"I don't hold by it. Let her go and kiss Gub-
Gub--if she MUST kiss something."
The fisherman and his sister didn't want the
Doctor to go away again in a hurry. They
begged him to spend a few days with them. So
John Dolittle and his animals had to stay at
their house a whole Saturday and Sunday and
half of Monday.
And all the little boys of the fishing-village
went down to the beach and pointed at the great
ship anchored there, and said to one another in
whispers,
"Look! That was a pirate-ship--Ben Ali's
--the most terrible pirate that ever sailed the
Seven Seas! That old gentleman with the high
hat, who's staying up at Mrs. Trevelyan's, HE
took the ship away from The Barbary Dragon
--and made him into a farmer. Who'd have
thought it of him--him so gentle--like and all!
... Look at the great red sails! Ain't she the
wicked-looking ship--and fast?--My!"
All those two days and a half that the Doctor
stayed at the little fishing-town the people kept
asking him out to teas and luncheons and dinners
and parties; all the ladies sent him boxes
of flowers and candies; and the village-band
played tunes under his window every night.
At last the Doctor said,
"Good people, I must go home now. You
have really been most kind. I shall always
remember it. But I must go home--for I have
things to do."
Then, just as the Doctor was about to leave,
the Mayor of the town came down the street
and a lot of other people in grand clothes with
him.
Pages:
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100