English
Havingthankedthesharksagainfortheirkindness,theDoctorandhispetssetoffoncemoreontheirjourneyhomeintheswiftshipwiththethreeredsails.
Astheymovedoutintotheopensea,theanimalsallwentdownstairstoseewhattheirnewboatwaslikeinside;whiletheDoctorleantontherailatthebackoftheshipwithapipeinhismouth,watchingtheCanaryIslandsfadeawayintheblueduskoftheevening.
Whilehewasstandingthere,wonderinghowthemonkeysweregettingon—andwhathisgardenwouldlooklikewhenhegotbacktoPuddleby,Dab–Dabcametumblingupthestairs,allsmilesandfullofnews.
"Doctor!"shecried.
"Thisshipofthepiratesissimplybeautiful—absolutely.
Thebedsdownstairsaremadeofprimrosesilk—withhundredsofbigpillowsandcushions;therearethick,softcarpetsonthefloors;thedishesaremadeofsilver;andthereareallsortsofgoodthingstoeatanddrink—specialthings;thelarder—well,it'sjustlikeashop,that'sall.
Youneversawanythinglikeitinyourlife—Justthink—theykeptfivedifferentkindsofsardines,thosemen!
Comeandlook....Oh,andwefoundalittleroomdowntherewiththedoorlocked;andweareallcrazytogetinandseewhat'sinside.
Jipsaysitmustbewherethepirateskepttheirtreasure.Butwecan'topenthedoor.
Comedownandseeifyoucanletusin."
SotheDoctorwentdownstairsandhesawthatitwasindeedabeautifulship.
Hefoundtheanimalsgatheredroundalittledoor,alltalkingatonce,tryingtoguesswhatwasinside.
TheDoctorturnedthehandlebutitwouldn'topen.
Thentheyallstartedtohuntforthekey.
Theylookedunderthemat;theylookedunderallthecarpets;theylookedinallthecupboardsanddrawersandlockers—inthebigchestsintheship'sdining–room;theylookedeverywhere.
Whiletheyweredoingthistheydiscoveredalotofnewandwonderfulthingsthatthepiratesmusthavestolenfromotherships:Kashmirshawlsasthinasacobweb,embroideredwithflowersofgold;jarsoffinetobaccofromJamaica;carvedivoryboxesfullofRussiantea;anoldviolinwithastringbrokenandapictureontheback;asetofbigchess–men,carvedoutofcoralandamber;awalking–stickwhichhadaswordinsideitwhenyoupulledthehandle;sixwine–glasseswithturquoiseandsilverroundtherims;andalovelygreatsugar–bowl,madeofmothero'pearl.
Butnowhereinthewholeboatcouldtheyfindakeytofitthatlock.
Sotheyallcamebacktothedoor,andJippeeredthroughthekey–hole.Butsomethinghadbeenstoodagainstthewallontheinsideandhecouldseenothing.
Whiletheywerestandingaround,wonderingwhattheyshoulddo,theowl,Too–Too,suddenlysaid,
"Sh!—Listen!—Idobelievethere'ssomeoneinthere!"
Theyallkeptstillamoment.ThentheDoctorsaid,
"Youmustbemistaken,Too–Too.Idon'thearanything."
"I'msureofit,"saidtheowl."Sh!—Thereitisagain—Don'tyouhearthat?"
"No,Idonot,"saidtheDoctor."Whatkindofasoundisit?"
"Ihearthenoiseofsomeoneputtinghishandinhispocket,"saidtheowl.
"Butthatmakeshardlyanysoundatall,"saidtheDoctor."Youcouldn'thearthatouthere."
"Pardonme,butIcan,"saidToo–Too."Itellyouthereissomeoneontheothersideofthatdoorputtinghishandinhispocket.
AlmosteverythingmakesSOMEnoise—ifyourearsareonlysharpenoughtocatchit.
Batscanhearamolewalkinginhistunnelundertheearth—andtheythinkthey'regoodhearers.
Butweowlscantellyou,usingonlyoneear,thecolorofakittenfromthewayitwinksinthedark."
"Well,well!"saidtheDoctor."Yousurpriseme.That'sveryinteresting....Listenagainandtellmewhathe'sdoingnow."
"I'mnotsureyet,"saidToo–Too,"ifit'samanatall.Maybeit'sawoman.Liftmeupandletmelistenatthekey–holeandI'llsoontellyou."
SotheDoctorliftedtheowlupandheldhimclosetothelockofthedoor.
AfteramomentToo–Toosaid,
"Nowhe'srubbinghisfacewithhislefthand.Itisasmallhandandasmallface.ItMIGHTbeawoman—No.Nowhepusheshishairbackoffhisforehead—It'samanallright."
"Womensometimesdothat,"saidtheDoctor.
"True,"saidtheowl."Butwhentheydo,theirlonghairmakesquiteadifferentsound....Sh!Makethatfidgetypigkeepstill.
NowallholdyourbreathamomentsoIcanlistenwell.
Thisisverydifficult,whatI'mdoingnow—andthepeskydoorissothick!Sh!
Everybodyquitestill—shutyoureyesanddon'tbreathe."
Too–Tooleaneddownandlistenedagainveryhardandlong.
AtlasthelookedupintotheDoctor'sfaceandsaid,
"Themaninthereisunhappy.Heweeps.Hehastakencarenottoblubberorsniffle,lestweshouldfindoutthatheiscrying.ButIheard—quitedistinctly—thesoundofatearfallingonhissleeve."
"Howdoyouknowitwasn'tadropofwaterfallingofftheceilingonhim?"askedGub–Gub."Pshaw!—Suchignorance!"sniffedToo–Too.
"Adropofwaterfallingofftheceilingwouldhavemadetentimesasmuchnoise!"
"Well,"saidtheDoctor,"ifthepoorfellow'sunhappy,we'vegottogetinandseewhat'sthematterwithhim.Findmeanaxe,andI'llchopthedoordown."
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