English
Very,veryquietly,makingsurethatnooneshouldseeher,Polynesiathenslippedoutatthebackofthetreeandflewacrosstotheprison.
ShefoundGub–Gubpokinghisnosethroughthebarsofthewindow,tryingtosniffthecooking–smellsthatcamefromthepalace–kitchen.
ShetoldthepigtobringtheDoctortothewindowbecauseshewantedtospeaktohim.
SoGub–GubwentandwoketheDoctorwhowastakinganap.
"Listen,"whisperedtheparrot,whenJohnDolittle'sfaceappeared:"PrinceBumpoiscominghereto–nighttoseeyou.
Andyou'vegottofindsomewaytoturnhimwhite.
Butbesuretomakehimpromiseyoufirstthathewillopentheprison–doorandfindashipforyoutocrosstheseain."
"Thisisallverywell,"saidtheDoctor.
"Butitisn'tsoeasytoturnablackmanwhite.
Youspeakasthoughhewereadresstobere–dyed.It'snotsosimple.
'Shalltheleopardchangehisspots,ortheEthiopianhisskin,'youknow?"
"Idon'tknowanythingaboutthat,"saidPolynesiaimpatiently."ButyouMUSTturnthismanwhite.Thinkofaway—thinkhard.
You'vegotplentyofmedicinesleftinthebag.
He'lldoanythingforyouifyouchangehiscolor.
Itisyouronlychancetogetoutofprison."
"Well,IsupposeitMIGHTbepossible,"saidtheDoctor.
"Letmesee—,"andhewentovertohismedicine–bag,murmuringsomethingabout"liberatedchlorineonanimal–pigment—perhapszinc–ointment,asatemporarymeasure,spreadthick—"
Well,thatnightPrinceBumpocamesecretlytotheDoctorinprisonandsaidtohim,
"WhiteMan,Iamanunhappyprince.YearsagoIwentinsearchofTheSleepingBeauty,whomIhadreadofinabook.
Andhavingtraveledthroughtheworldmanydays,Iatlastfoundherandkissedtheladyverygentlytoawakenher—asthebooksaidIshould.'Tistrueindeedthatsheawoke.
Butwhenshesawmyfaceshecriedout,'Oh,he'sblack!'
Andsheranawayandwouldn'tmarryme—butwenttosleepagainsomewhereelse.
SoIcameback,fullofsadness,tomyfather'skingdom.
NowIhearthatyouareawonderfulmagicianandhavemanypowerfulpotions.SoIcometoyouforhelp.
Ifyouwillturnmewhite,sothatImaygobacktoTheSleepingBeauty,Iwillgiveyouhalfmykingdomandanythingbesidesyouask."
"PrinceBumpo,"saidtheDoctor,lookingthoughtfullyatthebottlesinhismedicine–bag,"supposingImadeyourhairaniceblondecolor—wouldnotthatdoinsteadtomakeyouhappy?"
"No,"saidBumpo."Nothingelsewillsatisfyme.Imustbeawhiteprince."
"Youknowitisveryhardtochangethecolorofaprince,"saidtheDoctor—"oneofthehardestthingsamagiciancando.Youonlywantyourfacewhite,doyounot?"
"Yes,thatisall,"saidBumpo."BecauseIshallwearshiningarmorandgauntletsofsteel,liketheotherwhiteprinces,andrideonahorse."
"Mustyourfacebewhiteallover?"askedtheDoctor.
"Yes,allover,"saidBumpo—"andIwouldlikemyeyesbluetoo,butIsupposethatwouldbeveryhardtodo."
"Yes,itwould,"saidtheDoctorquickly."Well,IwilldowhatIcanforyou.
Youwillhavetobeverypatientthough—youknowwithsomemedicinesyoucanneverbeverysure.Imighthavetotrytwoorthreetimes.Youhaveastrongskin—yes?Wellthat'sallright.
Nowcomeoverherebythelight—Oh,butbeforeIdoanything,youmustfirstgodowntothebeachandgetashipready,withfoodinit,totakemeacrossthesea.Donotspeakawordofthistoanyone.
AndwhenIhavedoneasyouask,youmustletmeandallmyanimalsoutofprison.Promise—bythecrownofJolliginki!"
SothePrincepromisedandwentawaytogetashipreadyattheseashore.
Whenhecamebackandsaidthatitwasdone,theDoctoraskedDab–Dabtobringabasin.ThenhemixedalotofmedicinesinthebasinandtoldBumpotodiphisfaceinit.
ThePrinceleaneddownandputhisfacein—rightuptotheears.
Heheldittherealongtime—solongthattheDoctorseemedtogetdreadfullyanxiousandfidgety,standingfirstononelegandthenontheother,lookingatallthebottleshehadusedforthemixture,andreadingthelabelsonthemagainandagain.
Astrongsmellfilledtheprison,likethesmellofbrownpaperburning.
AtlastthePrinceliftedhisfaceupoutofthebasin,breathingveryhard.Andalltheanimalscriedoutinsurprise.
ForthePrince'sfacehadturnedaswhiteassnow,andhiseyes,whichhadbeenmud–colored,wereamanlygray!
WhenJohnDolittlelenthimalittlelooking–glasstoseehimselfin,hesangforjoyandbegandancingaroundtheprison.
ButtheDoctoraskedhimnottomakesomuchnoiseaboutit;andwhenhehadclosedhismedicine–baginahurryhetoldhimtoopentheprison–door.
Bumpobeggedthathemightkeepthelooking–glass,asitwastheonlyoneintheKingdomofJolliginki,andhewantedtolookathimselfalldaylong.ButtheDoctorsaidheneededittoshavewith.
ThenthePrince,takingabunchofcopperkeysfromhispocket,undidthegreatdoublelocks.
AndtheDoctorwithallhisanimalsranasfastastheycoulddowntotheseashore;whileBumpoleanedagainstthewalloftheemptydungeon,smilingafterthemhappily,hisbigfaceshininglikepolishedivoryinthelightofthemoon.
WhentheycametothebeachtheysawPolynesiaandChee–Cheewaitingforthemontherocksneartheship.
"IfeelsorryaboutBumpo,"saidtheDoctor.
"IamafraidthatmedicineIusedwillneverlast.
Mostlikelyhewillbeasblackaseverwhenhewakesupinthemorning—that'sonereasonwhyIdidn'tliketoleavethemirrorwithhim.
Butthenagain,heMIGHTstaywhite—Ihadneverusedthatmixturebefore.
Totellthetruth,Iwassurprised,myself,thatitworkedsowell.ButIhadtodosomething,didn'tI?
—Icouldn'tpossiblyscrubtheKing'skitchenfortherestofmylife.Itwassuchadirtykitchen!—Icouldseeitfromtheprison–window.—Well,well!—PoorBumpo!"
"Oh,ofcoursehewillknowwewerejustjokingwithhim,"saidtheparrot.
"Theyhadnobusinesstolockusup,"saidDab–Dab,wagglinghertailangrily."Weneverdidthemanyharm.Servehimright,ifhedoesturnblackagain!Ihopeit'sadarkblack."
"ButHEdidn'thaveanythingtodowithit,"saidtheDoctor.
"ItwastheKing,hisfather,whohaduslockedup—itwasn'tBumpo'sfault....IwonderifIoughttogobackandapologize—Oh,well—I'llsendhimsomecandywhenIgettoPuddleby.Andwhoknows?—hemaystaywhiteafterall."
"TheSleepingBeautywouldneverhavehim,evenifhedid,"saidDab–Dab."Helookedbetterthewayhewas,Ithought.Buthe'dneverbeanythingbutugly,nomatterwhatcolorhewasmade."
"Still,hehadagoodheart,"saidtheDoctor—"romantic,ofcourse—butagoodheart.Afterall,'handsomeisashandsomedoes.'"
"Idon'tbelievethepoorboobyfoundTheSleepingBeautyatall,"saidJip,thedog.
"Mostlikelyhekissedsomefarmer'sfatwifewhowastakingasnoozeunderanapple–tree.Can'tblameherforgettingscared!
Iwonderwhohe'llgoandkissthistime.Sillybusiness!"
Thenthepushmi–pullyu,thewhitemouse,Gub–Gub,Dab–Dab,Jipandtheowl,Too–Too,wentontotheshipwiththeDoctor.
ButChee–Chee,Polynesiaandthecrocodilestayedbehind,becauseAfricawastheirproperhome,thelandwheretheywereborn.
AndwhentheDoctorstoodupontheboat,helookedoverthesideacrossthewater.AndthenherememberedthattheyhadnoonewiththemtoguidethembacktoPuddleby.
Thewide,widesealookedterriblybigandlonesomeinthemoonlight;andhebegantowonderiftheywouldlosetheirwaywhentheypassedoutofsightofland.
Butevenwhilehewaswondering,theyheardastrangewhisperingnoise,highintheair,comingthroughthenight.AndtheanimalsallstoppedsayingGood–byandlistened.
Thenoisegrewlouderandbigger.Itseemedtobecomingnearertothem—asoundliketheAutumnwindblowingthroughtheleavesofapoplar–tree,oragreat,greatrainbeatingdownuponaroof.
AndJip,withhisnosepointingandhistailquitestraight,said,
"Birds!—millionsofthem—flyingfast—that'sit!"
Andthentheyalllookedup.Andthere,streamingacrossthefaceofthemoon,likeahugeswarmoftinyants,theycouldseethousandsandthousandsoflittlebirds.
Soonthewholeskyseemedfullofthem,andstillmorekeptcoming—moreandmore.
Thereweresomanythatforalittletheycoveredthewholemoonsoitcouldnotshine,andtheseagrewdarkandblack—likewhenastorm–cloudpassesoverthesun.
Andpresentlyallthesebirdscamedownclose,skimmingoverthewaterandtheland;andthenight–skywasleftclearabove,andthemoonshoneasbefore.
Stillneveracallnoracrynorasongtheymade—nosoundbutthisgreatrustlingoffeatherswhichgrewgreaternowthanever.
Whentheybegantosettleonthesands,alongtheropesoftheship—anywhereandeverywhereexceptthetrees—theDoctorcouldseethattheyhadbluewingsandwhitebreastsandveryshort,featheredlegs.
Assoonastheyhadallfoundaplacetosit,suddenly,therewasnonoiseleftanywhere—allwasquiet;allwasstill.
AndinthesilentmoonlightJohnDolittlespoke:
"IhadnoideathatwehadbeeninAfricasolong.
ItwillbenearlySummerwhenwegethome.Forthesearetheswallowsgoingback.
Swallows,Ithankyouforwaitingforus.Itisverythoughtfulofyou.
Nowweneednotbeafraidthatwewillloseourwayuponthesea....Pulluptheanchorandsetthesail!"
Whentheshipmovedoutuponthewater,thosewhostayedbehind,Chee–Chee,Polynesiaandthecrocodile,grewterriblysad.
ForneverintheirliveshadtheyknownanyonetheylikedsowellasDoctorJohnDolittleofPuddleby–on–the–Marsh.
AndaftertheyhadcalledGood–bytohimagainandagainandagain,theystillstoodthereupontherocks,cryingbitterlyandwavingtilltheshipwasoutofsight.
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