Kitabı oku: «The Story of Doctor Dolittle / История Доктора Дулиттла. Уровень 1», sayfa 12

“Are we all here?” asked the Doctor, after some time.

“Yes, I think so,” said the duck and started to count them.

“Where’s Polynesia?” asked the crocodile. “She isn’t here.”

“Are you sure?” said the Doctor. “Look again. Polynesia! Polynesia! Where are you?”

“I think she escaped,” said the crocodile. “Well, that’s just like her! Sneaked off into the jungle as soon as her friends got into trouble.”

“I’m not that kind of a bird,” said the parrot and climbed out of the pocket of the Doctor’s coat. “You see, I’m small enough to get through the bars of that window; and I was afraid they would put me in a cage instead. So while the King was busy talking, I hid in the Doctor’s pocket—and here I am!” she said, smoothing down her feathers with her beak.

“Good God!¹⁷” cried the Doctor. “You’re lucky I didn’t sit on you.”

“Now listen,” said Polynesia, “as soon as it gets dark, I am going to creep through the bars of that window and fly over to the palace. And then—you’ll see—I’ll soon find a way to make the King let us all out of prison.”

“Oh, what can you do?” said Gub-Gub and began to cry again. “You’re only a bird!”

“Quite true,” said the parrot. “But do not forget that although I am only a bird, I can talk like a man—and I know these people.”

Prince Bumpo was in his bedroom at the back of the palace. The parrot heard him snoring. Then she tip-toed up the stairs till she came to the King’s bedroom. She opened the door gently and looked in.

The Queen was away at a dance that night at her cousin’s; but the King was in bedfast asleep¹⁸.

Polynesia crept in, very softly, and got under the bed.

Then she coughed—just the way Doctor Dolittle used to cough. Polynesia could mimic any one.

The King opened his eyes and said sleepily: “Is that you, Ermintrude?” (He thought it was the Queen come back from the dance.)

Then the parrot coughed loud like a man. And the King sat up,wide awake¹⁹, and said, “Who’s that?”

“I am Doctor Dolittle,” said the parrot in the voice of the Doctor.

“What are you doing in my bedroom?” cried the King. “How dare you get out of prison! Where are you? I don’t see you.”

But the parrot just laughed—a long, deep jolly laugh, like the Doctor’s.

“Stop laughing and come here at once, so I can see you,” said the King.

“Foolish King!” answered Polynesia. “You are talking to John Dolittle—the most wonderful man on earth! You cannot see me because I made myself invisible. There is nothing I cannot do. Now listen: I’m here to warn you. If you don’t let me and my animals travel through your kingdom, I will make you and all your people sick like the monkeys. For I can make people well: and I can make people ill—just by raising my little finger. Send your soldiers at once to open the prison door, or you will get sick before the morning sun rises on the hills of Jolliginki.”