As he arrived at the little group of straw houses he saw that there was some kind of a commotion2 going on. All the villagers were gathered about the Chief's hut; speeches were being made and everyone seemed in a great state of excitement. The old Chief himself was standing3 at the door, and when he saw his friend, the Doctor, approaching on the edge of the crowd, he signaled him to come into the hut. This the Doctor did. And as soon as he was inside the Chief closed the door and began to tell him what the trouble was.
"Great trials have overtaken me in my old age, oh white man," said he. "For fifty years I have been head of this tribe, respected, honored and obeyed. Now my young son-in-law, Obombo, clamors to be made Chief and many of the people support him. Bread we have none; food of any kind is scanty4. And Obombo tells the tribesmen that the fault is mine—that he, if he is made chief, will bring them luxury and prosperity. It is not that I am unwilling5 to give up the chieftaincy, but I know this young upstart who would take my place means to lead the people into war. What can he do by going to war? Can he fill the people's stomachs? In wars we have always lost. Our neighbors are large peoples, while we are the smallest tribe in all West Africa. So we have been robbed and robbed, till now the mothers and children clamor at my door for bread. Alas6, alas, that I should ever see this day!"
The old Chief sank into his chair as he ended and burst out weeping. The Doctor went up and patted him on the shoulder.
"Chief Nyam-Nyam," said he, "I think I have discovered something to-day which should make you and your people rich for the remainder of your lives. Go out now and address the tribesmen. Promise them in my name—and remind them that I come recommended by King Koko—promise them from me that if they will abide7 peacefully under your rule for another week the country of Chief Nyam-Nyam will be made famous for its riches and prosperity."
Then the old Chief opened the door and made a speech to the clamoring crowd outside. And when he had ended Obombo, the son-in-law, got up and began another speech, calling on the people to drive the old man out into the jungle. But before he had got halfway8 through the crowd began to murmur9 to one another:
"Let us not listen to this forward young man. It is far better that we abide the white man's promise and see what comes. He is a man of deeds, not words. Did he not put the Amazons to flight with a magic mouse that lives in his pocket? Let us side with the white man and the venerable Nyam-Nyam, who has ruled us with kindness for so long. Obombo would but lead us into war, and bring us to greater poverty still."
Soon hisses10 and groans11 broke out among the crowd and, picking up pebbles12 and mud, they began pelting13 Obombo so he could not go on with his speech. Finally he had to run for the jungle himself to escape the fury of the people.
Then when the excitement had died down and the villagers had gone peacefully to their homes, the Doctor told the old Chief of the wealth that lay waiting for him in the oysters14 of the Harmattan Rocks. And the cormorant agreed to oblige John Dolittle by getting a number of his relatives to do pearl fishing for these people, who were so badly in need of money and food.
And during the next week the Doctor paddled the old Chief to the rocks twice a day. A great number of oysters were fished up by the cormorants15 and the pearls were sorted by the Doctor, put in little boxes and sent out to be sold. John Dolittle told the old Chief to keep the matter a secret and only to intrust the carrying to reliable men.
And soon money began to pour into the country from the pearl fishing business which the Doctor had established and the people were prosperous and had all the food they wanted.
By the end of that week the Doctor had, indeed, made good his promise. The country of Chief Nyam-Nyam became famous all along the coast of West Africa as a wealthy state.
But wherever money is made in large quantities and business is good, there strangers will always come, seeking their fortune. And before long the little village that used to be so poor and insignificant16 was full of traders from the neighboring kingdoms, buying and selling in the crowded, busy markets. And, of course, questions were soon asked as to how this country had suddenly got so rich. And, although the Chief had carried out the Doctor's orders and had only intrusted the secret of the fisheries to a few picked men, folks began to notice that canoes frequently came and went between the Harmattan Rocks and the village of Chief Nyam-Nyam.
Then spies from those neighboring countries who had always been robbing and warring upon this land began to sneak17 around the rocks in canoes. And, of course, very soon the secret was out.
And the Emir of Ellebubu, who was one of the big, powerful neighbors, called up his army and sent them off in war canoes to take possession of the Harmattan Rocks. At the same time he made an attack upon the village, drove everybody out, and carrying off the Doctor and the Chief, he threw them into prison in his own country. Then at last Nyam-Nyam's people had no land left at all.
And in the jungle, where the frightened villagers had fled to hide, Obombo made whispered speeches to little scattered18 groups of his father-in-law's people, telling them what fools they had been to trust the crazy white man, instead of listening to him, who would have led them to greatness.
Now, when the Emir of Ellebubu had thrown the Doctor into prison he had refused to allow Dab-Dab, Jip or Gub-Gub to go with him. Jip put up a fight and bit the Emir in the leg. But all he got for that was to be tied up on a short chain.
The prison into which the Doctor was thrown had no windows. And John Dolittle, although he had been in African prisons before, was very unhappy because he was extremely particular about having fresh air. And besides, his hands were firmly tied behind his back with strong rope.
"Dear me," said he while he was sitting miserably19 on the floor in the darkness, wondering what on earth he was going to do without any of his animals to help him, "what a poor holiday I am spending, to be sure!"
But presently he heard something stirring in his pocket. And to his great delight, the white mouse, who had been sleeping soundly, entirely20 forgotten by the Doctor, ran out on his lap.
"Good luck!" cried John Dolittle. "You're the very fellow I want. Would you be so good as to run around behind my back and gnaw21 this beastly rope? It's hurting my wrists."
"Certainly," said the white mouse, setting to work at once. "Why is it so dark? I haven't slept into the night, have I?"
"No," said the Doctor. "It's only about noon, I should say. But we're locked up. That stupid old Emir of Ellebubu made war on Nyam-Nyam and threw me into jail. Bother it, I always seem to be getting into prison! The worst of it was, he wouldn't let Jip or Dab-Dab come with me. I'm particularly annoyed that I haven't got Dab-Dab. I wish I knew some way I could get a message to her."
"Well, just wait until I have your hands free," said the white mouse. "Then I'll see what can be done. There! I've bitten through one strand22. Now wiggle your hands a bit and you can undo23 the whole rope."
The Doctor squirmed his arms and wrists and presently his hands were free.
"Thank goodness, I had you in my pocket!" he said. "That was a most uncomfortable position. I wonder what kind of a prison old Nyam-Nyam got. This is the worst one I was ever in."
In the meantime the Emir, celebrating victory in his palace, gave orders that the Harmattan Rocks, which were now to be called the Royal Ellebubu Pearl Fisheries, would henceforth be his exclusive, private property, and no trespassing24 would be allowed. And he sent out six special men with orders to take over the islands and to bring all the pearls to him.
Now the cormorants did not know that war had broken out, nor anything about the Doctor's misfortune. And when the Emir's men came and took the pearl oysters they had fished up the birds supposed they were Nyam-Nyam's men and let them have them. However, it happened, luckily, that this first load of oysters had only very small and almost worthless pearls in them.
Jip and Dab-Dab were still plotting to find some way to reach the Doctor. But there seemed to be nothing they could think of.
Inside the prison the Doctor was swinging his arms to get the stiffness out of them.
"You said something about a message you had for Dab-Dab, I think," peeped the white mouse's voice from the darkness of the corner.
"Yes," said the Doctor—"and a very urgent one. But I don't see how on earth I'm going to get it to her. This place is made of stone and the door's frightfully thick. I noticed it as I came in."
"Don't worry, Doctor, I'll get it to her," said the mouse. "I've just found an old rat hole over here in the corner. I popped down it and it goes under the wall and comes out by the root of the tree on the other side of the road from the prison."
"Oh, how splendid!" cried the Doctor.
"Give me the message," said the white mouse, "and I'll hand it to Dab-Dab before you can say Jack25 Robinson. She's sitting in the tree, where the hole comes out."
"Tell her," said the Doctor, "to fly over to the Harmattan Rocks right away and give the cormorants strict orders to stop all pearl fishing at once."
"All right," said the mouse. And he slipped down the rat hole.
Dab-Dab, as soon as she got the message, went straight off to the pearl fisheries and gave the Doctor's instructions to the cormorants.
She was only just in time. For the Emir's six special men were about to land on the islands to get a second load of pearls. Dab-Dab and the cormorants swiftly threw back into the sea the oysters that had been fished up and when the Emir's men arrived they found nothing.
After hanging around a while they paddled back and told the Emir that they could find no more pearl oysters on the rocks. He sent them out to look again; but they returned with the same report.
Then the Emir was puzzled and angry. If Nyam-Nyam could get pearls on the Harmattan Rocks, why couldn't he? And one of his generals said that probably the white man had something to do with it, since it was he who had discovered and started the fisheries.
So the Emir ordered his hammock men and had himself carried to the Doctor's prison. The door was unlocked and the Emir, going inside, said to the Doctor:
"They're not your pearl fisheries, you black-faced ruffian," said the Doctor. "You stole them from poor old Nyam-Nyam. The pearls were fished for by diving birds. But the birds are honest and will work only for honest people. Why don't you have windows in your prisons? You ought to be ashamed of yourself."
Then the Emir flew into a terrible passion.
"How dare you speak to me like that? I am the Emir of Ellebubu," he thundered.
"You're an unscrupulous scoundrel," said the Doctor. "I don't want to talk to you."
"If you don't make the birds work for me I'll give orders that you get no food," said the Emir. "You shall be starved to death."
"I have told you," said the Doctor, "that I don't desire any further conversation with you. Not a single pearl shall you ever get from the Harmattan Fisheries."
"And not a bite to eat shall you ever have till I do," the Emir yelled.
Then he turned to the prison guards, gave instructions that the Doctor was not to be fed till further orders and stalked out. The door slammed shut with a doleful clang and after one decent breath of fresh air the Doctor was left in the darkness of his stuffy27 dungeon28.
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1
cormorant
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| n.鸬鹚，贪婪的人 | |
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commotion
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| n.骚动，动乱 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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scanty
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| adj.缺乏的，仅有的，节省的，狭小的，不够的 | |
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unwilling
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| adj.不情愿的 | |
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alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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abide
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| vi.遵守；坚持；vt.忍受 | |
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halfway
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| adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途 | |
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murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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hisses
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| 嘶嘶声( hiss的名词复数 ) | |
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groans
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| n.呻吟，叹息( groan的名词复数 )；呻吟般的声音v.呻吟( groan的第三人称单数 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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12
pebbles
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| [复数]鹅卵石； 沙砾； 卵石，小圆石( pebble的名词复数 ) | |
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13
pelting
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| 微不足道的，无价值的，盛怒的 | |
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oysters
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| 牡蛎( oyster的名词复数 ) | |
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cormorants
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| 鸬鹚，贪婪的人( cormorant的名词复数 ) | |
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16
insignificant
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| adj.无关紧要的，可忽略的，无意义的 | |
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sneak
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| vt.潜行(隐藏,填石缝)；偷偷摸摸做；n.潜行；adj.暗中进行 | |
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scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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miserably
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| adv.痛苦地；悲惨地；糟糕地；极度地 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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gnaw
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| v.不断地啃、咬；使苦恼，折磨 | |
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strand
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| vt.使（船）搁浅，使（某人）困于（某地） | |
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undo
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| vt.解开，松开；取消，撤销 | |
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trespassing
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| [法]非法入侵 | |
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jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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villain
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| n.反派演员，反面人物；恶棍；问题的起因 | |
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stuffy
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| adj.不透气的，闷热的 | |
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dungeon
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| n.地牢，土牢 | |
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