenow——Lookatthem!Iamafraidwearegoingtobetakenbacktoprisonagain。\"Andhebegantoweep。
Butthebigmonkeywhowascarryingthepigdroppedhimonthegroundandcriedouttotheothermonkeys。
\"Boys——abridge!Quick!——Makeabridge!
We’veonlyaminutetodoit。They’vegottheCaptainloose,andhe’scomingonlikeadeer。
Getlively!Abridge!Abridge!\"
TheDoctorbegantowonderwhattheyweregoingtomakeabridgeoutof,andhegazedaroundtoseeiftheyhadanyboardshiddenanyplace。
Butwhenhelookedbackatthecliff,there,hangingacrosstheriver,wasabridgeallreadyforhim——madeoflivingmonkeys!Forwhilehisbackwasturned,themonkeys——quickasaflash——hadmadethemselvesintoabridge,justbyholdinghandsandfeet。
AndthebigoneshoutedtotheDoctor,\"Walkover!Walkover——allofyou——hurry!\"
Gub—Gubwasabitscared,walkingonsuchanarrowbridgeatthatdizzyheightabovetheriver。Buthegotoverallright;andsodidallofthem。
JohnDolittlewasthelasttocross。Andjustashewasgettingtotheotherside,theKing’smencamerushinguptotheedgeofthecliff。
Thentheyshooktheirfistsandyelledwithrage。Fortheysawtheyweretoolate。TheDoctorandallhisanimalsweresafeintheLandoftheMonkeysandthebridgewaspulledacrosstotheotherside。
ThenChee—CheeturnedtotheDoctorandsaid,\"Manygreatexplorersandgray—beardednaturalistshavelainlongweekshiddeninthejunglewaitingtoseethemonkeysdothattrick。
Butweneverletawhitemangetaglimpseofitbefore。Youarethefirsttoseethefamous`BridgeofApes。’\"
AndtheDoctorfeltverypleased。
THEEIGHTHCHAPTER
THELEADEROFTHELIONS
JOHNDOLITTLEnowbecamedreadfully,awfullybusy。
Hefoundhundredsandthousandsofmonkeyssick——gorillas,orangoutangs,chimpanzees,dog—facedbaboons,marmosettes,graymonkeys,redones——allkinds。Andmanyhaddied。
Thefirstthinghedidwastoseparatethesickonesfromthewellones。ThenhegotChee—Cheeandhiscousintobuildhimalittlehouseofgrass。Thenextthing:hemadeallthemonkeyswhowerestillwellcomeandbevaccinated。
Andforthreedaysandthreenightsthemonkeyskeptcomingfromthejunglesandthevalleysandthehillstothelittlehouseofgrass,wheretheDoctorsatalldayandallnight,vaccinatingandvaccinating。
Thenhehadanotherhousemade——abigone,withalotofbedsinit;andheputallthesickonesinthishouse。
Butsomanyweresick,therewerenotenoughwellonestodothenursing。Sohesentmessagestotheotheranimals,likethelionsandtheleopardsandtheantelopes,tocomeandhelpwiththenursing。
ButtheLeaderoftheLionswasaveryproudcreature。AndwhenhecametotheDoctor’sbighousefullofbedsheseemedangryandscornful。
\"Doyoudaretoaskme,Sir?\"hesaid,glaringattheDoctor。\"Doyoudaretoaskme——ME,THEKINGOFBEASTS,towaitonalotofdirtymonkeys?Why,Iwouldn’teveneatthembetweenmeals!\"
Althoughthelionlookedveryterrible,theDoctortriedhardnottoseemafraidofhim。
\"Ididn’taskyoutoeatthem,\"hesaidquietly。
\"Andbesides,they’renotdirty。They’veallhadabaththismorning。YOURcoatlooksasthoughitneededbrushing——badly。Nowlisten,andI’lltellyousomething:thedaymaycomewhenthelionsgetsick。Andifyoudon’thelptheotheranimalsnow,thelionsmayfindthemselvesleftallalonewhenTHEYareintrouble。Thatoftenhappenstoproudpeople。\"
\"ThelionsareneverINtrouble——theyonlyMAKEtrouble,\"saidtheLeader,turninguphisnose。Andhestalkedawayintothejungle,feelinghehadbeenrathersmartandclever。
Thentheleopardsgotproudtooandsaidtheywouldn’thelp。Andthenofcoursetheantelopes——althoughtheyweretooshyandtimidtoberudetotheDoctorlikethelion——THEY
pawedtheground,andsmiledfoolishly,andsaidtheyhadneverbeennursesbefore。
AndnowthepoorDoctorwasworriedfrantic,wonderingwherehecouldgethelpenoughtotakecareofallthesethousandsofmonkeysinbed。
ButtheLeaderoftheLions,whenhegotbacktohisden,sawhiswife,theQueenLioness,comerunningouttomeethimwithherhairuntidy。
\"Oneofthecubswon’teat,\"shesaid。\"I
don’tknowWHATtodowithhim。Hehasn’ttakenathingsincelastnight。\"
Andshebegantocryandshakewithnervousness——
forshewasagoodmother,eventhoughshewasalioness。
SotheLeaderwentintohisdenandlookedathischildren——twoverycunninglittlecubs,lyingonthefloor。Andoneofthemseemedquitepoorly。
Thentheliontoldhiswife,quiteproudly,justwhathehadsaidtotheDoctor。Andshegotsoangryshenearlydrovehimoutoftheden。
\"YouneverDIDhaveagrainofsense!\"shescreamed。\"AlltheanimalsfromheretotheIndianOceanaretalkingaboutthiswonderfulman,andhowhecancureanykindofsickness,andhowkindheis——theonlymaninthewholeworldwhocantalkthelanguageoftheanimals!
Andnow,NOW——whenwehaveasickbabyonourhands,youmustgoandoffendhim!Yougreatbooby!NobodybutafooliseverrudetoaGOODdoctor。You——,\"andshestartedpullingherhusband’shair。
\"Gobacktothatwhitemanatonce,\"sheyelled,\"andtellhimyou’resorry。Andtakealltheotherempty—headedlionswithyou——
andthosestupidleopardsandantelopes。ThendoeverythingtheDoctortellsyou。Workhard!Andperhapshewillbekindenoughtocomeandseethecublater。Nowbeoff!——
HURRY,Itellyou!You’renotfittobeafather!\"
Andshewentintothedennextdoor,whereanothermother—lionlived,andtoldherallaboutit。
SotheLeaderoftheLionswentbacktotheDoctorandsaid,\"IhappenedtobepassingthiswayandthoughtI’dlookin。Gotanyhelpyet?\"
\"No,\"saidtheDoctor。\"Ihaven’t。
AndI’mdreadfullyworried。\"
\"Help’sprettyhardtogetthesedays,\"saidthelion。\"Animalsdon’tseemtowanttoworkanymore。Youcan’tblamethem——inaway……Well,seeingyou’reindifficulties,Idon’tminddoingwhatIcan——justtoobligeyou——
solongasIdon’thavetowashthecreatures。
AndIhavetoldalltheotherhuntinganimalstocomeanddotheirshare。Theleopardsshouldbehereanyminutenow……Oh,andbytheway,we’vegotasickcubathome。I
don’tthinkthere’smuchthematterwithhimmyself。Butthewifeisanxious。Ifyouarearoundthatwaythisevening,youmighttakealookathim,willyou?\"
ThentheDoctorwasveryhappy;forallthelionsandtheleopardsandtheantelopesandthegiraffesandthezebras——alltheanimalsoftheforestsandthemountainsandtheplains——cametohelphiminhiswork。Thereweresomanyofthemthathehadtosendsomeaway,andonlykeptthecleverest。
Andnowverysoonthemonkeysbegantogetbetter。Attheendofaweekthebighousefullofbedswashalfempty。Andattheendofthesecondweekthelastmonkeyhadgotwell。
ThentheDoctor’sworkwasdone;andhewassotiredhewenttobedandsleptforthreedayswithouteventurningover。
THENINTHCHAPTER
THEMONKEYS’COUNCIL
CHEE—CHEEstoodoutsidetheDoctor’sdoor,keepingeverybodyawaytillhewokeup。ThenJohnDolittletoldthemonkeysthathemustnowgobacktoPuddleby。
Theywereverysurprisedatthis;fortheyhadthoughtthathewasgoingtostaywiththemforever。Andthatnightallthemonkeysgottogetherinthejungletotalkitover。
AndtheChiefChimpanzeeroseupandsaid,\"Whyisitthegoodmanisgoingaway?Ishenothappyherewithus?\"
Butnoneofthemcouldanswerhim。
ThentheGrandGorillagotupandsaid,\"Ithinkweallshouldgotohimandaskhimtostay。Perhapsifwemakehimanewhouseandabiggerbed,andpromisehimplentyofmonkey—servantstoworkforhimandtomakelifepleasantforhim——perhapsthenhewillnotwishtogo。\"
ThenChee—Cheegotup;andalltheotherswhispered,\"Sh!Look!Chee—Chee,thegreatTraveler,isabouttospeak!\"
AndChee—Cheesaidtotheothermonkeys,\"Myfriends,IamafraiditisuselesstoasktheDoctortostay。HeowesmoneyinPuddleby;
andhesayshemustgobackandpayit。\"
Andthemonkeysaskedhim,\"WhatisMONEY?\"
ThenChee—CheetoldthemthatintheLandoftheWhiteMenyoucouldgetnothingwithoutmoney;
youcouldDOnothingwithoutmoney——thatitwasalmostimpossibletoLIVEwithoutmoney。
Andsomeofthemasked,\"Butcanyounoteveneatanddrinkwithoutpaying?\"
ButChee—Cheeshookhishead。Andthenhetoldthemthatevenhe,whenhewaswiththeorgan—grinder,hadbeenmadetoaskthechildrenformoney。
AndtheChiefChimpanzeeturnedtotheOldestOrangoutangandsaid,\"Cousin,surelytheseMenbestrangecreatures!Whowouldwishtoliveinsuchaland?Mygracious,howpaltry!\"
ThenChee—Cheesaid,\"Whenwewerecomingtoyouwehadnoboattocrosstheseainandnomoneytobuyfoodtoeatonourjourney。Soamanlentussomebiscuits;andwesaidwewouldpayhimwhenwecameback。Andweborrowedaboatfromasailor;butitwasbrokenontherockswhenwereachedtheshoresofAfrica。NowtheDoctorsayshemustgobackandgetthesailoranotherboat——becausethemanwaspoorandhisshipwasallhehad。\"
Andthemonkeyswereallsilentforawhile,sittingquitestilluponthegroundandthinkinghard。
AtlasttheBiggestBaboongotupandsaid,\"Idonotthinkweoughttoletthisgoodmanleaveourlandtillwehavegivenhimafinepresenttotakewithhim,sothathemayknowwearegratefulforallthathehasdoneforus。\"
Andalittle,tinyredmonkeywhowassittingupinatreeshouteddown,\"Ithinkthattoo!\"
Andthentheyallcriedout,makingagreatnoise,\"Yes,yes。LetusgivehimthefinestpresentaWhiteManeverhad!\"
Nowtheybegantowonderandaskoneanotherwhatwouldbethebestthingtogivehim。
Andonesaid,\"Fiftybagsofcocoanuts!\"
Andanother——\"Ahundredbunchesofbananas!——
AtleastheshallnothavetobuyhisfruitintheLandWhereYouPaytoEat!\"
ButChee—Cheetoldthemthatallthesethingswouldbetooheavytocarrysofarandwouldgobadbeforehalfwaseaten。
\"Ifyouwanttopleasehim,\"hesaid,\"givehimananimal。Youmaybesurehewillbekindtoit。Givehimsomerareanimaltheyhavenotgotinthemenageries。\"
Andthemonkeysaskedhim,\"WhatareMENAGERIES?\"
ThenChee—CheeexplainedtothemthatmenagerieswereplacesintheLandoftheWhiteMen,whereanimalswereputincagesforpeopletocomeandlookat。Andthemonkeyswereveryshockedandsaidtooneanother,\"TheseMenarelikethoughtlessyoungones——stupidandeasilyamused。Sh!Itisaprisonhemeans。\"
SothentheyaskedChee—CheewhatrareanimalitcouldbethattheyshouldgivetheDoctor——onetheWhiteMenhadnotseenbefore。
AndtheMajoroftheMarmosettesasked,\"Havetheyaniguanaoverthere?\"
ButChee—Cheesaid,\"Yes,thereisoneintheLondonZoo。\"
Andanotherasked,\"Havetheyanokapi?\"
ButChee—Cheesaid,\"Yes。InBelgium,wheremyorgan—grindertookmefiveyearsago,theyhadanokapiinabigcitytheycallAntwerp。\"
Andanotherasked,\"Havetheyapushmi—pullyu?\"
ThenChee—Cheesaid,\"No。NoWhiteManhaseverseenapushmi—pullyu。Letusgivehimthat。\"
THETENTHCHAPTER
THERARESTANIMALOFALL
PUSHMI—PULLYUSarenowextinct。Thatmeans,therearen’tanymore。Butlongago,whenDoctorDolittlewasalive,thereweresomeofthemstillleftinthedeepestjunglesofAfrica;andeventhentheywerevery,veryscarce。
Theyhadnotail,*butaheadateachend,andsharphornsoneachhead。Theywereveryshyandterriblyhardtocatch。Theblackmengetmostoftheiranimalsbysneakingupbehindthemwhiletheyarenotlooking。Butyoucouldnotdothiswiththepushmi—pullyu——because,nomatterwhichwayyoucametowardshim,hewasalwaysfacingyou。Andbesides,onlyonehalfofhimsleptatatime。Theotherheadwasalwaysawake——andwatching。ThiswaswhytheywerenevercaughtandneverseeninZoos。Thoughmanyofthegreatesthuntsmenandthecleverestmenagerie—keepersspentyearsoftheirlivessearchingthroughthejunglesinallweathersforpushmi—pullyus,notasingleonehadeverbeencaught。Eventhen,yearsago,hewastheonlyanimalintheworldwithtwoheads。
Well,themonkeyssetouthuntingforthisanimalthroughtheforest。Andaftertheyhadgoneagoodmanymiles,oneofthemfoundpeculiarfootprintsneartheedgeofariver;
andtheyknewthatapushmi—pullyumustbeverynearthatspot。
Thentheywentalongthebankoftheriveralittlewayandtheysawaplacewherethegrasswashighandthick;andtheyguessedthathewasinthere。
Sotheyalljoinedhandsandmadeagreatcircleroundthehighgrass。Thepushmi—
pullyuheardthemcoming;andhetriedhardtobreakthroughtheringofmonkeys。Buthecouldn’tdoit。Whenhesawthatitwasnousetryingtoescape,hesatdownandwaitedtoseewhattheywanted。
TheyaskedhimifhewouldgowithDoctorDolittleandbeputonshowintheLandoftheWhiteMen。
Butheshookbothhisheadshardandsaid,\"Certainlynot!\"
Theyexplainedtohimthathewouldnotbeshutupinamenageriebutwouldjustbelookedat。TheytoldhimthattheDoctorwasaverykindmanbuthadn’tanymoney;andpeoplewouldpaytoseeatwo—headedanimalandtheDoctorwouldgetrichandcouldpayfortheboathehadborrowedtocometoAfricain。
Butheanswered,\"No。YouknowhowshyIam——Ihatebeingstaredat。\"Andhealmostbegantocry。
Thenforthreedaystheytriedtopersuadehim。
AndattheendofthethirddayhesaidhewouldcomewiththemandseewhatkindofamantheDoctorwas,first。
Sothemonkeystraveledbackwiththepushmi—pullyu。AndwhentheycametowheretheDoctor’slittlehouseofgrasswas,theyknockedonthedoor。
Theduck,whowaspackingthetrunk,said,\"Comein!\"
AndChee—CheeveryproudlytooktheanimalinsideandshowedhimtotheDoctor。
\"Whatintheworldisit?\"askedJohnDolittle,gazingatthestrangecreature。
\"Lordsaveus!\"criedtheduck。\"Howdoesitmakeupitsmind?\"
\"Itdoesn’tlooktomeasthoughithadany,\"
saidJip,thedog。
\"This,Doctor,\"saidChee—Chee,\"isthepushmi—pullyu——therarestanimaloftheAfricanjungles,theonlytwo—headedbeastintheworld!Takehimhomewithyouandyourfortune’smade。Peoplewillpayanymoneytoseehim。\"
\"ButIdon’twantanymoney,\"saidtheDoctor。
\"Yes,youdo,\"saidDab—Dab,theduck。
\"Don’tyourememberhowwehadtopinchandscrapetopaythebutcher’sbillinPuddleby?Andhowareyougoingtogetthesailorthenewboatyouspokeof——unlesswehavethemoneytobuyit?\"
\"Iwasgoingtomakehimone,\"saidtheDoctor。
\"Oh,dobesensible!\"criedDab—Dab。
\"Wherewouldyougetallthewoodandthenailstomakeonewith?——Andbesides,whatarewegoingtoliveon?Weshallbepoorerthaneverwhenwegetback。Chee—Chee’sperfectlyright:takethefunny—lookingthingalong,do!\"
\"Well,perhapsthereissomethinginwhatyousay,\"
murmuredtheDoctor。\"Itcertainlywouldmakeanicenewkindofpet。Butdoestheer——
what—do—you—call—itreallywanttogoabroad?\"
\"Yes,I’llgo,\"saidthepushmi—pullyuwhosawatonce,fromtheDoctor’sface,thathewasamantobetrusted。\"Youhavebeensokindtotheanimalshere——andthemonkeystellmethatIamtheonlyonewhowilldo。ButyoumustpromisemethatifIdonotlikeitintheLandoftheWhiteMenyouwillsendmeback。\"
\"Why,certainly——ofcourse,ofcourse,\"saidtheDoctor。\"Excuseme,surelyyouarerelatedtotheDeerFamily,areyounot?\"
\"Yes,\"saidthepushmi—pullyu——\"totheAbyssinianGazellesandtheAsiaticChamois——onmymother’sside。Myfather’sgreat—
grandfatherwasthelastoftheUnicorns。\"
\"Mostinteresting!\"murmuredtheDoctor;
andhetookabookoutofthetrunkwhichDab—
Dabwaspackingandbeganturningthepages。
\"LetusseeifBuffonsaysanything——\"
\"Inotice,\"saidtheduck,\"thatyouonlytalkwithoneofyourmouths。Can’ttheotherheadtalkaswell?\"
\"Oh,yes,\"saidthepushmi—pullyu。\"ButI
keeptheothermouthforeating——mostly。InthatwayIcantalkwhileIameatingwithoutbeingrude。Ourpeoplehavealwaysbeenverypolite。\"
Whenthepackingwasfinishedandeverythingwasreadytostart,themonkeysgaveagrandpartyfortheDoctor,andalltheanimalsofthejunglecame。Andtheyhadpineapplesandmangoesandhoneyandallsortsofgoodthingstoeatanddrink。
Aftertheyhadallfinishedeating,theDoctorgotupandsaid,\"Myfriends:Iamnotcleveratspeakinglongwordsafterdinner,likesomemen;andI
havejusteatenmanyfruitsandmuchhoney。
ButIwishtotellyouthatIamverysadatleavingyourbeautifulcountry。BecauseIhavethingstodointheLandoftheWhiteMen,I
mustgo。AfterIhavegone,remembernevertoletthefliessettleonyourfoodbeforeyoueatit;anddonotsleeponthegroundwhentherainsarecoming。I——er——er——Ihopeyouwillalllivehappilyeverafter。\"
WhentheDoctorstoppedspeakingandsatdown,allthemonkeysclappedtheirhandsalongtimeandsaidtooneanother,\"Letitberememberedalwaysamongourpeoplethathesatandatewithus,here,underthetrees。
ForsurelyheistheGreatestofMen!\"
AndtheGrandGorilla,whohadthestrengthofsevenhorsesinhishairyarms,rolledagreatrockuptotheheadofthetableandsaid,\"Thisstoneforalltimeshallmarkthespot。\"
Andeventothisday,intheheartoftheJungle,thatstonestillisthere。Andmonkey—
mothers,passingthroughtheforestwiththeirfamilies,stillpointdownatitfromthebranchesandwhispertotheirchildren,\"Sh!Thereitis——
look——wheretheGoodWhiteMansatandatefoodwithusintheYearoftheGreatSickness!\"
Then,whenthepartywasover,theDoctorandhispetsstartedouttogobacktotheseashore。
Andallthemonkeyswentwithhimasfarastheedgeoftheircountry,carryinghistrunkandbags,toseehimoff。
THEELEVENTHCHAPTER
THEBLACKPRINCE
BYtheedgeoftherivertheystoppedandsaidfarewell。
Thistookalongtime,becauseallthosethousandsofmonkeyswantedtoshakeJohnDolittlebythehand。
Afterwards,whentheDoctorandhispetsweregoingonalone,Polynesiasaid,\"WemusttreadsoftlyandtalklowaswegothroughthelandoftheJolliginki。IftheKingshouldhearus,hewillsendhissoldierstocatchusagain;forIamsureheisstillveryangryoverthetrickIplayedonhim。\"
\"WhatIamwondering,\"saidtheDoctor,\"iswherewearegoingtogetanotherboattogohomein……Ohwell,perhapswe’llfindonelyingaboutonthebeachthatnobodyisusing。`Neverliftyourfoottillyoucometothestile。’\"
Oneday,whiletheywerepassingthroughaverythickpartoftheforest,Chee—Cheewentaheadofthemtolookforcocoanuts。Andwhilehewasaway,theDoctorandtherestoftheanimals,whodidnotknowthejungle—pathssowell,gotlostinthedeepwoods。Theywanderedaroundandaroundbutcouldnotfindtheirwaydowntotheseashore。
Chee—Chee,whenhecouldnotseethemanywhere,wasterriblyupset。HeclimbedhightreesandlookedoutfromthetopbranchestotryandseetheDoctor’shighhat;hewavedandshouted;hecalledtoalltheanimalsbyname。
Butitwasnouse。Theyseemedtohavedisappearedaltogether。
Indeedtheyhadlosttheirwayverybadly。
Theyhadstrayedalongwayoffthepath,andthejunglewassothickwithbushesandcreepersandvinesthatsometimestheycouldhardlymoveatall,andtheDoctorhadtotakeouthispocket—knifeandcuthiswayalong。Theystumbledintowet,boggyplaces;theygotalltangledupinthickconvolvulus—runners;theyscratchedthemselvesonthorns,andtwicetheynearlylostthemedicine—bagintheunder—brush。
Thereseemednoendtotheirtroubles;andnowherecouldtheycomeuponapath。
Atlast,afterblunderingaboutlikethisformanydays,gettingtheirclothestornandtheirfacescoveredwithmud,theywalkedrightintotheKing’sback—gardenbymistake。TheKing’smencamerunningupatonceandcaughtthem。
ButPolynesiaflewintoatreeinthegarden,withoutanybodyseeingher,andhidherself。
TheDoctorandtherestweretakenbeforetheKing。
\"Ha,ha!\"criedtheKing。\"Soyouarecaughtagain!Thistimeyoushallnotescape。
Takethemallbacktoprisonandputdoublelocksonthedoor。ThisWhiteManshallscrubmykitchen—floorfortherestofhislife!\"
SotheDoctorandhispetswereledbacktoprisonandlockedup。AndtheDoctorwastoldthatinthemorninghemustbeginscrubbingthekitchen—floor。
Theywereallveryunhappy。
\"Thisisagreatnuisance,\"saidtheDoctor。
\"IreallymustgetbacktoPuddleby。ThatpoorsailorwillthinkI’vestolenhisshipifI
don’tgethomesoon……Iwonderifthosehingesareloose。\"
Butthedoorwasverystrongandfirmlylocked。Thereseemednochanceofgettingout。
ThenGub—Gubbegantocryagain。
AllthistimePolynesiawasstillsittinginthetreeinthepalace—garden。Shewassayingnothingandblinkinghereyes。
ThiswasalwaysaverybadsignwithPolynesia。Whenevershesaidnothingandblinkedhereyes,itmeantthatsomebodyhadbeenmakingtrouble,andshewasthinkingoutsomewaytoputthingsright。PeoplewhomadetroubleforPolynesiaorherfriendswerenearlyalwayssorryforitafterwards。
PresentlyshespiedChee—CheeswingingthroughthetreesstilllookingfortheDoctor。
WhenChee—Cheesawher,hecameintohertreeandaskedherwhathadbecomeofhim。
\"TheDoctorandalltheanimalshavebeencaughtbytheKing’smenandlockedupagain,\"
whisperedPolynesia。\"Welostourwayinthejungleandblunderedintothepalace—gardenbymistake。\"
\"Butcouldn’tyouguidethem?\"askedChee—
Chee;andhebegantoscoldtheparrotforlettingthemgetlostwhilehewasawaylookingforthecocoanuts。
\"Itwasallthatstupidpig’sfault,\"saidPolynesia。\"Hewouldkeeprunningoffthepathhuntingforginger—roots。AndIwaskeptsobusycatchinghimandbringinghimback,thatIturnedtotheleft,insteadoftheright,whenwereachedtheswamp。——Sh!——Look!
There’sPrinceBumpocomingintothegarden!
Hemustnotseeus。——Don’tmove,whateveryoudo!\"
Andthere,sureenough,wasPrinceBumpo,theKing’sson,openingthegarden—gate。Hecarriedabookoffairy—talesunderhisarm。Hecamestrollingdownthegravel—walk,hummingasadsong,tillhereachedastoneseatrightunderthetreewheretheparrotandthemonkeywerehiding。Thenhelaydownontheseatandbeganreadingthefairy—storiestohimself。
Chee—CheeandPolynesiawatchedhim,keepingveryquietandstill。
AfterawhiletheKing’ssonlaidthebookdownandsighedawearysigh。
\"IfIwereonlyaWHITEprince!\"saidhe,withadreamy,far—awaylookinhiseyes。
Thentheparrot,talkinginasmall,highvoicelikealittlegirl,saidaloud,\"Bumpo,someonemightturntheeintoawhiteprinceperchance。\"
TheKing’ssonstartedupofftheseatandlookedallaround。
\"WhatisthisIhear?\"hecried。\"Methoughtthesweetmusicofafairy’ssilvervoicerangfromyonderbower!Strange!\"
\"WorthyPrince,\"saidPolynesia,keepingverystillsoBumpocouldn’tseeher,\"thousayestwingedwordsoftruth。For’tisI,Tripsitinka,theQueenoftheFairies,thatspeaktothee。Iamhidinginarose—bud。\"
\"Ohtellme,Fairy—Queen,\"criedBumpo,claspinghishandsinjoy,\"whoisitcanturnmewhite?\"
\"Inthyfather’sprison,\"saidtheparrot,\"thereliesafamouswizard,JohnDolittlebyname。Manythingsheknowsofmedicineandmagic,andmightydeedshasheperformed。
Yetthykinglyfatherleaveshimlanguishinglongandlingeringhours。Gotohim,braveBumpo,secretly,whenthesunhasset;andbehold,thoushaltbemadethewhitestprincethateverwonfairlady!Ihavesaidenough。I
mustnowgobacktoFairyland。Farewell!\"
\"Farewell!\"criedthePrince。\"Athousandthanks,goodTripsitinka!\"
Andhesatdownontheseatagainwithasmileuponhisface,waitingforthesuntoset。
THETWELFTHCHAPTER
MEDICINEANDMAGIC
VERY,veryquietly,makingsurethatnooneshouldseeher,Polynesiathenslippedoutatthebackofthetreeandflewacrosstotheprison。
ShefoundGub—Gubpokinghisnosethroughthebarsofthewindow,tryingtosniffthecooking—smellsthatcamefromthepalace—
kitchen。ShetoldthepigtobringtheDoctortothewindowbecauseshewantedtospeaktohim。SoGub—GubwentandwoketheDoctorwhowastakinganap。
\"Listen,\"whisperedtheparrot,whenJohnDolittle’sfaceappeared:\"PrinceBumpoiscominghereto—nighttoseeyou。Andyou’vegottofindsomewaytoturnhimwhite。Butbesuretomakehimpromiseyoufirstthathewillopentheprison—doorandfindashipforyoutocrosstheseain。\"
\"Thisisallverywell,\"saidtheDoctor。
\"Butitisn’tsoeasytoturnablackmanwhite。
Youspeakasthoughhewereadresstobere—
dyed。It’snotsosimple。`Shalltheleopardchangehisspots,ortheEthiopianhisskin,’youknow?\"
\"Idon’tknowanythingaboutthat,\"saidPolynesiaimpatiently。\"ButyouMUSTturnthismanwhite。Thinkofaway——thinkhard。
You’vegotplentyofmedicinesleftinthebag。
He’lldoanythingforyouifyouchangehiscolor。Itisyouronlychancetogetoutofprison。\"
\"Well,IsupposeitMIGHTbepossible,\"saidtheDoctor。\"Letmesee——,\"andhewentovertohismedicine—bag,murmuringsomethingabout\"liberatedchlorineonanimal—pigment——
perhapszinc—ointment,asatemporarymeasure,spreadthick——\"
Well,thatnightPrinceBumpocamesecretlytotheDoctorinprisonandsaidtohim,\"WhiteMan,Iamanunhappyprince。
YearsagoIwentinsearchofTheSleepingBeauty,whomIhadreadofinabook。Andhavingtraveledthroughtheworldmanydays,Iatlastfoundherandkissedtheladyverygentlytoawakenher——asthebooksaidIshould。
’Tistrueindeedthatsheawoke。Butwhenshesawmyfaceshecriedout,`Oh,he’sblack!’
Andsheranawayandwouldn’tmarryme——butwenttosleepagainsomewhereelse。SoIcameback,fullofsadness,tomyfather’skingdom。
NowIhearthatyouareawonderfulmagicianandhavemanypowerfulpotions。SoIcometoyouforhelp。Ifyouwillturnmewhite,sothatImaygobacktoTheSleepingBeauty,I
willgiveyouhalfmykingdomandanythingbesidesyouask。\"
\"PrinceBumpo,\"saidtheDoctor,lookingthoughtfullyatthebottlesinhismedicine—bag,\"supposingImadeyourhairaniceblondecolor——wouldnotthatdoinsteadtomakeyouhappy?\"
\"No,\"saidBumpo。\"Nothingelsewillsatisfyme。Imustbeawhiteprince。\"
\"Youknowitisveryhardtochangethecolorofaprince,\"saidtheDoctor——\"oneofthehardestthingsamagiciancando。Youonlywantyourfacewhite,doyounot?\"
\"Yes,thatisall,\"saidBumpo。\"BecauseI
shallwearshiningarmorandgauntletsofsteel,liketheotherwhiteprinces,andrideonahorse。\"
\"Mustyourfacebewhiteallover?\"askedtheDoctor。
\"Yes,allover,\"saidBumpo——\"andIwouldlikemyeyesbluetoo,butIsupposethatwouldbeveryhardtodo。\"
\"Yes,itwould,\"saidtheDoctorquickly。
\"Well,IwilldowhatIcanforyou。Youwillhavetobeverypatientthough——youknowwithsomemedicinesyoucanneverbeverysure。I
mighthavetotrytwoorthreetimes。Youhaveastrongskin——yes?Wellthat’sallright。
Nowcomeoverherebythelight——Oh,butbeforeIdoanything,youmustfirstgodowntothebeachandgetashipready,withfoodinit,totakemeacrossthesea。Donotspeakawordofthistoanyone。AndwhenIhavedoneasyouask,youmustletmeandallmyanimalsoutofprison。Promise——bythecrownofJolliginki!\"
SothePrincepromisedandwentawaytogetashipreadyattheseashore。
Whenhecamebackandsaidthatitwasdone,theDoctoraskedDab—Dabtobringabasin。
ThenhemixedalotofmedicinesinthebasinandtoldBumpotodiphisfaceinit。
ThePrinceleaneddownandputhisfacein——rightuptotheears。
Heheldittherealongtime——solongthattheDoctorseemedtogetdreadfullyanxiousandfidgety,standingfirstononelegandthenontheother,lookingatallthebottleshehadusedforthemixture,andreadingthelabelsonthemagainandagain。Astrongsmellfilledtheprison,likethesmellofbrownpaperburning。
AtlastthePrinceliftedhisfaceupoutofthebasin,breathingveryhard。Andalltheanimalscriedoutinsurprise。
ForthePrince’sfacehadturnedaswhiteassnow,andhiseyes,whichhadbeenmud—colored,wereamanlygray!
WhenJohnDolittlelenthimalittlelooking—
glasstoseehimselfin,hesangforjoyandbegandancingaroundtheprison。ButtheDoctoraskedhimnottomakesomuchnoiseaboutit;andwhenhehadclosedhismedicine—baginahurryhetoldhimtoopentheprison—door。
Bumpobeggedthathemightkeepthelooking—
glass,asitwastheonlyoneintheKingdomofJolliginki,andhewantedtolookathimselfalldaylong。ButtheDoctorsaidheneededittoshavewith。
ThenthePrince,takingabunchofcopperkeysfromhispocket,undidthegreatdoublelocks。AndtheDoctorwithallhisanimalsranasfastastheycoulddowntotheseashore;whileBumpoleanedagainstthewalloftheemptydungeon,smilingafterthemhappily,hisbigfaceshininglikepolishedivoryinthelightofthemoon。
WhentheycametothebeachtheysawPolynesiaandChee—Cheewaitingforthemontherocksneartheship。
\"IfeelsorryaboutBumpo,\"saidtheDoctor。
\"IamafraidthatmedicineIusedwillneverlast。Mostlikelyhewillbeasblackaseverwhenhewakesupinthemorning——that’sonereasonwhyIdidn’tliketoleavethemirrorwithhim。Butthenagain,heMIGHTstaywhite——I
hadneverusedthatmixturebefore。Totellthetruth,Iwassurprised,myself,thatitworkedsowell。ButIhadtodosomething,didn’tI?
——Icouldn’tpossiblyscrubtheKing’skitchenfortherestofmylife。Itwassuchadirtykitchen!——Icouldseeitfromtheprison—
window。——Well,well!——PoorBumpo!\"
\"Oh,ofcoursehewillknowwewerejustjokingwithhim,\"saidtheparrot。
\"Theyhadnobusinesstolockusup,\"saidDab—Dab,wagglinghertailangrily。\"Weneverdidthemanyharm。
Servehimright,ifhedoesturnblackagain!Ihopeit’sadarkblack。\"
\"ButHEdidn’thaveanythingtodowithit,\"
saidtheDoctor。\"ItwastheKing,hisfather,whohaduslockedup——itwasn’tBumpo’sfault……IwonderifIoughttogobackandapologize——
Oh,well——I’llsendhimsomecandywhenIgettoPuddleby。Andwhoknows?——
hemaystaywhiteafterall。\"
\"TheSleepingBeautywouldneverhavehim,evenifhedid,\"saidDab—Dab。\"Helookedbetterthewayhewas,Ithought。Buthe’dneverbeanythingbutugly,nomatterwhatcolorhewasmade。\"
\"Still,hehadagoodheart,\"saidtheDoctor——\"romantic,ofcourse——butagoodheart。
Afterall,`handsomeisashandsomedoes。’\"
\"Idon’tbelievethepoorboobyfoundTheSleepingBeautyatall,\"saidJip,thedog。
\"Mostlikelyhekissedsomefarmer’sfatwifewhowastakingasnoozeunderanapple—tree。
Can’tblameherforgettingscared!Iwonderwhohe’llgoandkissthistime。Sillybusiness!\"
Thenthepushmi—pullyu,thewhitemouse,Gub—Gub,Dab—Dab,Jipandtheowl,Too—Too,wentontotheshipwiththeDoctor。ButChee—
Chee,Polynesiaandthecrocodilestayedbehind,becauseAfricawastheirproperhome,thelandwheretheywereborn。
AndwhentheDoctorstoodupontheboat,helookedoverthesideacrossthewater。AndthenherememberedthattheyhadnoonewiththemtoguidethembacktoPuddleby。
Thewide,widesealookedterriblybigandlonesomeinthemoonlight;andhebegantowonderiftheywouldlosetheirwaywhentheypassedoutofsightofland。
Butevenwhilehewaswondering,theyheardastrangewhisperingnoise,highintheair,comingthroughthenight。AndtheanimalsallstoppedsayingGood—byandlistened。
Thenoisegrewlouderandbigger。Itseemedtobecomingnearertothem——asoundliketheAutumnwindblowingthroughtheleavesofapoplar—tree,oragreat,greatrainbeatingdownuponaroof。
AndJip,withhisnosepointingandhistailquitestraight,said,\"Birds!——millionsofthem——flyingfast——that’sit!\"
Andthentheyalllookedup。Andthere,streamingacrossthefaceofthemoon,likeahugeswarmoftinyants,theycouldseethousandsandthousandsoflittlebirds。Soonthewholeskyseemedfullofthem,andstillmorekeptcoming——moreandmore。Thereweresomanythatforalittletheycoveredthewholemoonsoitcouldnotshine,andtheseagrewdarkandblack——likewhenastorm—cloudpassesoverthesun。
Andpresentlyallthesebirdscamedownclose,skimmingoverthewaterandtheland;andthenight—skywasleftclearabove,andthemoonshoneasbefore。Stillneveracallnoracrynorasongtheymade——nosoundbutthisgreatrustlingoffeatherswhichgrewgreaternowthanever。Whentheybegantosettleonthesands,alongtheropesoftheship——anywhereandeverywhereexceptthetrees——theDoctorcouldseethattheyhadbluewingsandwhitebreastsandveryshort,featheredlegs。Assoonastheyhadallfoundaplacetosit,suddenly,therewasnonoiseleftanywhere——allwasquiet;
allwasstill。
AndinthesilentmoonlightJohnDolittlespoke:
\"IhadnoideathatwehadbeeninAfricasolong。ItwillbenearlySummerwhenwegethome。Forthesearetheswallowsgoingback。Swallows,Ithankyouforwaitingforus。Itisverythoughtfulofyou。Nowweneednotbeafraidthatwewillloseourwayuponthesea……Pulluptheanchorandsetthesail!\"
Whentheshipmovedoutuponthewater,thosewhostayedbehind,Chee—Chee,Polynesiaandthecrocodile,grewterriblysad。ForneverintheirliveshadtheyknownanyonetheylikedsowellasDoctorJohnDolittleofPuddleby—on—
the—Marsh。
AndaftertheyhadcalledGood—bytohimagainandagainandagain,theystillstoodthereupontherocks,cryingbitterlyandwavingtilltheshipwasoutofsight。
THETHIRTEENTHCHAPTER
REDSAILSANDBLUEWINGS
SAILINGhomeward,theDoctor’sshiphadtopassthecoastofBarbary。ThiscoastistheseashoreoftheGreatDesert。
Itisawild,lonelyplace——allsandandstones。AnditwasherethattheBarbarypirateslived。
Thesepirates,abadlotofmen,usedtowaitforsailorstobeshipwreckedontheirshores。
Andoften,iftheysawaboatpassing,theywouldcomeoutintheirfastsailing—shipsandchaseit。
Whentheycaughtaboatlikethisatsea,theywouldstealeverythingonit;andaftertheyhadtakenthepeopleofftheywouldsinktheshipandsailbacktoBarbarysingingsongsandfeelingproudofthemischieftheyhaddone。Thentheyusedtomakethepeopletheyhadcaughtwritehometotheirfriendsformoney。Andifthefriendssentnomoney,thepiratesoftenthrewthepeopleintothesea。
NowonesunshinydaytheDoctorandDab—
Dabwerewalkingupanddownontheshipforexercise;anicefreshwindwasblowingtheboatalong,andeverybodywashappy。PresentlyDab—Dabsawthesailofanothershipalongwaybehindthemontheedgeofthesea。
Itwasaredsail。
\"Idon’tlikethelookofthatsail,\"saidDab—
Dab。\"Ihaveafeelingitisn’tafriendlyship。
Iamafraidthereismoretroublecomingtous。\"
Jip,whowaslyingneartakinganapinthesun,begantogrowlandtalkinhissleep。
\"Ismellroastbeefcooking,\"hemumbled——
\"underdoneroastbeef——withbrowngravyoverit。\"
\"Goodgracious!\"criedtheDoctor。\"What’sthematterwiththedog?IsheSMELLINGinhissleep——aswellastalking?\"
\"Isupposeheis,\"saidDab—Dab。\"Alldogscansmellintheirsleep。\"
\"Butwhatishesmelling?\"askedtheDoctor。
\"Thereisnoroastbeefcookingonourship。\"
\"No,\"saidDab—Dab。\"Theroastbeefmustbeonthatothershipoverthere。\"
\"Butthat’stenmilesaway,\"saidtheDoctor。
\"Hecouldn’tsmellthatfarsurely!\"
\"Oh,yes,hecould,\"saidDab—Dab。\"Youaskhim。\"
ThenJip,stillfastasleep,begantogrowlagainandhislipcurledupangrily,showinghisclean,whiteteeth。
\"Ismellbadmen,\"hegrowled——\"theworstmenIeversmelt。Ismelltrouble。Ismellafight——sixbadscoundrelsfightingagainstonebraveman。Iwanttohelphim。Woof——oo——WOOF!\"
Thenhebarked,loud,andwokehimselfupwithasurprisedlookonhisface。
\"See!\"criedDab—Dab。\"Thatboatisnearernow。
Youcancountitsthreebigsails——allred。
Whoeveritis,theyarecomingafterus……
Iwonderwhotheyare。\"
\"Theyarebadsailors,\"saidJip;\"andtheirshipisveryswift。TheyaresurelythepiratesofBarbary。\"
\"Well,wemustputupmoresailsonourboat,\"saidtheDoctor,\"sowecangofasterandgetawayfromthem。Rundownstairs,Jip,andfetchmeallthesailsyousee。\"
Thedoghurrieddownstairsanddraggedupeverysailhecouldfind。
Butevenwhenallthesewereputuponthemaststocatchthewind,theboatdidnotgonearlyasfastasthepirates’——whichkeptcomingonbehind,closerandcloser。
\"ThisisapoorshipthePrincegaveus,\"saidGub—Gub,thepig——\"theslowesthecouldfind,Ishouldthink。Mightaswelltrytowinaraceinasoup—tureenashopetogetawayfromtheminthisoldbarge。Lookhowneartheyarenow!
——Youcanseethemustachesonthefacesofthemen——sixofthem。Whatarewegoingtodo?\"
ThentheDoctoraskedDab—Dabtoflyupandtelltheswallowsthatpirateswerecomingaftertheminaswiftship,andwhatshouldhedoaboutit。
Whentheswallowsheardthis,theyallcamedownontotheDoctor’sship;andtheytoldhimtounravelsomepiecesoflongropeandmakethemintoalotofthinstringsasquicklyashecould。Thentheendsofthesestringsweretiedontothefrontoftheship;andtheswallowstookholdofthestringswiththeirfeetandflewoff,pullingtheboatalong。
Andalthoughswallowsarenotverystrongwhenonlyoneortwoarebythemselves,itisdifferentwhenthereareagreatlotofthemtogether。Andthere,tiedtotheDoctor’sship,wereathousandstrings;andtwothousandswallowswerepullingoneachstring——allterriblyswiftfliers。
AndinamomenttheDoctorfoundhimselftravelingsofasthehadtoholdhishatonwithbothhands;forhefeltasthoughtheshipitselfwereflyingthroughwavesthatfrothedandboiledwithspeed。
Andalltheanimalsontheshipbegantolaughanddanceaboutintherushingair,forwhentheylookedbackatthepirates’ship,theycouldseethatitwasgrowingsmallernow,insteadofbigger。Theredsailswerebeingleftfar,farbehind。
THEFOURTEENTHCHAPTER
THERATS’WARNING
DRAGGINGashipthroughtheseaishardwork。Andaftertwoorthreehourstheswallowsbegantogettiredinthewingsandshortofbreath。ThentheysentamessagedowntotheDoctortosaythattheywouldhavetotakearestsoon;andthattheywouldpulltheboatovertoanislandnotfaroff,andhideitinadeepbaytilltheyhadgotbreathenoughtogoon。
AndpresentlytheDoctorsawtheislandtheyhadspokenof。Ithadaverybeautiful,high,greenmountaininthemiddleofit。
Whentheshiphadsailedsafelyintothebaywhereitcouldnotbeseenfromtheopensea,theDoctorsaidhewouldgetoffontotheislandtolookforwater——becausetherewasnonelefttodrinkonhisship。Andhetoldalltheanimalstogetouttooandromponthegrasstostretchtheirlegs。
Nowastheyweregettingoff,theDoctornoticedthatawholelotofratswerecomingupfromdownstairsandleavingtheshipaswell。
Jipstartedtorunafterthem,becausechasingratshadalwaysbeenhisfavoritegame。ButtheDoctortoldhimtostop。
Andonebigblackrat,whoseemedtowanttosaysomethingtotheDoctor,nowcreptforwardtimidlyalongtherail,watchingthedogoutofthecornerofhiseye。Andafterhehadcoughednervouslytwoorthreetimes,andcleanedhiswhiskersandwipedhismouth,hesaid,\"Ahem——er——youknowofcoursethatallshipshaveratsinthem,Doctor,doyounot?\"
AndtheDoctorsaid,\"Yes。\"
\"Andyouhaveheardthatratsalwaysleaveasinkingship?\"
\"Yes,\"saidtheDoctor——\"soI’vebeentold。\"
\"People,\"saidtherat,\"alwaysspeakofitwithasneer——asthoughitweresomethingdis—
graceful。Butyoucan’tblameus,canyou?
Afterall,whoWOULDstayonasinkingship,ifhecouldgetoffit?\"
\"It’sverynatural,\"saidtheDoctor——\"verynatural。Iquiteunderstand……Wasthere——
Wasthereanythingelseyouwishedtosay?\"
\"Yes,\"saidtherat。\"I’vecometotellyouthatweareleavingthisone。Butwewantedtowarnyoubeforewego。Thisisabadshipyouhavehere。Itisn’tsafe。Thesidesaren’tstrongenough。Itsboardsarerotten。Beforeto—morrownightitwillsinktothebottomofthesea。\"
\"Buthowdoyouknow?\"askedtheDoctor。
\"Wealwaysknow,\"answeredtherat。\"Thetipsofourtailsgetthattinglyfeeling——likewhenyourfoot’sasleep。Thismorning,atsixo’clock,whileIwasgettingbreakfast,mytailsuddenlybegantotingle。AtfirstIthoughtitwasmyrheumatismcomingback。SoIwentandaskedmyaunthowshefelt——yourememberher?——thelong,piebaldrat,ratherskinny,whocametoseeyouinPuddlebylastSpringwithjaundice?Well——andshesaidHERtailwastinglinglikeeverything!Thenweknew,forsure,thatthisboatwasgoingtosinkinlessthantwodays;andweallmadeupourmindstoleaveitassoonaswegotnearenoughtoanyland。It’sabadship,Doctor。Don’tsailinitanymore,oryou’llbesurelydrowned……
Good—by!Wearenowgoingtolookforagoodplacetoliveonthisisland。\"
\"Good—by!\"saidtheDoctor。\"Andthankyouverymuchforcomingtotellme。Veryconsiderateofyou——very!Givemyregardstoyouraunt。Irememberherperfectly……
Leavethatratalone,Jip!Comehere!Liedown!\"
SothentheDoctorandallhisanimalswentoff,carryingpailsandsaucepans,tolookforwaterontheisland,whiletheswallowstooktheirrest。
\"Iwonderwhatisthenameofthisisland,\"
saidtheDoctor,ashewasclimbingupthemountainside。\"Itseemsapleasantplace。
Whatalotofbirdsthereare!\"
\"Why,thesearetheCanaryIslands,\"saidDab—Dab。\"Don’tyouhearthecanariessinging?\"
TheDoctorstoppedandlistened。
\"Why,tobesure——ofcourse!\"hesaid。
\"Howstupidofme!Iwonderiftheycantelluswheretofindwater。\"
Andpresentlythecanaries,whohadheardallaboutDoctorDolittlefrombirdsofpassage,cameandledhimtoabeautifulspringofcool,clearwaterwherethecanariesusedtotaketheirbath;andtheyshowedhimlovelymeadowswherethebird—seedgrewandalltheothersightsoftheirisland。
Andthepushmi—pullyuwasgladtheyhadcome;becausehelikedthegreengrasssomuchbetterthanthedriedappleshehadbeeneatingontheship。AndGub—Gubsqueakedforjoywhenhefoundawholevalleyfullofwildsugarcane。
Alittlelater,whentheyhadallhadplentytoeatanddrink,andwerelyingontheirbackswhilethecanariessangforthem,twooftheswallowscamehurryingup,veryflusteredandexcited。
\"Doctor!\"theycried,\"thepirateshavecomeintothebay;andthey’veallgotontoyourship。
Theyaredownstairslookingforthingstosteal。
Theyhavelefttheirownshipwithnobodyonit。Ifyouhurryandcomedowntotheshore,youcangetontotheirship——whichisveryfast——andescape。Butyou’llhavetohurry。\"
\"That’sagoodidea,\"saidtheDoctor——\"splendid!\"
Andhecalledhisanimalstogetheratonce,saidGood—bytothecanariesandrandowntothebeach。
Whentheyreachedtheshoretheysawthepirate—ship,withthethreeredsails,standinginthewater;and——justastheswallowshadsaid——therewasnobodyonit;allthepiratesweredownstairsintheDoctor’sship,lookingforthingstosteal。
SoJohnDolittletoldhisanimalstowalkverysoftlyandtheyallcreptontothepirate—ship。
THEFIFTEENTHCHAPTER
THEBARBARYDRAGON
EVERYTHINGwouldhavegoneallrightifthepighadnotcaughtacoldinhisheadwhileeatingthedampsugar—caneontheisland。Thisiswhathappened:
Aftertheyhadpulleduptheanchorwithoutasound,andweremovingtheshipvery,verycarefullyoutofthebay,Gub—Gubsuddenlysneezedsoloudthatthepiratesontheothershipcamerushingupstairstoseewhatthenoisewas。
AssoonastheysawthattheDoctorwasescaping,theysailedtheotherboatrightacrosstheentrancetothebaysothattheDoctorcouldnotgetoutintotheopensea。
Thentheleaderofthesebadmen(whocalledhimself\"BenAli,TheDragon\")shookhisfistattheDoctorandshoutedacrossthewater,\"Ha!Ha!Youarecaught,myfinefriend!
Youweregoingtorunoffinmyship,eh?ButyouarenotagoodenoughsailortobeatBenAli,theBarbaryDragon。Iwantthatduckyou’vegot——andthepigtoo。We’llhavepork—
chopsandroastduckforsupperto—night。AndbeforeIletyougohome,youmustmakeyourfriendssendmeatrunk—fullofgold。\"
PoorGub—Gubbegantoweep;andDab—Dabmadereadytoflytosaveherlife。Buttheowl,Too—Too,whisperedtotheDoctor,\"Keephimtalking,Doctor。Bepleasanttohim。Ouroldshipisboundtosinksoon——theratssaiditwouldbeatthebottomoftheseabeforeto—morrownight——andtheratsareneverwrong。Bepleasant,tilltheshipsinksunderhim。Keephimtalking。\"
\"What,untilto—morrownight!\"saidtheDoctor。
\"Well,I’lldomybest……Letmesee——
WhatshallItalkabout?\"
\"Oh,letthemcomeon,\"saidJip。\"Wecanfightthedirtyrascals。Thereareonlysixofthem。Letthemcomeon。I’dlovetotellthatcollienextdoor,whenwegethome,thatIhadbittenarealpirate。Let’emcome。Wecanfightthem。\"
\"Buttheyhavepistolsandswords,\"saidtheDoctor。\"No,thatwouldneverdo。Imusttalktohim……Lookhere,BenAli——\"
ButbeforetheDoctorcouldsayanymore,thepiratesbegantosailtheshipnearer,laughingwithglee,andsayingonetoanother,\"Whoshallbethefirsttocatchthepig?\"
PoorGub—Gubwasdreadfullyfrightened;
andthepushmi—pullyubegantosharpenhishornsforafightbyrubbingthemonthemastoftheship;whileJipkeptspringingintotheairandbarkingandcallingBenAlibadnamesindog—language。
Butpresentlysomethingseemedtogowrongwiththepirates;theystoppedlaughingandcrackingjokes;theylookedpuzzled;somethingwasmakingthemuneasy。
ThenBenAli,staringdownathisfeet,suddenlybellowedout,\"ThunderandLightning!——Men,THEBOAT’SLEAKING!\"
Andthentheotherpiratespeeredoverthesideandtheysawthattheboatwasindeedgettinglowerandlowerinthewater。AndoneofthemsaidtoBenAli,\"Butsurelyifthisoldboatweresinkingweshouldseetheratsleavingit。\"
AndJipshoutedacrossfromtheothership,\"Yougreatduffers,therearenoratstheretoleave!Theylefttwohoursago!`Ha,ha,’
toyou,`myfinefriends!’\"
Butofcoursethemendidnotunderstandhim。