But presently he heard something stirring in his pocket. And to his great delight,读音📏 the white mouse,读音🚤 who had been sleeping soundly,读音💰 entirely forgotten by the Doctor,不假思索🍀 ran out on his lap.
"But I don't understand,不假思索🐚" said John Dolittle. "I thought Wilkins had made off with them."
"Oh,不假思索🦉 it's some humbug or other,读音👏" growled Jip. "They're a superstitious lot,读音📚 these natives. Let's go down to the harbor,读音🎢 Doctor,不假思索☔ and try to hire a canoe to take us."
As soon as these two men stepped ashore at Fantippo a porter came up to them to carry their bags. And right in the middle of the porter's chest the collectors spied the twopenny-halfpenny Fantippo red! Then both of the stamp collectors offered to buy the stamp. And as each was anxious to have it for his collection,不假思索📕 before long they were offering high prices for it,读音💿 bidding against one another.
Later in the afternoon the gull returned and with him came the great One Eye,读音🌿 oldest of bird weather prophets.
"But I was not so happy. I had noticed a peculiar thing: none of the invalids ever seemed to get well and go away. And finally I spoke of this to Phipps.
"My! Aren't they handsome?" murmured the Doctor. "And did you ever see such large ones? Each one of those pearls,读音🚝 Dab-Dab,读音🐜 is worth a fortune. Who the dickens is this that sent them to me,不假思索🔳 anyhow?"
"'My soldiers are starving,不假思索😯' said he. 'Your pet,读音💺 Madam,不假思索📟 must be turned into sausages.'
The Doctor said he never had the slightest idea of what he was eating,读音🔈 but as the mealy mixture was highly digestible and nutritious he did not see why he should mind. To supply his master with water the mouse got nuts,读音📗 and after gnawing a tiny hole in one end he would chop the nut inside into pieces and shake it out through the hole. Then he would fill the empty shell with water and seal up the hole with gum arabic which he got from trees. The water-filled nuts were a little heavy for him to carry,读音🍚 so Dab-Dab would bring them from the river as far as the outside end of the rat hole,不假思索🐆 and the white mouse would roll them down the hole into the prison.
The first hard work of getting the post office in full swing was now over. And that night John Dolittle felt when he heard the doors being shut that at last he could afford to keep more regular hours and not be working all the time. And when Jip came inside the Registered Mail booth he found the Doctor leaning back in a chair with his feet on the desk,读音💔 gazing around him with great satisfaction.
"'Fine!' says the old rat. 'Now run around the shed a few times,不假思索🏩 so you won't take a chill. And then go to bed and cover up. In the morning when it's light you'll find yourself very different.'
"So,读音☺ after that,读音☺ of course,不假思索🌃 I saw that if I wanted to save my good but foolish friends from destruction,不假思索🏩 I had better do something on my own account."I'll bet it's something to do with food,读音📫" said Too-Too,不假思索🍂 who was sitting on the stool next to the Doctor's,读音🗽 adding up figures.
"Oh,不假思索📡 don't let him tell one,读音😞 Doctor,不假思索📷" said Jip. "It's sure to be stupid."
One morning the Doctor was delighted to see his old friends the swallows gathering once more about his ship at anchor for their yearly flight to England. They asked him whether he too was returning; because if so,读音🍐 they said,不假思索🔫 they would accompany him,不假思索🔬 the same as they had done when he was escaping from the Kingdom of Jolliginki.But presently he heard something stirring in his pocket. And to his great delight,读音🏂 the white mouse,不假思索🌸 who had been sleeping soundly,不假思索😯 entirely forgotten by the Doctor,不假思索🚠 ran out on his lap.
With shrieks and howls the fat women soldiers dropped the things they had been stealing and ran helter-skelter for home. And that was one time the famous Amazons of Dahomey didn't have it all their own way.
"'Who is your master?' I said. 'Anybody would think you were going to paint the portrait yourself.'"He can't read,读音😖" said the Doctor gloomily.
"Yours truly,不假思索🐾
"'What way is there?' I said. 'For me life is over!'"Yours very truly,读音🎂
"Yes,读音🐐 that's so,不假思索😠" said John Dolittle.