English
Draggingashipthroughtheseaishardwork.
Andaftertwoorthreehourstheswallowsbegantogettiredinthewingsandshortofbreath.
ThentheysentamessagedowntotheDoctortosaythattheywouldhavetotakearestsoon;andthattheywouldpulltheboatovertoanislandnotfaroff,andhideitinadeepbaytilltheyhadgotbreathenoughtogoon.
AndpresentlytheDoctorsawtheislandtheyhadspokenof.Ithadaverybeautiful,high,greenmountaininthemiddleofit.
Whentheshiphadsailedsafelyintothebaywhereitcouldnotbeseenfromtheopensea,theDoctorsaidhewouldgetoffontotheislandtolookforwater—becausetherewasnonelefttodrinkonhisship.
Andhetoldalltheanimalstogetouttooandromponthegrasstostretchtheirlegs.
Nowastheyweregettingoff,theDoctornoticedthatawholelotofratswerecomingupfromdownstairsandleavingtheshipaswell.
Jipstartedtorunafterthem,becausechasingratshadalwaysbeenhisfavoritegame.ButtheDoctortoldhimtostop.
Andonebigblackrat,whoseemedtowanttosaysomethingtotheDoctor,nowcreptforwardtimidlyalongtherail,watchingthedogoutofthecornerofhiseye.
Andafterhehadcoughednervouslytwoorthreetimes,andcleanedhiswhiskersandwipedhismouth,hesaid,
"Ahem—er—youknowofcoursethatallshipshaveratsinthem,Doctor,doyounot?"
AndtheDoctorsaid,"Yes."
"Andyouhaveheardthatratsalwaysleaveasinkingship?"
"Yes,"saidtheDoctor—"soI'vebeentold."
"People,"saidtherat,"alwaysspeakofitwithasneer—asthoughitweresomethingdisgraceful.Butyoucan'tblameus,canyou?Afterall,whoWOULDstayonasinkingship,ifhecouldgetoffit?"
"It'sverynatural,"saidtheDoctor—"verynatural.Iquiteunderstand....Wasthere—Wasthereanythingelseyouwishedtosay?"
"Yes,"saidtherat."I'vecometotellyouthatweareleavingthisone.Butwewantedtowarnyoubeforewego.Thisisabadshipyouhavehere.Itisn'tsafe.Thesidesaren'tstrongenough.Itsboardsarerotten.
Beforeto–morrownightitwillsinktothebottomofthesea."
"Buthowdoyouknow?"askedtheDoctor.
"Wealwaysknow,"answeredtherat."Thetipsofourtailsgetthattinglyfeeling—likewhenyourfoot'sasleep.
Thismorning,atsixo'clock,whileIwasgettingbreakfast,mytailsuddenlybegantotingle.
AtfirstIthoughtitwasmyrheumatismcomingback.
SoIwentandaskedmyaunthowshefelt—yourememberher?
—thelong,piebaldrat,ratherskinny,whocametoseeyouinPuddlebylastSpringwithjaundice?
Well—andshesaidHERtailwastinglinglikeeverything!
Thenweknew,forsure,thatthisboatwasgoingtosinkinlessthantwodays;andweallmadeupourmindstoleaveitassoonaswegotnearenoughtoanyland.It'sabadship,Doctor.
Don'tsailinitanymore,oryou'llbesurelydrowned....Good–by!
Wearenowgoingtolookforagoodplacetoliveonthisisland."
"Good–by!"saidtheDoctor.
"Andthankyouverymuchforcomingtotellme.Veryconsiderateofyou—very!Givemyregardstoyouraunt.
Irememberherperfectly....Leavethatratalone,Jip!Comehere!Liedown!"
SothentheDoctorandallhisanimalswentoff,carryingpailsandsaucepans,tolookforwaterontheisland,whiletheswallowstooktheirrest.
"Iwonderwhatisthenameofthisisland,"saidtheDoctor,ashewasclimbingupthemountainside."Itseemsapleasantplace.Whatalotofbirdsthereare!"
"Why,thesearetheCanaryIslands,"saidDab–Dab."Don'tyouhearthecanariessinging?"
TheDoctorstoppedandlistened.
"Why,tobesure—ofcourse!"hesaid."Howstupidofme!Iwonderiftheycantelluswheretofindwater."
Andpresentlythecanaries,whohadheardallaboutDoctorDolittlefrombirdsofpassage,cameandledhimtoabeautifulspringofcool,clearwaterwherethecanariesusedtotaketheirbath;andtheyshowedhimlovelymeadowswherethebird–seedgrewandalltheothersightsoftheirisland.
Andthepushmi–pullyuwasgladtheyhadcome;becausehelikedthegreengrasssomuchbetterthanthedriedappleshehadbeeneatingontheship.
AndGub–Gubsqueakedforjoywhenhefoundawholevalleyfullofwildsugarcane.
Alittlelater,whentheyhadallhadplentytoeatanddrink,andwerelyingontheirbackswhilethecanariessangforthem,twooftheswallowscamehurryingup,veryflusteredandexcited.
"Doctor!"theycried,"thepirateshavecomeintothebay;andthey'veallgotontoyourship.
Theyaredownstairslookingforthingstosteal.
Theyhavelefttheirownshipwithnobodyonit.
Ifyouhurryandcomedowntotheshore,youcangetontotheirship—whichisveryfast—andescape.Butyou'llhavetohurry."
"That'sagoodidea,"saidtheDoctor—"splendid!"
Andhecalledhisanimalstogetheratonce,saidGood–bytothecanariesandrandowntothebeach.
Whentheyreachedtheshoretheysawthepirate–ship,withthethreeredsails,standinginthewater;and—justastheswallowshadsaid—therewasnobodyonit;allthepiratesweredownstairsintheDoctor'sship,lookingforthingstosteal.
SoJohnDolittletoldhisanimalstowalkverysoftlyandtheyallcreptontothepirate–ship.
Share this article to
FINISH