Хью Лофтинг
The Story of Doctor Dolittle / История Доктора Дулиттла. Уровень 1

The Fourth Chapter
A Message from Africa

That Winter was a very cold one. And one night in December, they were all sitting around the warm fire in the kitchen. The Doctor was reading aloud to them his own book written by him 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 someone running. Then the door flew open and the monkey, Chee-Chee, ran in, badly out of breath^[9].

“Doctor!” he cried, “I 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 it—and they are dying in hundreds. They heard of you, and beg you to come to Africa to stop the sickness.”

The doctor took off his glasses and lay down his book.

“Who brought the message?” he asked.

“A swallow,” said Chee-Chee. “She is outside.”

“Bring her in by the fire,” said the Doctor. “She must be dying from cold. The swallows flew South six weeks ago!”

So the swallow, all shivering, was brought in. Although she was a little afraid at first, she soon got warmed up and sat on the edge of the fireplace and began to talk.

When she finished the Doctor said,

“I would love to go to Africa, especially in this bitter weather. But I’m afraid we don’t have enough money to buy the tickets. Get me the money-box, Chee-Chee.”

There was nothing in it—not one single penny!

“I was sure there was two pence left,” said the Doctor.

“There was” said the owl. “But you spent it on a toy for that badger’s baby when he was teething^[10].”

“Did I?” said the Doctor. “Dear me, dear me! What a nuisance money is, to be sure! Well, never mind. I’ll try to go down to the seaside and borrow a boat that will take us to Africa. I knew a seaman once who brought his sick baby to me. Maybe he’ll lend us his boat—the baby got well.”

So early the next morning the Doctor went down to the sea-shore. And when he came back he told the animals that the 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 can only take you three—with Jip the dog, Dab-Dab the duck, Gub-Gub the pig and the owl, Too-Too. The rest of the animals 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 that. And besides, it wouldn’t be good for them to go to Africa.”

So then the parrot, who had the experience of long journeys, began telling the Doctor all the things he would have to take with him on the ship.

“You must have plenty of crackers,” she said, “and you must have beef in cans—and an anchor.”

“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 rope—it always comes in handy^[11] on journeys.”

Then they began to wonder where they were going to get the money from to buy all the things they needed.

“Oh, bother it!^[12] Money again,” cried the Doctor. “Goodness! I will be glad to get to Africa where we don’t have to have any! I’ll send the sailor to ask the grocer if he will wait for his money till I get back.”

So the sailor went to see the grocer. Soon he came back with all the things they wanted.

Then the animals packed up. They turned off the water so the pipes wouldn’t freeze, put up the shutters and closed the house. They gave the house key to the old horse who lived in the stable. There was plenty of hay in the loft to last the horse through the Winter so they didn’t have to worry about her. Then they carried their entire luggage down to the seashore and got onto the boat.

The meat seller was there to see them off. He brought a large pudding as a present for the Doctor because he thought you couldn’t get puddings in foreign parts.

It was four o’clock in the afternoon when they got onto the boat. Gub-Gub, the pig, asked where the beds were because he wanted his nap. So Polynesia took him downstairs into the inside of the ship and showed him the beds. They were 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^[13].’”

“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.

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 knew the way and would show them how to get there.

So the Doctor told Chee-Chee to pull up the anchor and the journey began.

The Fifth Chapter
The Great Journey

Now for six whole weeks they went sailing on and on. The swallow flew before the ship to show them the way. At night she carried a tiny light, so they should not miss her in the dark. 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 for the pig and the dog and the owl, Too-Too, the weather was too hot. They could do nothing but sat at the end of the ship in the shade and drink lemonade.

Dab-Dab, the duck, used to keep herself cool by jumping into the sea and swimming behind the ship. And every time 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 fish on Tuesdays and Fridays—when 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^[14] of dolphins came dancing through the waves. The too asked Polynesia if this was the ship of the famous 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 don’t have enough onions.”

“There is an island not far from here,” said the dolphins. “The wild onions grow tall and strong there. Keep straight on—we will get some and catch up to you.”

So the dolphins swam away through the sea. And very soon the parrot saw them again. They were coming up behind and 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 almost over. Very soon we should be able to see the shores of Africa.”

And about half an hour later 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. The waves got so high they splashed right over the boat.

Soon there was a big BANG! The ship stopped and rolled over on its side.

“What happened?” asked the Doctor, coming up from downstairs.

“I’m not sure,” said the parrot; “but I think we’re ship-wrecked^[15]. Tell the duck to get out and see.”

So Dab-Dab swam right down under the waves. When she came up, she said they struck a rock. There was a big hole in the bottom of the ship; the water was coming in; and they were sinking fast.

“Africa must be near,” said the Doctor. “Dear me, dear me! – Well—we 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.”

So they all got safely to the shore.

But the ship was no good anymore. 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 think—it’ll be a hundred and sixty-nine years tomorrow since I was here! And it hasn’t changed a bit!^[16] 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 found out his high hat was blown into the sea during the storm. So Dab-Dab went out to look for it. And soon she saw it a long way off. It was 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. When the ship sank, I was terribly frightened because I cannot swim far. I swam as long as I could, but I soon got all exhausted. Luckily, the old man’s hat came floating by. So 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.

They started looking for a place in the trunk where the white mouse could travel comfortably. Suddenly the monkey, Chee-Chee, 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 Dolittle,” said the Doctor. “I was 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.