English
Well,therewerenotmanydaysafterthat,youmaybesure,whenIdidnotcometoseemynewfriend.
IndeedIwasathishousepracticallyalldayandeveryday.
SothatoneeveningmymotheraskedmejokinglywhyIdidnottakemybedoverthereandliveattheDoctor'shousealtogether.
AfterawhileIthinkIgottobequiteusefultotheDoctor,feedinghispetsforhim;helpingtomakenewhousesandfencesforthezoo;assistingwiththesickanimalsthatcame;doingallmannerofoddjobsabouttheplace.
SothatalthoughIenjoyeditallverymuch(itwasindeedlikelivinginanewworld)IreallythinktheDoctorwouldhavemissedmeifIhadnotcomesooften.
AndallthistimePolynesiacamewithmewhereverIwent,teachingmebirdlanguageandshowingmehowtounderstandthetalkingsignsoftheanimals.
AtfirstIthoughtIwouldneverbeabletolearnatall—itseemedsodifficult.
Buttheoldparrotwaswonderfullypatientwithme—thoughIcouldseethatoccasionallyshehadhardworktokeephertemper.
SoonIbegantopickupthestrangechatterofthebirdsandtounderstandthefunnytalkinganticsofthedogs.
IusedtopractiselisteningtothemicebehindthewainscotafterIwenttobed,andwatchingthecatsontheroofsandpigeonsinthemarket-squareofPuddleby.
Andthedayspassedveryquickly—astheyalwaysdowhenlifeispleasant;andthedaysturnedintoweeks,andweeksintomonths;andsoontherosesintheDoctor'sgardenwerelosingtheirpetalsandyellowleaveslayuponthewidegreenlawn.Forthesummerwasnearlygone.
OnedayPolynesiaandIweretalkinginthelibrary.
Thiswasafinelongroomwithagrandmantlepieceandthewallswerecoveredfromtheceilingtothefloorwithshelvesfullofbooks:booksofstories,booksongardening,booksaboutmedicine,booksoftravel;theseIloved—andespeciallytheDoctor'sgreatatlaswithallitsmapsofthedifferentcountriesoftheworld.
ThisafternoonPolynesiawasshowingmethebooksaboutanimalswhichJohnDolittlehadwrittenhimself.
"My!"Isaid,"whatalotofbookstheDoctorhas—allthewayaroundtheroom!Goodness!IwishIcouldread!Itmustbetremendouslyinteresting.Canyouread,Polynesia?"
"Onlyalittle,"saidshe."Becarefulhowyouturnthosepages—don'ttearthem.No,Ireallydon'tgettimeenoughforreading—much.ThatletterthereisaKandthisisaB."
"Whatdoesthiswordunderthepicturemean?"Iasked.
"Letmesee,"shesaid,andstartedspellingitout."B-A-B-O-O-N—that'sMONKEY.Readingisn'tnearlyashardasitlooks,onceyouknowtheletters."
"Polynesia,"Isaid,"Iwanttoaskyousomethingveryimportant."
"Whatisit,myboy?"saidshe,smoothingdownthefeathersofherrightwing.
Polynesiaoftenspoketomeinaverypatronizingway.ButIdidnotminditfromher.
Afterall,shewasnearlytwohundredyearsold;andIwasonlyten.
"Listen,"Isaid,"mymotherdoesn'tthinkitisrightthatIcomehereforsomanymeals.
AndIwasgoingtoaskyou:supposingIdidawholelotmoreworkfortheDoctor—whycouldn'tIcomeandliveherealtogether?
Yousee,insteadofbeingpaidlikearegulargardenerorworkman,IwouldgetmybedandmealsinexchangefortheworkIdid.Whatdoyouthink?"
"YoumeanyouwanttobeaproperassistanttotheDoctor,isthatit?"
"Yes.Isupposethat'swhatyoucallit,"Ianswered."YouknowyousaidyourselfthatyouthoughtIcouldbeveryusefultohim."
"Well"—shethoughtamoment—"Ireallydon'tseewhynot.Butisthiswhatyouwanttobewhenyougrowup,anaturalist?"
"Yes,"Isaid,"Ihavemadeupmymind.Iwouldsoonerbeanaturalistthananythingelseintheworld."
"Humph!—Let'sgoandspeaktotheDoctoraboutit,"saidPolynesia."He'sinthenextroom—inthestudy.Openthedoorverygently—hemaybeworkingandnotwanttobedisturbed."
Iopenedthedoorquietlyandpeepedin.
ThefirstthingIsawwasanenormousblackretrieverdogsittinginthemiddleofthehearth-rugwithhisearscockedup,listeningtotheDoctorwhowasreadingaloudtohimfromaletter.
"WhatistheDoctordoing?"IaskedPolynesiainawhisper.
"Oh,thedoghashadaletterfromhismistressandhehasbroughtittotheDoctortoreadforhim.That'sall.
HebelongstoafunnylittlegirlcalledMinnieDooley,wholivesontheothersideofthetown.Shehaspigtailsdownherback.
SheandherbrotherhavegoneawaytotheseasidefortheSummer;andtheoldretrieverisheart-brokenwhilethechildrenaregone.
Sotheywriteletterstohim—inEnglishofcourse.
Andastheolddogdoesn'tunderstandthem,hebringsthemhere,andtheDoctorturnsthemintodoglanguageforhim.
IthinkMinniemusthavewrittenthatsheiscomingback—tojudgefromthedog'sexcitement.Justlookathimcarryingon!"
Indeedtheretrieverseemedtobesuddenlyovercomewithjoy.
AstheDoctorfinishedthelettertheolddogstartedbarkingatthetopofhisvoice,wagginghistailwildlyandjumpingaboutthestudy.
Hetooktheletterinhismouthandranoutoftheroomsnortinghardandmumblingtohimself.
"He'sgoingdowntomeetthecoach,"whisperedPolynesia.
"Thatdog'sdevotiontothosechildrenismorethanIcanunderstand.YoushouldseeMinnie!
She'sthemostconceitedlittleminxthateverwalked.Shesquintstoo."
Share this article to
FINISH