Читать книгу The Story of Dr Dolittle / История доктора Дулиттла. 5 класс - Хью Джон Лофтинг - Страница 5

That winter was a very cold one. And one night in December, when they were all round the warm fire in the kitchen, and the Doctor was reading aloud to them, the owl, Too-Too, suddenly said, “Sh! What’s that noise outside?” They all listened; and they heard the sound of someone running. Then the door opened and the monkey, Chee-Chee, ran in.

“Doctor!” he cried, “I’ve just had a message from my cousin in Africa. There is a terrible sickness among the monkeys out there. They are all catching it – and they are dying. They have heard of you, and beg you to come to Africa to stop the sickness.”

“Who brought the message?” asked the Doctor. He took off his glasses and laid down his book.

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

“Bring her in by the fire,” said the Doctor.

So the swallow arrived, she was cold; and although she was a little afraid at first, she soon got warmed up[4] and began to talk. Then the Doctor said, “I need to go to Africa. But we haven’t enough money to buy the tickets. Perhaps if I go down to the seaside I will borrow a boat that will take us to Africa. I knew a seaman once who brought his baby to me with measles. Maybe he’ll lend us his boat – the baby got well.[5]”

So early the next morning the Doctor went down to the seashore. 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 to see Africa, their real home. And the Doctor said, “I will only be able to 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 go back and live in the fields where they were born until we come home again.”

The Doctor and the animals needed some food for the voyage, so the sailor went to see the grocer and came back with all the things they wanted. Then the animals packed up, closed the house and gave the key to the old horse who lived in the stable. There was plenty of hay for the horse, so the animals didn’t worry and carried their baggage down to the seashore and got onto the boat.

They were just going to start on their journey, when the Doctor said that he didn’t know the way to Africa. But the swallow promised to show them the way because she knew it very well. So the Doctor told Chee-Chee to pull up the anchor and the voyage began.