The Story of Dr Dolittle / История доктора Дулиттла. 5 класс - стр. 4

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.

Now for six whole weeks they sailed on and on,[6] over the sea. They followed the swallow who flew before the ship to show them the way. They sailed further and further into the South, and it got warmer and warmer. Polynesia, Chee-Chee and the crocodile enjoyed the hot sun very much. But the pig and the dog and the owl, Too-Too, could do nothing in such weather, but sat at the end of the ship in the shade of a big barrel, drinking lemonade. Dab-Dab, the duck, jumped into the sea and swam behind the ship, so she kept herself cool. In this way, too, she caught herrings on Tuesdays and Fridays – when everybody on the boat ate fish.

One evening, at sunset, the Doctor said, “Bring me the telescope, Chee-Chee. Our journey is nearly ended. Very soon we will see the shores of Africa.” And about half an hour later they thought they could see 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 over the boat. Soon there was a big BANG! The ship stopped and rolled over on its side.

“What’s happened?” asked the Doctor.

“I’m not sure,” said the parrot; “but I think we’re ship-wrecked.[7] Tell the duck to get out and see.”

So Dab-Dab dived 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. “Dear me, dear me!” said the Doctor. “Well – we must all swim to land.” But Chee-Chee and Gub-Gub did not know how to swim. “Take the rope!” said Polynesia. “Come here, Dab-Dab. Take this end of the rope, fly to the shore and tie it 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 until they reach the land.”

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. Then they all took shelter in a nice dry cave that 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!” said Polynesia and sighed. “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! Same old palm-trees; same old red earth; same old black ants! There’s no place like home!”

Then the Doctor missed his hat. So Dab-Dab went out to look for it. And she saw it, in the distance, 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.