the story of doctor dolittle- 第2部分

box；　no　one　knows　what　would　have　happened。



And　he　kept　on　getting　still　more　pets；　and　of

course　it　cost　a　lot　to　feed　them。　　And　the　money

he　had　saved　up　grew　littler　and　littler。



Then　he　sold　his　piano；　and　let　the　mice　live

in　a　bureau…drawer。　　But　the　money　he　got　for

that　too　began　to　go；　so　he　sold　the　brown　suit

he　wore　on　Sundays　and　went　on　becoming

poorer　and　poorer。



And　now；　when　he　walked　down　the　street

in　his　high　hat；　people　would　say　to　one　another；

〃There　goes　John　Dolittle；　M。D。！　　There　was　a

time　when　he　was　the　best　known　doctor　in　the

West　CountryLook　at　him　nowHe　hasn't

any　money　and　his　stockings　are　full　of　holes！〃



But　the　dogs　and　the　cats　and　the　children

still　ran　up　and　followed　him　through　the　town

the　same　as　they　had　done　when　he　was　rich。







THE　SECOND　CHAPTER



ANIMAL　LANGUAGE



IT　happened　one　day　that　the　Doctor　was　sitting　in　his　kitchen　talking

with　the　Cat's…meat…Man　who　had　come　to　see　him　with　a　stomach…ache。



〃Why　don't　you　give　up　being　a　people's　doctor；　and　be　an　animal…doctor？〃

asked　the　Cat's…meat…Man。



The　parrot；　Polynesia；　was　sitting　in　the　window

looking　out　at　the　rain　and　singing　a　sailor…song　to　herself。

She　stopped　singing　and　started　to　listen。



〃You　see；　Doctor；〃　the　Cat's…meat…Man　went

on；　〃you　know　all　about　animalsmuch　more

than　what　these　here　vets　do。　　That　book　you

wroteabout　cats；　why；　it's　wonderful！　　I　can't

read　or　write　myselfor　maybe　_I_'D　write　some

books。　　But　my　wife；　Theodosia；　she's　a　scholar；

she　is。　　And　she　read　your　book　to　me。　　Well；

it's　wonderfulthat's　all　can　be　saidwonderful。

You　might　have　been　a　cat　yourself。　　You

know　the　way　they　think。　　And　listen：　you　can

make　a　lot　of　money　doctoring　animals。　　Do

you　know　that？　　You　see；　I'd　send　all　the　old

women　who　had　sick　cats　or　dogs　to　you。　　And

if　they　didn't　get　sick　fast　enough；　I　could　put

something　in　the　meat　I　sell　'em　to　make　'em

sick；　see？〃



〃Oh；　no；〃　said　the　Doctor　quickly。　　〃You

mustn't　do　that。　　That　wouldn't　be　right。〃　　



〃Oh；　I　didn't　mean　real　sick；〃　answered　the

Cat's…meat…Man。　　〃Just　a　little　something　to

make　them　droopy…like　was　what　I　had　reference

to。　　But　as　you　say；　maybe　it　ain't　quite

fair　on　the　animals。　　But　they'll　get　sick

anyway；　because　the　old　women　always　give　'em　too

much　to　eat。　　And　look；　all　the　farmers　'round

about　who　had　lame　horses　and　weak　lambs

they'd　come。　　Be　an　animal…doctor。〃　　



When　the　Cat's…meat…Man　had　gone　the

parrot　flew　off　the　window　on　to　the　Doctor's　table

and　said；



〃That　man's　got　sense。　　That's　what　you

ought　to　do。　　Be　an　animal…doctor。　　Give　the

silly　people　upif　they　haven't　brains　enough

to　see　you're　the　best　doctor　in　the　world。　　Take

care　of　animals　insteadTHEY'll　soon　find　it　out。

Be　an　animal…doctor。〃　　



〃Oh；　there　are　plenty　of　animal…doctors；〃　said

John　Dolittle；　putting　the　flower…pots　outside　on

the　window…sill　to　get　the　rain。



〃Yes；　there　ARE　plenty；〃　said　Polynesia。　　〃But

none　of　them　are　any　good　at　all。　　Now　listen；

Doctor；　and　I'll　tell　you　something。　　Did　you

know　that　animals　can　talk？〃



〃I　knew　that　parrots　can　talk；〃　said　the　Doctor。



〃Oh；　we　parrots　can　talk　in　two　languages

people's　language　and　bird…language；〃　said

Polynesia　proudly。　　〃If　I　say；　‘Polly　wants　a

cracker；'　you　understand　me。　　But　hear　this：

Ka…ka　oi…ee；　fee…fee？〃



〃Good　Gracious！〃　cried　the　Doctor。　　〃What

does　that　mean？〃



〃That　means；　‘Is　the　porridge　hot　yet？'in

bird…language。〃　　



〃My！　　You　don't　say　so！〃　said　the　Doctor。

〃You　never　talked　that　way　to　me　before。〃　　



〃What　would　have　been　the　good？〃　said

Polynesia；　dusting　some　cracker…crumbs　off　her

left　wing。　　〃You　wouldn't　have　understood　me

if　I　had。〃　　



〃Tell　me　some　more；〃　said　the　Doctor；　all

excited；　and　he　rushed　over　to　the　dresser…drawer

and　came　back　with　the　butcher's　book　and　a

pencil。　　〃Now　don't　go　too　fastand　I'll　write

it　down。　　This　is　interestingvery　interesting

something　quite　new。　　Give　me　the　Birds'

A。B。C。　　firstslowly　now。〃　　



So　that　was　the　way　the　Doctor　came　to　know

that　animals　had　a　language　of　their　own　and

could　talk　to　one　another。　　And　all　that　afternoon；

while　it　was　raining；　Polynesia　sat　on　the

kitchen　table　giving　him　bird　words　to　put　down

in　the　book。



At　tea…time；　when　the　dog；　Jip；　came　in；　the

parrot　said　to　the　Doctor；　〃See；　HE'S　talking　to

you。〃　　



〃Looks　to　me　as　though　he　were　scratching

his　ear；〃　said　the　Doctor。



〃But　animals　don't　always　speak　with　their

mouths；〃　said　the　parrot　in　a　high　voice；　raising

her　eyebrows。　　〃They　talk　with　their　ears；

with　their　feet；　with　their　tailswith　everything。

Sometimes　they　don't　WANT　to　make　a

noise。　　Do　you　see　now　the　way　he's　twitching

up　one　side　of　his　nose？〃



〃What's　that　mean？〃　asked　the　Doctor。



〃That　means；　‘Can't　you　see　that　it　has

stopped　raining？'〃　Polynesia　answered。　　〃He

is　asking　you　a　question。　　Dogs　nearly　always

use　their　noses　for　asking　questions。〃　　



After　a　while；　with　the　parrot's　help；　the

Doctor　got　to　learn　the　language　of　the　animals

so　well　that　he　could　talk　to　them　himself　and

understand　everything　they　said。　　Then　he　gave

up　being　a　people's　doctor　altogether。



As　soon　as　the　Cat's…meat…Man　had　told　every

one　that　John　Dolittle　was　going　to　become　an

animal…doctor；　old　ladies　began　to　bring　him

their　pet　pugs　and　poodles　who　had　eaten　too

much　cake；　and　farmers　came　many　miles　to

show　him　sick　cows　and　sheep。



One　day　a　plow…horse　was　brought　to　him；

and　the　poor　thing　was　terribly　glad　to　find　a

man　who　could　talk　in　horse…language。



〃You　know；　Doctor；〃　said　the　horse；　〃that

vet　over　the　hill　knows　nothing　at　all。　　He　has

been　treating　me　six　weeks　nowfor　spavins。

What　I　need　is　SPECTACLES。　　I　am　going　blind

in　one　eye。　　There's　no　reason　why　horses

shouldn't　wear　glasses；　the　same　as　people。　　But

that　stupid　man　over　the　hill　never　even　looked

at　my　eyes。　　He　kept　on　giving　me　big　pills。

I　tried　to　tell　him；　but　he　couldn't　understand

a　word　of　horse…language。　　What　I　need　is

spectacles。〃　　



〃Of　courseof　course；〃　said　the　Doctor。

〃I'll　get　you　some　at　once。〃　　



〃I　would　like　a　pair　like　yours；〃　said　the

horse〃only　green。　　They'll　keep　the　sun　out

of　my　eyes　while　I'm　plowing　the　Fifty…Acre

Field。〃　　



〃Certainly；〃　said　the　Doctor。　　〃Green　ones

you　shall　have。〃　　



〃You　know；　the　trouble　is；　Sir；〃　said　the

plow…horse　as　the　Doctor　opened　the　front　door

to　let　him　out〃the　trouble　is　that　ANYBODY

thinks　he　can　doctor　animalsjust　because　the

animals　don't　complain。　　As　a　matter　of　fact

it　takes　a　much　cleverer　man　to　be　a　really　good

animal…doctor　than　it　does　to　be　a　good　people's

doctor。　　My　farmer's　boy　thinks　he　knows　all

about　horses。　　I　wish　you　could　see　himhis

face　is　so　fat　he　looks　as　though　he　had　no　eyes

and　he　has　got　as　much　brain　as　a　potato…bug。

He　tried　to　put　a　mustard…plaster　on　me　last

week。〃　　



〃Where　did　he　put　it？〃　asked　the　Doctor。



〃Oh；　he　didn't　put　it　anywhereon　me；〃　said

the　horse。　　〃He　only　tried　to。　　I　kicked　him

into　the　duck…pond。〃　　



〃Well；　well！〃　said　the　Doctor。



〃I'm　a　pretty　quiet　creature　as　a　rule；〃　said

the　horse〃very　patient　with　peopledon't

make　much　fuss。　　But　it　was　bad　enough　to

have　that　vet　giving　me　the　wrong　medicine。

And　when　that　red…faced　booby　started　to

monkey　with　me；　I　just　couldn't　bear　it　any

more。〃　　



〃Did　you　hurt　the　boy　much？〃　asked　the　Doctor。



〃Oh；　no；〃　said　the　horse。　　〃I　kicked　him　in

the　right　place。　　The　vet's　looking　after　him

now。　　When　will　my　glasses　be　ready？〃



〃I'll　have　them　for　you　next　week；〃　said

the　Doctor。　　〃Come　in　again　TuesdayGood

morning！〃



Then　John　Dolittle　got　a　fine；　big　pair　of

green　spectacles；　and　the　plow…horse　stopped

going　blind　in　one　eye　and　could　see　as　well　as

ever。



And　soon　it　became　a　common　sight　to　see

farm…animals　wearing　glasses　in　the　country

round　Puddleby；　and　a　blind　horse　was　a　thing

unknown。



And　so　it　was　with　all　the　other　animals　that

were　brought　to　him。　　As　soon　as　they　found

that　he　could　talk　their　language；　they　told　him

where　the　pain　was　and　how　they　felt；　and　of

course　it　was　easy　for　him　to　cure　them。



Now　all　these　animals　went　back　and　told

their　brothers　and　friends　that　there　was　a　doctor

in　the　little　house　with　the　big　garden　who

really　WAS　a　doctor。　　And　whenever　any　creatures

got　sicknot　only　horses　and　cows　and

dogsbut　all　the　little　things　of　the　fields；　like

harvest…mice　and　water…voles；　badgers　and　bats；

they　came　at　once　to　his　house　on　the　edge　of　the

town；　so　that　his　big　garden　was　nearly　always

crowded　with　animals　trying　to　get　in　to　see　him。



There　were　so　many　that　came　that　he　had　to

have　special　doors　made　for　the　different　kinds。

He　wrote　〃HORSES〃　over　the　front　door；

〃COWS〃　over　the　side　door；　and　〃SHEEP〃　on

the　kitchen　door。　　Each　kind　of　animal　had　a

separate　dooreven　the　mice　had　a　tiny　tunnel

made　for　them　into　the　cellar；　where　they

waited　patiently　in　rows　for　the　Doctor　to　come

round　to　them。



And　so；　in　a　few　years'　time；　every　living

thing　for　miles　and　miles　got　to　know　about

John　Dolittle；　M。D。　　And　the　birds　who　flew

to　other　countries　in　the　winter　told　the　animals

in　foreign　lands　of　the　wonderful　doctor

of　Puddleby…on…the…Marsh；　who　could　understand

their　talk　and　help　them　in　their　troubles。

In　this　way　he　became　famous　among　the　animals

all　over　the　worldbetter　known　even

than　he　had　been　among　the　folks　of　the　West

Country。　　And　he　was　happy　and　liked　his　life

very　much。



One　afternoon　when　the　Doctor　was　busy

writing　in　a　book；　Polynesia　sat　in　the　window

as　she　nearly　always　didlooking　out　at

the　leaves　b