English
JohnDolittlenowbecamedreadfully,awfullybusy.
Hefoundhundredsandthousandsofmonkeyssick—gorillas,orangoutangs,chimpanzees,dog–facedbaboons,marmosettes,graymonkeys,redones—allkinds.Andmanyhaddied.
Thefirstthinghedidwastoseparatethesickonesfromthewellones.
ThenhegotChee–Cheeandhiscousintobuildhimalittlehouseofgrass.
Thenextthing:hemadeallthemonkeyswhowerestillwellcomeandbevaccinated.
Andforthreedaysandthreenightsthemonkeyskeptcomingfromthejunglesandthevalleysandthehillstothelittlehouseofgrass,wheretheDoctorsatalldayandallnight,vaccinatingandvaccinating.
Thenhehadanotherhousemade—abigone,withalotofbedsinit;andheputallthesickonesinthishouse.
Butsomanyweresick,therewerenotenoughwellonestodothenursing.
Sohesentmessagestotheotheranimals,likethelionsandtheleopardsandtheantelopes,tocomeandhelpwiththenursing.
ButtheLeaderoftheLionswasaveryproudcreature.AndwhenhecametotheDoctor'sbighousefullofbedsheseemedangryandscornful.
"Doyoudaretoaskme,Sir?"hesaid,glaringattheDoctor."Doyoudaretoaskme—ME,THEKINGOFBEASTS,towaitonalotofdirtymonkeys?Why,Iwouldn'teveneatthembetweenmeals!"
Althoughthelionlookedveryterrible,theDoctortriedhardnottoseemafraidofhim.
"Ididn'taskyoutoeatthem,"hesaidquietly."Andbesides,they'renotdirty.They'veallhadabaththismorning.
YOURcoatlooksasthoughitneededbrushing—badly.
Nowlisten,andI'lltellyousomething:thedaymaycomewhenthelionsgetsick.
Andifyoudon'thelptheotheranimalsnow,thelionsmayfindthemselvesleftallalonewhenTHEYareintrouble.Thatoftenhappenstoproudpeople."
"ThelionsareneverINtrouble—theyonlyMAKEtrouble,"saidtheLeader,turninguphisnose.Andhestalkedawayintothejungle,feelinghehadbeenrathersmartandclever.
Thentheleopardsgotproudtooandsaidtheywouldn'thelp.
Andthenofcoursetheantelopes—althoughtheyweretooshyandtimidtoberudetotheDoctorlikethelion—THEYpawedtheground,andsmiledfoolishly,andsaidtheyhadneverbeennursesbefore.
AndnowthepoorDoctorwasworriedfrantic,wonderingwherehecouldgethelpenoughtotakecareofallthesethousandsofmonkeysinbed.
ButtheLeaderoftheLions,whenhegotbacktohisden,sawhiswife,theQueenLioness,comerunningouttomeethimwithherhairuntidy.
"Oneofthecubswon'teat,"shesaid."Idon'tknowWHATtodowithhim.Hehasn'ttakenathingsincelastnight."
Andshebegantocryandshakewithnervousness—forshewasagoodmother,eventhoughshewasalioness.
SotheLeaderwentintohisdenandlookedathischildren—twoverycunninglittlecubs,lyingonthefloor.Andoneofthemseemedquitepoorly.
Thentheliontoldhiswife,quiteproudly,justwhathehadsaidtotheDoctor.
Andshegotsoangryshenearlydrovehimoutoftheden."YouneverDIDhaveagrainofsense!"shescreamed.
"AlltheanimalsfromheretotheIndianOceanaretalkingaboutthiswonderfulman,andhowhecancureanykindofsickness,andhowkindheis—theonlymaninthewholeworldwhocantalkthelanguageoftheanimals!
Andnow,NOW—whenwehaveasickbabyonourhands,youmustgoandoffendhim!Yougreatbooby!
NobodybutafooliseverrudetoaGOODdoctor.
You—,"andshestartedpullingherhusband'shair.
"Gobacktothatwhitemanatonce,"sheyelled,"andtellhimyou'resorry.
Andtakealltheotherempty–headedlionswithyou—andthosestupidleopardsandantelopes.
ThendoeverythingtheDoctortellsyou.Workhard!
Andperhapshewillbekindenoughtocomeandseethecublater.Nowbeoff!—HURRY,Itellyou!You'renotfittobeafather!"
Andshewentintothedennextdoor,whereanothermother–lionlived,andtoldherallaboutit.
SotheLeaderoftheLionswentbacktotheDoctorandsaid,"IhappenedtobepassingthiswayandthoughtI'dlookin.Gotanyhelpyet?"
"No,"saidtheDoctor."Ihaven't.AndI'mdreadfullyworried."
"Help'sprettyhardtogetthesedays,"saidthelion.
"Animalsdon'tseemtowanttoworkanymore.
Youcan'tblamethem—inaway....Well,seeingyou'reindifficulties,Idon'tminddoingwhatIcan—justtoobligeyou—solongasIdon'thavetowashthecreatures.
AndIhavetoldalltheotherhuntinganimalstocomeanddotheirshare.
Theleopardsshouldbehereanyminutenow....Oh,andbytheway,we'vegotasickcubathome.
Idon'tthinkthere'smuchthematterwithhimmyself.Butthewifeisanxious.
Ifyouarearoundthatwaythisevening,youmighttakealookathim,willyou?"
ThentheDoctorwasveryhappy;forallthelionsandtheleopardsandtheantelopesandthegiraffesandthezebras—alltheanimalsoftheforestsandthemountainsandtheplains—cametohelphiminhiswork.
Thereweresomanyofthemthathehadtosendsomeaway,andonlykeptthecleverest.
Andnowverysoonthemonkeysbegantogetbetter.Attheendofaweekthebighousefullofbedswashalfempty.Andattheendofthesecondweekthelastmonkeyhadgotwell.
ThentheDoctor'sworkwasdone;andhewassotiredhewenttobedandsleptforthreedayswithouteventurningover.
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