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the story of doctor dolittle-第11章

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would come with them and see what kind of a

man the Doctor was; first。



So the monkeys traveled back with the

pushmi…pullyu。  And when they came to where

the Doctor's little house of grass was; they

knocked on the door。



The duck; who was packing the trunk; said;

〃Come in!〃



And Chee…Chee very proudly took the animal

inside and showed him to the Doctor。



〃What in the world is it?〃 asked John

Dolittle; gazing at the strange creature。



〃Lord save us!〃 cried the duck。  〃How does

it make up its mind?〃



〃It doesn't look to me as though it had any;〃

said Jip; the dog。



〃This; Doctor;〃 said Chee…Chee; 〃is the

pushmi…pullyuthe rarest animal of the African

jungles; the only two…headed beast in the

world!  Take him home with you and your

fortune's made。  People will pay any money to

see him。〃  



〃But I don't want any money;〃 said the Doctor。



〃Yes; you do;〃 said Dab…Dab; the duck。

〃Don't you remember how we had to pinch

and scrape to pay the butcher's bill in

Puddleby?  And how are you going to get the

sailor the new boat you spoke ofunless we

have the money to buy it?〃





〃I was going to make him one;〃 said the Doctor。



〃Oh; do be sensible!〃 cried Dab…Dab。

〃Where would you get all the wood and the

nails to make one with?And besides; what are

we going to live on?  We shall be poorer than

ever when we get back。  Chee…Chee's perfectly

right: take the funny…looking thing along; do!〃



〃Well; perhaps there is something in what you say;〃

murmured the Doctor。  〃It certainly would make

a nice new kind of pet。  But does the er

what…do…you…call…it really want to go abroad?〃



〃Yes; I'll go;〃 said the pushmi…pullyu who

saw at once; from the Doctor's face; that he was

a man to be trusted。  〃You have been so kind

to the animals hereand the monkeys tell me

that I am the only one who will do。  But you

must promise me that if I do not like it in the

Land of the White Men you will send me

back。〃  



〃Why; certainlyof course; of course;〃 said

the Doctor。  〃Excuse me; surely you are

related to the Deer Family; are you not?〃



〃Yes;〃 said the pushmi…pullyu〃to the

Abyssinian Gazelles and the Asiatic Chamois

on my mother's side。  My father's great…

grandfather was the last of the Unicorns。〃  



〃Most interesting!〃 murmured the Doctor;

and he took a book out of the trunk which Dab…

Dab was packing and began turning the pages。

〃Let us see if Buffon says anything〃



〃I notice;〃 said the duck; 〃that you only talk

with one of your mouths。  Can't the other head

talk as well?〃



〃Oh; yes;〃 said the pushmi…pullyu。  〃But I

keep the other mouth for eatingmostly。  In

that way I can talk while I am eating without

being rude。  Our people have always been very

polite。〃  



When the packing was finished and everything

was ready to start; the monkeys gave a

grand party for the Doctor; and all the animals

of the jungle came。  And they had pineapples

and mangoes and honey and all sorts of good

things to eat and drink。



After they had all finished eating; the Doctor

got up and said;



〃My friends: I am not clever at speaking

long words after dinner; like some men; and I

have just eaten many fruits and much honey。

But I wish to tell you that I am very sad at

leaving your beautiful country。  Because I have

things to do in the Land of the White Men; I

must go。  After I have gone; remember never

to let the flies settle on your food before you

eat it; and do not sleep on the ground when the

rains are coming。  IererI hope you will

all live happily ever after。〃  



When the Doctor stopped speaking and sat

down; all the monkeys clapped their hands a

long time and said to one another; 〃Let it be

remembered always among our people that he

sat and ate with us; here; under the trees。

For surely he is the Greatest of Men!〃



And the Grand Gorilla; who had the strength

of seven horses in his hairy arms; rolled a great

rock up to the head of the table and said;



〃This stone for all time shall mark the spot。〃  



And even to this day; in the heart of the

Jungle; that stone still is there。  And monkey…

mothers; passing through the forest with their

families; still point down at it from the branches

and whisper to their children; 〃Sh! There it is

lookwhere the Good White Man sat and ate food

with us in the Year of the Great Sickness!〃



Then; when the party was over; the Doctor

and his pets started out to go back to the seashore。

And all the monkeys went with him as

far as the edge of their country; carrying his

trunk and bags; to see him off。







THE ELEVENTH CHAPTER



THE BLACK PRINCE



BY the edge of the river they stopped and said farewell。



This took a long time; because all those thousands

of monkeys wanted to shake John Dolittle by the hand。



Afterwards; when the Doctor and his pets

were going on alone; Polynesia said;



〃We must tread softly and talk low as we

go through the land of the Jolliginki。  If the

King should hear us; he will send his soldiers

to catch us again; for I am sure he is still very

angry over the trick I played on him。〃  



〃What I am wondering;〃 said the Doctor;

〃is where we are going to get another boat to

go home in。。。。  Oh well; perhaps we'll find

one lying about on the beach that nobody is

using。  ‘Never lift your foot till you come to

the stile。'〃



One day; while they were passing through

a very thick part of the forest; Chee…Chee went

ahead of them to look for cocoanuts。  And

while he was away; the Doctor and the rest of

the animals; who did not know the jungle…paths

so well; got lost in the deep woods。  They wandered

around and around but could not find

their way down to the seashore。



Chee…Chee; when he could not see them

anywhere; was terribly upset。  He climbed high

trees and looked out from the top branches to

try and see the Doctor's high hat; he waved and

shouted; he called to all the animals by name。

But it was no use。  They seemed to have

disappeared altogether。



Indeed they had lost their way very badly。

They had strayed a long way off the path; and

the jungle was so thick with bushes and

creepers and vines that sometimes they could hardly

move at all; and the Doctor had to take out

his pocket…knife and cut his way along。  They

stumbled into wet; boggy places; they got all

tangled up in thick convolvulus…runners; they

scratched themselves on thorns; and twice they

nearly lost the medicine…bag in the under…brush。

There seemed no end to their troubles; and

nowhere could they come upon a path。



At last; after blundering about like this for

many days; getting their clothes torn and their

faces covered with mud; they walked right into

the King's back…garden by mistake。  The King's

men came running up at once and caught them。



But Polynesia flew into a tree in the garden;

without anybody
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