lemonade.

Dab-Dab, the duck, used to keep herself cool
by jumping into the sea and swimming behind

the ship. And every once in a while, when
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 herrings 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 of porpoises
came dancing through the waves; and they too

asked Polynesia if this was the ship of the fa-
mous 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 have run
short of onions."

"There is an island not far from here," said
the porpoises, "where the wild onions grow tall

and strong. Keep straight on--we will get
some and catch up to you."

So the porpoises dashed away through the
sea. And very soon the parrot saw them again,

coming up behind, 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 nearly ended. Very soon we should

be able to see the shores of Africa."
And about half an hour later, sure enough,

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; and the waves got so

high they splashed right over the boat.
Presently there was a big BANG! The ship

stopped and rolled over on its side.
"What's happened?" asked the Doctor,

coming up from downstairs.
"I'm not sure," said the parrot; "but I think

we're ship-wrecked. Tell the duck to get out
and see."

So Dab-Dab dived right down under the
waves. And when she came up she said they

had struck a rock; there was a big hole in the
bottom of the ship; the water was coming in;

and they were sinking fast.
"We must have run into Africa," 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. That's
what you call a `life-line.'"

So they all got safely to the shore--some
swimming, some flying; and those that climbed

along the rope brought the Doctor's trunk and
handbag with them.

But the ship was no good any more--with the
big hole in the bottom; and presently 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 to-morrow since I was

here! And it hasn't changed a bit! 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 missed his high hat; for it

had been blown into the sea during the storm.
So Dab-Dab went out to look for it. And presently

she saw it, a long way off, 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

and was brought on to the ship with the
hard-tack. 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 and thought I was going to sink. And
then, just at that moment, the old man's hat came

floating by; and 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.
"That's what you call a `stowaway,'" said the parrot.

Presently, when they were looking for a place
in the trunk where the white mouse could travel

comfortably, the monkey, Chee-Chee, suddenly 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--M. D.," said the

Doctor. "I have been 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.

"The King of the Jolliginki," the man
answered. "All these lands belong to him; and all

strangers must be brought before him. Follow me."
So they gathered up their baggage and went

off, following the man through the jungle.
THE SIXTH CHAPTER

POLYNESIA AND THE KING
WHEN they had gone a little way through

the thick forest they came to a wide, clear
space; and they saw the King's palace which

was made of mud.
This was where the King lived with his

Queen, Ermintrude, and their son, Prince
Bumpo. The Prince was away fishing for salmon

in the river. But the King and Queen
were sitting under an umbrella before the palace

door. And Queen Ermintrude was asleep.
When the Doctor had come up to the palace

the King asked him his business; and the Doctor
told him why he had come to Africa.

"You may not travel through my lands," said
the King. "Many years ago a white man came

to these shores; and I was very kind to him.
But after he had dug holes in the ground to get

the gold, and killed all the elephants to get their
ivory tusks, he went away secretly in his ship--

without so much as saying `Thank you.' Never
again shall a white man travel through the lands

of Jolliginki."
Then the King turned to some of the black

men who were standing near and said, "Take
away this medicine-man--with all his animals,

and lock them up in my strongest prison."
So six of the black men led the Doctor and

all his pets away and shut them up in a stone
dungeon. The dungeon had only one little window,

high up in the wall, with bars in it; and
the door was strong and thick.

Then they all grew very sad; and Gub-Gub,
the pig, began to cry. But Chee-Chee said he

would spank him if he didn't stop that horrible
noise; and he kept quiet.

"Are we all here?" asked the Doctor, after
he had got used to the dim light.

"Yes, I think so," said the duck and started
to count them.

"Where's Polynesia?" asked the crocodile.
"She isn't here."

"Are you sure?" said the Doctor. "Look again.
Polynesia! Polynesia! Where are you?"

"I suppose she escaped," grumbled the crocodile.
"Well, that's just like her!--Sneaked off into

the jungle as soon as her friends got into trouble."
"I'm not that kind of a bird," said the parrot,

climbing out of the pocket in the tail of the
Doctor's coat. "You see, I'm small enough to

get through the bars of that window; and I was
afraid they would put me in a cage instead.

So while the King was busy talking, I hid in
the Doctor's pocket--and here I am! That's

what you call a `ruse,'" she said, smoothing
down her feathers with her beak.

"Good Gracious!" cried the Doctor.
"You're lucky I didn't sit on you."

"Now listen," said Polynesia, "to-night, as
soon as it gets dark, I am going to creep through

the bars of that window and fly over to the
palace. And then--you'll see--I'll soon find

• lightning [´laitniŋ] n.闪电 a.突然的 (初中英语单词)
• safely [´seifli] ad.安全地；平安地 (初中英语单词)
• presently [´prezəntli] ad.不久；目前 (初中英语单词)
• monkey [´mʌŋki] n.猴子 v.乱弄；胡闹 (初中英语单词)
• prince [´prins] n.王子；亲王；君主 (初中英语单词)
• standing [´stændiŋ] n.持续 a.直立的 (初中英语单词)
• telescope [´teliskəup] n.望远镜 (高中英语单词)
• baggage [´bægidʒ] n.行李 (高中英语单词)
• umbrella [ʌm´brelə] n.伞 (高中英语单词)
• secretly [´si:kritli] ad.秘密地；隐蔽地 (高中英语单词)
• saying [´seiŋ, ´sei-iŋ] n.言语；言论；格言 (高中英语单词)
• dungeon [´dʌndʒən] n.地牢，土牢 (高中英语单词)
• jungle [´dʒʌŋgəl] n.丛林；杂乱的东西 (高中英语单词)
• equator [i´kweitə] n.赤道 (英语四级单词)
• parrot [´pærət] n.鹦鹉；应声虫 (英语四级单词)
• fishing [´fiʃiŋ] n.钓鱼；捕鱼；渔业 (英语四级单词)