Doctor Dolittle's Caravan

A Caravana do Doutor Dolittle

Hugh Lofting

ESL Easy Read

Reading Comprehension B1 • Original Text • Português Support

SAMPLE

Copyright

Fonte original — domínio público

Esta edição ESL Easy Read foi adaptada a partir de Doctor Dolittle's Caravan, de Hugh Lofting, publicado originalmente em 1926.

A obra original encontra-se em domínio público e pode ser utilizada, reproduzida, distribuída e adaptada de acordo com a legislação aplicável.

Autor

Hugh Lofting (1886–1947)

Estados Unidos

Esta obra foi publicada originalmente em 1926.

Nos Estados Unidos, obras publicadas antes de 1930 encontram-se normalmente em domínio público.

Com base no ano de publicação disponível, esta obra encontra-se em domínio público nos Estados Unidos desde 1º de janeiro de 2022.

Brasil

Autor: Hugh Lofting (1886–1947)

De acordo com a Lei nº 9.610/1998, os direitos patrimoniais expiram 70 anos após a morte do autor, contados a partir de 1º de janeiro do ano seguinte ao falecimento.

Hugh Lofting faleceu em 1947.

Situação no Brasil: DOMÍNIO PÚBLICO.

Portugal

Autor: Hugh Lofting (1886–1947)

De acordo com o Código do Direito de Autor e dos Direitos Conexos, a proteção patrimonial dura 70 anos após a morte do autor.

Hugh Lofting faleceu em 1947.

Situação em Portugal: DOMÍNIO PÚBLICO.

Dados da publicação original

Obra original: Doctor Dolittle's Caravan

Autor: Hugh Lofting

Primeira publicação: 1926

Primeiro editor: Frederick A. Stokes

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Esta adaptação ESL Easy Read

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Introdução

Como ler este livro

Cada livro desta coleção é apresentado em um nível de leitura simplificada, de acordo com o CEFR — Quadro Europeu Comum de Referência para Línguas.

A2 — Básico: indicado para leitores que já compreendem frases simples, vocabulário frequente e textos curtos sobre situações do cotidiano.

B1 — Intermediário: indicado para leitores que conseguem compreender as ideias principais de textos claros e acompanhar uma narrativa com vocabulário e estruturas de dificuldade moderada.

B2 — Intermediário avançado: indicado para leitores que já conseguem compreender textos mais complexos, acompanhar descrições detalhadas e reconhecer uma variedade maior de vocabulário e estruturas gramaticais.

Este livro foi adaptado para o nível B1.

Assim, você pode começar a lê-lo mesmo sem dominar completamente o inglês. O texto foi simplificado para facilitar a compreensão, preservando a história, os personagens e os acontecimentos principais da obra original.

Como usar as notas

No texto de leitura simplificada, cada parágrafo possui um link Pt/En. Esse link abre uma nota com a tradução em português do texto simplificado e o trecho correspondente no texto original em inglês.

No texto original em inglês, o link PT leva diretamente ao parágrafo correspondente na versão em português. Na tradução portuguesa, o link En retorna ao parágrafo correspondente no texto original.

A tradução para o português é feita a partir do texto em inglês simplificado, e não diretamente do texto original. O objetivo é ajudar você a compreender com precisão a frase simplificada que está estudando naquele momento.

O texto original em inglês é apresentado separadamente para a etapa seguinte do aprendizado, quando você já estiver preparado para ler e comparar a obra em sua forma original.

Cada nota contém links que permitem retornar exatamente ao parágrafo que você estava lendo.

Como usar o glossário

Na última parte do livro, o Glossary: New Words reúne, em ordem alfabética, palavras mais complexas ou menos frequentes presentes no texto simplificado de nível B1. Essas palavras aparecem em itálico no texto.

Cada entrada apresenta pronúncia, tradução em português, explicação simples em inglês, frase de exemplo e até cinco frases reais do livro.

O link Back to B1 retorna exatamente à frase correspondente na versão simplificada.

Depois do texto simplificado, o livro apresenta também o texto original completo em inglês e a versão completa em português.

Sobre este livro

Em A Caravana do Doutor Dolittle, clássico romance infantil de Hugh Lofting, o amado médico que fala com animais embarca em uma nova aventura centrada em uma ópera de pássaros. A história começa quando o Doutor John Dolittle, acompanhado por seus amigos animais — incluindo Dab-Dab a pata, Jip o cão e o empurra-puxa — encontra uma notável canária verde chamada Pippinella. Pippinella possui uma voz extraordinária e sonha em se apresentar em uma grande ópera. Inspirado por seu talento, o Doutor Dolittle decide criar uma ópera de pássaros, compondo música e organizando uma trupe de artistas emplumados. O conflito central surge dos desafios de montar uma produção tão inédita: encontrar um local adequado, treinar os pássaros e superar o ceticismo de humanos e animais. O cenário muda da casa do Doutor em Puddleby-on-the-Marsh para uma caravana itinerante que serve tanto como transporte quanto como palco. Enquanto a caravana viaja pelo interior da Inglaterra, o Doutor e seus companheiros enfrentam vários obstáculos, incluindo um empresário rival que tenta sabotar seus esforços. A progressão acompanha a construção da ópera, com cada capítulo introduzindo novos personagens e números musicais. O tom literário é caprichoso e comovente, misturando humor com lições suaves sobre perseverança, amizade e o poder da arte. A narrativa de Lofting celebra a criatividade e a cooperação, já que a habilidade única do Doutor de se comunicar com animais permite uma colaboração harmoniosa. A história se encaminha para a grande estreia, deixando os leitores ansiosos para descobrir se a voz de Pippinella cativará o público e se a ópera terá sucesso contra todas as probabilidades.

Nota editorial

A tradução para o português e a versão Reading Comprehension B1 foram geradas com apoio de inteligência artificial e submetidas a revisão editorial.

Em caso de dúvida ou observações, fale conosco.

MicMac from Las Vegas LLC
Contato: admin@micmacfromlasvegas.com

Outros livros e materiais

Materiais e outros livros da série ESL Easy Read:

Coleção Doctor Dolittle

Doctor Dolittle in the Moon

Doctor Dolittle's Caravan

Doctor Dolittle's Circus

Doctor Dolittle's Garden

Doctor Dolittle's Post Office

Doctor Dolittle's Zoo

The Story of Doctor Dolittle

The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle

Outras coleções disponíveis

Anne of Green Gables / L. M. Montgomery

Gothic and Terror Classics

A Selva de Burroughs

Marte de Burroughs

Sherlock Holmes

The Land of Oz

www.micmacfromlasvegas.com

Reading Comprehension B1

1 - THE ANIMAL SHOP

2 - THE WHITE PERSIAN

3 - AN ANIMAL BIOGRAPHY

4 - PIPPINELLA TAKES HER FIRST JOURNEY

5 - THE NEW HOME

THE ANIMAL SHOP

Pt/En This book about Doctor Dolittle is called The Caravan. It continues the story of his circus and his life as a showman. When he arrived in London, his home and animal clinic were in a caravan on Greenheath, near the city. This is why the book was given this name.

Pt/En Doctor Dolittle had been chosen as the new circus manager. Some theatre owners in London invited him to put on a show. While he was still travelling to small towns and trying to earn money to help the circus, he thought about new and interesting shows for London.

Pt/En He wanted their first show in London to be a big success. The circus staff included Matthew Mugg (assistant manager), Hercules (strong man), the Pinto brothers (trapeze artists), Hop (clown), Henry Crockett (Punch-and-Judy man), Theodosia Mugg (wardrobes), and Fred (a new animal keeper). There were also many animals: a lion, a leopard, an elephant, smaller animals like the opossum and the pushmi-pullyu, snakes, and Doctor Dolittle's own pets like Jip the dog, Gub-Gub the pig, Too-Too the owl, Dab-Dab the duck, and a white mouse.

Pt/En The Doctor found an idea for a special show for London in an unusual way. Like many important things, it started with a small, unexpected event.

Pt/En One evening, the circus was in a small town. Doctor Dolittle went for a walk with Matthew Mugg and Jip. They had worked hard all day setting up the circus. The Doctor had not seen the town yet. They walked through the main streets and found an inn with tables outside. It was a warm evening, so the Doctor and Matthew sat down for a drink of ale.

Pt/En They sat and drank some ale.

Pt/En While they rested and watched the town, they heard a bird singing. The song was very beautiful, sometimes loud and strong, and other times quiet and mysterious. The bird never sang the same thing twice.

Pt/En The Doctor had written books about bird songs, so he was very interested.

Pt/En He asked Matthew if he could hear the song.

Pt/En The cat's-meat man replied that it was a great song. He thought it was a nightingale singing in the large elm trees near the church.

Pt/En The Doctor told Matthew that the bird was not a nightingale, but a canary. He explained that the canary sang parts of a nightingale's song and other songs, but it had a canary's voice. The Doctor added that the bird was also imitating a thrush.

Pt/En They stayed for a while longer, and the bird sang many different songs and sounds.

Pt/En The Doctor told Matthew he would like to have a canary in his wagon because they are good company. He explained that he did not like to see birds in cages, but he thought it was acceptable for birds that were born in captivity. He suggested they go down the street to see the singing bird.

Pt/En After paying for the drinks, the Doctor and Matthew left the tables and walked towards the church. They passed several shops on the way. The Doctor stopped at one of them.

Pt/En The Doctor pointed out an animal shop to Matthew and said that the canary was inside. He mentioned that he disliked animal shops because the animals often looked sad and neglected. He felt that the shop owners kept too many animals and did not care for them properly. He also found the shops to be stuffy and avoided going into them if possible.

Pt/En Matthew asked why.

Pt/En The Doctor explained that animals knew him and always asked him to buy them pets like birds and rabbits. He wanted to go another way so he would not have to pass the window.

Pt/En But as the Doctor was going to turn back, he heard the beautiful song bird sing again and he stopped.

Pt/En John Dolittle said the bird was wonderful and superb.

Pt/En Matthew suggested that the Doctor could try to look quickly with one eye open, so he might see the bird without stopping.

Pt/En The Doctor said okay and walked quickly towards the shop. He looked through the window as he passed and then hurried on.

Pt/En Matthew asked the Doctor if he had seen which bird it was.

Pt/En John Dolittle confirmed he had seen the bird. He explained it was a green canary in a small wooden cage, costing three shillings. He asked Matthew to go into the shop and buy it for him because he did not want to go himself, as he thought the animals might recognise him. He reminded Matthew to buy the green canary in the wooden cage near the door, which was marked three shillings, and gave him the money.

Pt/En The Doctor waited outside the shop next door.

Pt/En Matthew Mugg went into the shop with the three shillings, while the Doctor waited outside the window of the shop next door.

Pt/En The man who sold cat's meat returned quickly. He did not bring the canary with him.

Pt/En The man told the Doctor that he had made a mistake. He explained that the bird the Doctor was looking for was a hen, and hens do not sing. The bird they heard was a bright yellow male bird outside the shop. The man said it cost two pounds and ten shillings. He also mentioned it was a prize bird and a very good singer.

Pt/En The Doctor said this was very surprising and asked if the man was sure.

Pt/En The Doctor forgot that he did not want the animals in the shop to see him. He moved closer to the window and pointed again at the green canary.

Pt/En He said that was the bird he meant. He asked if they had asked about that one. Then he realized he had made a mistake and that the bird had recognized him.

Pt/En The green canary near the window saw the Doctor looking at her. She thought he wanted to buy her. She moved in her cage and made signs through the glass, looking happy.

Pt/En The Doctor could not afford the price for the bird and started to leave. But the little green canary looked very sad when she understood he was not going to buy her.

Pt/En John Dolittle and Matthew walked down the street for a short distance, less than a hundred yards, and then John stopped.

Pt/En John said it was no use and that he would have to buy the bird, even if it could not sing. He explained that he always bought the most useless things from animal shops. He told Matthew to go back and get her.

Pt/En The cat's-meat man went back into the shop and soon returned with a small cage covered with brown paper.

Pt/En The Doctor told Matthew they needed to hurry. He explained that it was almost time for tea and Theodosia found it difficult to manage without their help.

Pt/En When they arrived at the circus, the Doctor was called away for important work related to the show. He asked Matthew to take the canary to the wagon. The Doctor was busy with different things until it was time for supper.

Pt/En When the Doctor finally returned to his wagon, he was still thinking about the day's events and had forgotten about the canary he had bought. He sat down tiredly. Too-Too, the owl who managed the circus's money, immediately started talking to him about finances.

Pt/En But the boring talk about money and numbers had just started when the Doctor heard a pleasant sound. It was a bird singing very quietly.

Pt/En The Doctor whispered in surprise, asking where the sound was coming from.

Pt/En The sound became louder and louder. It was the most beautiful song Doctor Dolittle had ever heard, even better than one he heard outside an inn. For most people, it would have been amazing, but because the Doctor understood the language of canaries and could understand the words, it was a very special experience for him.

Pt/En The song was a long poem. It told stories about many places and many loves, about small and big adventures. The music changed, sometimes sad, sometimes happy, sometimes strong, sometimes quiet. It was more wonderful than the best singing of a nightingale.

Pt/En The Doctor asked, sounding very confused, where the sound was coming from.

Pt/En Too-Too answered that the sound was coming from a covered cage on the shelf.

Pt/En The Doctor exclaimed in surprise that it was the bird he had bought that afternoon.

Pt/En He quickly stood up and pulled the wrapping paper off. The singing stopped. A small green canary looked at him from the hole he had made.

Pt/En The Doctor told the bird that he had thought it was a hen.

Pt/En The bird replied that it was a hen.

Pt/En The Doctor then asked why it sang.

Pt/En The bird asked why it should not sing.

Pt/En Someone stated that hen canaries do not sing.

Pt/En The small green bird laughed a long, high-pitched sound. Her laugh sounded like she thought she was superior.

Pt/En The bird made a long, high-pitched laughing sound.

Pt/En The bird explained that the old idea that hens cannot sing was funny. She said that male birds invented this story because they are proud. She added that female birds actually have much better voices. However, male birds do not want them to sing and will hurt them if they do. She mentioned a past attempt called "Singing for Women" where hens tried to sing. But some older hens believed it was not proper for females to sing and that their place was on the nest, leaving singing only for males. Because of this, the movement failed, and people still believe hens cannot sing.

Pt/En The Doctor asked if she had not sung in the shop.

Pt/En The canary told the Doctor that he would not sing in that shop. It explained that the smell of the shop was so strong it could make someone choke.

Pt/En The Doctor asked the canary why it had sung at that moment.

Pt/En The canary explained that it sang because the Doctor's man had returned. It understood the Doctor wanted to buy the yellow bird that had been singing badly all afternoon. The canary wanted to show the Doctor what women could do musically as a way to repay his kindness.

Pt/En The Doctor thought the canary's singing was wonderful and much better than the other bird's. He believed the canary was a contralto.

Pt/En The canary corrected the Doctor, saying it was a mezzo-contralto. However, it added that it could also sing in the highest soprano range if it wanted to.

Pt/En The Doctor asked the bird its name.

Pt/En The bird answered that its name was Pippinella.

Pt/En The Doctor asked the bird what it had been singing.

Pt/En The bird explained that it had been singing the story of its life.

Pt/En The Doctor mentioned that the song was in verse.

Pt/En The canary explained that he wrote poetry to entertain himself. He mentioned that birds kept in cages have plenty of free time, especially when they don't have eggs to sit on or babies to feed.

Pt/En The Doctor told the canary that he was a very talented artist, calling him a poet and a singer.

Pt/En The canary quietly added that he was also a musician. He said the music was his own creation. He explained that he did not use normal bird songs, except for one part. This part used a greenfinch love song to tell about his wife's husband who ran away to America and left her crying by the sea.

Pt/En Dab-Dab arrived to announce that supper was ready. Gub-Gub the pig was unhappy. The Doctor, however, was too excited by a new interest to pay attention to supper. He took out an old book for writing music, where he sometimes wrote pieces for his favourite instrument, the flute.

Pt/En The Doctor politely asked the canary if he would tell the story of his life again. He said he was very interested in hearing it.

Pt/En The little bird agreed and asked for its drinking trough to be filled with water. It explained that the trough had become empty during the journey. The bird said it liked to drink water to moisten its throat, especially when singing long songs.

Pt/En The Doctor quickly agreed and hurried to give the bird water. He asked the bird to sing slowly so he could write down the music. He mentioned that the song's timing was complicated and the bird often changed the musical key. He said he would ask for the words later, as he could not write both at the same time. He then said he was ready to listen.

THE WHITE PERSIAN

Pt/En The Doctor sat down and wrote music for a long time while the green canary sang the story of her life. The song lasted about half an hour. During the song, Gub-Gub interrupted more than once.

Pt/En Gub-Gub interrupted to tell the Doctor that supper was getting cold.

Pt/En After the canary finished singing, John Dolittle carefully put away his writing book. He thanked the canary and then got ready to eat supper.

Pt/En He invited the bird to leave its cage and be with them.

Pt/En The bird asked if he owned any cats.

Pt/En The Doctor replied that he did not keep cats in his wagon.

Pt/En The canary said it would come out if its door was opened.

Pt/En Jip asked the bird if it could easily escape a cat by flying.

Pt/En The canary flew onto the table and said it could help if it knew what to expect or where something was. It explained that cats are most dangerous when they are hidden and are very skilled hunters.

Pt/En Jip grunted and said that dogs are also quite good.

Pt/En The canary politely disagreed with Jip, saying dogs were not as good as cats at hunting. It explained that while dogs are good at following and tracking, cats use their intelligence to catch prey. The canary asked if dogs had the patience to wait silently for hours for a mouse, unlike cats. It added that dogs often scare away prey by barking and scratching at holes, and that it would prefer to be in a room full of dogs than have one cat nearby.

Pt/En The Doctor asked the canary if it had ever had any bad experiences with cats.

Pt/En The canary replied that it had not personally had bad experiences with cats. However, it had learned a lesson from someone else's experience. The canary used to live in the same house as a parrot. One day, their owner brought home a beautiful, fluffy white Persian cat. The old parrot commented to the canary that the new cat looked like a nice animal.

Pt/En The speaker warned Pol about the cat. He explained that cats are naturally untrustworthy and should never be trusted.

Pt/En The Doctor thought that if people never trusted cats, it might explain why they behave in certain ways. He added that this lack of trust could be very difficult for any creature's personality.

Pt/En The canary disagreed, saying their owner trusted the cat and even left her with them at night. The canary was safe because his cage was hung high up. However, Pol, who was on a simple perch with a chain, was not safe from the cat.

Pt/En Pol fought the cat bravely and gave her more trouble than she expected.

Pt/En Pol did not believe the cat was dangerous until she tried to climb his stand to reach him. Pol, being a good fighter when necessary, bit the cat. The cat ran away with a piece of her ear missing.

Pt/En The speaker asked if the listener would believe him. He warned that a woman was planning to harm Polly. He told the listener to stay awake while the woman was in the room. He explained that the woman was afraid of the listener when they were looking at her, but she would attack if the listener was not careful. He said that if the woman attacked Polly, Polly would be badly hurt. He repeated the warning to stay awake.

Pt/En The green canary drank some milk from Gub-Gub's bowl.

Pt/En The green canary stopped telling her story for a moment. She flew to the table and drank from Gub-Gub's milk bowl, which surprised Gub-Gub very much. After cleaning her beak on the salt and pepper shakers, she continued speaking.

Pt/En The canary said she had saved the parrot's life many times. The parrot liked his daily routine and did not like changes. He would become unhappy if his regular activities, like his Saturday bath or Sunday orange, were late. He also took a nap every day after lunch. The canary had warned him that napping was dangerous if the doors and windows were not closed and the cat was outside. However, the parrot's habits were very strong, and he would have taken his nap even if there were many cats in the room.

Pt/En The canary picked up another small piece of food, ate it slowly, and then continued her story.

Pt/En The narrator thought the parrot, Pol, was very independent and had strong principles. A cat often tried to catch Pol when he was sleeping. The narrator would whistle loudly to wake Pol up, and the cat would then run away, angry that her plan was ruined.

Pt/En The owner of the cat did not believe her cat was dangerous. A friend asked her if she was worried about leaving the cat near the parrot without a cage.

Pt/En The owner told her friend that her cat, Pussums, would never hurt her parrot, Polly.

Pt/En The cat acted very friendly towards the old lady, rubbing against her and purring, making her seem harmless.

Pt/En The old lady went away for a visit, and the maid was given a day off. The narrator and the parrot were given extra food and water, and the house was locked. The narrator felt sure the parrot would be safe that day.

Pt/En Around noon, a thunderstorm began with strong winds. The door to their room blew open because it had not been properly secured.

Pt/En The speaker warned Pol not to fall asleep, as a cat could enter the room at any moment.

Pt/En The cat did not appear for a long time. After an hour, the speaker decided the cat was probably in another room and stopped worrying. Pol fell asleep after lunch, and the speaker also felt tired and took a nap.

Pt/En The speaker had frightening dreams about cats and birds. Suddenly, a noise woke them up. They saw Pol lying on the floor, dead, and the white cat sitting nearby with a pleased look on its face.

Pt/En The canary shivered and cleaned its beak, as if trying to forget a bad dream.

Pt/En The woman was very scared and could not speak. She thought the cat might eat her friend. But the cat did not want the friend for food. The cat killed the friend just for fun. It had waited and planned for three months. Then, with a happy look, the cat left the dead friend on the floor.

Pt/En The woman thought that the cat could not escape blame. She believed the old lady would now know that the cat was a killer.

Pt/En Then something strange happened. It reminded the woman of what her mother used to say: that cats are helped by the devil. Her mother believed cats were very clever because of this help and warned her never to try to be smarter than a cat.

Pt/En The woman had never believed her mother, but now she almost did. She thought that if the door was open, people would know the cat killed the parrot. However, the door was shut, as the old lady had left it, and the cat was outside. So, no one would suspect the cat. The woman felt sure the cat would get into trouble. Then, the wind began to blow strongly. To her horror, the door slowly closed and then slammed shut with a loud noise. The last thing she saw was the cat outside, still smiling at her. The woman thought it was understandable to believe the cat was helped by the devil, because if the wind had come just two minutes earlier, it would have trapped the cat inside the room.

Pt/En When the old lady returned home, she could not understand what had happened. The parrot was on the floor with its neck broken, which the cat had done very skillfully. The windows and the door were shut.

Pt/En The old woman eventually suggested that boys might have entered. She believed they likely came down the chimney, killed the parrot, and escaped without leaving any tracks. The mystery was never solved, and she was very upset, crying a lot, but it was too late.

Pt/En She cried and said that she still had her canary and her cat.

Pt/En Then the cat approached her, purring to be petted. The old woman gave the cat some milk. The narrator states that one should never trust a cat.

Pt/En The old woman gave the cat a saucer of milk.

Pt/En The Doctor commented that cats are strange creatures and it is difficult to understand why they kill even when not hungry, suggesting it is their nature. He asked the person to tell the story of their life again after supper, as he had been too busy writing down the music to pay close attention to the words earlier.

Pt/En The canary agreed. He said he would tell the story in a normal way, without music.

Pt/En The Doctor thought that was a better idea. He told Gub-Gub that he could include all his adventures with many details, and he did not need to worry about making them rhyme. He also told Gub-Gub that Dab-Dab would clear the table after he finished his beechnuts.

AN ANIMAL BIOGRAPHY

Pt/En The arrival of the small green canary led the Doctor to write his first book about an animal's life. He had thought about this before, believing that animal lives were often more interesting than human lives if written well. He had even planned a series of books called "Great Animals of the Nineteenth Century." However, he had not found many animals with good memories who could recall enough details for a biography.

Pt/En Gub-Gub was disappointed that he had not received a statue in Manchester. He had asked the Doctor to write his life story, sure that everyone would want to read it. But the Doctor and his pets already knew Gub-Gub's life very well. Also, Gub-Gub, who was now a famous actor, did not want his life story to be written in a funny way.

Pt/En Gub-Gub stated that he wanted a biography that was serious and respected. He explained that although he might be very funny when performing on stage, his biography needed to be dignified.

Pt/En Jip corrected the word, saying the other's life story would be full of eating and stomachaches. He said he would prefer to read about a stone instead.

Pt/En Doctor Dolittle wrote about animals, but no one had written about birds until Pippinella, a canary, joined his family. The Doctor thought Pippinella was a good biographer because she remembered small, interesting details. He explained in the book's introduction that the story was Pippinella's own, and he had only translated it from Canary to English.

Pt/En People found the book about the canary very interesting. However, it was no longer available because booksellers did not want to sell it. They thought the life of a bird in a cage would be boring.

Pt/En Because of this, the book was only sold in special shops like taxidermists' and naturalists' stores, which is why it is hard to find today. The book, titled "The Life of Coloratura Pippinella, Contralto Canary," included details about the bird's life after she joined Doctor Dolittle's household. The Doctor and Pippinella discussed the manuscript many times, and she shared more small incidents and details that he thought the public would find interesting, making the book quite long. The author will tell the story in part, as Pippinella told it to Doctor Dolittle and his family.

Pt/En Pippinella began by saying that people might think the life of a canary in a cage would be a dull story. However, she explained that the lives of cage birds are often more varied and interesting than those of wild birds. She had heard the stories of several wild birds, and found them to be very dull.

Pt/En Pippinella began to tell her story. She explained that she was born in a private bird house where her family lived. Her father was a yellow canary, and her mother was a greenfinch. She had six brothers and sisters, and they all looked similar, with a mix of green and yellow colours. When they were babies, their main focus was getting enough food. Pippinella mentioned that their parents were very good and fed them about fourteen meals a day.

Pt/En Gub-Gub grumbled that he never received that much food.

Pt/En The Doctor asked Gub-Gub to be quiet and not interrupt Pippinella.

Pt/En John Dolittle asked Pippinella how young birds know when their parents are bringing food, even before their eyes are open. He had noticed that baby birds always open their mouths when the adult birds return to the nest.

Pt/En Pippinella thought that baby birds could tell by feeling the nest move when their parents stepped on the edge. She also explained that even with their eyes closed, they could see the shadow of their parents blocking the sunlight as they leaned over the nest.

Pt/En The Doctor thanked the speaker and made a note. He asked them to continue.

Pt/En Pippinella explained that young birds talk and make sounds soon after they hatch. She said this is a big difference between bird and human children. Human children see before they talk, but bird children talk before they see.

Pt/En Gub-Gub asked what birds could talk about if they had not seen anything yet. He thought their conversation might not make much sense.

Pt/En The canary told Gub-Gub that bird babies are born with some sense, but pig babies are not. She explained that the time young birds spend blind is important for their learning and growth. She said they would guess what the world would look like. This period helps them develop a sixth sense, which is very important for birds. She mentioned that when birds talk about having sense, they mean this sixth sense.

Pt/En The Doctor asked the canary if she could explain the sixth sense in more detail.

Pt/En The canary said it was hard to explain. Birds know when their parents are coming near, even without seeing or hearing them. Because birds cannot see well, they listen very carefully. They learned about the world by listening to sounds, like mice scratching inside the walls and tree branches tapping the window of their cage.

Pt/En The birds asked their father if it was a strong wind, because they heard twigs scratching on the window.

Pt/En Their father replied that it was a north wind. He explained that only north and northeast winds push the jasmine plant against the window. Other winds blow it away from the house.

Pt/En The birds could tell the wind's direction and strength by the sound the branches made on the window. They learned many things without understanding why, which the canary called a sixth sense. Wild birds use this sense for things like geography, but cage birds don't learn this. However, cage birds are better at understanding people. The canary believed that much of its important learning happened when it was young in the nest, trying to guess what the world was like by hearing, smelling, and feeling.

Pt/En The Doctor thanked the canary, saying the information was very interesting and important for him as a naturalist. He asked the canary to continue its story.

Pt/En Pippinella explained that it was an exciting time for young birds when they opened their eyes for the first time. She said that birds often stayed awake the night before. This was to make sure they did not sleep too late and miss seeing the world before their brothers and sisters.

Pt/En The day came for the birds to open their eyes, but the speaker felt a little disappointed. For birds kept in cages, their world was a room, not an open field. They had asked their parents what it would be like, but imagining something is different from seeing it. They discovered their world was a long room, like a parlour and a garden room combined. It had plants, furniture, and bird cages. A woman gave their parents food, which they fed to the young birds. At night, a man who owned them checked on them. He seemed kind and cared about the birds, as he often told the woman to clean the cages, change the water, and give the birds fresh lettuce.

Pt/En The man's hobby was raising prize singing-birds. He had cages in other rooms, and the speaker could hear other birds singing. When the doors were open, the father bird would sing back to them. He would talk with the other birds about things like the woman, the quality of the bird seed, the temperature in the room, and any household news.

Pt/En There was another family of young birds in a cage nearby. The parents of the birds used to talk to each other. The speaker's mother often said that her children looked healthier than the other family's children.

Pt/En The man had two children of his own. Sometimes, the children would come into the room to look at the birds and play with their toys on the floor. The birds enjoyed watching the children's games. They were happy to have the children visit because the room was often very quiet.

Pt/En The narrator's father was a very good singer with a loud voice. He would sing while feeding his children. However, his singing was too loud for the children, and they often asked him to stop.

Pt/En One day, the father went to a canary singing competition and won first prize. When he returned, everyone was very excited. He started singing even louder than before. His mother was very proud of his success and would not let him stop singing. He also told them stories about the competition.

Pt/En The narrator thought life was interesting. They saw birds flying freely outside and sometimes wished for that freedom. But after seeing a hawk catch another bird, the narrator felt safer living inside. They decided that being protected from dangers, having a comfortable home, and good food was a good way to live.

PIPPINELLA TAKES HER FIRST JOURNEY

Pt/En The birds born in the house were always curious about what would happen to them. The owner had many friends who were interested in canaries. He did not keep all the young birds because his place was too small. He kept the birds that had good voices or nice markings. The other birds were sometimes sold, exchanged, or given away. He did not keep many female birds.

Pt/En About two weeks after the young birds had left the nest and were looking after themselves, their parents had a conversation. The young birds listened carefully because the topic was very important to them. The mother bird then spoke.

Pt/En The speaker was worried that the other person might sell most of the young birds. There was not much space, and the other person seemed to like the birds in the next cage more. The speaker did not think those birds were special and would not trade their own babies for them.

Pt/En The father said it would be better if the young birds were sold separately. He explained this was for the good of their own babies.

Pt/En The speaker asked their father for the reason why.

Pt/En The father explained that a single canary receives better care. If there are too many birds, the care is often not good. He said animal shops are the worst places, where cages are cleaned only once a week. Birds might be put in bad places, like in the hot sun or near a cold wind, and the noises and smells are terrible. The father hoped the speaker would not be sent to an animal shop.

Pt/En The speaker asked their father if it would be alright if they were bought quickly.

Pt/En He explained that hens are not usually singers. He also mentioned that people do not often go to an animal shop to buy hen canaries.

Pt/En The narrator asked for the reason again.

Pt/En He answered that it was because hens do not sing.

Pt/En The narrator thought about his words. He noticed that the man said hens do not sing, not that they cannot sing. He felt this was an old and unfair tradition.

Pt/En The narrator told his father that he thought this was silly. He said that hens are born with voices as good as male birds. However, because people do not think it is right for them to sing, their voices become bad from not practicing when they are young. He felt this was a great shame.

Pt/En Then, her mother joined in.

Pt/En Her mother was very angry and asked how she dared to speak to her father like that. She told her to go and stand in the corner of the cage.

Pt/En Her mother hit her with her wing, and she fell off the perch.

Pt/En Even though she was told off, she did not feel sorry. She worried that if hens were not allowed to sing, she and her sisters might be sent to a bad animal shop. So, she decided to practice singing secretly to improve her voice and become as good as her brothers.

Pt/En She continued to practice singing quietly when the others were busy. Eventually, the owner noticed that her family often pushed her aside. He moved her to a separate cage. After that, she could sing as much as she wanted, and the others could only make negative comments about her singing from a distance.

Pt/En The bird seller, who was the owner, brought a friend to visit. He wanted to give his friend a canary as a gift. The friend could choose a bird from two families of new birds. The bird liked the man's face and wanted him to pick it. At first, the man seemed more interested in the other family of birds. However, the bird sang its loudest and best song. This caught the man's attention. He came to the bird's cage and asked if it was part of the new birds. When he learned it was, he said he would like to have that bird.

Pt/En The bird was very happy. The bird seller found a small travel cage to lend to his friend until a bigger one could be bought for the bird. The bird was moved into this small cage. Then, paper was wrapped around the cage, so the bird could not see outside anymore.

Pt/En Even with the paper covering, the bird's parents and brothers and sisters could still hear it. They said goodbye and wished it good luck. Then, the bird felt its cage being lifted from the table. This was the beginning of its first journey.

Pt/En Inside its paper-covered cage, the bird wondered where it was going and what its new home would be like. It felt a strange, jerky movement and guessed that someone was walking while carrying it. Soon, the cage was put down for a moment. The air suddenly felt cooler, and the bird realized it was outside the house. Next, it heard the sound of a horse's hooves. The cage was lifted high again. A new type of movement started, and from the rocking motion and the regular sound of hooves, the bird knew it was being carried on horseback.

Pt/En The bird felt the wind blowing through the paper covering its cage. Soon, it could smell the scent of ripe corn and poppies. This told the bird that its owner was now outside the town, in the open country. The bird had never been in the country before, but its father had told it about it from his own experiences when he was taken to shows.

Pt/En The journey was cold, rough, and uncomfortable. Because the cage moved so much, all the water and food spilled out. This made the cage and the occupant wet and messy.

Pt/En Soon, the horse began to move more slowly. The occupant heard sounds that suggested they had entered a town. They wondered if this would be their new home. The sounds of birds, dogs, and people made it seem like a pleasant place, and the occupant hoped they would stay.

Pt/En The uncomfortable ride finally ended. The cage was taken by new hands, and the occupant heard a woman greeting the rider. They were brought inside a house that smelled nice and comfortable. After being placed on a table and unwrapped, the occupant was finally able to see.

THE NEW HOME

Pt/En The room was very different from any seen before. It was large, with many chairs, and had a ceiling with dark beams. The walls displayed pictures of men riding horses, and there were stag's horns above the door. An unusually large, preserved fish in a glass box was placed above the fireplace.

Pt/En Several people, including men, women, and children with round, red faces, gathered around the cage. They looked at the occupant with curiosity and admiration. The occupant believed they were the new owner's family. Later, the occupant was moved to a new cage that was larger and cleaner, which was a welcome change from the small, messy cage used during the journey.

Pt/En The family discussed where to place my cage. After considering different spots, they decided to hang it in the large bay window that faced the front yard.

Pt/En I was very young and had not met many people before. In this new house, people were always around in groups, talking constantly. By watching and listening, I began to understand their language. On the first day, I understood that the oldest boy wanted to take care of me. His mother agreed, which later made me unhappy because he was very forgetful. He often forgot to fill my water dish, leaving me thirsty for a whole day until he remembered. He always felt sorry when he realized his mistake, but it did not help me.

Pt/En I was confused by the house at first because the family seemed extremely large. New groups of people, whom I had never seen before, kept arriving all day long. Some came on horseback, some walked, and others arrived in carriages. They ate meals and sometimes slept there overnight before leaving, and then different people would arrive. There was a constant flow of people coming and going.

Pt/En I thought that all these visitors must be friends of my new owner, as the family itself did not seem so large. I continued to believe this until a chaffinch corrected my misunderstanding. On a warm afternoon, I saw the chaffinch flying back and forth with pieces of horsehair to build a nest in a poplar tree in the yard. Since I had not spoken to a bird since leaving my own family, I called out to him. He flew closer to the window and we talked for a while.

Pt/En I told the chaffinch that the house seemed very strange. I asked him who the man was that had so many friends visiting him all day long.

Pt/En The chaffinch explained that the place was an inn or a hotel.

Pt/En The chaffinch laughed and told the bird it looked like a young bird kept in a cage. He explained that it was not a private home but a busy inn or hotel where people paid to stay and eat. He mentioned the daily coaches arriving from the north and south, and the changing of horses, showing it was a very active place.

Pt/En The bird felt very fortunate to have found such a good home. It was a pleasant and lively inn. The bird thought that if it had to live in a cage, it was best to be in a place where it could feel connected to the wider world and hear news.

Pt/En Many interesting things happened there because the road led to the capital and even to foreign countries, as it was on the way to a large port for ships sailing worldwide. People traveling brought news from everywhere, and the daily coaches delivered newspapers from all directions.

Pt/En The bird observed all this from its cage. During summer, it was placed outside on the wall where it could see the road and the coaches approaching from a distance. The bird created a special song that announced the coach's arrival. The hotel staff learned the tune and knew to prepare for guests when they heard it. The bird felt it was not just connected to the world but also an important part of the hotel's operations, like a member of the staff.

Original English Text

1 - THE ANIMAL SHOP

2 - THE WHITE PERSIAN

3 - AN ANIMAL BIOGRAPHY

4 - PIPPINELLA TAKES HER FIRST JOURNEY

5 - THE NEW HOME

THE ANIMAL SHOP

PT THIS BOOK OF the memoirs of Doctor Dolittle has been called the Caravan because it is in part a continuation of the Circus and the adventures that he met with in his career as a showman. Moreover, on his arrival in London the headquarters of the Dolittle household became the Doctor's caravan on Greenheath (just outside the city), where his surgery and animal clinic continued their good work. And this too made that name for the book seem proper and in place.

PT It will be remembered that shortly after John Dolittle was elected as the new manager of the circus he had received a special invitation from some theatre owners in London to come and put on a show for them. And while he was still taking the circus to small towns and working to get enough cash in hand to put the circus on its feet again, he was continually trying to think up some good and original show to put on in London.

PT He was most anxious that his company's first appearance in the big city should be a success. The staff of the Dolittle Circus now consisted of Matthew Mugg, assistant manager; Hercules the strong man; the Pinto brothers, trapeze artists; Hop the clown; Henry Crockett, the Punch-and-Judy man; Theodosia Mugg, mistress of the wardrobes; and Fred, a new menagerie keeper whom the Doctor had recently hired. Then of course there were the animals: the lion, the leopard, and the elephant — the big animals that constituted the important part of the menagerie; several smaller beasts, such as the opossum (known as the "hurri-gurri"); the pushmi-pullyu; the snakes; the Doctor's own animal household (Jip the dog, Gub-Gub the pig, Too-Too the owl, Dab-Dab the duck, and the white mouse); and a few other oddments.

PT The way the Doctor finally hit upon an idea for an unusual show for London was rather curious. Like many important things, it began from a small chance happening.

PT One evening, when the show had moved to a moderate-sized market town, the Doctor went for a walk with Matthew Mugg and Jip. They had been busy all day getting the circus set up and the Doctor had not yet had an opportunity to see the town. After going through the main streets, they came to an inn that had tables and chairs set outside before the door. It was a warm evening and the Doctor and Matthew sat down at the inn tables to drink a glass of ale.

PT They sat down to drink a glass of ale

PT While they were resting and watching the quiet life of the town, the song of a bird reached their ears. It was extraordinarily beautiful, at times tremendously powerful, at others soft and low and mysterious — but always changing. The singer, whoever he was, never repeated himself.

PT The Doctor had written books on bird songs and he was interested.

PT "Do you hear that, Matthew?" he asked.

PT "Great, ain't it?" said the cat's-meat man. "Must be a nightingale — up on them big elms by the church there."

PT "No," said the Doctor, "that's no nightingale. That's a canary. He is singing scraps of a nightingale's song which he has picked up — and parts of many others, too. But he has a canary's voice, for all that. Listen: now he's imitating a thrush."

PT They sat a while longer and the bird ran through a wonderful range of imitations.

PT "You know, Matthew," said the Doctor, "I think I'd like to have a canary in the wagon. They're awfully good company. I've never bought one because I hate to see birds in cages. But with those who are born in captivity I suppose it's really all right. Let's go down the street and see if we can get a glimpse of this songster."

PT So after the Doctor had paid for the ale they left the tables and walked along toward the church. But before they reached it they saw there were several shops to pass. Presently the Doctor stopped.

PT "Look, Matthew," said he. "One of those shops is an animal shop. That's where the canary is. I hate animal shops; the poor creatures usually look so neglected. The proprietors always keep too many — more than they can look after properly. And they usually smell so stuffy and close — the shops, I mean. I never go into them now. I don't even pass one if I can help it."

PT "Why?" asked Matthew.

PT "Well," said the Doctor, "ever since I became sort of known among the animals, the poor beasts all talk to me as soon as I go in, begging me to buy them — birds and rabbits and guinea pigs and everything. I think I'll turn back and go around another way, so I won't have to pass the window."

PT But just as the Doctor was about to return toward the inn the beautiful voice of the song bird burst out again and he hesitated.

PT "He's marvellous," said John Dolittle, "simply superb!"

PT "Why not hurry by with just one eye open?" said Matthew. "Maybe you could spot the bird without stopping."

PT "All right," said the Doctor. And putting on a brisk pace, he strode toward the shop. In passing it he just gave one glance in at the window and hurried on.

PT "Well," asked Matthew, as the Doctor paused on the other side, "did you see which bird it was?"

PT "Yes," said John Dolittle. "It's that green canary near the door, the one in the small wooden cage, marked three shillings. Listen, Matthew, go in and buy him for me. I can afford that much, I think. I dare not go myself. Everything in the place will clamour at me at once. I have an idea those white rabbits recognized me already. You go for me…. Don't forget — the green canary in the wooden cage near the door, marked three shillings. Here's the money."

PT The Doctor waited outside the shop next door

PT So Matthew Mugg went into the store with the three shillings, while the Doctor waited outside the window of the shop next door.

PT The cat's-meat man wasn't gone very long — and when he returned he had no canary with him.

PT "You made a mistake, Doctor," said he. "The bird you spoke of is a hen and they don't sing. The one we heard is a bright yellow cock, right outside the shop. They want two pounds ten for him. He's a prize bird, they say, and the best singer they ever had."

PT "How extraordinary!" said the Doctor. "Are you sure?"

PT And, forgetting his intention of not being seen by the animals in the shop, he moved up to the window and pointed again to the green canary.

PT "That's the bird I meant," he said. "Did you ask about that one? Oh, Lord! Now I've done it. She has recognized me."

PT The green canary near the door end of the window, seeing the famous Doctor pointing to her, evidently expected him to buy her. She was already making signs to him through the glass and jumping about her cage with joy.

PT The Doctor, quite unable to afford two pounds ten for the other bird, was beginning to move away. But the expression on the little green canary's face as she realized he didn't mean to buy her after all was pitiful to see.

PT John Dolittle had not walked with Matthew more than a hundred yards down the street before he stopped again.

PT "It's no use," said he. "I'll have to buy her, I suppose — even if she can't sing. That's always the way if I go near an animal shop. I always have to buy the most wretched and most useless thing they have there. Go back and get her."

PT Once more the cat's-meat man went into the shop and presently returned with a small cage covered over with brown paper.

PT "We must hurry, Matthew," said the Doctor. "It's nearly teatime and Theodosia always finds it hard to attend to it without our help."

PT On reaching the circus the Doctor was immediately called away on important business connected with the show. He asked Matthew to take the canary to the wagon, and he was himself occupied with one thing and another until suppertime.

PT And even when he finally returned to his wagon his mind was so taken up with the things of the day that he had forgotten for the moment all about the canary he had bought. He sank wearily into a chair as he entered and Too-Too, the owl who kept the circus's accounts, immediately engaged him in a financial conversation.

PT But the dull discussion of money and figures had hardly begun before the Doctor's attention was distracted by a very agreeable sound. It was the voice of a bird warbling ever so softly.

PT "Great heavens!" the Doctor whispered. "Where's that coming from?"

PT The sound grew and grew — the most beautiful singing that John Dolittle had ever heard, even superior to that which he had listened to outside the inn. To ordinary ears it would have been wonderful enough, but to the Doctor, who understood canary language and could follow the words of the song being sung, it was an experience to be remembered.

PT It was a long poem, telling of many things — of many lands and many loves, of little adventures and great adventures, and the melody, now sad, now gay — now fierce, now soft, was more wonderful than the finest nightingale singing at his best.

PT "Where is it coming from?" the Doctor repeated, completely mystified.

PT "From that covered cage up on the shelf," said Too-Too.

PT "Great heavens!" the Doctor cried. "The bird I bought this afternoon!"

PT He sprang up and tore the wrapping paper aside. The song ceased. The little green canary peered out at him through the torn hole.

PT "I thought you were a hen," said the Doctor.

PT "So I am," said the bird.

PT "But you sing!"

PT "Well, why not?"

PT "But hen canaries don't sing."

PT The little green bird laughed a long, trilling, condescending sort of laugh.

PT She laughed a long, trilling laugh

PT "That old story — it's so amusing!" she said. "It was invented by the cocks, you know — the conceited males. The hens have by far the better voices. But the cocks don't like us to sing. They peck us if we do. Some years ago a movement was started— 'Singing for Women,' it was called. Some of us hens got together to assert our rights. But there were an awful lot of old-fashioned ones — old maids, you know — who still thought it was unmaidenly to sing. They said that a hen's place was on the nest — that singing was for men only. So the movement failed. That's why people still believe that hens can't sing."

PT "But you didn't sing in the shop?" said the Doctor.

PT "Neither would you — in that shop," said the canary. "The smell of the place was enough to choke you."

PT "Well, why did you sing now?"

PT "Because I realized, after the man you sent came in a second time, that you had wanted to buy that stupid yellow cock who had been bawling out of tune all afternoon. I knew, of course, that you only sent the man back to get me out of kindness. So I thought I'd like to repay you by showing you what we women can do in the musical line."

PT "Marvellous!" said the Doctor. "You certainly make that other fellow sound like a second-rate singer. You are a contralto, I see."

PT "A mezzo-contralto," the canary corrected. "But I can go right up through the highest soprano range when I want to."

PT "What is your name?" asked the Doctor.

PT "Pippinella," the bird replied.

PT "What was that you were singing just now?"

PT "I was singing you the story of my life."

PT "But it was in verse."

PT "Yes, I made it into poetry — just to amuse myself. We cage birds have a lot of spare time on our hands, when there are no eggs to sit on or young ones to feed."

PT "Humph!" said the Doctor. "You are a great artist — a poet and a singer."

PT "And a musician!" said the canary quietly. "The composition is entirely my own. You noticed I used none of the ordinary bird songs — except the love song of the greenfinch at the part where I am telling of my faithless husband running off to America and leaving me weeping by the shore."

PT Dab-Dab at this moment came in to announce that supper was ready, but to Gub-Gub the pig's disgust the Doctor brushed everything aside in the excitement of a new interest. Diving into an old portfolio, he brought out a blank musical manuscript book in which he sometimes wrote down pieces for the flute, his own favourite instrument.

PT "Excuse me," he said to the canary, "but would you mind starting the story of your life all over again? It interests me immensely."

PT "Certainly," said the little bird. "Have my drinking trough filled with water, will you please? It got emptied with the shaking coming here. I like to moisten my throat occasionally when I am singing long songs."

PT "Of course, of course!" said the Doctor, falling over Gub-Gub in his haste to provide the singer with what she wanted. "There! Now, would you mind singing very slowly? Because I want to take down the musical notation and the time is a little complicated. Also, I notice you change the key quite often. The words I won't bother with, for the present, because I couldn't write both at once. I will ask you to give me them again, if you will, later. All right. I'm ready whenever you are."

THE WHITE PERSIAN

PT T HEN THE D OCTOR sat down and wrote page after page of music while the green canary sang him the story of her life. It was a long song, lasting at least half an hour. And during the course of it Gub-Gub interrupted more than once with his pathetic —

PT "But, Doctor, the supper's getting cold!"

PT When she had finished John Dolittle carefully put away the book he had been writing in, thanked the canary, and prepared to have supper.

PT "Would you care to come out of your cage and join us?" he asked.

PT "Have you any cats?"

PT "No," said the Doctor. "I don't keep any cats in the wagon."

PT "Oh, all right," said the canary. "Then if you'll open my door, I'll come out."

PT "But you could easily get away from a cat, couldn't you," asked Jip, "with wings to fly?"

PT "I could if I was expecting it or knew where it was," said the canary, flying down onto the table and picking up a crumb beside the Doctor's plate. "Cats are most dangerous when you can't see them. They are the only really skilful hunters."

PT "Huh!" grunted Jip. "Dogs are pretty good, you know."

PT "Excuse me," said the canary, "but dogs are mere duffers when compared with cats in the hunting game — I'm sorry to hurt your feelings, but duffers is the only word I can use. You are all very fine at following and tracking — even better than cats at that. But for getting your quarry by the use of your wits — well, there! Did you ever see a dog sit and watch a hole in the ground for hours and hours on end, silent and still as a stone — waiting, waiting for some wretched little mouse or other creature to come out? Did you ever know a dog with the patience to do that? No. Your dog, when he finds a hole, barks and yelps and scratches at it — and of course the rat, or whatever it is, doesn't dream of coming out. No, speaking as a bird, I'd sooner be shut in a roomful of dogs than have a single cat in the house."

PT "Did you ever have any unpleasant experience with them?" asked the Doctor.

PT "Myself, no," said the canary. "But that was solely because of someone else's experience with one. It taught me a lesson. I lived once in the same house with a parrot. One day the woman who owned us got a fine, silky, white Persian. She was a lovely creature — to look at. The old parrot said to me the morning the cat came, 'She looks like a decent sort.'

PT "'Pol,' said I, 'cats are cats. Don't trust her — never trust a cat.'"

PT "I wonder if that's what makes them the way they are," said the Doctor, " — the fact that no one ever trusts them. It's a terrible strain on anybody's character."

PT "Fiddlesticks!" said the canary. "Our woman trusted this cat — even left her in the room with us at night. My cage was hung high up on a chain, so I wasn't afraid of her reaching in to me with her claws. But poor old Pol, one of the most decent old cronies that ever sat on a perch, he had no cage at all — just one of those fool stands they make for parrots — a crossbar perch and a long chain on his ankle.

PT "He gave her more than she bargained for"

PT He wouldn't believe that this sweet creature in white was dangerous, until one day she tried to climb up the pole of his stand and get at him. Well, a parrot's a pretty good fighter when the fight's a fair one, and he gave her more than she bargained for. She retired from the fray with a piece bitten out of her ear.

PT "'Now, will you believe me?' I said. 'And, listen: she's going to get you yet — if there's any way to do it that she and the devil can think up between them. Whatever you do, don't go to sleep while she is in the room. She's scared of you now, while you're facing her. But she won't be scared of you as soon as you're off your guard. One spring and a bite on the neck from her and Polly won't want any more crackers. Remember — don't go to sleep when she is in the room. '"

PT She took a drink out of Gub-Gub's milk bowl

PT The green canary paused a moment in her story to hop across the table and take a drink out of Gub-Gub's milk bowl — which greatly astonished that member of the household. Then she cleaned her bill against the cruet stand and proceeded:

PT "I couldn't tell you how many times I saved that foolish parrot's life. An easygoing bird, he loved regularity. He was a bachelor, making a great ceremony of all the little habits of his daily round. And he just couldn't bear to have anything interfere with them. He would be ruffled and sulky for days if the maid missed giving him his bath on Saturday afternoon or his piece of orange peel at Sunday breakfast. One of his little customs was to take a nap every day after lunch. I warned him over and over again that this was dangerous unless the doors and windows were shut and the cat outside. But the force of habit, years and years of bachelor regularity, were too strong for him. And I believe he would have taken that nap if the room had been full of cats."

PT The canary picked up another crumb, munched it thoughtfully and went on:

PT "I often think there was something fine about that parrot's independence. He had principles and nothing was allowed to change them. In the meantime that horrible cat was waiting for her chance. Often and often when Pol was dozing off I'd see her come sneaking toward his stand along the floor or creep across a table near enough to spring from. Then I'd give a terrific loud whistle and the parrot would wake up. And the cat would slink away, looking daggers at me for spoiling her game.

PT "As for the mistress we had, it never entered her empty head that the cat was a dangerous customer. One day a friend of hers asked if she wasn't afraid to leave the beast around when she had no cage over the parrot.

PT "'Oh, tut, tut!' said she. 'Pussums wouldn't hurt my nice Polly, would ums, Pussums?'

PT "And then that silky hypocrite would rub her neck against the old lady's dress and purr as though butter wouldn't melt in her mouth.

PT "Well, I did my best. But the day came when even I was outwitted by the she-devil in white. The old lady had gone to visit friends in the country and let the maid take the day off while she was away. Both the parrot and I were given double rations of seed and water, the house was locked, and the keys put under the mat. The door of the parlour, where we were always kept, was closed, and I thanked my stars that for this day, anyhow, my friend should be safe.

PT "About noon a thunderstorm came up and the wind howled around the house dismally. And presently I saw the door of our room blow open. It had not been properly latched — just closed carelessly.

PT "'Don't go to sleep, Pol,' I said. 'That cat may come in any moment!'

PT "Well, for a long time she didn't. And after an hour I decided that the cat must have been shut in another room somewhere and that it was all right and I needn't worry. After his lunch Pol went sound asleep; and presently, feeling sort of drowsy myself, I too took a nap.

PT "I dreamed all sorts of awful things — monstrous cats leaping through the air, parrots defending themselves with swords and pitchforks — all manner of terrible stuff. At the most tragic moment in the worst dream I thought I heard a thud on the floor and suddenly woke up, wide awake, the way one does with nightmares. And there on the floor lay Pol, stone dead, and squatting on the carpet on the far side of him, staring up at me with a devilish smirk of glee on her horrible face, sat the white cat!"

PT The canary shivered a little and rubbed her bill with her right foot, as though to wipe away the memory of a bad dream.

PT "I was too horrified to say a word," she presently continued, "and I began to wonder whether the abominable wretch would eat my poor dead friend. But not a bit of it. She didn't want him for food at all. She got three square meals a day from the old lady, the daintiest morsels in the house. She just wanted to kill — to kill for the fun of killing. For three months she had watched and waited and calculated. And in the end she had won. With another grin of triumph in my direction, she slowly turned about, left the body where it lay, and stalked toward the door.

PT "'Well,' I thought to myself, 'there's one thing: she can't escape the blame. At least the old lady will know her now for what she is, the murderess!'

PT "And then a curious thing happened. It reminded me of something my mother used to believe: that cats are helped by the devil. 'It would be impossible for them to be so fiendishly clever without,' she used to say. 'Never try to match your wits against a cat! They are helped by the devil.'

PT "I had never believed it, myself. But that afternoon I came very near believing it. Now, mark you, with that door blown open, anyone would know that it was the cat who had come in and killed the parrot, wouldn't they? But with that door shut — the way the old lady had thought she left it — and the cat outside of the room — no one could possibly suspect 'sweet pussums.' So then I felt quite certain that this time the cat was going to get in a good, stiff row. Now comes the queer business; no sooner had she passed into the hall outside than the wind began again, howling and moaning about the house. And, to my horror, I saw the door slowly closing. Faster and faster it swung forward, and then with a bang that shook the house from cellar to garret, it slammed shut. The last glimpse I got of the hall outside showed me 'sweet pussums' squatting on the floor, still grinning at me in triumph. After that, I think you will admit, it was pardonable to believe that she was helped by the devil. For, mind you, if the wind had come two minutes earlier it would have shut her inside the room, instead of out.

PT "Of course, when the old lady came home she just couldn't understand it. There lay the parrot on the floor, his neck broken (the cat had done it very neatly and cleverly — just one spring, a bite, and a twist); the windows were shut; the door was shut.

PT "Finally that stupid old woman said that perhaps boys had got in, probably down the chimney, wrung the parrot's neck and escaped, leaving no tracks. The mystery was never solved. She was frightfully upset, weeping all over the place — after it was too late.

PT "'Oh, well,' she sobbed, 'anyhow, I have my canary left — and my sweet pussums.'

PT "And then that she-devil came up to her, purring, to be petted, and the old woman gave her a saucer of milk! No, never, never trust a cat."

PT "The old woman gave her a saucer of milk"

PT "They're funny creatures," said the Doctor. "There's no gainsaying that. And their curious habit of killing even when they're not hungry is very hard to explain. Still, it's in their nature, I suppose, and one should never judge anyone without making allowances for the nature he was born with. You have been through some very interesting experiences, I see. When you were singing me the story of your life I was so busy getting the music down that I couldn't pay much attention to the words. After we have finished supper, would you mind telling it to me over again?"

PT "Why, certainly," said the canary. "I'll tell it to you conversationally — without music."

PT "Yes, I think that would be better," said the Doctor. "You can then put in all your adventures in detail, without bothering to make the lines scan and rhyme. Gub-Gub, as soon as you have finished that plateful of beechnuts we will let Dab-Dab clear away."

AN ANIMAL BIOGRAPHY

PT IT WAS THUS through the coming of the little green canary that the Doctor wrote the first of his animal biographies. He had frequently considered doing this before. He claimed that in many instances the lives of animals were undoubtedly more interesting — if only they were properly written — than the lives of some of our so-called great men. He had even thought of writing a series, or a set, of books called Great Animals of the Nineteenth Century, or something like that. But so far he had not met many whose memories were good enough to remember all the things in their lives that make a biography interesting.

PT Gub-Gub, disappointed that no statue had been erected to him in Manchester, had often begged the Doctor to write his life for him, feeling certain that of course everybody would want to read it. But John Dolittle and his pets knew Gub-Gub's life by heart already. And, while the Doctor felt that it would make good comic reading, Gub-Gub himself refused to have it written that way, now that he was a famous actor.

PT "I want a dignified biography," said he. "I may be funny on the stage — very funny. But in my biography I must be dignified."

PT "Pignified, you mean," growled Jip. "Your biography would be just one large meal after another — with stomachaches for adventures. Myself, I'd sooner read the life of a nice, round, smooth stone."

PT So this branch of the Doctor's natural history writing had remained untouched till the appearance of Pippinella, the canary who came to join his family circle under such curious circumstances. Pippinella, the Doctor often said, was a born biographer, for she had a marvellous memory for the little things that made a story interesting and real. And John Dolittle, in the preface to this the first of his Private Memoirs of Distinguished Animals was careful to say that the entire book was Pippinella's own, he merely having translated it from Canary into English.

PT Those who read it declared it most interesting. But, like so many of the Doctor's works, it is now out of print and copies of it are almost impossible to obtain. One of the reasons for this was that the ordinary booksellers wouldn't keep it. "Pooh!" they said. " The Life of a Canary! What kind of a life could that be — sitting in a cage all day?"

PT And as a consequence of their stupidity the book was only sold at the taxidermists' shops, naturalists' supply stores and odd places like that. Probably that is why copies are so hard to find to-day. In its final completed form, under the title of The Life of Coloratura Pippinella, Contralto Canary, the story contained much of the bird's life that was lived after she joined the Dolittle household. Moreover, the Doctor went through the manuscript with the authoress several times and got her to tell him more about many little incidents and details which he thought would be of interest to the general public. All this went to make it quite a long book. I have not space to set it down for you here just as the Doctor wrote it, but I will tell it you in part, at all events, as Pippinella herself related it to John Dolittle and his family circle.

PT "People," Pippinella began, when Gub-Gub had finally ceased fidgeting, "might think that the biography of a cage canary would be a very dull monotonous story. But, as a matter of fact, the lives of cage-birds are often far more varied and interesting than those of wild ones. I have heard the lives of several wild birds, and they were mostly exceedingly dull and monotonous.

PT "Very well, then, I will begin at the beginning," Pippinella began, "I was born in an aviary, a private one, occupied by our family and a few others. My father was a bright lemon-yellow Harz Mountains canary and my mother was a greenfinch of very good family. My brothers and sisters — there were six of us altogether, three boys and three girls — were about the same as me to look at, sort of olive-green and yellow mixed up. Of course, until our eyes were open the thing that concerned us chiefly was getting enough food. Good parents — and ours were the most conscientious couple you ever saw — give their children when they are first hatched about fourteen meals a day."

PT "Huh!" muttered Gub-Gub. "That's more than I ever got."

PT "Sh!" said the Doctor. "Don't interrupt."

PT "Pardon me, Pippinella," said John Dolittle, "but that is a point that has often interested me. How do young birds know, before their eyes are open, when their parents are bringing food? I've noticed that they all open their mouths every time the older birds come back to the nest."

PT "We tell it, I imagine, by the vibration. Our parents stepping on to the edge of the nest is something that we get to recognize very early. And then, although our eyes are closed, we see the shadow that our parents make leaning over the nest coming in between us and the sunlight."

PT "Thank you," said the Doctor, making a note. "Please continue."

PT "As you may have observed," Pippinella went on, "young birds talk and peep and chirp almost as soon as they are out of the egg. That is one of the big differences between bird children and human children: you see before you talk, and we talk before we see."

PT "Huh!" Gub-Gub put in. "Your conversation can't have much sense to it then. What on earth can you have to talk about if you haven't seen anything yet?"

PT "That," said the canary, turning upon Gub-Gub with rather a haughty manner, "is perhaps another important difference between bird babies and pig babies: we are born with a certain amount of sense, while pigs, from what I have observed, never get very much, even when they are grown up. No, this blind period with small birds is a very important thing in their education and development. You ask me what they talk about. Nothing very much. I and my brothers and sisters used to swap guesses with one another on what the world would look like when our eyes would open. But the value of that time lies in this: having to do without our eyes, we develop what we call our sixth sense. It is rather hard to explain. But Too-Too will tell you that it is something well known and recognized among all birds. When we talk of birds having sense we always mean sixth sense."

PT "Excuse me," the Doctor put in, "but would you go into that a little further?"

PT "Certainly," said the canary. "But, as I told you, it's frightfully hard to explain. You were speaking just now of the parents approaching the nest and the young ones opening their mouths. Well, even before they actually step on the nest we soon get to know that they are there without seeing or hearing them. And then birds are awfully busy with their ears during this time. They do a lot of listening. And, being unable to see, they get to be much better hearers than if they had the use of their eyes as well. We listened to everything with the greatest care, trying to learn from it what the world was going to look like — even to the mice scratching behind the panellings and the boughs of the trees in the garden tapping the windowpane near our cage.

PT "That's a strong wind, isn't it, Father?' we would say. There are many twigs scratching on the glass.'

PT "'Yes, children,' he would answer. 'It's a north wind. It is only the north and the northeast winds that press the jasmine up against the window. The others blow it away from the house.'

PT "Then, after that, you see, we could tell just by the tune the bough-tips played upon the panes which way the wind was blowing and how strong it was. But much of our education we got without knowing the why or the wherefore at all. That is perhaps the best explanation of the sixth sense: just knowing a thing without knowing why or how you know it. Of course, in many matters the wild birds are much cleverer than we are. At geography, for instance: bird geography is all done by the sixth sense. But then, of course, we cage birds don't get much chance to study that. But at other things we are ahead of them a long way. Especially about people. You'd be surprised what a good judge of character most housebred canaries are. Altogether, as a grown-up bird, I've often astonished myself at what a lot I know — and how I know it, I couldn't tell you to save my life. But I'm convinced that a great deal of the most important part of my education came to me, as it does to all of us, during that time when we lie in the nest with our eyes closed, trying to guess, by hearing and smelling and feeling, what the world is going to look like."

PT "Thank you," said the Doctor. "That is very interesting. Pray pardon my interruption. But these things are important to me as a naturalist. Please continue with your story."

PT "It is quite an exciting moment," Pippinella continued, "for young birds when they first open their eyes. They usually stay awake most of the night before, lest they sleep past the time and their brothers and sisters crow over them that they saw the world first.

PT "Well, with us the day came in due course; and, myself, I was slightly disappointed. You must remember that for us cage birds the world was the inside of a room, instead of an open meadow, hedgerow, or leafy forest. Of course, we had known something of what it was going to look like from asking our parents. But no matter how well a thing is described to you, you always form your own idea of it, more or less wrong. Very well, then. Our world, we discovered, was a long room, sort of parlour and conservatory combined — a pleasant enough place, containing flowerpots, palms, some furniture and several cages of birds. By day a woman attended to us, supplying our parents with chopped egg and cracker crumbs, which they fed to us youngsters. At night a man, who apparently owned us, came in to inspect everything. He seemed a decent sort of fellow and evidently had our welfare at heart because he was forever scolding the woman for neglecting to clean cages, to change the water in the troughs, or to give the birds fresh lettuce.

PT "Raising prize singing-birds was this man's hobby. He had other cages in other rooms because we could hear the birds singing. And when the doors were open my father would sing back to them and carry on conversations with them about the woman, the quality of the new supply of seed, the temperature in the conservatory, and any odd gossip about the household.

PT "There was another family of young ones in a cage close to ours. And our parents used to chat with the other parents — my mother always boasting that we looked a much healthier brood than theirs.

PT "The man had two children of his own, and they would come into the conservatory occasionally to look at us and to play with toys on the floor. Their games provided us with entertainment and we were glad to have them, because most days the conservatory was rather quiet.

PT "My father was evidently quite a fine singer. And now and then, when he wasn't helping my mother shovel food into us hungry children, he'd sit on the edge of the nest and sing. He had a tremendous voice. But, for my part, I can't say that I enjoyed it much. At that close range it was simply earsplitting and we used to beg Mother to make him stop.

PT "Once he was taken away from us for a whole day. And Mother told us he had gone to a canary show, to see if he was a good enough singer to get a prize. And when the man brought him back to us in the evening there was great excitement throughout the house. All the family came in, talking. Father had won the first prize at the show! After that he used to sing louder than ever, and it was no use our asking Mother to stop him because she was even prouder of his success than he was. In between songs, he told us all about the show and what the judges said and what sort of canaries he had had to sing against.

PT "It was a funny life — not nearly as dull as you'd think. As we got our feathers and grew bigger, I used to look out of the window at the spring trees budding in the garden. Every once in a while I'd see a finch fly by and I'd get a sort of vague hankering to be out in the open, living a life of freedom. But one day I saw a hawk swoop down on a poor lame sparrow and carry him off. With a shudder I nestled down among my brothers and sisters and thanked my stars that I lived indoors. After all, I decided, there was a good deal to be said for this cage life, where we were protected from cats and birds of prey, given comfortable quarters and the best of food."

PIPPINELLA TAKES HER FIRST JOURNEY

PT " T HE THING," P IPPINELLA continued, "that most interested every bird born at that house was whether he was going to be kept, sold, exchanged, or given away. For this man, while he did not run a regular shop, had many friends who were also interested in canaries. He seems to have been quite well known, for some of these people came long distances to see him and his birds. His place wasn't big enough to keep all the families that were born there. So when the young ones grew up and got their full feathers he would pick out those that he wanted to keep himself. These were such as had good voices or who were prettily marked. The others he would sometimes exchange, sometimes give away, and sometimes sell. He never kept very many hens.

PT "One evening, about two weeks after we had left the nest and were hopping and pecking for ourselves, my parents were talking this matter over together. And of course we youngsters, since it was a subject that very deeply concerned us, were listening intently. Said my mother:

PT "I'm afraid he will probably get rid of most of this brood. Nearly all his space is taken up and he seems to prefer those birds over in the next cage — though what he can see in the scrawny, long-necked little brats I don't know. I wouldn't exchange one of our babies for the whole batch.'

PT "'Well,' said my father, 'so far as the welfare of our own is concerned, it will be just as well if he does let them go — especially if they go separately.'

PT "'Why?' I asked.

PT "'Because you always get better cared for in houses where you are the only canary kept. In any place where they have an awful lot to look after, the treatment is usually slipshod and negligent. The worst of all are the animal shops. They are notoriously bad. You don't get your cage cleaned out more than once a week; you get put anyplace, sometimes in the hot sun, sometimes in an awful draught. And the noises and the smells are dreadful. No, I hope, for your sake, you don't get sent to an animal shop.'

PT "'But, Father,' I said, 'it's all right if you get bought right away, isn't it?'

PT "'Yes, but you seldom are, if you're a hen,' he said. 'People don't often come to an animal shop to buy hen canaries.'

PT "'Why?' I asked again.

PT "'Because they don't sing,' said he.

PT "You notice he said ' don't sing,' not ' can't sing.' I am afraid I've always been something of a rebel. Maybe I ought to have been born a cock. Anyway, that evening I felt particularly aggrieved at this stupid, unfair, old-fashioned custom.

PT "'Father, I think that's ridiculous,' I said. 'You know very well that hens are born with just as good voices as cocks. But merely because it isn't considered proper for them to sing they have to let their voices spoil for want of practise when they're young. I think it's a crying shame.'

PT "Then my mother joined in.

PT "'How dare you speak to your father like that, you brazen hussy!' she cried. 'What are the girls coming to these days, I'd like to know? Go and stand down in the corner of the cage!'

PT "And she gave me a box on the ear with her wing that knocked me right off the perch.

PT "Well, although I had been reprimanded, I was by no means repentant. I saw that just because hens were not supposed to sing I and my sisters stood a good chance of being packed off to some wretched, crowded animal shop, instead of being bought by some private person who would treat us decently. And I determined to practise my singing secretly, so as to develop my voice and become just as valuable as my brothers.

PT "Well, in spite of frequent peckings, I continued to exercise my voice quietly when the others were busy eating or talking together. Finally the man who owned us noticed that I often got sat upon by the rest of my family and I was put in a separate cage. After that I could sing as long and as loud as I wanted to and all that the others could do was to make rude remarks from across the room about the quality of my voice.

PT "And then one day the bird fancier, our owner, brought in a friend of his to see us. He wanted to make this friend a present of a canary, it seemed, and he offered him his choice out of the two new families of birds. I liked the man's face and I was determined he should pick me out, if I could make him. He was evidently rather taken with the colouring of the other family and he lingered around their cage quite a while. But I sang my loudest and my best and presently I saw I had caught his attention. He came over to my cage and asked the fancier if I, too, was part of the new broods. On hearing that I was, he said he would like to have me.

PT "Then, to my great delight, the fancier went and got a small travelling cage to lend his friend, until he could buy a bigger one for me. Into this I was changed and wrapping paper was put around and I couldn't see anything more after that.

PT "However, my parents and brothers and sisters could still hear me through the paper. They wished me goodbye and good luck. Then I felt my cage lifted up off the table and the first journey of my life began.

PT "Of course, I wondered, inside my paper-covered carriage, where I was being taken and what my new home would be like. From the motion, a curious jerky sort of swing, I guessed I was still being carried by someone walking. But soon I was put down again, just for a moment, and the suddenly cooling air told me I was outside the house. Next I heard the stamping of a horse's feet, and then I was lifted up again, high. After that a new kind of motion began and, from the swing of it and the regular beating of hoofs, I knew I was being carried on horseback.

PT "I felt the wind blowing through my paper covering. Soon the scent of the ripe corn and poppies reached me and I knew that my owner was now beyond the town, out in the open country. I had never been in the country before, but my father had, when being taken to shows, and he had told me something about it.

PT "It was a cold ride, bumpy and uncomfortable. With the jolting motion of the saddle pommel on which my cage was held every bit of the water and seed out of my troughs got spilled all over the cage — and me, too.

PT "Presently the horse's pace slowed down and, hearing now the echoes of his hooves thrown back from near at hand, I guessed that we had entered the streets of another town. I wondered if this was the place where I was to live or if my owner would ride on through it. I heard sparrows chattering, pigeons cooing, dogs barking, people talking and calling. I hoped we would stay here. It seemed a nice, cheery place, from the sounds of it.

PT "And sure enough, presently, to my great delight, that awful riding motion ceased. I felt my cage being handed down and taken by other hands. Somebody — a woman — was greeting my man on the horse. The air suddenly grew warm and a door slammed shut. I was inside a house — a house of many smells, most of them nice, comfortable, foody smells. My cage was set upon a table. Several voices were now chattering around me, some of them children's. Fingers began clawing at my wrapping paper, to undo it. The string was cut with a ponk like the twang of a guitar. And then — at last — I could see."

THE NEW HOME

PT " T HE ROOM,' P IPPINELLA continued, "in which I found myself was quite different from any I had ever seen before. But then, of course, I had only seen one other, so far — the fancier's conservatory. This place was pretty large, with lots and lots of chairs in it, a ceiling of big smoked beams and funny pictures on the walls of men in scarlet jackets galloping across country on horseback. A pair of stag's horns were hung over the door. And above the fireplace there was an enormous dead fish in a glass box.

PT "Gathered about my cage stood four or five people, men, women, and children, all with fat, round faces and red cheeks. They were staring at me with great curiosity and — to judge from their smiles — with some admiration. I guessed them to be the family of my new owner. Presently another cage was brought and I was changed into it. It was quite roomy and decent inside, and I was glad to get into it after the little crampy one that had been so messed up by the journey.

PT "Then there was evidently a good deal of discussion among the family about where I should be put. One pointed to one place and another to another. Finally it was decided to hang my cage in the big bay window which looked out on to a forecourt, or front yard.

PT "Of course, you must understand that up to this time I had never seen very much of people. I was exceedingly young. At the fancier's all I ever saw, with very few exceptions, was one person at a time. But in this house it was entirely different. People in twos and threes were around, talking all the time. And, watching and listening to them the whole day, I soon began to understand many words of their language. Even that first day I guessed from signs and other things that the largest boy of the family was asking his mother if he could have the job of looking after me. Finally his mother consented — to my great sorrow later, because he was the most forgetful monkey that ever walked. Many was the time that he forgot to refill my water trough and I'd go thirsty for a whole day before he found it out. He was always dreadfully sorry when he discovered his mistake, but that didn't do me any good.

PT "At first I was very much puzzled about this house. The family seemed to be positively enormous. All day long new batches that I had never seen before, men, women, and children, kept arriving, some on horseback, some on foot, some in carriages. They would take meals in the dining room, and often sleep upstairs in the bedrooms overnight. Then they'd go away again and different ones would take their place. There was somebody arriving and somebody going away all the time.

PT "Then I decided these could not all belong to the family, and I supposed that my new owner was a man of many friends. Heaven only knows how long I would have gone on believing that if I had not one day had my youthful ignorance enlightened by a chaffinch. It was a warm afternoon and the bay window had been opened. I saw a chaffinch passing and repassing, with bits of horsehair in his mouth. He was busily building a nest in one of the poplars in the yard. I had not spoken to a bird since I had left my own family, so I hailed him, and he came over close to the window and chatted a while.

PT "This seems an awfully funny house,' I said. 'Who's this man who has so many friends coming to visit him all day long?'

PT "This is an inn, an hotel," said the chaffinch

PT "'No one could mistake you for anything but a newborn cage-bird,' said the chaffinch with a laugh. 'They aren't his friends. This isn't a private house. This is an inn, an hotel, where people pay to stop and eat. Haven't you noticed that big carriage that rattles into the yard every evening at five o'clock? Well, that's the coach from the north. And the one that comes early in the morning is the night coach from the south. Haven't you seen them changing horses? This is a regular coaching-inn, one of the busiest spots in the country.'

PT "And very soon I decided that in my first venture away from the protection of my mother's wing I had been very lucky. Good fortune had given me a home that any cage bird could envy. I have often looked back with pleasure upon the nice, cheerful bustle of that inn. If you must be a cage bird — if you have to be deprived of the green forests and the open freedom of the skies — then it is good to be in close touch with the world. And there, one was certainly that.

PT "Something new was happening all the time. Men went over this road not only to the capital but to foreign lands — for it was the highway to a great port from where ships sailed to the seven seas. Travellers coming and going brought news from everywhere. And the daily coaches always delivered the newspapers from the north, south, east, and west.

PT "All this I witnessed from my little cage. And when the summer weather came I used to be put outside every morning, high up on the wall beside the door. From there I could see down the road a long way. And the daily coaches were visible to me quite a while before they could be seen by anyone else. When the weather was dry I could tell them by the cloud of dust far, far off; and then I'd sing a special song that I made up. It began 'Maids, come out; the coach is here.' And though nobody understood the words of it, all the maids and the porters of the hotel soon got to know the tune. And whenever they heard me sing it they'd know the mail coach would arrive in a few minutes and they'd all get ready to receive the guests. The maids would take a last look at the dining room tables; the porters would come to the door for the valises and luggage; and the stable boys would open the yard gate and get ready the fresh horses to change for the tired ones coming in. It gave me quite a thrill on a quiet drowsy afternoon to suddenly wake that inn up to a bustle and life, just by singing my song, 'Maids, Come Out; the Coach Is Here.' In that way, you see, I was not only in touch with the world but I was, in a manner, an active part of it. For though I lived in a cage I felt myself a responsible member of the hotel staff.

Versão em Português

1 - A LOJA DE ANIMAIS

2 - A PERSA BRANCA

3 - UMA BIOGRAFIA ANIMAL

4 - PIPPINELLA FAZ SUA PRIMEIRA VIAGEM

5 - O NOVO LAR

A LOJA DE ANIMAIS

En Este livro sobre o Doutor Dolittle se chama A Caravana. Ele continua a história do seu circo e da sua vida como artista de circo. Quando ele chegou a Londres, sua casa e sua clínica de animais ficavam em uma caravana em Greenheath, perto da cidade. É por isso que o livro recebeu esse nome.

En O Doutor Dolittle havia sido escolhido como o novo gerente do circo. Alguns donos de teatro em Londres o convidaram para fazer um espetáculo. Enquanto ainda viajava por pequenas cidades e tentava ganhar dinheiro para ajudar o circo, ele pensava em shows novos e interessantes para Londres.

En Ele queria que o primeiro show deles em Londres fosse um grande sucesso. A equipe do circo incluía Matthew Mugg (assistente de gerente), Hercules (homem forte), os irmãos Pinto (artistas de trapézio), Hop (palhaço), Henry Crockett (homem do Punch e Judy), Theodosia Mugg (guarda-roupa) e Fred (um novo tratador de animais). Havia também muitos animais: um leão, um leopardo, um elefante, animais menores como o gambá e o pushmi-pullyu, cobras, e os próprios animais de estimação do Doutor Dolittle, como Jip o cachorro, Gub-Gub o porco, Too-Too a coruja, Dab-Dab a pata e um rato branco.

En O Doutor encontrou uma ideia para um show especial para Londres de uma forma incomum. Como muitas coisas importantes, começou com um pequeno evento inesperado.

En Uma noite, o circo estava em uma cidade pequena. O Doutor Dolittle foi passear com Matthew Mugg e Jip. Eles tinham trabalhado duro o dia todo montando o circo. O Doutor ainda não tinha visto a cidade. Eles caminharam pelas ruas principais e encontraram uma estalagem com mesas do lado de fora. Era uma noite quente, então o Doutor e Matthew sentaram-se para tomar uma cerveja.

En Eles se sentaram e beberam um pouco de cerveja.

En Enquanto descansavam e observavam a cidade, ouviram um pássaro cantando. A canção era muito bonita, às vezes alta e forte, outras vezes calma e misteriosa. O pássaro nunca cantava a mesma coisa duas vezes.

En O Doutor havia escrito livros sobre cantos de pássaros, então ele estava muito interessado.

En Ele perguntou a Matthew se ele conseguia ouvir a canção.

En O vendedor de carne para gatos respondeu que era uma ótima canção. Ele pensou que era um rouxinol cantando nas grandes árvores de olmo perto da igreja.

En O médico disse a Matthew que o pássaro não era um rouxinol, mas sim um canário. Ele explicou que o canário cantava partes do canto de um rouxinol e de outras canções, mas tinha a voz de um canário. O médico acrescentou que o pássaro também estava imitando um tordo.

En Eles ficaram um pouco mais, e o pássaro cantou muitas canções e sons diferentes.

En O médico disse a Matthew que gostaria de ter um canário em sua carroça porque eles são boa companhia. Ele explicou que não gostava de ver pássaros em gaiolas, mas achava aceitável para pássaros que nasceram em cativeiro. Ele sugeriu que fossem rua abaixo para ver o pássaro cantor.

En Depois de pagar as bebidas, o médico e Matthew deixaram as mesas e caminharam em direção à igreja. Eles passaram por várias lojas no caminho. O médico parou em uma delas.

En O médico apontou uma loja de animais para Matthew e disse que o canário estava lá dentro. Ele mencionou que não gostava de lojas de animais porque os animais muitas vezes pareciam tristes e negligenciados. Ele achava que os donos das lojas mantinham muitos animais e não cuidavam deles adequadamente. Ele também achava as lojas abafadas e evitava entrar nelas se possível.

En Matthew perguntou por quê.

En O Doutor explicou que os animais o conheciam e sempre pediam que ele comprasse animais de estimação como pássaros e coelhos. Ele queria ir por outro caminho para não ter que passar pela vitrine.

En Mas enquanto o Doutor estava prestes a voltar, ele ouviu o belo pássaro canoro cantar novamente e parou.

En John Dolittle disse que o pássaro era maravilhoso e soberbo.

En Matthew sugeriu que o Doutor poderia tentar olhar rapidamente com um olho aberto, para que ele pudesse ver o pássaro sem parar.

En O Doutor disse ok e caminhou rapidamente em direção à loja. Ele olhou pela janela enquanto passava e então apressou-se.

En Matthew perguntou ao Doutor se ele tinha visto qual pássaro era.

En John Dolittle confirmou que tinha visto o pássaro. Ele explicou que era um canário verde em uma pequena gaiola de madeira, custando três xelins. Ele pediu a Matthew que entrasse na loja e o comprasse para ele, porque não queria ir ele mesmo, pois achava que os animais poderiam reconhecê-lo. Ele lembrou Matthew de comprar o canário verde na gaiola de madeira perto da porta, que estava marcado com três xelins, e deu-lhe o dinheiro.

En O Doutor esperou do lado de fora da loja ao lado.

En Matthew Mugg entrou na loja com os três xelins, enquanto o Doutor esperava do lado de fora da janela da loja ao lado.

En O homem que vendia carne de gato voltou rapidamente. Ele não trouxe o canário com ele.

En O homem disse ao Doutor que ele tinha cometido um erro. Ele explicou que o pássaro que o Doutor estava procurando era uma galinha, e galinhas não cantam. O pássaro que ouviram era um macho amarelo brilhante do lado de fora da loja. O homem disse que custava duas libras e dez xelins. Ele também mencionou que era um pássaro premiado e um cantor muito bom.

En O Doutor disse que isso era muito surpreendente e perguntou se o homem tinha certeza.

En O Doutor esqueceu que não queria que os animais na loja o vissem. Ele se aproximou da janela e apontou novamente para o canário verde.

En Ele disse que aquele era o pássaro a que se referia. Ele perguntou se eles tinham perguntado sobre aquele. Então ele percebeu que tinha cometido um erro e que o pássaro o tinha reconhecido.

En O canário verde perto da janela viu o Doutor olhando para ela. Ela pensou que ele queria comprá-la. Ela se mexeu na gaiola e fez sinais através do vidro, parecendo feliz.

En O Doutor não podia pagar o preço do pássaro e começou a sair. Mas o pequeno canário verde ficou muito triste quando entendeu que ele não ia comprá-la.

En John Dolittle e Matthew caminharam pela rua por uma curta distância, menos de cem jardas, e então John parou.

En John disse que não adiantava e que teria que comprar o pássaro, mesmo que não pudesse cantar. Ele explicou que sempre comprava as coisas mais inúteis das lojas de animais. Ele disse a Matthew para voltar e pegá-la.

En O vendedor de carne para gatos voltou para a loja e logo retornou com uma gaiola pequena coberta com papel pardo.

En O Doutor disse a Matthew que eles precisavam se apressar. Ele explicou que estava quase na hora do chá e que Theodosia achava difícil administrar sem a ajuda deles.

En Quando chegaram ao circo, o Doutor foi chamado para um trabalho importante relacionado ao espetáculo. Ele pediu a Matthew que levasse o canário para a carroça. O Doutor ficou ocupado com várias coisas até a hora do jantar.

En Quando o Doutor finalmente voltou para sua carroça, ele ainda estava pensando nos acontecimentos do dia e tinha esquecido do canário que havia comprado. Ele se sentou cansado. Too-Too, a coruja que cuidava do dinheiro do circo, começou imediatamente a falar com ele sobre finanças.

En Mas a conversa chata sobre dinheiro e números tinha acabado de começar quando o Doutor ouviu um som agradável. Era um pássaro cantando muito baixinho.

En O Doutor sussurrou surpreso, perguntando de onde vinha o som.

En O som ficou cada vez mais alto. Era a canção mais bonita que o Doutor Dolittle já tinha ouvido, ainda melhor do que a que ele ouviu do lado de fora de uma estalagem. Para a maioria das pessoas, teria sido incrível, mas como o Doutor entendia a língua dos canários e conseguia compreender as palavras, foi uma experiência muito especial para ele.

En A canção era um longo poema. Contava histórias sobre muitos lugares e muitos amores, sobre pequenas e grandes aventuras. A música mudava, ora triste, ora alegre, ora forte, ora calma. Era mais maravilhosa do que o melhor canto de um rouxinol.

En O Doutor perguntou, parecendo muito confuso, de onde vinha o som.

En Too-Too respondeu que o som estava vindo de uma gaiola coberta na prateleira.

En O Doutor exclamou surpreso que era o pássaro que ele tinha comprado naquela tarde.

En Ele se levantou rapidamente e puxou o papel de embrulho. O canto parou. Um pequeno canário verde olhou para ele pelo buraco que havia feito.

En O Doutor disse ao pássaro que tinha pensado que era uma galinha.

En O pássaro respondeu que era uma galinha.

En O Doutor então perguntou por que ele cantava.

En O pássaro perguntou por que não deveria cantar.

En Alguém afirmou que as canárias fêmeas não cantam.

En O pequeno pássaro verde riu com um som longo e agudo. Seu riso parecia que ela se achava superior.

En O pássaro fez um som de risada longo e agudo.

En O pássaro explicou que a velha ideia de que as galinhas não cantam era engraçada. Ela disse que os pássaros machos inventaram essa história porque são orgulhosos. Ela acrescentou que as fêmeas na verdade têm vozes muito melhores. No entanto, os machos não querem que elas cantem e as machucarão se o fizerem. Ela mencionou uma tentativa passada chamada "Canto para Mulheres" em que as galinhas tentaram cantar. Mas algumas galinhas mais velhas acreditavam que não era adequado para as fêmeas cantar e que seu lugar era no ninho, deixando o canto apenas para os machos. Por causa disso, o movimento falhou, e as pessoas ainda acreditam que as galinhas não cantam.

En O Doutor perguntou se ela não tinha cantado na loja.

En O canário disse ao Doutor que ele não cantaria naquela loja. Explicou que o cheiro da loja era tão forte que podia fazer alguém engasgar.

En O Doutor perguntou ao canário por que ele tinha cantado naquele momento.

En O canário explicou que cantou porque o homem do Doutor tinha voltado. Ele entendeu que o Doutor queria comprar o pássaro amarelo que tinha cantado mal a tarde toda. O canário queria mostrar ao Doutor o que as mulheres podiam fazer musicalmente como forma de retribuir sua gentileza.

En O Doutor achou o canto do canário maravilhoso e muito melhor que o do outro pássaro. Ele acreditava que o canário era um contralto.

En O canário corrigiu o Doutor, dizendo que era um mezzo-contralto. No entanto, acrescentou que também podia cantar no registro de soprano mais agudo se quisesse.

En O Doutor perguntou ao pássaro seu nome.

En O pássaro respondeu que seu nome era Pippinella.

En O Doutor perguntou ao pássaro o que ele estava cantando.

En O pássaro explicou que estava cantando a história de sua vida.

En O Doutor mencionou que a canção estava em versos.

En O canário explicou que escrevia poesia para se divertir. Ele mencionou que pássaros mantidos em gaiolas têm bastante tempo livre, especialmente quando não têm ovos para chocar ou filhotes para alimentar.

En O Doutor disse ao canário que ele era um artista muito talentoso, chamando-o de poeta e cantor.

En O canário acrescentou calmamente que também era músico. Ele disse que a música era sua própria criação. Explicou que não usou canções de pássaros normais, exceto por uma parte. Essa parte usava uma canção de amor de um verdilhão para contar sobre o marido de sua esposa que fugiu para a América e a deixou chorando à beira-mar.

En Dab-Dab chegou para anunciar que o jantar estava pronto. Gub-Gub, o porco, estava infeliz. O Doutor, no entanto, estava muito animado com um novo interesse para prestar atenção ao jantar. Ele pegou um livro velho para escrever música, onde às vezes escrevia peças para seu instrumento favorito, a flauta.

En O Doutor pediu educadamente ao canário se ele contaria a história de sua vida novamente. Ele disse que estava muito interessado em ouvi-la.

En O passarinho concordou e pediu que seu bebedouro fosse enchido de água. Ele explicou que o bebedouro havia ficado vazio durante a viagem. O pássaro disse que gostava de beber água para umedecer a garganta, especialmente quando cantava músicas longas.

En O médico concordou rapidamente e se apressou para dar água ao pássaro. Ele pediu que o pássaro cantasse devagar para que pudesse anotar a música. Ele mencionou que o ritmo da canção era complicado e que o pássaro mudava de tom musical com frequência. Ele disse que perguntaria pela letra mais tarde, pois não podia escrever as duas coisas ao mesmo tempo. Depois, disse que estava pronto para ouvir.

A PERSA BRANCA

En O médico sentou-se e escreveu música por um longo tempo enquanto o canário verde cantava a história da vida dela. A canção durou cerca de meia hora. Durante a canção, Gub-Gub interrompeu mais de uma vez.

En Gub-Gub interrompeu para dizer ao médico que o jantar estava esfriando.

En Depois que o canário terminou de cantar, John Dolittle guardou cuidadosamente seu livro de anotações. Ele agradeceu ao canário e então se preparou para jantar.

En Ele convidou o pássaro a sair da gaiola e ficar com eles.

En O pássaro perguntou se ele tinha algum gato.

En O Doutor respondeu que não mantinha gatos em sua carroça.

En O canário disse que sairia se sua porta fosse aberta.

En Jip perguntou ao pássaro se ele poderia escapar facilmente de um gato voando.

En O canário voou para a mesa e disse que poderia ajudar se soubesse o que esperar ou onde algo estava. Explicou que os gatos são mais perigosos quando estão escondidos e são caçadores muito habilidosos.

En Jip grunhiu e disse que os cães também são muito bons.

En O canário discordou educadamente de Jip, dizendo que os cães não são tão bons quanto os gatos na caça. Explicou que, embora os cães sejam bons em seguir e rastrear, os gatos usam sua inteligência para capturar presas. O canário perguntou se os cães tinham paciência para esperar silenciosamente por horas por um rato, ao contrário dos gatos. Acrescentou que os cães costumam espantar as presas latindo e arranhando buracos, e que preferiria estar em uma sala cheia de cães do que ter um gato por perto.

En O Doutor perguntou ao canário se ele já havia tido alguma experiência ruim com gatos.

En O canário respondeu que não havia tido pessoalmente experiências ruins com gatos. No entanto, tinha aprendido uma lição com a experiência de outra pessoa. O canário costumava viver na mesma casa que um papagaio. Um dia, a dona deles trouxe para casa um lindo e fofo gato persa branco. O papagaio velho comentou com o canário que o novo gato parecia um animal agradável.

En O orador alertou Pol sobre o gato. Ele explicou que gatos são naturalmente não confiáveis e nunca devem ser confiados.

En O Doutor pensou que, se as pessoas nunca confiassem em gatos, isso poderia explicar por que eles se comportam de certas maneiras. Ele acrescentou que essa falta de confiança poderia ser muito difícil para a personalidade de qualquer criatura.

En O canário discordou, dizendo que a dona confiava no gato e até o deixava com eles à noite. O canário estava seguro porque sua gaiola estava pendurada no alto. No entanto, Pol, que estava em um poleiro simples com uma corrente, não estava seguro do gato.

En Pol lutou corajosamente contra a gata e deu a ela mais problemas do que ela esperava.

En Pol não acreditava que a gata era perigosa até que ela tentou subir no suporte dele para alcançá-lo. Pol, sendo um bom lutador quando necessário, mordeu a gata. A gata fugiu com um pedaço da orelha faltando.

En O falador perguntou se o ouvinte acreditaria nele. Ele avisou que uma mulher estava planejando machucar Polly. Ele disse ao ouvinte para ficar acordado enquanto a mulher estivesse no quarto. Ele explicou que a mulher tinha medo do ouvinte quando eles estavam olhando para ela, mas ela atacaria se o ouvinte não fosse cuidadoso. Ele disse que se a mulher atacasse Polly, Polly ficaria gravemente ferida. Ele repetiu o aviso para ficar acordado.

En O canário verde bebeu um pouco de leite da tigela de Gub-Gub.

En O canário verde parou de contar sua história por um momento. Ela voou até a mesa e bebeu da tigela de leite de Gub-Gub, o que surpreendeu muito Gub-Gub. Depois de limpar o bico nos saleiros e pimenteiros, ela continuou falando.

En O canário disse que havia salvado a vida do papagaio muitas vezes. O papagaio gostava de sua rotina diária e não gostava de mudanças. Ele ficava infeliz se suas atividades regulares, como o banho de sábado ou a laranja de domingo, estivessem atrasadas. Ele também tirava uma soneca todos os dias depois do almoço. O canário o havia avisado que cochilar era perigoso se as portas e janelas não estivessem fechadas e o gato estivesse do lado de fora. No entanto, os hábitos do papagaio eram muito fortes, e ele teria tirado sua soneca mesmo se houvesse muitos gatos no quarto.

En O canário pegou outro pequeno pedaço de comida, comeu devagar e depois continuou sua história.

En O narrador achava que o papagaio, Pol, era muito independente e tinha princípios fortes. Um gato frequentemente tentava pegar Pol enquanto ele dormia. O narrador assobiava alto para acordar Pol, e então o gato fugia, irritado por seu plano ter sido arruinado.

En A dona do gato não acreditava que seu gato fosse perigoso. Uma amiga perguntou se ela estava preocupada em deixar o gato perto do papagaio sem uma gaiola.

En A dona disse à amiga que seu gato, Pussums, nunca machucaria seu papagaio, Polly.

En O gato agiu de forma muito amigável com a senhora, esfregando-se nela e ronronando, fazendo com que parecesse inofensivo.

En A senhora foi fazer uma visita, e a empregada ganhou o dia de folga. O narrador e o papagaio receberam ração e água extras, e a casa foi trancada. O narrador tinha certeza de que o papagaio estaria seguro naquele dia.

En Por volta do meio-dia, uma tempestade começou com ventos fortes. A porta do quarto deles se abriu porque não havia sido fechada corretamente.

En O narrador avisou Pol para não dormir, pois um gato poderia entrar no quarto a qualquer momento.

En O gato não apareceu por muito tempo. Depois de uma hora, o narrador decidiu que o gato provavelmente estava em outro cômodo e parou de se preocupar. Pol adormeceu depois do almoço, e o narrador também se sentiu cansado e tirou uma soneca.

En O narrador teve sonhos assustadores sobre gatos e pássaros. De repente, um barulho o acordou. Ele viu Pol caído no chão, morto, e o gato branco sentado perto com uma expressão satisfeita no rosto.

En O canário estremeceu e limpou o bico, como se tentasse esquecer um sonho ruim.

En A mulher estava muito assustada e não conseguia falar. Ela pensou que o gato pudesse comer seu amigo. Mas o gato não queria o amigo como comida. O gato matou o amigo apenas por diversão. Ele tinha esperado e planejado por três meses. Então, com um olhar feliz, o gato deixou o amigo morto no chão.

En A mulher pensou que o gato não poderia escapar da culpa. Ela acreditava que a senhora idosa agora saberia que o gato era um assassino.

En Então algo estranho aconteceu. Isso lembrou a mulher do que sua mãe costumava dizer: que os gatos são ajudados pelo diabo. Sua mãe acreditava que os gatos eram muito espertos por causa dessa ajuda e a avisou para nunca tentar ser mais esperta que um gato.

En A mulher nunca tinha acreditado em sua mãe, mas agora quase acreditava. Ela pensou que, se a porta estivesse aberta, as pessoas saberiam que o gato matou o papagaio. No entanto, a porta estava fechada, como a senhora idosa a deixara, e o gato estava do lado de fora. Então, ninguém suspeitaria do gato. A mulher tinha certeza de que o gato teria problemas. Então, o vento começou a soprar forte. Para seu horror, a porta se fechou lentamente e depois bateu com um barulho alto. A última coisa que ela viu foi o gato do lado de fora, ainda sorrindo para ela. A mulher achou compreensível acreditar que o gato era ajudado pelo diabo, porque se o vento tivesse vindo apenas dois minutos antes, teria prendido o gato dentro da sala.

En Quando a senhora idosa voltou para casa, ela não conseguia entender o que havia acontecido. O papagaio estava no chão com o pescoço quebrado, o que o gato tinha feito com muita habilidade. As janelas e a porta estavam fechadas.

En A velha senhora eventualmente sugeriu que meninos poderiam ter entrado. Ela acreditava que eles provavelmente desceram pela chaminé, mataram o papagaio e escaparam sem deixar rastros. O mistério nunca foi resolvido, e ela ficou muito chateada, chorando muito, mas era tarde demais.

En Ela chorou e disse que ainda tinha seu canário e seu gato.

En Então o gato se aproximou dela, ronronando para ser acariciado. A velha senhora deu um pouco de leite ao gato. O narrador afirma que nunca se deve confiar em um gato.

En A velha senhora deu ao gato um pires de leite.

En O Doutor comentou que os gatos são criaturas estranhas e que é difícil entender por que eles matam mesmo quando não estão com fome, sugerindo que é da natureza deles. Ele pediu que a pessoa contasse a história de sua vida novamente após o jantar, pois ele estivera muito ocupado escrevendo a música para prestar muita atenção às palavras antes.

En O canário concordou. Ele disse que contaria a história de forma normal, sem música.

En O Doutor achou que era uma ideia melhor. Ele disse a Gub-Gub que ele poderia incluir todas as suas aventuras com muitos detalhes, e que não precisava se preocupar em fazê-las rimar. Ele também disse a Gub-Gub que Dab-Dab limparia a mesa depois que ele terminasse suas nozes de faia.

UMA BIOGRAFIA ANIMAL

En A chegada do pequeno canário verde levou o Doutor a escrever seu primeiro livro sobre a vida de um animal. Ele já havia pensado nisso antes, acreditando que as vidas dos animais eram muitas vezes mais interessantes do que as vidas humanas se escritas corretamente. Ele até planejou uma série de livros chamada "Grandes Animais do Século XIX". No entanto, ele não havia encontrado muitos animais com boa memória que pudessem se lembrar de detalhes suficientes para uma biografia.

En Gub-Gub ficou desapontado por não ter recebido uma estátua em Manchester. Ele havia pedido ao Doutor que escrevesse sua história de vida, certo de que todos iriam querer lê-la. Mas o Doutor e seus animais de estimação já conheciam muito bem a vida de Gub-Gub. Além disso, Gub-Gub, que agora era um ator famoso, não queria que sua história de vida fosse escrita de forma engraçada.

En Gub-Gub declarou que queria uma biografia séria e respeitada. Ele explicou que, embora pudesse ser muito engraçado quando atuava no palco, sua biografia precisava ser digna.

En Jip corrigiu a palavra, dizendo que a história de vida do outro seria cheia de comida e dores de estômago. Ele disse que preferiria ler sobre uma pedra.

En O Doutor Dolittle escrevia sobre animais, mas ninguém havia escrito sobre pássaros até Pippinella, uma canária, se juntar à sua família. O Doutor achava que Pippinella era uma boa biógrafa porque ela se lembrava de pequenos detalhes interessantes. Ele explicou na introdução do livro que a história era da própria Pippinella, e ele apenas a traduziu do Canário para o Inglês.

En As pessoas acharam o livro sobre a canária muito interessante. No entanto, ele não estava mais disponível porque os livreiros não queriam vendê-lo. Eles achavam que a vida de um pássaro em uma gaiola seria entediante.

En Por causa disso, o livro foi vendido apenas em lojas especiais como taxidermistas e lojas de naturalistas, razão pela qual é difícil de encontrar hoje. O livro, intitulado \"A Vida de Coloratura Pippinella, Canário Contralto\", incluía detalhes sobre a vida do pássaro depois que ela se juntou à casa do Doutor Dolittle. O Doutor e Pippinella discutiram o manuscrito muitas vezes, e ela compartilhou mais pequenos incidentes e detalhes que ele achava que o público consideraria interessantes, tornando o livro bastante longo. O autor contará a história em parte, como Pippinella a contou ao Doutor Dolittle e sua família.

En Pippinella começou dizendo que as pessoas poderiam pensar que a vida de uma canária em uma gaiola seria uma história monótona. No entanto, ela explicou que as vidas de pássaros de gaiola são frequentemente mais variadas e interessantes do que as de pássaros selvagens. Ela havia ouvido as histórias de vários pássaros selvagens e as considerava muito monótonas.

En Pippinella começou a contar sua história. Ela explicou que nasceu em um viveiro particular onde sua família morava. Seu pai era um canário amarelo, e sua mãe era um verdilhão. Ela tinha seis irmãos e irmãs, e todos se pareciam, com uma mistura de cores verdes e amarelas. Quando eram bebês, o foco principal era conseguir comida suficiente. Pippinella mencionou que seus pais eram muito bons e os alimentavam cerca de quatorze vezes ao dia.

En Gub-Gub resmungou que nunca recebeu tanta comida.

En O Doutor pediu a Gub-Gub que ficasse quieto e não interrompesse Pippinella.

En John Dolittle perguntou a Pippinella como os filhotes de pássaros sabem quando seus pais estão trazendo comida, mesmo antes de abrirem os olhos. Ele havia notado que os filhotes sempre abrem a boca quando os pássaros adultos voltam ao ninho.

En Pippinella pensou que os filhotes de pássaros podiam perceber pela vibração do ninho quando seus pais pisavam na borda. Ela também explicou que, mesmo com os olhos fechados, eles conseguiam ver a sombra dos pais bloqueando a luz do sol enquanto se inclinavam sobre o ninho.

En O Doutor agradeceu ao orador e fez uma anotação. Ele pediu que continuassem.

En Pippinella explicou que os pássaros jovens falam e fazem sons logo após nascerem. Ela disse que isso é uma grande diferença entre os filhos de pássaros e os humanos. Os filhos humanos veem antes de falar, mas os filhotes de pássaros falam antes de ver.

En Gub-Gub perguntou sobre o que os pássaros poderiam falar se ainda não tivessem visto nada. Ele pensou que a conversa deles poderia não fazer muito sentido.

En O canário disse a Gub-Gub que os filhotes de pássaros nascem com algum senso, mas os filhotes de porco não. Ela explicou que o tempo que os pássaros jovens passam cegos é importante para seu aprendizado e crescimento. Ela disse que eles adivinhavam como o mundo seria. Esse período os ajuda a desenvolver um sexto sentido, que é muito importante para os pássaros. Ela mencionou que, quando os pássaros falam sobre ter senso, eles se referem a esse sexto sentido.

En O Doutor perguntou ao canário se ela poderia explicar o sexto sentido com mais detalhes.

En O canário disse que era difícil explicar. Os pássaros sabem quando seus pais estão se aproximando, mesmo sem vê-los ou ouvi-los. Como os pássaros não enxergam bem, eles ouvem com muito cuidado. Eles aprendiam sobre o mundo ouvindo sons, como ratos arranhando dentro das paredes e galhos de árvores batendo na janela de sua gaiola.

En Os pássaros perguntaram ao pai se era um vento forte, porque ouviram galhos arranhando a janela.

En O pai respondeu que era um vento norte. Ele explicou que apenas os ventos norte e nordeste empurram o jasmim contra a janela. Outros ventos o afastam da casa.

En Os pássaros conseguiam determinar a direção e a força do vento pelo som que os galhos faziam na janela. Eles aprendiam muitas coisas sem entender o porquê, o que o canário chamava de sexto sentido. Os pássaros selvagens usam esse sentido para coisas como geografia, mas os pássaros de gaiola não aprendem isso. No entanto, os pássaros de gaiola são melhores em entender as pessoas. O canário acreditava que grande parte de seu aprendizado importante aconteceu quando era jovem no ninho, tentando adivinhar como era o mundo ouvindo, cheirando e sentindo.

En O Doutor agradeceu ao canário, dizendo que a informação era muito interessante e importante para ele como naturalista. Ele pediu ao canário que continuasse sua história.

En Pippinella explicou que era um momento emocionante para os pássaros jovens quando abriam os olhos pela primeira vez. Ela disse que os pássaros frequentemente ficavam acordados na noite anterior. Isso era para garantir que não dormissem tarde demais e perdessem a oportunidade de ver o mundo antes de seus irmãos e irmãs.

En O dia chegou para os pássaros abrirem os olhos, mas o narrador se sentiu um pouco desapontado. Para os pássaros mantidos em gaiolas, seu mundo era um cômodo, não um campo aberto. Eles haviam perguntado aos pais como seria, mas imaginar algo é diferente de vê-lo. Descobriram que seu mundo era uma sala comprida, como uma combinação de sala de estar e jardim de inverno. Tinha plantas, móveis e gaiolas de pássaros. Uma mulher dava comida aos pais, que alimentavam os filhotes. À noite, um homem que era dono deles os verificava. Ele parecia bondoso e se importava com os pássaros, pois frequentemente dizia à mulher para limpar as gaiolas, trocar a água e dar alface fresca aos pássaros.

En O hobby do homem era criar pássaros canoros premiados. Ele tinha gaiolas em outros cômodos, e o narrador podia ouvir outros pássaros cantando. Quando as portas estavam abertas, o pássaro pai cantava de volta para eles. Ele conversava com os outros pássaros sobre coisas como a mulher, a qualidade da semente para pássaros, a temperatura do cômodo e quaisquer notícias da casa.

En Havia outra família de pássaros jovens em uma gaiola próxima. Os pais dos pássaros costumavam conversar entre si. A mãe do narrador frequentemente dizia que seus filhos pareciam mais saudáveis do que os filhos da outra família.

En O homem tinha dois filhos próprios. Às vezes, as crianças entravam no cômodo para olhar os pássaros e brincar com seus brinquedos no chão. Os pássaros gostavam de observar as brincadeiras das crianças. Eles ficavam felizes com a visita das crianças porque o cômodo geralmente era muito silencioso.

En O pai do narrador era um cantor muito bom, com uma voz alta. Ele cantava enquanto alimentava seus filhos. No entanto, seu canto era alto demais para as crianças, e elas frequentemente pediam que ele parasse.

En Um dia, o pai foi a uma competição de canto de canários e ganhou o primeiro prêmio. Quando voltou, todos ficaram muito animados. Ele começou a cantar ainda mais alto do que antes. A mãe dele estava muito orgulhosa do seu sucesso e não o deixava parar de cantar. Ele também contou histórias sobre a competição.

En O narrador achava a vida interessante. Eles viam pássaros voando livremente lá fora e às vezes desejavam essa liberdade. Mas depois de ver um falcão pegar outro pássaro, o narrador se sentiu mais seguro vivendo dentro de casa. Eles decidiram que ser protegido dos perigos, ter uma casa confortável e boa comida era uma boa maneira de viver.

PIPPINELLA FAZ SUA PRIMEIRA VIAGEM

En Os pássaros nascidos na casa sempre ficavam curiosos sobre o que aconteceria com eles. O dono tinha muitos amigos interessados em canários. Ele não mantinha todos os pássaros jovens porque seu lugar era muito pequeno. Ele ficava com os pássaros que tinham boas vozes ou marcas bonitas. Os outros pássaros eram às vezes vendidos, trocados ou dados. Ele não mantinha muitas fêmeas.

En Cerca de duas semanas depois que os passarinhos haviam deixado o ninho e estavam cuidando de si mesmos, seus pais tiveram uma conversa. Os passarinhos ouviram com atenção porque o assunto era muito importante para eles. A mãe pássaro então falou.

En O falante estava preocupado que a outra pessoa pudesse vender a maioria dos pássaros jovens. Não havia muito espaço, e a outra pessoa parecia gostar mais dos pássaros na gaiola ao lado. O falante não achava que esses pássaros fossem especiais e não trocaria seus próprios filhotes por eles.

En O pai disse que seria melhor se os pássaros jovens fossem vendidos separadamente. Ele explicou que isso era para o bem de seus próprios filhotes.

En O falante perguntou ao pai o motivo.

En O pai explicou que um único canário recebe melhores cuidados. Se houver muitos pássaros, os cuidados geralmente não são bons. Ele disse que as lojas de animais são os piores lugares, onde as gaiolas são limpas apenas uma vez por semana. Os pássaros podem ser colocados em lugares ruins, como no sol quente ou perto de uma corrente de ar frio, e os barulhos e cheiros são terríveis. O pai esperava que o falante não fosse enviado para uma loja de animais.

En O falante perguntou ao pai se estaria tudo bem se eles fossem comprados rapidamente.

En Ele explicou que as galinhas geralmente não são cantoras. Ele também mencionou que as pessoas não vão frequentemente a uma loja de animais para comprar canários galinhas.

En O narrador perguntou o motivo novamente.

En Ele respondeu que era porque as galinhas não cantam.

En O narrador pensou sobre suas palavras. Ele notou que o homem disse que as galinhas não cantam, não que elas não podem cantar. Ele sentiu que isso era uma tradição antiga e injusta.

En O narrador disse ao pai que achava isso bobo. Ele disse que as galinhas nascem com vozes tão boas quanto as dos pássaros machos. No entanto, porque as pessoas não acham certo elas cantarem, suas vozes ficam ruins por não praticarem quando são jovens. Ele sentiu que isso era uma grande vergonha.

En Então, a mãe dela se juntou.

En A mãe dela estava muito brava e perguntou como ela ousava falar com o pai daquele jeito. Ela mandou ela ir ficar no canto da gaiola.

En A mãe dela bateu nela com a asa, e ela caiu do poleiro.

En Mesmo tendo sido repreendida, ela não se arrependeu. Ela se preocupou que, se as galinhas não tivessem permissão para cantar, ela e suas irmãs pudessem ser mandadas para uma loja de animais ruim. Então, ela decidiu praticar canto secretamente para melhorar a voz e se tornar tão boa quanto seus irmãos.

En Ela continuou a praticar canto em silêncio quando os outros estavam ocupados. Eventualmente, o dono notou que sua família frequentemente a empurrava para o lado. Ele a mudou para uma gaiola separada. Depois disso, ela podia cantar o quanto quisesse, e os outros só podiam fazer comentários negativos sobre o canto dela à distância.

En O vendedor de pássaros, que era o dono, trouxe um amigo para visitar. Ele queria dar um canário de presente ao amigo. O amigo podia escolher um pássaro entre duas famílias de pássaros novos. O pássaro gostou do rosto do homem e queria que ele o escolhesse. No começo, o homem parecia mais interessado na outra família de pássaros. No entanto, o pássaro cantou o mais alto e melhor que pôde. Isso chamou a atenção do homem. Ele foi até a gaiola do pássaro e perguntou se ele fazia parte dos pássaros novos. Quando soube que sim, disse que gostaria de ficar com aquele pássaro.

En O pássaro estava muito feliz. O vendedor de pássaros encontrou uma gaiola pequena de viagem para emprestar ao amigo até que uma maior pudesse ser comprada para o pássaro. O pássaro foi transferido para essa gaiola pequena. Depois, papel foi enrolado em volta da gaiola, para que o pássaro não pudesse mais ver o lado de fora.

En Mesmo com a cobertura de papel, os pais e os irmãos do pássaro ainda podiam ouvi-lo. Eles se despediram e desejaram boa sorte. Então, o pássaro sentiu sua gaiola sendo erguida da mesa. Este foi o começo de sua primeira viagem.

En Dentro de sua gaiola coberta de papel, o pássaro se perguntava para onde estava indo e como seria seu novo lar. Sentiu um movimento estranho e sacudido e imaginou que alguém estava andando enquanto o carregava. Logo, a gaiola foi colocada no chão por um momento. O ar de repente ficou mais frio, e o pássaro percebeu que estava fora de casa. Em seguida, ouviu o som de cascos de cavalo. A gaiola foi erguida novamente. Um novo tipo de movimento começou, e pelo balanço e pelo som regular dos cascos, o pássaro soube que estava sendo carregado a cavalo.

En O pássaro sentiu o vento soprando através da cobertura de papel de sua gaiola. Logo, pôde sentir o cheiro de milho maduro e papoulas. Isso disse ao pássaro que seu dono estava agora fora da cidade, no campo aberto. O pássaro nunca tinha estado no campo antes, mas seu pai lhe contara sobre isso a partir de suas próprias experiências quando era levado a exposições.

En A viagem foi fria, áspera e desconfortável. Como a gaiola se movia muito, toda a água e comida derramaram. Isso deixou a gaiola e o ocupante molhados e bagunçados.

En Logo, o cavalo começou a se mover mais devagar. O ocupante ouviu sons que sugeriam que haviam entrado em uma cidade. Ele se perguntou se aquele seria seu novo lar. Os sons de pássaros, cães e pessoas faziam parecer um lugar agradável, e o ocupante esperava que ficassem.

En O passeio desconfortável finalmente terminou. A gaiola foi pega por novas mãos, e o ocupante ouviu uma mulher cumprimentar o cavaleiro. Eles foram levados para dentro de uma casa que cheirava bem e era confortável. Depois de ser colocada em uma mesa e desembrulhada, o ocupante finalmente conseguiu ver.

O NOVO LAR

En O quarto era muito diferente de qualquer outro visto antes. Era grande, com muitas cadeiras, e tinha um teto com vigas escuras. As paredes exibiam quadros de homens montados a cavalo, e havia chifres de veado acima da porta. Um peixe preservado excepcionalmente grande em uma caixa de vidro foi colocado acima da lareira.

En Várias pessoas, incluindo homens, mulheres e crianças com rostos redondos e vermelhos, se reuniram ao redor da gaiola. Eles olharam para o ocupante com curiosidade e admiração. O ocupante acreditava que eles eram a família do novo dono. Mais tarde, o ocupante foi transferido para uma nova gaiola que era maior e mais limpa, o que foi uma mudança bem-vinda em relação à gaiola pequena e bagunçada usada durante a viagem.

En A família discutiu onde colocar minha gaiola. Depois de considerar diferentes lugares, decidiram pendurá-la na grande janela saliente que dava para o pátio da frente.

En Eu era muito jovem e não tinha conhecido muitas pessoas antes. Nesta nova casa, as pessoas estavam sempre por perto em grupos, conversando constantemente. Observando e ouvindo, comecei a entender a língua delas. No primeiro dia, entendi que o menino mais velho queria cuidar de mim. A mãe dele concordou, o que depois me deixou infeliz porque ele era muito esquecido. Ele frequentemente esquecia de encher meu pote de água, me deixando com sede por um dia inteiro até que se lembrasse. Ele sempre sentia muito quando percebia o erro, mas isso não me ajudava.

En No começo, fiquei confuso com a casa porque a família parecia extremamente grande. Novos grupos de pessoas, que eu nunca tinha visto antes, continuavam chegando o dia todo. Alguns vinham a cavalo, outros a pé, e outros chegavam de carruagem. Eles faziam refeições e às vezes dormiam lá durante a noite antes de partir, e então pessoas diferentes chegavam. Havia um fluxo constante de pessoas indo e vindo.

En Eu pensei que todos esses visitantes deviam ser amigos do meu novo dono, já que a família em si não parecia tão grande. Continuei acreditando nisso até que um tentilhão corrigiu meu equívoco. Numa tarde quente, vi o tentilhão voando para lá e para cá com pedaços de crina de cavalo para construir um ninho em um choupo no quintal. Como não falava com um pássaro desde que saí da minha própria família, chamei por ele. Ele voou para perto da janela e conversamos por um tempo.

En Disse ao tentilhão que a casa parecia muito estranha. Perguntei a ele quem era o homem que tinha tantos amigos o visitando o dia todo.

En O tentilhão explicou que o lugar era uma pousada ou um hotel.

En O tentilhão riu e disse ao pássaro que ele parecia um pássaro jovem mantido em uma gaiola. Ele explicou que não era uma casa particular, mas uma pousada ou hotel movimentado onde as pessoas pagavam para ficar e comer. Ele mencionou as carruagens diárias que chegavam do norte e do sul, e a troca de cavalos, mostrando que era um lugar muito ativo.

En O pássaro se sentiu muito sortudo por ter encontrado um lar tão bom. Era uma pousada agradável e animada. O pássaro pensou que, se tivesse que viver em uma gaiola, o melhor era estar em um lugar onde pudesse se sentir conectado ao mundo exterior e ouvir notícias.

En Muitas coisas interessantes aconteciam lá porque a estrada levava à capital e até a países estrangeiros, já que estava no caminho para um grande porto de navios que navegavam pelo mundo. Viajantes traziam notícias de todos os lugares, e as carruagens diárias entregavam jornais de todas as direções.

En O pássaro observou tudo isso de sua gaiola. Durante o verão, era colocado do lado de fora na parede, onde podia ver a estrada e as carruagens se aproximando de longe. O pássaro criou uma canção especial que anunciava a chegada da carruagem. Os funcionários do hotel aprenderam a melodia e sabiam se preparar para os hóspedes quando a ouviam. O pássaro sentiu que não estava apenas conectado ao mundo, mas também era uma parte importante das operações do hotel, como um membro da equipe.

THE ANIMAL SHOP

Português

Este livro sobre o Doutor Dolittle se chama A Caravana. Ele continua a história do seu circo e da sua vida como artista de circo. Quando ele chegou a Londres, sua casa e sua clínica de animais ficavam em uma caravana em Greenheath, perto da cidade. É por isso que o livro recebeu esse nome.

Original English

THIS BOOK OF the memoirs of Doctor Dolittle has been called the Caravan because it is in part a continuation of the Circus and the adventures that he met with in his career as a showman. Moreover, on his arrival in London the headquarters of the Dolittle household became the Doctor's caravan on Greenheath (just outside the city), where his surgery and animal clinic continued their good work. And this too made that name for the book seem proper and in place.

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Português

O Doutor Dolittle havia sido escolhido como o novo gerente do circo. Alguns donos de teatro em Londres o convidaram para fazer um espetáculo. Enquanto ainda viajava por pequenas cidades e tentava ganhar dinheiro para ajudar o circo, ele pensava em shows novos e interessantes para Londres.

Original English

It will be remembered that shortly after John Dolittle was elected as the new manager of the circus he had received a special invitation from some theatre owners in London to come and put on a show for them. And while he was still taking the circus to small towns and working to get enough cash in hand to put the circus on its feet again, he was continually trying to think up some good and original show to put on in London.

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Português

Ele queria que o primeiro show deles em Londres fosse um grande sucesso. A equipe do circo incluía Matthew Mugg (assistente de gerente), Hercules (homem forte), os irmãos Pinto (artistas de trapézio), Hop (palhaço), Henry Crockett (homem do Punch e Judy), Theodosia Mugg (guarda-roupa) e Fred (um novo tratador de animais). Havia também muitos animais: um leão, um leopardo, um elefante, animais menores como o gambá e o pushmi-pullyu, cobras, e os próprios animais de estimação do Doutor Dolittle, como Jip o cachorro, Gub-Gub o porco, Too-Too a coruja, Dab-Dab a pata e um rato branco.

Original English

He was most anxious that his company's first appearance in the big city should be a success. The staff of the Dolittle Circus now consisted of Matthew Mugg, assistant manager; Hercules the strong man; the Pinto brothers, trapeze artists; Hop the clown; Henry Crockett, the Punch-and-Judy man; Theodosia Mugg, mistress of the wardrobes; and Fred, a new menagerie keeper whom the Doctor had recently hired. Then of course there were the animals: the lion, the leopard, and the elephant — the big animals that constituted the important part of the menagerie; several smaller beasts, such as the opossum (known as the "hurri-gurri"); the pushmi-pullyu; the snakes; the Doctor's own animal household (Jip the dog, Gub-Gub the pig, Too-Too the owl, Dab-Dab the duck, and the white mouse); and a few other oddments.

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Português

O Doutor encontrou uma ideia para um show especial para Londres de uma forma incomum. Como muitas coisas importantes, começou com um pequeno evento inesperado.

Original English

The way the Doctor finally hit upon an idea for an unusual show for London was rather curious. Like many important things, it began from a small chance happening.

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Português

Uma noite, o circo estava em uma cidade pequena. O Doutor Dolittle foi passear com Matthew Mugg e Jip. Eles tinham trabalhado duro o dia todo montando o circo. O Doutor ainda não tinha visto a cidade. Eles caminharam pelas ruas principais e encontraram uma estalagem com mesas do lado de fora. Era uma noite quente, então o Doutor e Matthew sentaram-se para tomar uma cerveja.

Original English

One evening, when the show had moved to a moderate-sized market town, the Doctor went for a walk with Matthew Mugg and Jip. They had been busy all day getting the circus set up and the Doctor had not yet had an opportunity to see the town. After going through the main streets, they came to an inn that had tables and chairs set outside before the door. It was a warm evening and the Doctor and Matthew sat down at the inn tables to drink a glass of ale.

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Português

Eles se sentaram e beberam um pouco de cerveja.

Original English

They sat down to drink a glass of ale

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Português

Enquanto descansavam e observavam a cidade, ouviram um pássaro cantando. A canção era muito bonita, às vezes alta e forte, outras vezes calma e misteriosa. O pássaro nunca cantava a mesma coisa duas vezes.

Original English

While they were resting and watching the quiet life of the town, the song of a bird reached their ears. It was extraordinarily beautiful, at times tremendously powerful, at others soft and low and mysterious — but always changing. The singer, whoever he was, never repeated himself.

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Português

O Doutor havia escrito livros sobre cantos de pássaros, então ele estava muito interessado.

Original English

The Doctor had written books on bird songs and he was interested.

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Português

Ele perguntou a Matthew se ele conseguia ouvir a canção.

Original English

"Do you hear that, Matthew?" he asked.

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Português

O vendedor de carne para gatos respondeu que era uma ótima canção. Ele pensou que era um rouxinol cantando nas grandes árvores de olmo perto da igreja.

Original English

"Great, ain't it?" said the cat's-meat man. "Must be a nightingale — up on them big elms by the church there."

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Português

O médico disse a Matthew que o pássaro não era um rouxinol, mas sim um canário. Ele explicou que o canário cantava partes do canto de um rouxinol e de outras canções, mas tinha a voz de um canário. O médico acrescentou que o pássaro também estava imitando um tordo.

Original English

"No," said the Doctor, "that's no nightingale. That's a canary. He is singing scraps of a nightingale's song which he has picked up — and parts of many others, too. But he has a canary's voice, for all that. Listen: now he's imitating a thrush."

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Português

Eles ficaram um pouco mais, e o pássaro cantou muitas canções e sons diferentes.

Original English

They sat a while longer and the bird ran through a wonderful range of imitations.

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Português

O médico disse a Matthew que gostaria de ter um canário em sua carroça porque eles são boa companhia. Ele explicou que não gostava de ver pássaros em gaiolas, mas achava aceitável para pássaros que nasceram em cativeiro. Ele sugeriu que fossem rua abaixo para ver o pássaro cantor.

Original English

"You know, Matthew," said the Doctor, "I think I'd like to have a canary in the wagon. They're awfully good company. I've never bought one because I hate to see birds in cages. But with those who are born in captivity I suppose it's really all right. Let's go down the street and see if we can get a glimpse of this songster."

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Português

Depois de pagar as bebidas, o médico e Matthew deixaram as mesas e caminharam em direção à igreja. Eles passaram por várias lojas no caminho. O médico parou em uma delas.

Original English

So after the Doctor had paid for the ale they left the tables and walked along toward the church. But before they reached it they saw there were several shops to pass. Presently the Doctor stopped.

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Português

O médico apontou uma loja de animais para Matthew e disse que o canário estava lá dentro. Ele mencionou que não gostava de lojas de animais porque os animais muitas vezes pareciam tristes e negligenciados. Ele achava que os donos das lojas mantinham muitos animais e não cuidavam deles adequadamente. Ele também achava as lojas abafadas e evitava entrar nelas se possível.

Original English

"Look, Matthew," said he. "One of those shops is an animal shop. That's where the canary is. I hate animal shops; the poor creatures usually look so neglected. The proprietors always keep too many — more than they can look after properly. And they usually smell so stuffy and close — the shops, I mean. I never go into them now. I don't even pass one if I can help it."

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Português

Matthew perguntou por quê.

Original English

"Why?" asked Matthew.

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Português

O Doutor explicou que os animais o conheciam e sempre pediam que ele comprasse animais de estimação como pássaros e coelhos. Ele queria ir por outro caminho para não ter que passar pela vitrine.

Original English

"Well," said the Doctor, "ever since I became sort of known among the animals, the poor beasts all talk to me as soon as I go in, begging me to buy them — birds and rabbits and guinea pigs and everything. I think I'll turn back and go around another way, so I won't have to pass the window."

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Português

Mas enquanto o Doutor estava prestes a voltar, ele ouviu o belo pássaro canoro cantar novamente e parou.

Original English

But just as the Doctor was about to return toward the inn the beautiful voice of the song bird burst out again and he hesitated.

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Português

John Dolittle disse que o pássaro era maravilhoso e soberbo.

Original English

"He's marvellous," said John Dolittle, "simply superb!"

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Português

Matthew sugeriu que o Doutor poderia tentar olhar rapidamente com um olho aberto, para que ele pudesse ver o pássaro sem parar.

Original English

"Why not hurry by with just one eye open?" said Matthew. "Maybe you could spot the bird without stopping."

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Português

O Doutor disse ok e caminhou rapidamente em direção à loja. Ele olhou pela janela enquanto passava e então apressou-se.

Original English

"All right," said the Doctor. And putting on a brisk pace, he strode toward the shop. In passing it he just gave one glance in at the window and hurried on.

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Português

Matthew perguntou ao Doutor se ele tinha visto qual pássaro era.

Original English

"Well," asked Matthew, as the Doctor paused on the other side, "did you see which bird it was?"

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Português

John Dolittle confirmou que tinha visto o pássaro. Ele explicou que era um canário verde em uma pequena gaiola de madeira, custando três xelins. Ele pediu a Matthew que entrasse na loja e o comprasse para ele, porque não queria ir ele mesmo, pois achava que os animais poderiam reconhecê-lo. Ele lembrou Matthew de comprar o canário verde na gaiola de madeira perto da porta, que estava marcado com três xelins, e deu-lhe o dinheiro.

Original English

"Yes," said John Dolittle. "It's that green canary near the door, the one in the small wooden cage, marked three shillings. Listen, Matthew, go in and buy him for me. I can afford that much, I think. I dare not go myself. Everything in the place will clamour at me at once. I have an idea those white rabbits recognized me already. You go for me…. Don't forget — the green canary in the wooden cage near the door, marked three shillings. Here's the money."

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Português

O Doutor esperou do lado de fora da loja ao lado.

Original English

The Doctor waited outside the shop next door

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Português

Matthew Mugg entrou na loja com os três xelins, enquanto o Doutor esperava do lado de fora da janela da loja ao lado.

Original English

So Matthew Mugg went into the store with the three shillings, while the Doctor waited outside the window of the shop next door.

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Português

O homem que vendia carne de gato voltou rapidamente. Ele não trouxe o canário com ele.

Original English

The cat's-meat man wasn't gone very long — and when he returned he had no canary with him.

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Português

O homem disse ao Doutor que ele tinha cometido um erro. Ele explicou que o pássaro que o Doutor estava procurando era uma galinha, e galinhas não cantam. O pássaro que ouviram era um macho amarelo brilhante do lado de fora da loja. O homem disse que custava duas libras e dez xelins. Ele também mencionou que era um pássaro premiado e um cantor muito bom.

Original English

"You made a mistake, Doctor," said he. "The bird you spoke of is a hen and they don't sing. The one we heard is a bright yellow cock, right outside the shop. They want two pounds ten for him. He's a prize bird, they say, and the best singer they ever had."

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Português

O Doutor disse que isso era muito surpreendente e perguntou se o homem tinha certeza.

Original English

"How extraordinary!" said the Doctor. "Are you sure?"

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Português

O Doutor esqueceu que não queria que os animais na loja o vissem. Ele se aproximou da janela e apontou novamente para o canário verde.

Original English

And, forgetting his intention of not being seen by the animals in the shop, he moved up to the window and pointed again to the green canary.

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Português

Ele disse que aquele era o pássaro a que se referia. Ele perguntou se eles tinham perguntado sobre aquele. Então ele percebeu que tinha cometido um erro e que o pássaro o tinha reconhecido.

Original English

"That's the bird I meant," he said. "Did you ask about that one? Oh, Lord! Now I've done it. She has recognized me."

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Português

O canário verde perto da janela viu o Doutor olhando para ela. Ela pensou que ele queria comprá-la. Ela se mexeu na gaiola e fez sinais através do vidro, parecendo feliz.

Original English

The green canary near the door end of the window, seeing the famous Doctor pointing to her, evidently expected him to buy her. She was already making signs to him through the glass and jumping about her cage with joy.

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Português

O Doutor não podia pagar o preço do pássaro e começou a sair. Mas o pequeno canário verde ficou muito triste quando entendeu que ele não ia comprá-la.

Original English

The Doctor, quite unable to afford two pounds ten for the other bird, was beginning to move away. But the expression on the little green canary's face as she realized he didn't mean to buy her after all was pitiful to see.

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Português

John Dolittle e Matthew caminharam pela rua por uma curta distância, menos de cem jardas, e então John parou.

Original English

John Dolittle had not walked with Matthew more than a hundred yards down the street before he stopped again.

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Português

John disse que não adiantava e que teria que comprar o pássaro, mesmo que não pudesse cantar. Ele explicou que sempre comprava as coisas mais inúteis das lojas de animais. Ele disse a Matthew para voltar e pegá-la.

Original English

"It's no use," said he. "I'll have to buy her, I suppose — even if she can't sing. That's always the way if I go near an animal shop. I always have to buy the most wretched and most useless thing they have there. Go back and get her."

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Português

O vendedor de carne para gatos voltou para a loja e logo retornou com uma gaiola pequena coberta com papel pardo.

Original English

Once more the cat's-meat man went into the shop and presently returned with a small cage covered over with brown paper.

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Português

O Doutor disse a Matthew que eles precisavam se apressar. Ele explicou que estava quase na hora do chá e que Theodosia achava difícil administrar sem a ajuda deles.

Original English

"We must hurry, Matthew," said the Doctor. "It's nearly teatime and Theodosia always finds it hard to attend to it without our help."

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Português

Quando chegaram ao circo, o Doutor foi chamado para um trabalho importante relacionado ao espetáculo. Ele pediu a Matthew que levasse o canário para a carroça. O Doutor ficou ocupado com várias coisas até a hora do jantar.

Original English

On reaching the circus the Doctor was immediately called away on important business connected with the show. He asked Matthew to take the canary to the wagon, and he was himself occupied with one thing and another until suppertime.

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Português

Quando o Doutor finalmente voltou para sua carroça, ele ainda estava pensando nos acontecimentos do dia e tinha esquecido do canário que havia comprado. Ele se sentou cansado. Too-Too, a coruja que cuidava do dinheiro do circo, começou imediatamente a falar com ele sobre finanças.

Original English

And even when he finally returned to his wagon his mind was so taken up with the things of the day that he had forgotten for the moment all about the canary he had bought. He sank wearily into a chair as he entered and Too-Too, the owl who kept the circus's accounts, immediately engaged him in a financial conversation.

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Português

Mas a conversa chata sobre dinheiro e números tinha acabado de começar quando o Doutor ouviu um som agradável. Era um pássaro cantando muito baixinho.

Original English

But the dull discussion of money and figures had hardly begun before the Doctor's attention was distracted by a very agreeable sound. It was the voice of a bird warbling ever so softly.

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Português

O Doutor sussurrou surpreso, perguntando de onde vinha o som.

Original English

"Great heavens!" the Doctor whispered. "Where's that coming from?"

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Português

O som ficou cada vez mais alto. Era a canção mais bonita que o Doutor Dolittle já tinha ouvido, ainda melhor do que a que ele ouviu do lado de fora de uma estalagem. Para a maioria das pessoas, teria sido incrível, mas como o Doutor entendia a língua dos canários e conseguia compreender as palavras, foi uma experiência muito especial para ele.

Original English

The sound grew and grew — the most beautiful singing that John Dolittle had ever heard, even superior to that which he had listened to outside the inn. To ordinary ears it would have been wonderful enough, but to the Doctor, who understood canary language and could follow the words of the song being sung, it was an experience to be remembered.

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Português

A canção era um longo poema. Contava histórias sobre muitos lugares e muitos amores, sobre pequenas e grandes aventuras. A música mudava, ora triste, ora alegre, ora forte, ora calma. Era mais maravilhosa do que o melhor canto de um rouxinol.

Original English

It was a long poem, telling of many things — of many lands and many loves, of little adventures and great adventures, and the melody, now sad, now gay — now fierce, now soft, was more wonderful than the finest nightingale singing at his best.

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Português

O Doutor perguntou, parecendo muito confuso, de onde vinha o som.

Original English

"Where is it coming from?" the Doctor repeated, completely mystified.

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Português

Too-Too respondeu que o som estava vindo de uma gaiola coberta na prateleira.

Original English

"From that covered cage up on the shelf," said Too-Too.

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Português

O Doutor exclamou surpreso que era o pássaro que ele tinha comprado naquela tarde.

Original English

"Great heavens!" the Doctor cried. "The bird I bought this afternoon!"

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Português

Ele se levantou rapidamente e puxou o papel de embrulho. O canto parou. Um pequeno canário verde olhou para ele pelo buraco que havia feito.

Original English

He sprang up and tore the wrapping paper aside. The song ceased. The little green canary peered out at him through the torn hole.

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Português

O Doutor disse ao pássaro que tinha pensado que era uma galinha.

Original English

"I thought you were a hen," said the Doctor.

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Português

O pássaro respondeu que era uma galinha.

Original English

"So I am," said the bird.

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Português

O Doutor então perguntou por que ele cantava.

Original English

"But you sing!"

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Português

O pássaro perguntou por que não deveria cantar.

Original English

"Well, why not?"

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Português

Alguém afirmou que as canárias fêmeas não cantam.

Original English

"But hen canaries don't sing."

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Português

O pequeno pássaro verde riu com um som longo e agudo. Seu riso parecia que ela se achava superior.

Original English

The little green bird laughed a long, trilling, condescending sort of laugh.

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Português

O pássaro fez um som de risada longo e agudo.

Original English

She laughed a long, trilling laugh

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Português

O pássaro explicou que a velha ideia de que as galinhas não cantam era engraçada. Ela disse que os pássaros machos inventaram essa história porque são orgulhosos. Ela acrescentou que as fêmeas na verdade têm vozes muito melhores. No entanto, os machos não querem que elas cantem e as machucarão se o fizerem. Ela mencionou uma tentativa passada chamada "Canto para Mulheres" em que as galinhas tentaram cantar. Mas algumas galinhas mais velhas acreditavam que não era adequado para as fêmeas cantar e que seu lugar era no ninho, deixando o canto apenas para os machos. Por causa disso, o movimento falhou, e as pessoas ainda acreditam que as galinhas não cantam.

Original English

"That old story — it's so amusing!" she said. "It was invented by the cocks, you know — the conceited males. The hens have by far the better voices. But the cocks don't like us to sing. They peck us if we do. Some years ago a movement was started— 'Singing for Women,' it was called. Some of us hens got together to assert our rights. But there were an awful lot of old-fashioned ones — old maids, you know — who still thought it was unmaidenly to sing. They said that a hen's place was on the nest — that singing was for men only. So the movement failed. That's why people still believe that hens can't sing."

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Português

O Doutor perguntou se ela não tinha cantado na loja.

Original English

"But you didn't sing in the shop?" said the Doctor.

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Português

O canário disse ao Doutor que ele não cantaria naquela loja. Explicou que o cheiro da loja era tão forte que podia fazer alguém engasgar.

Original English

"Neither would you — in that shop," said the canary. "The smell of the place was enough to choke you."

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Português

O Doutor perguntou ao canário por que ele tinha cantado naquele momento.

Original English

"Well, why did you sing now?"

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Português

O canário explicou que cantou porque o homem do Doutor tinha voltado. Ele entendeu que o Doutor queria comprar o pássaro amarelo que tinha cantado mal a tarde toda. O canário queria mostrar ao Doutor o que as mulheres podiam fazer musicalmente como forma de retribuir sua gentileza.

Original English

"Because I realized, after the man you sent came in a second time, that you had wanted to buy that stupid yellow cock who had been bawling out of tune all afternoon. I knew, of course, that you only sent the man back to get me out of kindness. So I thought I'd like to repay you by showing you what we women can do in the musical line."

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Português

O Doutor achou o canto do canário maravilhoso e muito melhor que o do outro pássaro. Ele acreditava que o canário era um contralto.

Original English

"Marvellous!" said the Doctor. "You certainly make that other fellow sound like a second-rate singer. You are a contralto, I see."

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Português

O canário corrigiu o Doutor, dizendo que era um mezzo-contralto. No entanto, acrescentou que também podia cantar no registro de soprano mais agudo se quisesse.

Original English

"A mezzo-contralto," the canary corrected. "But I can go right up through the highest soprano range when I want to."

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Português

O Doutor perguntou ao pássaro seu nome.

Original English

"What is your name?" asked the Doctor.

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Português

O pássaro respondeu que seu nome era Pippinella.

Original English

"Pippinella," the bird replied.

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Português

O Doutor perguntou ao pássaro o que ele estava cantando.

Original English

"What was that you were singing just now?"

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Português

O pássaro explicou que estava cantando a história de sua vida.

Original English

"I was singing you the story of my life."

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Português

O Doutor mencionou que a canção estava em versos.

Original English

"But it was in verse."

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Português

O canário explicou que escrevia poesia para se divertir. Ele mencionou que pássaros mantidos em gaiolas têm bastante tempo livre, especialmente quando não têm ovos para chocar ou filhotes para alimentar.

Original English

"Yes, I made it into poetry — just to amuse myself. We cage birds have a lot of spare time on our hands, when there are no eggs to sit on or young ones to feed."

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Português

O Doutor disse ao canário que ele era um artista muito talentoso, chamando-o de poeta e cantor.

Original English

"Humph!" said the Doctor. "You are a great artist — a poet and a singer."

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Português

O canário acrescentou calmamente que também era músico. Ele disse que a música era sua própria criação. Explicou que não usou canções de pássaros normais, exceto por uma parte. Essa parte usava uma canção de amor de um verdilhão para contar sobre o marido de sua esposa que fugiu para a América e a deixou chorando à beira-mar.

Original English

"And a musician!" said the canary quietly. "The composition is entirely my own. You noticed I used none of the ordinary bird songs — except the love song of the greenfinch at the part where I am telling of my faithless husband running off to America and leaving me weeping by the shore."

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Português

Dab-Dab chegou para anunciar que o jantar estava pronto. Gub-Gub, o porco, estava infeliz. O Doutor, no entanto, estava muito animado com um novo interesse para prestar atenção ao jantar. Ele pegou um livro velho para escrever música, onde às vezes escrevia peças para seu instrumento favorito, a flauta.

Original English

Dab-Dab at this moment came in to announce that supper was ready, but to Gub-Gub the pig's disgust the Doctor brushed everything aside in the excitement of a new interest. Diving into an old portfolio, he brought out a blank musical manuscript book in which he sometimes wrote down pieces for the flute, his own favourite instrument.

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Português

O Doutor pediu educadamente ao canário se ele contaria a história de sua vida novamente. Ele disse que estava muito interessado em ouvi-la.

Original English

"Excuse me," he said to the canary, "but would you mind starting the story of your life all over again? It interests me immensely."

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Português

O passarinho concordou e pediu que seu bebedouro fosse enchido de água. Ele explicou que o bebedouro havia ficado vazio durante a viagem. O pássaro disse que gostava de beber água para umedecer a garganta, especialmente quando cantava músicas longas.

Original English

"Certainly," said the little bird. "Have my drinking trough filled with water, will you please? It got emptied with the shaking coming here. I like to moisten my throat occasionally when I am singing long songs."

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Português

O médico concordou rapidamente e se apressou para dar água ao pássaro. Ele pediu que o pássaro cantasse devagar para que pudesse anotar a música. Ele mencionou que o ritmo da canção era complicado e que o pássaro mudava de tom musical com frequência. Ele disse que perguntaria pela letra mais tarde, pois não podia escrever as duas coisas ao mesmo tempo. Depois, disse que estava pronto para ouvir.

Original English

"Of course, of course!" said the Doctor, falling over Gub-Gub in his haste to provide the singer with what she wanted. "There! Now, would you mind singing very slowly? Because I want to take down the musical notation and the time is a little complicated. Also, I notice you change the key quite often. The words I won't bother with, for the present, because I couldn't write both at once. I will ask you to give me them again, if you will, later. All right. I'm ready whenever you are."

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THE WHITE PERSIAN

Português

O médico sentou-se e escreveu música por um longo tempo enquanto o canário verde cantava a história da vida dela. A canção durou cerca de meia hora. Durante a canção, Gub-Gub interrompeu mais de uma vez.

Original English

T HEN THE D OCTOR sat down and wrote page after page of music while the green canary sang him the story of her life. It was a long song, lasting at least half an hour. And during the course of it Gub-Gub interrupted more than once with his pathetic —

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Português

Gub-Gub interrompeu para dizer ao médico que o jantar estava esfriando.

Original English

"But, Doctor, the supper's getting cold!"

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Português

Depois que o canário terminou de cantar, John Dolittle guardou cuidadosamente seu livro de anotações. Ele agradeceu ao canário e então se preparou para jantar.

Original English

When she had finished John Dolittle carefully put away the book he had been writing in, thanked the canary, and prepared to have supper.

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Português

Ele convidou o pássaro a sair da gaiola e ficar com eles.

Original English

"Would you care to come out of your cage and join us?" he asked.

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Português

O pássaro perguntou se ele tinha algum gato.

Original English

"Have you any cats?"

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Português

O Doutor respondeu que não mantinha gatos em sua carroça.

Original English

"No," said the Doctor. "I don't keep any cats in the wagon."

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Português

O canário disse que sairia se sua porta fosse aberta.

Original English

"Oh, all right," said the canary. "Then if you'll open my door, I'll come out."

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Português

Jip perguntou ao pássaro se ele poderia escapar facilmente de um gato voando.

Original English

"But you could easily get away from a cat, couldn't you," asked Jip, "with wings to fly?"

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Português

O canário voou para a mesa e disse que poderia ajudar se soubesse o que esperar ou onde algo estava. Explicou que os gatos são mais perigosos quando estão escondidos e são caçadores muito habilidosos.

Original English

"I could if I was expecting it or knew where it was," said the canary, flying down onto the table and picking up a crumb beside the Doctor's plate. "Cats are most dangerous when you can't see them. They are the only really skilful hunters."

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Português

Jip grunhiu e disse que os cães também são muito bons.

Original English

"Huh!" grunted Jip. "Dogs are pretty good, you know."

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Português

O canário discordou educadamente de Jip, dizendo que os cães não são tão bons quanto os gatos na caça. Explicou que, embora os cães sejam bons em seguir e rastrear, os gatos usam sua inteligência para capturar presas. O canário perguntou se os cães tinham paciência para esperar silenciosamente por horas por um rato, ao contrário dos gatos. Acrescentou que os cães costumam espantar as presas latindo e arranhando buracos, e que preferiria estar em uma sala cheia de cães do que ter um gato por perto.

Original English

"Excuse me," said the canary, "but dogs are mere duffers when compared with cats in the hunting game — I'm sorry to hurt your feelings, but duffers is the only word I can use. You are all very fine at following and tracking — even better than cats at that. But for getting your quarry by the use of your wits — well, there! Did you ever see a dog sit and watch a hole in the ground for hours and hours on end, silent and still as a stone — waiting, waiting for some wretched little mouse or other creature to come out? Did you ever know a dog with the patience to do that? No. Your dog, when he finds a hole, barks and yelps and scratches at it — and of course the rat, or whatever it is, doesn't dream of coming out. No, speaking as a bird, I'd sooner be shut in a roomful of dogs than have a single cat in the house."

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Português

O Doutor perguntou ao canário se ele já havia tido alguma experiência ruim com gatos.

Original English

"Did you ever have any unpleasant experience with them?" asked the Doctor.

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Português

O canário respondeu que não havia tido pessoalmente experiências ruins com gatos. No entanto, tinha aprendido uma lição com a experiência de outra pessoa. O canário costumava viver na mesma casa que um papagaio. Um dia, a dona deles trouxe para casa um lindo e fofo gato persa branco. O papagaio velho comentou com o canário que o novo gato parecia um animal agradável.

Original English

"Myself, no," said the canary. "But that was solely because of someone else's experience with one. It taught me a lesson. I lived once in the same house with a parrot. One day the woman who owned us got a fine, silky, white Persian. She was a lovely creature — to look at. The old parrot said to me the morning the cat came, 'She looks like a decent sort.'

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Português

O orador alertou Pol sobre o gato. Ele explicou que gatos são naturalmente não confiáveis e nunca devem ser confiados.

Original English

"'Pol,' said I, 'cats are cats. Don't trust her — never trust a cat.'"

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Português

O Doutor pensou que, se as pessoas nunca confiassem em gatos, isso poderia explicar por que eles se comportam de certas maneiras. Ele acrescentou que essa falta de confiança poderia ser muito difícil para a personalidade de qualquer criatura.

Original English

"I wonder if that's what makes them the way they are," said the Doctor, " — the fact that no one ever trusts them. It's a terrible strain on anybody's character."

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Português

O canário discordou, dizendo que a dona confiava no gato e até o deixava com eles à noite. O canário estava seguro porque sua gaiola estava pendurada no alto. No entanto, Pol, que estava em um poleiro simples com uma corrente, não estava seguro do gato.

Original English

"Fiddlesticks!" said the canary. "Our woman trusted this cat — even left her in the room with us at night. My cage was hung high up on a chain, so I wasn't afraid of her reaching in to me with her claws. But poor old Pol, one of the most decent old cronies that ever sat on a perch, he had no cage at all — just one of those fool stands they make for parrots — a crossbar perch and a long chain on his ankle.

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Português

Pol lutou corajosamente contra a gata e deu a ela mais problemas do que ela esperava.

Original English

"He gave her more than she bargained for"

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Português

Pol não acreditava que a gata era perigosa até que ela tentou subir no suporte dele para alcançá-lo. Pol, sendo um bom lutador quando necessário, mordeu a gata. A gata fugiu com um pedaço da orelha faltando.

Original English

He wouldn't believe that this sweet creature in white was dangerous, until one day she tried to climb up the pole of his stand and get at him. Well, a parrot's a pretty good fighter when the fight's a fair one, and he gave her more than she bargained for. She retired from the fray with a piece bitten out of her ear.

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Português

O falador perguntou se o ouvinte acreditaria nele. Ele avisou que uma mulher estava planejando machucar Polly. Ele disse ao ouvinte para ficar acordado enquanto a mulher estivesse no quarto. Ele explicou que a mulher tinha medo do ouvinte quando eles estavam olhando para ela, mas ela atacaria se o ouvinte não fosse cuidadoso. Ele disse que se a mulher atacasse Polly, Polly ficaria gravemente ferida. Ele repetiu o aviso para ficar acordado.

Original English

"'Now, will you believe me?' I said. 'And, listen: she's going to get you yet — if there's any way to do it that she and the devil can think up between them. Whatever you do, don't go to sleep while she is in the room. She's scared of you now, while you're facing her. But she won't be scared of you as soon as you're off your guard. One spring and a bite on the neck from her and Polly won't want any more crackers. Remember — don't go to sleep when she is in the room. '"

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Português

O canário verde bebeu um pouco de leite da tigela de Gub-Gub.

Original English

She took a drink out of Gub-Gub's milk bowl

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Português

O canário verde parou de contar sua história por um momento. Ela voou até a mesa e bebeu da tigela de leite de Gub-Gub, o que surpreendeu muito Gub-Gub. Depois de limpar o bico nos saleiros e pimenteiros, ela continuou falando.

Original English

The green canary paused a moment in her story to hop across the table and take a drink out of Gub-Gub's milk bowl — which greatly astonished that member of the household. Then she cleaned her bill against the cruet stand and proceeded:

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Português

O canário disse que havia salvado a vida do papagaio muitas vezes. O papagaio gostava de sua rotina diária e não gostava de mudanças. Ele ficava infeliz se suas atividades regulares, como o banho de sábado ou a laranja de domingo, estivessem atrasadas. Ele também tirava uma soneca todos os dias depois do almoço. O canário o havia avisado que cochilar era perigoso se as portas e janelas não estivessem fechadas e o gato estivesse do lado de fora. No entanto, os hábitos do papagaio eram muito fortes, e ele teria tirado sua soneca mesmo se houvesse muitos gatos no quarto.

Original English

"I couldn't tell you how many times I saved that foolish parrot's life. An easygoing bird, he loved regularity. He was a bachelor, making a great ceremony of all the little habits of his daily round. And he just couldn't bear to have anything interfere with them. He would be ruffled and sulky for days if the maid missed giving him his bath on Saturday afternoon or his piece of orange peel at Sunday breakfast. One of his little customs was to take a nap every day after lunch. I warned him over and over again that this was dangerous unless the doors and windows were shut and the cat outside. But the force of habit, years and years of bachelor regularity, were too strong for him. And I believe he would have taken that nap if the room had been full of cats."

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Português

O canário pegou outro pequeno pedaço de comida, comeu devagar e depois continuou sua história.

Original English

The canary picked up another crumb, munched it thoughtfully and went on:

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Português

O narrador achava que o papagaio, Pol, era muito independente e tinha princípios fortes. Um gato frequentemente tentava pegar Pol enquanto ele dormia. O narrador assobiava alto para acordar Pol, e então o gato fugia, irritado por seu plano ter sido arruinado.

Original English

"I often think there was something fine about that parrot's independence. He had principles and nothing was allowed to change them. In the meantime that horrible cat was waiting for her chance. Often and often when Pol was dozing off I'd see her come sneaking toward his stand along the floor or creep across a table near enough to spring from. Then I'd give a terrific loud whistle and the parrot would wake up. And the cat would slink away, looking daggers at me for spoiling her game.

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Português

A dona do gato não acreditava que seu gato fosse perigoso. Uma amiga perguntou se ela estava preocupada em deixar o gato perto do papagaio sem uma gaiola.

Original English

"As for the mistress we had, it never entered her empty head that the cat was a dangerous customer. One day a friend of hers asked if she wasn't afraid to leave the beast around when she had no cage over the parrot.

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Português

A dona disse à amiga que seu gato, Pussums, nunca machucaria seu papagaio, Polly.

Original English

"'Oh, tut, tut!' said she. 'Pussums wouldn't hurt my nice Polly, would ums, Pussums?'

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Português

O gato agiu de forma muito amigável com a senhora, esfregando-se nela e ronronando, fazendo com que parecesse inofensivo.

Original English

"And then that silky hypocrite would rub her neck against the old lady's dress and purr as though butter wouldn't melt in her mouth.

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Português

A senhora foi fazer uma visita, e a empregada ganhou o dia de folga. O narrador e o papagaio receberam ração e água extras, e a casa foi trancada. O narrador tinha certeza de que o papagaio estaria seguro naquele dia.

Original English

"Well, I did my best. But the day came when even I was outwitted by the she-devil in white. The old lady had gone to visit friends in the country and let the maid take the day off while she was away. Both the parrot and I were given double rations of seed and water, the house was locked, and the keys put under the mat. The door of the parlour, where we were always kept, was closed, and I thanked my stars that for this day, anyhow, my friend should be safe.

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Português

Por volta do meio-dia, uma tempestade começou com ventos fortes. A porta do quarto deles se abriu porque não havia sido fechada corretamente.

Original English

"About noon a thunderstorm came up and the wind howled around the house dismally. And presently I saw the door of our room blow open. It had not been properly latched — just closed carelessly.

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Português

O narrador avisou Pol para não dormir, pois um gato poderia entrar no quarto a qualquer momento.

Original English

"'Don't go to sleep, Pol,' I said. 'That cat may come in any moment!'

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Português

O gato não apareceu por muito tempo. Depois de uma hora, o narrador decidiu que o gato provavelmente estava em outro cômodo e parou de se preocupar. Pol adormeceu depois do almoço, e o narrador também se sentiu cansado e tirou uma soneca.

Original English

"Well, for a long time she didn't. And after an hour I decided that the cat must have been shut in another room somewhere and that it was all right and I needn't worry. After his lunch Pol went sound asleep; and presently, feeling sort of drowsy myself, I too took a nap.

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Português

O narrador teve sonhos assustadores sobre gatos e pássaros. De repente, um barulho o acordou. Ele viu Pol caído no chão, morto, e o gato branco sentado perto com uma expressão satisfeita no rosto.

Original English

"I dreamed all sorts of awful things — monstrous cats leaping through the air, parrots defending themselves with swords and pitchforks — all manner of terrible stuff. At the most tragic moment in the worst dream I thought I heard a thud on the floor and suddenly woke up, wide awake, the way one does with nightmares. And there on the floor lay Pol, stone dead, and squatting on the carpet on the far side of him, staring up at me with a devilish smirk of glee on her horrible face, sat the white cat!"

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Português

O canário estremeceu e limpou o bico, como se tentasse esquecer um sonho ruim.

Original English

The canary shivered a little and rubbed her bill with her right foot, as though to wipe away the memory of a bad dream.

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Português

A mulher estava muito assustada e não conseguia falar. Ela pensou que o gato pudesse comer seu amigo. Mas o gato não queria o amigo como comida. O gato matou o amigo apenas por diversão. Ele tinha esperado e planejado por três meses. Então, com um olhar feliz, o gato deixou o amigo morto no chão.

Original English

"I was too horrified to say a word," she presently continued, "and I began to wonder whether the abominable wretch would eat my poor dead friend. But not a bit of it. She didn't want him for food at all. She got three square meals a day from the old lady, the daintiest morsels in the house. She just wanted to kill — to kill for the fun of killing. For three months she had watched and waited and calculated. And in the end she had won. With another grin of triumph in my direction, she slowly turned about, left the body where it lay, and stalked toward the door.

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Português

A mulher pensou que o gato não poderia escapar da culpa. Ela acreditava que a senhora idosa agora saberia que o gato era um assassino.

Original English

"'Well,' I thought to myself, 'there's one thing: she can't escape the blame. At least the old lady will know her now for what she is, the murderess!'

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Português

Então algo estranho aconteceu. Isso lembrou a mulher do que sua mãe costumava dizer: que os gatos são ajudados pelo diabo. Sua mãe acreditava que os gatos eram muito espertos por causa dessa ajuda e a avisou para nunca tentar ser mais esperta que um gato.

Original English

"And then a curious thing happened. It reminded me of something my mother used to believe: that cats are helped by the devil. 'It would be impossible for them to be so fiendishly clever without,' she used to say. 'Never try to match your wits against a cat! They are helped by the devil.'

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Português

A mulher nunca tinha acreditado em sua mãe, mas agora quase acreditava. Ela pensou que, se a porta estivesse aberta, as pessoas saberiam que o gato matou o papagaio. No entanto, a porta estava fechada, como a senhora idosa a deixara, e o gato estava do lado de fora. Então, ninguém suspeitaria do gato. A mulher tinha certeza de que o gato teria problemas. Então, o vento começou a soprar forte. Para seu horror, a porta se fechou lentamente e depois bateu com um barulho alto. A última coisa que ela viu foi o gato do lado de fora, ainda sorrindo para ela. A mulher achou compreensível acreditar que o gato era ajudado pelo diabo, porque se o vento tivesse vindo apenas dois minutos antes, teria prendido o gato dentro da sala.

Original English

"I had never believed it, myself. But that afternoon I came very near believing it. Now, mark you, with that door blown open, anyone would know that it was the cat who had come in and killed the parrot, wouldn't they? But with that door shut — the way the old lady had thought she left it — and the cat outside of the room — no one could possibly suspect 'sweet pussums.' So then I felt quite certain that this time the cat was going to get in a good, stiff row. Now comes the queer business; no sooner had she passed into the hall outside than the wind began again, howling and moaning about the house. And, to my horror, I saw the door slowly closing. Faster and faster it swung forward, and then with a bang that shook the house from cellar to garret, it slammed shut. The last glimpse I got of the hall outside showed me 'sweet pussums' squatting on the floor, still grinning at me in triumph. After that, I think you will admit, it was pardonable to believe that she was helped by the devil. For, mind you, if the wind had come two minutes earlier it would have shut her inside the room, instead of out.

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Português

Quando a senhora idosa voltou para casa, ela não conseguia entender o que havia acontecido. O papagaio estava no chão com o pescoço quebrado, o que o gato tinha feito com muita habilidade. As janelas e a porta estavam fechadas.

Original English

"Of course, when the old lady came home she just couldn't understand it. There lay the parrot on the floor, his neck broken (the cat had done it very neatly and cleverly — just one spring, a bite, and a twist); the windows were shut; the door was shut.

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Português

A velha senhora eventualmente sugeriu que meninos poderiam ter entrado. Ela acreditava que eles provavelmente desceram pela chaminé, mataram o papagaio e escaparam sem deixar rastros. O mistério nunca foi resolvido, e ela ficou muito chateada, chorando muito, mas era tarde demais.

Original English

"Finally that stupid old woman said that perhaps boys had got in, probably down the chimney, wrung the parrot's neck and escaped, leaving no tracks. The mystery was never solved. She was frightfully upset, weeping all over the place — after it was too late.

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Português

Ela chorou e disse que ainda tinha seu canário e seu gato.

Original English

"'Oh, well,' she sobbed, 'anyhow, I have my canary left — and my sweet pussums.'

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Português

Então o gato se aproximou dela, ronronando para ser acariciado. A velha senhora deu um pouco de leite ao gato. O narrador afirma que nunca se deve confiar em um gato.

Original English

"And then that she-devil came up to her, purring, to be petted, and the old woman gave her a saucer of milk! No, never, never trust a cat."

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Português

A velha senhora deu ao gato um pires de leite.

Original English

"The old woman gave her a saucer of milk"

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Português

O Doutor comentou que os gatos são criaturas estranhas e que é difícil entender por que eles matam mesmo quando não estão com fome, sugerindo que é da natureza deles. Ele pediu que a pessoa contasse a história de sua vida novamente após o jantar, pois ele estivera muito ocupado escrevendo a música para prestar muita atenção às palavras antes.

Original English

"They're funny creatures," said the Doctor. "There's no gainsaying that. And their curious habit of killing even when they're not hungry is very hard to explain. Still, it's in their nature, I suppose, and one should never judge anyone without making allowances for the nature he was born with. You have been through some very interesting experiences, I see. When you were singing me the story of your life I was so busy getting the music down that I couldn't pay much attention to the words. After we have finished supper, would you mind telling it to me over again?"

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Português

O canário concordou. Ele disse que contaria a história de forma normal, sem música.

Original English

"Why, certainly," said the canary. "I'll tell it to you conversationally — without music."

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Português

O Doutor achou que era uma ideia melhor. Ele disse a Gub-Gub que ele poderia incluir todas as suas aventuras com muitos detalhes, e que não precisava se preocupar em fazê-las rimar. Ele também disse a Gub-Gub que Dab-Dab limparia a mesa depois que ele terminasse suas nozes de faia.

Original English

"Yes, I think that would be better," said the Doctor. "You can then put in all your adventures in detail, without bothering to make the lines scan and rhyme. Gub-Gub, as soon as you have finished that plateful of beechnuts we will let Dab-Dab clear away."

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AN ANIMAL BIOGRAPHY

Português

A chegada do pequeno canário verde levou o Doutor a escrever seu primeiro livro sobre a vida de um animal. Ele já havia pensado nisso antes, acreditando que as vidas dos animais eram muitas vezes mais interessantes do que as vidas humanas se escritas corretamente. Ele até planejou uma série de livros chamada "Grandes Animais do Século XIX". No entanto, ele não havia encontrado muitos animais com boa memória que pudessem se lembrar de detalhes suficientes para uma biografia.

Original English

IT WAS THUS through the coming of the little green canary that the Doctor wrote the first of his animal biographies. He had frequently considered doing this before. He claimed that in many instances the lives of animals were undoubtedly more interesting — if only they were properly written — than the lives of some of our so-called great men. He had even thought of writing a series, or a set, of books called Great Animals of the Nineteenth Century, or something like that. But so far he had not met many whose memories were good enough to remember all the things in their lives that make a biography interesting.

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Português

Gub-Gub ficou desapontado por não ter recebido uma estátua em Manchester. Ele havia pedido ao Doutor que escrevesse sua história de vida, certo de que todos iriam querer lê-la. Mas o Doutor e seus animais de estimação já conheciam muito bem a vida de Gub-Gub. Além disso, Gub-Gub, que agora era um ator famoso, não queria que sua história de vida fosse escrita de forma engraçada.

Original English

Gub-Gub, disappointed that no statue had been erected to him in Manchester, had often begged the Doctor to write his life for him, feeling certain that of course everybody would want to read it. But John Dolittle and his pets knew Gub-Gub's life by heart already. And, while the Doctor felt that it would make good comic reading, Gub-Gub himself refused to have it written that way, now that he was a famous actor.

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Português

Gub-Gub declarou que queria uma biografia séria e respeitada. Ele explicou que, embora pudesse ser muito engraçado quando atuava no palco, sua biografia precisava ser digna.

Original English

"I want a dignified biography," said he. "I may be funny on the stage — very funny. But in my biography I must be dignified."

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Português

Jip corrigiu a palavra, dizendo que a história de vida do outro seria cheia de comida e dores de estômago. Ele disse que preferiria ler sobre uma pedra.

Original English

"Pignified, you mean," growled Jip. "Your biography would be just one large meal after another — with stomachaches for adventures. Myself, I'd sooner read the life of a nice, round, smooth stone."

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Português

O Doutor Dolittle escrevia sobre animais, mas ninguém havia escrito sobre pássaros até Pippinella, uma canária, se juntar à sua família. O Doutor achava que Pippinella era uma boa biógrafa porque ela se lembrava de pequenos detalhes interessantes. Ele explicou na introdução do livro que a história era da própria Pippinella, e ele apenas a traduziu do Canário para o Inglês.

Original English

So this branch of the Doctor's natural history writing had remained untouched till the appearance of Pippinella, the canary who came to join his family circle under such curious circumstances. Pippinella, the Doctor often said, was a born biographer, for she had a marvellous memory for the little things that made a story interesting and real. And John Dolittle, in the preface to this the first of his Private Memoirs of Distinguished Animals was careful to say that the entire book was Pippinella's own, he merely having translated it from Canary into English.

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Português

As pessoas acharam o livro sobre a canária muito interessante. No entanto, ele não estava mais disponível porque os livreiros não queriam vendê-lo. Eles achavam que a vida de um pássaro em uma gaiola seria entediante.

Original English

Those who read it declared it most interesting. But, like so many of the Doctor's works, it is now out of print and copies of it are almost impossible to obtain. One of the reasons for this was that the ordinary booksellers wouldn't keep it. "Pooh!" they said. " The Life of a Canary! What kind of a life could that be — sitting in a cage all day?"

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Português

Por causa disso, o livro foi vendido apenas em lojas especiais como taxidermistas e lojas de naturalistas, razão pela qual é difícil de encontrar hoje. O livro, intitulado \"A Vida de Coloratura Pippinella, Canário Contralto\", incluía detalhes sobre a vida do pássaro depois que ela se juntou à casa do Doutor Dolittle. O Doutor e Pippinella discutiram o manuscrito muitas vezes, e ela compartilhou mais pequenos incidentes e detalhes que ele achava que o público consideraria interessantes, tornando o livro bastante longo. O autor contará a história em parte, como Pippinella a contou ao Doutor Dolittle e sua família.

Original English

And as a consequence of their stupidity the book was only sold at the taxidermists' shops, naturalists' supply stores and odd places like that. Probably that is why copies are so hard to find to-day. In its final completed form, under the title of The Life of Coloratura Pippinella, Contralto Canary, the story contained much of the bird's life that was lived after she joined the Dolittle household. Moreover, the Doctor went through the manuscript with the authoress several times and got her to tell him more about many little incidents and details which he thought would be of interest to the general public. All this went to make it quite a long book. I have not space to set it down for you here just as the Doctor wrote it, but I will tell it you in part, at all events, as Pippinella herself related it to John Dolittle and his family circle.

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Português

Pippinella começou dizendo que as pessoas poderiam pensar que a vida de uma canária em uma gaiola seria uma história monótona. No entanto, ela explicou que as vidas de pássaros de gaiola são frequentemente mais variadas e interessantes do que as de pássaros selvagens. Ela havia ouvido as histórias de vários pássaros selvagens e as considerava muito monótonas.

Original English

"People," Pippinella began, when Gub-Gub had finally ceased fidgeting, "might think that the biography of a cage canary would be a very dull monotonous story. But, as a matter of fact, the lives of cage-birds are often far more varied and interesting than those of wild ones. I have heard the lives of several wild birds, and they were mostly exceedingly dull and monotonous.

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Português

Pippinella começou a contar sua história. Ela explicou que nasceu em um viveiro particular onde sua família morava. Seu pai era um canário amarelo, e sua mãe era um verdilhão. Ela tinha seis irmãos e irmãs, e todos se pareciam, com uma mistura de cores verdes e amarelas. Quando eram bebês, o foco principal era conseguir comida suficiente. Pippinella mencionou que seus pais eram muito bons e os alimentavam cerca de quatorze vezes ao dia.

Original English

"Very well, then, I will begin at the beginning," Pippinella began, "I was born in an aviary, a private one, occupied by our family and a few others. My father was a bright lemon-yellow Harz Mountains canary and my mother was a greenfinch of very good family. My brothers and sisters — there were six of us altogether, three boys and three girls — were about the same as me to look at, sort of olive-green and yellow mixed up. Of course, until our eyes were open the thing that concerned us chiefly was getting enough food. Good parents — and ours were the most conscientious couple you ever saw — give their children when they are first hatched about fourteen meals a day."

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Português

Gub-Gub resmungou que nunca recebeu tanta comida.

Original English

"Huh!" muttered Gub-Gub. "That's more than I ever got."

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Português

O Doutor pediu a Gub-Gub que ficasse quieto e não interrompesse Pippinella.

Original English

"Sh!" said the Doctor. "Don't interrupt."

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Português

John Dolittle perguntou a Pippinella como os filhotes de pássaros sabem quando seus pais estão trazendo comida, mesmo antes de abrirem os olhos. Ele havia notado que os filhotes sempre abrem a boca quando os pássaros adultos voltam ao ninho.

Original English

"Pardon me, Pippinella," said John Dolittle, "but that is a point that has often interested me. How do young birds know, before their eyes are open, when their parents are bringing food? I've noticed that they all open their mouths every time the older birds come back to the nest."

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Português

Pippinella pensou que os filhotes de pássaros podiam perceber pela vibração do ninho quando seus pais pisavam na borda. Ela também explicou que, mesmo com os olhos fechados, eles conseguiam ver a sombra dos pais bloqueando a luz do sol enquanto se inclinavam sobre o ninho.

Original English

"We tell it, I imagine, by the vibration. Our parents stepping on to the edge of the nest is something that we get to recognize very early. And then, although our eyes are closed, we see the shadow that our parents make leaning over the nest coming in between us and the sunlight."

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Português

O Doutor agradeceu ao orador e fez uma anotação. Ele pediu que continuassem.

Original English

"Thank you," said the Doctor, making a note. "Please continue."

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Português

Pippinella explicou que os pássaros jovens falam e fazem sons logo após nascerem. Ela disse que isso é uma grande diferença entre os filhos de pássaros e os humanos. Os filhos humanos veem antes de falar, mas os filhotes de pássaros falam antes de ver.

Original English

"As you may have observed," Pippinella went on, "young birds talk and peep and chirp almost as soon as they are out of the egg. That is one of the big differences between bird children and human children: you see before you talk, and we talk before we see."

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Português

Gub-Gub perguntou sobre o que os pássaros poderiam falar se ainda não tivessem visto nada. Ele pensou que a conversa deles poderia não fazer muito sentido.

Original English

"Huh!" Gub-Gub put in. "Your conversation can't have much sense to it then. What on earth can you have to talk about if you haven't seen anything yet?"

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Português

O canário disse a Gub-Gub que os filhotes de pássaros nascem com algum senso, mas os filhotes de porco não. Ela explicou que o tempo que os pássaros jovens passam cegos é importante para seu aprendizado e crescimento. Ela disse que eles adivinhavam como o mundo seria. Esse período os ajuda a desenvolver um sexto sentido, que é muito importante para os pássaros. Ela mencionou que, quando os pássaros falam sobre ter senso, eles se referem a esse sexto sentido.

Original English

"That," said the canary, turning upon Gub-Gub with rather a haughty manner, "is perhaps another important difference between bird babies and pig babies: we are born with a certain amount of sense, while pigs, from what I have observed, never get very much, even when they are grown up. No, this blind period with small birds is a very important thing in their education and development. You ask me what they talk about. Nothing very much. I and my brothers and sisters used to swap guesses with one another on what the world would look like when our eyes would open. But the value of that time lies in this: having to do without our eyes, we develop what we call our sixth sense. It is rather hard to explain. But Too-Too will tell you that it is something well known and recognized among all birds. When we talk of birds having sense we always mean sixth sense."

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Português

O Doutor perguntou ao canário se ela poderia explicar o sexto sentido com mais detalhes.

Original English

"Excuse me," the Doctor put in, "but would you go into that a little further?"

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Português

O canário disse que era difícil explicar. Os pássaros sabem quando seus pais estão se aproximando, mesmo sem vê-los ou ouvi-los. Como os pássaros não enxergam bem, eles ouvem com muito cuidado. Eles aprendiam sobre o mundo ouvindo sons, como ratos arranhando dentro das paredes e galhos de árvores batendo na janela de sua gaiola.

Original English

"Certainly," said the canary. "But, as I told you, it's frightfully hard to explain. You were speaking just now of the parents approaching the nest and the young ones opening their mouths. Well, even before they actually step on the nest we soon get to know that they are there without seeing or hearing them. And then birds are awfully busy with their ears during this time. They do a lot of listening. And, being unable to see, they get to be much better hearers than if they had the use of their eyes as well. We listened to everything with the greatest care, trying to learn from it what the world was going to look like — even to the mice scratching behind the panellings and the boughs of the trees in the garden tapping the windowpane near our cage.

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Português

Os pássaros perguntaram ao pai se era um vento forte, porque ouviram galhos arranhando a janela.

Original English

"That's a strong wind, isn't it, Father?' we would say. There are many twigs scratching on the glass.'

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Português

O pai respondeu que era um vento norte. Ele explicou que apenas os ventos norte e nordeste empurram o jasmim contra a janela. Outros ventos o afastam da casa.

Original English

"'Yes, children,' he would answer. 'It's a north wind. It is only the north and the northeast winds that press the jasmine up against the window. The others blow it away from the house.'

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Português

Os pássaros conseguiam determinar a direção e a força do vento pelo som que os galhos faziam na janela. Eles aprendiam muitas coisas sem entender o porquê, o que o canário chamava de sexto sentido. Os pássaros selvagens usam esse sentido para coisas como geografia, mas os pássaros de gaiola não aprendem isso. No entanto, os pássaros de gaiola são melhores em entender as pessoas. O canário acreditava que grande parte de seu aprendizado importante aconteceu quando era jovem no ninho, tentando adivinhar como era o mundo ouvindo, cheirando e sentindo.

Original English

"Then, after that, you see, we could tell just by the tune the bough-tips played upon the panes which way the wind was blowing and how strong it was. But much of our education we got without knowing the why or the wherefore at all. That is perhaps the best explanation of the sixth sense: just knowing a thing without knowing why or how you know it. Of course, in many matters the wild birds are much cleverer than we are. At geography, for instance: bird geography is all done by the sixth sense. But then, of course, we cage birds don't get much chance to study that. But at other things we are ahead of them a long way. Especially about people. You'd be surprised what a good judge of character most housebred canaries are. Altogether, as a grown-up bird, I've often astonished myself at what a lot I know — and how I know it, I couldn't tell you to save my life. But I'm convinced that a great deal of the most important part of my education came to me, as it does to all of us, during that time when we lie in the nest with our eyes closed, trying to guess, by hearing and smelling and feeling, what the world is going to look like."

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Português

O Doutor agradeceu ao canário, dizendo que a informação era muito interessante e importante para ele como naturalista. Ele pediu ao canário que continuasse sua história.

Original English

"Thank you," said the Doctor. "That is very interesting. Pray pardon my interruption. But these things are important to me as a naturalist. Please continue with your story."

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Português

Pippinella explicou que era um momento emocionante para os pássaros jovens quando abriam os olhos pela primeira vez. Ela disse que os pássaros frequentemente ficavam acordados na noite anterior. Isso era para garantir que não dormissem tarde demais e perdessem a oportunidade de ver o mundo antes de seus irmãos e irmãs.

Original English

"It is quite an exciting moment," Pippinella continued, "for young birds when they first open their eyes. They usually stay awake most of the night before, lest they sleep past the time and their brothers and sisters crow over them that they saw the world first.

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Português

O dia chegou para os pássaros abrirem os olhos, mas o narrador se sentiu um pouco desapontado. Para os pássaros mantidos em gaiolas, seu mundo era um cômodo, não um campo aberto. Eles haviam perguntado aos pais como seria, mas imaginar algo é diferente de vê-lo. Descobriram que seu mundo era uma sala comprida, como uma combinação de sala de estar e jardim de inverno. Tinha plantas, móveis e gaiolas de pássaros. Uma mulher dava comida aos pais, que alimentavam os filhotes. À noite, um homem que era dono deles os verificava. Ele parecia bondoso e se importava com os pássaros, pois frequentemente dizia à mulher para limpar as gaiolas, trocar a água e dar alface fresca aos pássaros.

Original English

"Well, with us the day came in due course; and, myself, I was slightly disappointed. You must remember that for us cage birds the world was the inside of a room, instead of an open meadow, hedgerow, or leafy forest. Of course, we had known something of what it was going to look like from asking our parents. But no matter how well a thing is described to you, you always form your own idea of it, more or less wrong. Very well, then. Our world, we discovered, was a long room, sort of parlour and conservatory combined — a pleasant enough place, containing flowerpots, palms, some furniture and several cages of birds. By day a woman attended to us, supplying our parents with chopped egg and cracker crumbs, which they fed to us youngsters. At night a man, who apparently owned us, came in to inspect everything. He seemed a decent sort of fellow and evidently had our welfare at heart because he was forever scolding the woman for neglecting to clean cages, to change the water in the troughs, or to give the birds fresh lettuce.

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Português

O hobby do homem era criar pássaros canoros premiados. Ele tinha gaiolas em outros cômodos, e o narrador podia ouvir outros pássaros cantando. Quando as portas estavam abertas, o pássaro pai cantava de volta para eles. Ele conversava com os outros pássaros sobre coisas como a mulher, a qualidade da semente para pássaros, a temperatura do cômodo e quaisquer notícias da casa.

Original English

"Raising prize singing-birds was this man's hobby. He had other cages in other rooms because we could hear the birds singing. And when the doors were open my father would sing back to them and carry on conversations with them about the woman, the quality of the new supply of seed, the temperature in the conservatory, and any odd gossip about the household.

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Português

Havia outra família de pássaros jovens em uma gaiola próxima. Os pais dos pássaros costumavam conversar entre si. A mãe do narrador frequentemente dizia que seus filhos pareciam mais saudáveis do que os filhos da outra família.

Original English

"There was another family of young ones in a cage close to ours. And our parents used to chat with the other parents — my mother always boasting that we looked a much healthier brood than theirs.

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Português

O homem tinha dois filhos próprios. Às vezes, as crianças entravam no cômodo para olhar os pássaros e brincar com seus brinquedos no chão. Os pássaros gostavam de observar as brincadeiras das crianças. Eles ficavam felizes com a visita das crianças porque o cômodo geralmente era muito silencioso.

Original English

"The man had two children of his own, and they would come into the conservatory occasionally to look at us and to play with toys on the floor. Their games provided us with entertainment and we were glad to have them, because most days the conservatory was rather quiet.

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Português

O pai do narrador era um cantor muito bom, com uma voz alta. Ele cantava enquanto alimentava seus filhos. No entanto, seu canto era alto demais para as crianças, e elas frequentemente pediam que ele parasse.

Original English

"My father was evidently quite a fine singer. And now and then, when he wasn't helping my mother shovel food into us hungry children, he'd sit on the edge of the nest and sing. He had a tremendous voice. But, for my part, I can't say that I enjoyed it much. At that close range it was simply earsplitting and we used to beg Mother to make him stop.

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Português

Um dia, o pai foi a uma competição de canto de canários e ganhou o primeiro prêmio. Quando voltou, todos ficaram muito animados. Ele começou a cantar ainda mais alto do que antes. A mãe dele estava muito orgulhosa do seu sucesso e não o deixava parar de cantar. Ele também contou histórias sobre a competição.

Original English

"Once he was taken away from us for a whole day. And Mother told us he had gone to a canary show, to see if he was a good enough singer to get a prize. And when the man brought him back to us in the evening there was great excitement throughout the house. All the family came in, talking. Father had won the first prize at the show! After that he used to sing louder than ever, and it was no use our asking Mother to stop him because she was even prouder of his success than he was. In between songs, he told us all about the show and what the judges said and what sort of canaries he had had to sing against.

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Português

O narrador achava a vida interessante. Eles viam pássaros voando livremente lá fora e às vezes desejavam essa liberdade. Mas depois de ver um falcão pegar outro pássaro, o narrador se sentiu mais seguro vivendo dentro de casa. Eles decidiram que ser protegido dos perigos, ter uma casa confortável e boa comida era uma boa maneira de viver.

Original English

"It was a funny life — not nearly as dull as you'd think. As we got our feathers and grew bigger, I used to look out of the window at the spring trees budding in the garden. Every once in a while I'd see a finch fly by and I'd get a sort of vague hankering to be out in the open, living a life of freedom. But one day I saw a hawk swoop down on a poor lame sparrow and carry him off. With a shudder I nestled down among my brothers and sisters and thanked my stars that I lived indoors. After all, I decided, there was a good deal to be said for this cage life, where we were protected from cats and birds of prey, given comfortable quarters and the best of food."

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PIPPINELLA TAKES HER FIRST JOURNEY

Português

Os pássaros nascidos na casa sempre ficavam curiosos sobre o que aconteceria com eles. O dono tinha muitos amigos interessados em canários. Ele não mantinha todos os pássaros jovens porque seu lugar era muito pequeno. Ele ficava com os pássaros que tinham boas vozes ou marcas bonitas. Os outros pássaros eram às vezes vendidos, trocados ou dados. Ele não mantinha muitas fêmeas.

Original English

" T HE THING," P IPPINELLA continued, "that most interested every bird born at that house was whether he was going to be kept, sold, exchanged, or given away. For this man, while he did not run a regular shop, had many friends who were also interested in canaries. He seems to have been quite well known, for some of these people came long distances to see him and his birds. His place wasn't big enough to keep all the families that were born there. So when the young ones grew up and got their full feathers he would pick out those that he wanted to keep himself. These were such as had good voices or who were prettily marked. The others he would sometimes exchange, sometimes give away, and sometimes sell. He never kept very many hens.

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Português

Cerca de duas semanas depois que os passarinhos haviam deixado o ninho e estavam cuidando de si mesmos, seus pais tiveram uma conversa. Os passarinhos ouviram com atenção porque o assunto era muito importante para eles. A mãe pássaro então falou.

Original English

"One evening, about two weeks after we had left the nest and were hopping and pecking for ourselves, my parents were talking this matter over together. And of course we youngsters, since it was a subject that very deeply concerned us, were listening intently. Said my mother:

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Português

O falante estava preocupado que a outra pessoa pudesse vender a maioria dos pássaros jovens. Não havia muito espaço, e a outra pessoa parecia gostar mais dos pássaros na gaiola ao lado. O falante não achava que esses pássaros fossem especiais e não trocaria seus próprios filhotes por eles.

Original English

"I'm afraid he will probably get rid of most of this brood. Nearly all his space is taken up and he seems to prefer those birds over in the next cage — though what he can see in the scrawny, long-necked little brats I don't know. I wouldn't exchange one of our babies for the whole batch.'

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Português

O pai disse que seria melhor se os pássaros jovens fossem vendidos separadamente. Ele explicou que isso era para o bem de seus próprios filhotes.

Original English

"'Well,' said my father, 'so far as the welfare of our own is concerned, it will be just as well if he does let them go — especially if they go separately.'

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Português

O falante perguntou ao pai o motivo.

Original English

"'Why?' I asked.

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Português

O pai explicou que um único canário recebe melhores cuidados. Se houver muitos pássaros, os cuidados geralmente não são bons. Ele disse que as lojas de animais são os piores lugares, onde as gaiolas são limpas apenas uma vez por semana. Os pássaros podem ser colocados em lugares ruins, como no sol quente ou perto de uma corrente de ar frio, e os barulhos e cheiros são terríveis. O pai esperava que o falante não fosse enviado para uma loja de animais.

Original English

"'Because you always get better cared for in houses where you are the only canary kept. In any place where they have an awful lot to look after, the treatment is usually slipshod and negligent. The worst of all are the animal shops. They are notoriously bad. You don't get your cage cleaned out more than once a week; you get put anyplace, sometimes in the hot sun, sometimes in an awful draught. And the noises and the smells are dreadful. No, I hope, for your sake, you don't get sent to an animal shop.'

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Português

O falante perguntou ao pai se estaria tudo bem se eles fossem comprados rapidamente.

Original English

"'But, Father,' I said, 'it's all right if you get bought right away, isn't it?'

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Português

Ele explicou que as galinhas geralmente não são cantoras. Ele também mencionou que as pessoas não vão frequentemente a uma loja de animais para comprar canários galinhas.

Original English

"'Yes, but you seldom are, if you're a hen,' he said. 'People don't often come to an animal shop to buy hen canaries.'

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Português

O narrador perguntou o motivo novamente.

Original English

"'Why?' I asked again.

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Português

Ele respondeu que era porque as galinhas não cantam.

Original English

"'Because they don't sing,' said he.

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Português

O narrador pensou sobre suas palavras. Ele notou que o homem disse que as galinhas não cantam, não que elas não podem cantar. Ele sentiu que isso era uma tradição antiga e injusta.

Original English

"You notice he said ' don't sing,' not ' can't sing.' I am afraid I've always been something of a rebel. Maybe I ought to have been born a cock. Anyway, that evening I felt particularly aggrieved at this stupid, unfair, old-fashioned custom.

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Português

O narrador disse ao pai que achava isso bobo. Ele disse que as galinhas nascem com vozes tão boas quanto as dos pássaros machos. No entanto, porque as pessoas não acham certo elas cantarem, suas vozes ficam ruins por não praticarem quando são jovens. Ele sentiu que isso era uma grande vergonha.

Original English

"'Father, I think that's ridiculous,' I said. 'You know very well that hens are born with just as good voices as cocks. But merely because it isn't considered proper for them to sing they have to let their voices spoil for want of practise when they're young. I think it's a crying shame.'

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Português

Então, a mãe dela se juntou.

Original English

"Then my mother joined in.

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Português

A mãe dela estava muito brava e perguntou como ela ousava falar com o pai daquele jeito. Ela mandou ela ir ficar no canto da gaiola.

Original English

"'How dare you speak to your father like that, you brazen hussy!' she cried. 'What are the girls coming to these days, I'd like to know? Go and stand down in the corner of the cage!'

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Português

A mãe dela bateu nela com a asa, e ela caiu do poleiro.

Original English

"And she gave me a box on the ear with her wing that knocked me right off the perch.

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Português

Mesmo tendo sido repreendida, ela não se arrependeu. Ela se preocupou que, se as galinhas não tivessem permissão para cantar, ela e suas irmãs pudessem ser mandadas para uma loja de animais ruim. Então, ela decidiu praticar canto secretamente para melhorar a voz e se tornar tão boa quanto seus irmãos.

Original English

"Well, although I had been reprimanded, I was by no means repentant. I saw that just because hens were not supposed to sing I and my sisters stood a good chance of being packed off to some wretched, crowded animal shop, instead of being bought by some private person who would treat us decently. And I determined to practise my singing secretly, so as to develop my voice and become just as valuable as my brothers.

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Português

Ela continuou a praticar canto em silêncio quando os outros estavam ocupados. Eventualmente, o dono notou que sua família frequentemente a empurrava para o lado. Ele a mudou para uma gaiola separada. Depois disso, ela podia cantar o quanto quisesse, e os outros só podiam fazer comentários negativos sobre o canto dela à distância.

Original English

"Well, in spite of frequent peckings, I continued to exercise my voice quietly when the others were busy eating or talking together. Finally the man who owned us noticed that I often got sat upon by the rest of my family and I was put in a separate cage. After that I could sing as long and as loud as I wanted to and all that the others could do was to make rude remarks from across the room about the quality of my voice.

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Português

O vendedor de pássaros, que era o dono, trouxe um amigo para visitar. Ele queria dar um canário de presente ao amigo. O amigo podia escolher um pássaro entre duas famílias de pássaros novos. O pássaro gostou do rosto do homem e queria que ele o escolhesse. No começo, o homem parecia mais interessado na outra família de pássaros. No entanto, o pássaro cantou o mais alto e melhor que pôde. Isso chamou a atenção do homem. Ele foi até a gaiola do pássaro e perguntou se ele fazia parte dos pássaros novos. Quando soube que sim, disse que gostaria de ficar com aquele pássaro.

Original English

"And then one day the bird fancier, our owner, brought in a friend of his to see us. He wanted to make this friend a present of a canary, it seemed, and he offered him his choice out of the two new families of birds. I liked the man's face and I was determined he should pick me out, if I could make him. He was evidently rather taken with the colouring of the other family and he lingered around their cage quite a while. But I sang my loudest and my best and presently I saw I had caught his attention. He came over to my cage and asked the fancier if I, too, was part of the new broods. On hearing that I was, he said he would like to have me.

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Português

O pássaro estava muito feliz. O vendedor de pássaros encontrou uma gaiola pequena de viagem para emprestar ao amigo até que uma maior pudesse ser comprada para o pássaro. O pássaro foi transferido para essa gaiola pequena. Depois, papel foi enrolado em volta da gaiola, para que o pássaro não pudesse mais ver o lado de fora.

Original English

"Then, to my great delight, the fancier went and got a small travelling cage to lend his friend, until he could buy a bigger one for me. Into this I was changed and wrapping paper was put around and I couldn't see anything more after that.

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Português

Mesmo com a cobertura de papel, os pais e os irmãos do pássaro ainda podiam ouvi-lo. Eles se despediram e desejaram boa sorte. Então, o pássaro sentiu sua gaiola sendo erguida da mesa. Este foi o começo de sua primeira viagem.

Original English

"However, my parents and brothers and sisters could still hear me through the paper. They wished me goodbye and good luck. Then I felt my cage lifted up off the table and the first journey of my life began.

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Português

Dentro de sua gaiola coberta de papel, o pássaro se perguntava para onde estava indo e como seria seu novo lar. Sentiu um movimento estranho e sacudido e imaginou que alguém estava andando enquanto o carregava. Logo, a gaiola foi colocada no chão por um momento. O ar de repente ficou mais frio, e o pássaro percebeu que estava fora de casa. Em seguida, ouviu o som de cascos de cavalo. A gaiola foi erguida novamente. Um novo tipo de movimento começou, e pelo balanço e pelo som regular dos cascos, o pássaro soube que estava sendo carregado a cavalo.

Original English

"Of course, I wondered, inside my paper-covered carriage, where I was being taken and what my new home would be like. From the motion, a curious jerky sort of swing, I guessed I was still being carried by someone walking. But soon I was put down again, just for a moment, and the suddenly cooling air told me I was outside the house. Next I heard the stamping of a horse's feet, and then I was lifted up again, high. After that a new kind of motion began and, from the swing of it and the regular beating of hoofs, I knew I was being carried on horseback.

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Português

O pássaro sentiu o vento soprando através da cobertura de papel de sua gaiola. Logo, pôde sentir o cheiro de milho maduro e papoulas. Isso disse ao pássaro que seu dono estava agora fora da cidade, no campo aberto. O pássaro nunca tinha estado no campo antes, mas seu pai lhe contara sobre isso a partir de suas próprias experiências quando era levado a exposições.

Original English

"I felt the wind blowing through my paper covering. Soon the scent of the ripe corn and poppies reached me and I knew that my owner was now beyond the town, out in the open country. I had never been in the country before, but my father had, when being taken to shows, and he had told me something about it.

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Português

A viagem foi fria, áspera e desconfortável. Como a gaiola se movia muito, toda a água e comida derramaram. Isso deixou a gaiola e o ocupante molhados e bagunçados.

Original English

"It was a cold ride, bumpy and uncomfortable. With the jolting motion of the saddle pommel on which my cage was held every bit of the water and seed out of my troughs got spilled all over the cage — and me, too.

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Português

Logo, o cavalo começou a se mover mais devagar. O ocupante ouviu sons que sugeriam que haviam entrado em uma cidade. Ele se perguntou se aquele seria seu novo lar. Os sons de pássaros, cães e pessoas faziam parecer um lugar agradável, e o ocupante esperava que ficassem.

Original English

"Presently the horse's pace slowed down and, hearing now the echoes of his hooves thrown back from near at hand, I guessed that we had entered the streets of another town. I wondered if this was the place where I was to live or if my owner would ride on through it. I heard sparrows chattering, pigeons cooing, dogs barking, people talking and calling. I hoped we would stay here. It seemed a nice, cheery place, from the sounds of it.

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Português

O passeio desconfortável finalmente terminou. A gaiola foi pega por novas mãos, e o ocupante ouviu uma mulher cumprimentar o cavaleiro. Eles foram levados para dentro de uma casa que cheirava bem e era confortável. Depois de ser colocada em uma mesa e desembrulhada, o ocupante finalmente conseguiu ver.

Original English

"And sure enough, presently, to my great delight, that awful riding motion ceased. I felt my cage being handed down and taken by other hands. Somebody — a woman — was greeting my man on the horse. The air suddenly grew warm and a door slammed shut. I was inside a house — a house of many smells, most of them nice, comfortable, foody smells. My cage was set upon a table. Several voices were now chattering around me, some of them children's. Fingers began clawing at my wrapping paper, to undo it. The string was cut with a ponk like the twang of a guitar. And then — at last — I could see."

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THE NEW HOME

Português

O quarto era muito diferente de qualquer outro visto antes. Era grande, com muitas cadeiras, e tinha um teto com vigas escuras. As paredes exibiam quadros de homens montados a cavalo, e havia chifres de veado acima da porta. Um peixe preservado excepcionalmente grande em uma caixa de vidro foi colocado acima da lareira.

Original English

" T HE ROOM,' P IPPINELLA continued, "in which I found myself was quite different from any I had ever seen before. But then, of course, I had only seen one other, so far — the fancier's conservatory. This place was pretty large, with lots and lots of chairs in it, a ceiling of big smoked beams and funny pictures on the walls of men in scarlet jackets galloping across country on horseback. A pair of stag's horns were hung over the door. And above the fireplace there was an enormous dead fish in a glass box.

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Português

Várias pessoas, incluindo homens, mulheres e crianças com rostos redondos e vermelhos, se reuniram ao redor da gaiola. Eles olharam para o ocupante com curiosidade e admiração. O ocupante acreditava que eles eram a família do novo dono. Mais tarde, o ocupante foi transferido para uma nova gaiola que era maior e mais limpa, o que foi uma mudança bem-vinda em relação à gaiola pequena e bagunçada usada durante a viagem.

Original English

"Gathered about my cage stood four or five people, men, women, and children, all with fat, round faces and red cheeks. They were staring at me with great curiosity and — to judge from their smiles — with some admiration. I guessed them to be the family of my new owner. Presently another cage was brought and I was changed into it. It was quite roomy and decent inside, and I was glad to get into it after the little crampy one that had been so messed up by the journey.

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Português

A família discutiu onde colocar minha gaiola. Depois de considerar diferentes lugares, decidiram pendurá-la na grande janela saliente que dava para o pátio da frente.

Original English

"Then there was evidently a good deal of discussion among the family about where I should be put. One pointed to one place and another to another. Finally it was decided to hang my cage in the big bay window which looked out on to a forecourt, or front yard.

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Português

Eu era muito jovem e não tinha conhecido muitas pessoas antes. Nesta nova casa, as pessoas estavam sempre por perto em grupos, conversando constantemente. Observando e ouvindo, comecei a entender a língua delas. No primeiro dia, entendi que o menino mais velho queria cuidar de mim. A mãe dele concordou, o que depois me deixou infeliz porque ele era muito esquecido. Ele frequentemente esquecia de encher meu pote de água, me deixando com sede por um dia inteiro até que se lembrasse. Ele sempre sentia muito quando percebia o erro, mas isso não me ajudava.

Original English

"Of course, you must understand that up to this time I had never seen very much of people. I was exceedingly young. At the fancier's all I ever saw, with very few exceptions, was one person at a time. But in this house it was entirely different. People in twos and threes were around, talking all the time. And, watching and listening to them the whole day, I soon began to understand many words of their language. Even that first day I guessed from signs and other things that the largest boy of the family was asking his mother if he could have the job of looking after me. Finally his mother consented — to my great sorrow later, because he was the most forgetful monkey that ever walked. Many was the time that he forgot to refill my water trough and I'd go thirsty for a whole day before he found it out. He was always dreadfully sorry when he discovered his mistake, but that didn't do me any good.

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Português

No começo, fiquei confuso com a casa porque a família parecia extremamente grande. Novos grupos de pessoas, que eu nunca tinha visto antes, continuavam chegando o dia todo. Alguns vinham a cavalo, outros a pé, e outros chegavam de carruagem. Eles faziam refeições e às vezes dormiam lá durante a noite antes de partir, e então pessoas diferentes chegavam. Havia um fluxo constante de pessoas indo e vindo.

Original English

"At first I was very much puzzled about this house. The family seemed to be positively enormous. All day long new batches that I had never seen before, men, women, and children, kept arriving, some on horseback, some on foot, some in carriages. They would take meals in the dining room, and often sleep upstairs in the bedrooms overnight. Then they'd go away again and different ones would take their place. There was somebody arriving and somebody going away all the time.

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Português

Eu pensei que todos esses visitantes deviam ser amigos do meu novo dono, já que a família em si não parecia tão grande. Continuei acreditando nisso até que um tentilhão corrigiu meu equívoco. Numa tarde quente, vi o tentilhão voando para lá e para cá com pedaços de crina de cavalo para construir um ninho em um choupo no quintal. Como não falava com um pássaro desde que saí da minha própria família, chamei por ele. Ele voou para perto da janela e conversamos por um tempo.

Original English

"Then I decided these could not all belong to the family, and I supposed that my new owner was a man of many friends. Heaven only knows how long I would have gone on believing that if I had not one day had my youthful ignorance enlightened by a chaffinch. It was a warm afternoon and the bay window had been opened. I saw a chaffinch passing and repassing, with bits of horsehair in his mouth. He was busily building a nest in one of the poplars in the yard. I had not spoken to a bird since I had left my own family, so I hailed him, and he came over close to the window and chatted a while.

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Português

Disse ao tentilhão que a casa parecia muito estranha. Perguntei a ele quem era o homem que tinha tantos amigos o visitando o dia todo.

Original English

"This seems an awfully funny house,' I said. 'Who's this man who has so many friends coming to visit him all day long?'

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Português

O tentilhão explicou que o lugar era uma pousada ou um hotel.

Original English

"This is an inn, an hotel," said the chaffinch

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Português

O tentilhão riu e disse ao pássaro que ele parecia um pássaro jovem mantido em uma gaiola. Ele explicou que não era uma casa particular, mas uma pousada ou hotel movimentado onde as pessoas pagavam para ficar e comer. Ele mencionou as carruagens diárias que chegavam do norte e do sul, e a troca de cavalos, mostrando que era um lugar muito ativo.

Original English

"'No one could mistake you for anything but a newborn cage-bird,' said the chaffinch with a laugh. 'They aren't his friends. This isn't a private house. This is an inn, an hotel, where people pay to stop and eat. Haven't you noticed that big carriage that rattles into the yard every evening at five o'clock? Well, that's the coach from the north. And the one that comes early in the morning is the night coach from the south. Haven't you seen them changing horses? This is a regular coaching-inn, one of the busiest spots in the country.'

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Português

O pássaro se sentiu muito sortudo por ter encontrado um lar tão bom. Era uma pousada agradável e animada. O pássaro pensou que, se tivesse que viver em uma gaiola, o melhor era estar em um lugar onde pudesse se sentir conectado ao mundo exterior e ouvir notícias.

Original English

"And very soon I decided that in my first venture away from the protection of my mother's wing I had been very lucky. Good fortune had given me a home that any cage bird could envy. I have often looked back with pleasure upon the nice, cheerful bustle of that inn. If you must be a cage bird — if you have to be deprived of the green forests and the open freedom of the skies — then it is good to be in close touch with the world. And there, one was certainly that.

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Português

Muitas coisas interessantes aconteciam lá porque a estrada levava à capital e até a países estrangeiros, já que estava no caminho para um grande porto de navios que navegavam pelo mundo. Viajantes traziam notícias de todos os lugares, e as carruagens diárias entregavam jornais de todas as direções.

Original English

"Something new was happening all the time. Men went over this road not only to the capital but to foreign lands — for it was the highway to a great port from where ships sailed to the seven seas. Travellers coming and going brought news from everywhere. And the daily coaches always delivered the newspapers from the north, south, east, and west.

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Português

O pássaro observou tudo isso de sua gaiola. Durante o verão, era colocado do lado de fora na parede, onde podia ver a estrada e as carruagens se aproximando de longe. O pássaro criou uma canção especial que anunciava a chegada da carruagem. Os funcionários do hotel aprenderam a melodia e sabiam se preparar para os hóspedes quando a ouviam. O pássaro sentiu que não estava apenas conectado ao mundo, mas também era uma parte importante das operações do hotel, como um membro da equipe.

Original English

"All this I witnessed from my little cage. And when the summer weather came I used to be put outside every morning, high up on the wall beside the door. From there I could see down the road a long way. And the daily coaches were visible to me quite a while before they could be seen by anyone else. When the weather was dry I could tell them by the cloud of dust far, far off; and then I'd sing a special song that I made up. It began 'Maids, come out; the coach is here.' And though nobody understood the words of it, all the maids and the porters of the hotel soon got to know the tune. And whenever they heard me sing it they'd know the mail coach would arrive in a few minutes and they'd all get ready to receive the guests. The maids would take a last look at the dining room tables; the porters would come to the door for the valises and luggage; and the stable boys would open the yard gate and get ready the fresh horses to change for the tired ones coming in. It gave me quite a thrill on a quiet drowsy afternoon to suddenly wake that inn up to a bustle and life, just by singing my song, 'Maids, Come Out; the Coach Is Here.' In that way, you see, I was not only in touch with the world but I was, in a manner, an active part of it. For though I lived in a cage I felt myself a responsible member of the hotel staff.

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Glossary: New Words

Words introduced by the simplified reading. Each entry shows up to five real sentences from this book; every Back to B1 link opens the exact sentence in the simplified version.

acceptable /əkˈsɛptəbl/ (2)

Português: aceitável; admissível

Simple English: Agreed upon by most people in a society.

Example: Wearing casual clothes is acceptable in many modern workplaces today.

Uses in this book:

1. He explained that he did not like to see birds in cages, but he thought it was acceptable for birds that were born in captivity. Back to B1

2. Matthew told the Doctor that he would be acceptable.

activities ækˈtɪvɪtiz (2)

Português: atividades

Simple English: Things that people do for fun or work.

Example: We enjoy outdoor activities on weekends.

Uses in this book:

1. He would become unhappy if his regular activities, like his Saturday bath or Sunday orange, were late. Back to B1

2. He was involved in all the circus activities with great energy, even more than the performers.

adult ˈædʌlt (1)

Português: adulto

Simple English: A fully grown person or animal.

Example: There were eight more adult male apes.

Uses in this book:

1. He had noticed that baby birds always open their mouths when the adult birds return to the nest. Back to B1

alright ɔːlˈraɪt (2)

Português: tudo bem

Simple English: Good or okay.

Example: They said they would be alright.

Uses in this book:

1. The speaker asked their father if it would be alright if they were bought quickly. Back to B1

2. The Doctor grumbled and then asked if the old, lame horse was alright.

amazing əˈmeɪzɪŋ (9)

Português: incrível

Simple English: very surprising or great

Example: It was an amazing fight.

Uses in this book:

1. For most people, it would have been amazing, but because the Doctor understood the language of canaries and could understand the words, it was a very special experience for him. Back to B1

2. She told Doctor Dolittle that his voice was amazing, better than any other tenor canary she had ever heard.

3. Matthew told the Doctor that the bird's singing was amazing and unlike anything heard before.

4. He would tell them about the amazing things in the big city and answer all their many questions.

5. The boy explained that a pig was amazing in the show, a duck danced in a ballet skirt, and a dog played the part of a Pierrot.

ate eɪt (12)

Português: comeu

Simple English: past form of eat; to put food in the mouth and swallow

Example: The canary ate another small piece of food.

Uses in this book:

1. The canary picked up another small piece of food, ate it slowly, and then continued her story. Back to B1

2. They ate meals and sometimes slept there overnight before leaving, and then different people would arrive. Back to B1

3. The two birds sat on the table and ate cake crumbs.

4. The genet did not eat the peanuts, but people often thought zoo animals ate them.

5. Then the mother bird ate, and the young birds were fed.

author ˈɔː.θər (1)

Português: autor

Simple English: A person who writes books or stories.

Example: The author wrote many books.

Uses in this book:

1. The author will tell the story in part, as Pippinella told it to Doctor Dolittle and his family. Back to B1

beak biːk (3)

Português: bico

Simple English: the hard pointed part of a bird's mouth

Example: Then she cleaned her beak and continued talking.

Uses in this book:

1. After cleaning her beak on the salt and pepper shakers, she continued speaking. Back to B1

2. The canary shivered and cleaned its beak, as if trying to forget a bad dream. Back to B1

3. However, Dab-Dab was not in a good mood and seriously approached the pig, putting her beak close to his nose.

blocking ˈblɒkɪŋ (3)

Português: bloqueando

Simple English: stopping the way

Example: The ape was blocking his way to escape.

Uses in this book:

1. She also explained that even with their eyes closed, they could see the shadow of their parents blocking the sunlight as they leaned over the nest. Back to B1

2. He explained that the policeman was blocking his exit, and Harris would recognize him.

3. He saw two more police officers ahead, blocking his path, leaving only the river as an escape route.

boring ˈbɔːrɪŋ (3)

Português: chato

Simple English: not interesting

Example: The exciting events made life less boring.

Uses in this book:

1. But the boring talk about money and numbers had just started when the Doctor heard a pleasant sound. Back to B1

2. They thought the life of a bird in a cage would be boring. Back to B1

3. He was an excellent singer, but he was a boring partner.

bravely ˈbreɪvli (1)

Português: corajosamente

Simple English: doing something with courage

Example: She fought bravely in the battle.

Uses in this book:

1. Pol fought the cat bravely and gave her more trouble than she expected. Back to B1

checked tʃekt (4)

Português: verificou

Simple English: looked carefully to see if everything is okay

Example: He checked his wife for injuries.

Uses in this book:

1. At night, a man who owned them checked on them. Back to B1

2. Matthew and Pippinella checked all the cages.

3. He had checked and found that animals could have bank accounts and cheque books, but someone would need to help them write the cheques.

4. Jip checked each dog to make sure they were truly in need.

choose ʧuːz (7)

Português: escolher

Simple English: to decide which one to take or do

Example: You can choose your favorite color.

Uses in this book:

1. The friend could choose a bird from two families of new birds. Back to B1

2. The second hen questioned why the Doctor would choose her if he did come.

3. Most importantly, the birds should be able to choose their own buyer and not be sold to someone they disliked.

4. He thought her idea about letting birds choose their buyers was very good and suggested they might open a bird shop like that in the future.

5. He asked Cheapside if he was free that afternoon to go to the zoo with him to choose the best kinds of birds for their show.

disagreed ˌdɪsəˈɡriːd (4)

Português: discordou

Simple English: to have a different opinion

Example: Professor Porter disagreed.

Uses in this book:

1. The canary politely disagreed with Jip, saying dogs were not as good as cats at hunting. Back to B1

2. The canary disagreed, saying their owner trusted the cat and even left her with them at night. Back to B1

3. The Doctor quietly disagreed.

4. Dab-Dab disagreed, warning Jip not to create more places for stray animals.

drank dræŋk (4)

Português: bebeu

Simple English: Past form of drink: to take liquid into the body.

Example: White men drank the drink to become strong.

Uses in this book:

1. They sat and drank some ale. Back to B1

2. The green canary drank some milk from Gub-Gub's bowl. Back to B1

3. She flew to the table and drank from Gub-Gub's milk bowl, which surprised Gub-Gub very much. Back to B1

4. The cups were designed to fill with water automatically when an animal drank from them.

elm ɛlm (1)

Português: olmo

Simple English: A type of tall tree with wide branches.

Example: The building was dark because of the tall elm trees.

Uses in this book:

1. He thought it was a nightingale singing in the large elm trees near the church. Back to B1

exclaimed ɪkˈskleɪmd (6)

Português: exclamou

Simple English: Said something loudly because of emotion.

Example: The doctor exclaimed he had found the problem.

Uses in this book:

1. The Doctor exclaimed in surprise that it was the bird he had bought that afternoon. Back to B1

2. John Dolittle looked in the mirror and exclaimed that he looked like the butcher from Puddleby.

3. Too-Too exclaimed that the disguise was excellent.

4. One of the parrots exclaimed, asking if there was a man in the shop.

5. The chief chemist was surprised and exclaimed about cheese.

female ˈfiːmeɪl (3)

Português: fêmea

Simple English: A woman or girl; the sex that can have babies.

Example: The female ape cared for her baby.

Uses in this book:

1. She added that female birds actually have much better voices. Back to B1

2. He did not keep many female birds. Back to B1

3. When the small female singer began her short, exciting song, everyone listening was amazed.

females ˈfiːmeɪlz (1)

Português: fêmeas

Simple English: Women or female animals.

Example: The female birds sang quietly.

Uses in this book:

1. But some older hens believed it was not proper for females to sing and that their place was on the nest, leaving singing only for males. Back to B1

finances ˈfaɪnænsɪz (1)

Português: finanças

Simple English: Money management and problems.

Example: He needs to fix his finances to be happy.

Uses in this book:

1. Too-Too, the owl who managed the circus's money, immediately started talking to him about finances. Back to B1

flow /floʊ/ (1)

Português: fluxo; fluir; vazão

Simple English: Steady movement of liquid or other substances like air.

Example: The flow of the river increased after the heavy rain.

Uses in this book:

1. There was a constant flow of people coming and going. Back to B1

fluffy ˈflʌfi (1)

Português: fofo

Simple English: Soft and light, like fur or feathers.

Example: Aunt Olivia's fluffy black cat sat with us.

Uses in this book:

1. One day, their owner brought home a beautiful, fluffy white Persian cat. Back to B1

focus ˈfoʊkəs (2)

Português: focar

Simple English: To pay attention to one thing.

Example: He wanted to focus on their safety first.

Uses in this book:

1. When they were babies, their main focus was getting enough food. Back to B1

2. Now he could focus only on the opera.

fought fɔːt (1)

Português: lutaram

Simple English: Tried to win in a war or a fight.

Example: Later, people fought a war.

Uses in this book:

1. Pol fought the cat bravely and gave her more trouble than she expected. Back to B1

frightening ˈfraɪtnɪŋ (1)

Português: assustador

Simple English: Causing fear or scary feelings.

Example: She was a large and frightening animal.

Uses in this book:

1. The speaker had frightening dreams about cats and birds. Back to B1

grumbled ˈɡrʌmbəld (2)

Português: resmungou

Simple English: Complained in a quiet or bad-tempered way.

Example: He grumbled about the cold weather.

Uses in this book:

1. Gub-Gub grumbled that he never received that much food. Back to B1

2. The Doctor grumbled and then asked if the old, lame horse was alright.

hatch hætʃ (1)

Português: chocar

Simple English: when a young animal comes out of an egg

Example: The chicks will hatch tomorrow.

Uses in this book:

1. Pippinella explained that young birds talk and make sounds soon after they hatch. Back to B1

hidden ˈhɪdən (3)

Português: escondido

Simple English: Not seen or found; kept out of sight.

Example: The cat was hidden under the bed.

Uses in this book:

1. It explained that cats are most dangerous when they are hidden and are very skilled hunters. Back to B1

2. She was not sure how she guided Matthew and the shopkeeper to his cage, which was hidden at the back.

3. Doctor Dolittle did not want to be interviewed, sketched, or talked about all day, so he disguised himself and tried to stay hidden.

independent ˌɪn.dɪˈpɛn.dənt (1)

Português: independente

Simple English: Not controlled by others; free to make your own decisions.

Example: They wanted to create their own independent states.

Uses in this book:

1. The narrator thought the parrot, Pol, was very independent and had strong principles. Back to B1

intelligence ɪnˈtɛlɪdʒəns (2)

Português: inteligência

Simple English: The ability to learn, understand, and think clearly.

Example: The minister thought people could reach heaven through intelligence.

Uses in this book:

1. It explained that while dogs are good at following and tracking, cats use their intelligence to catch prey. Back to B1

2. Hercules could wear the Doctor's hat, but he did not have the Doctor's intelligence, especially when it came to music, as he knew nothing about it.

introduction ˌɪn.trəˈdʌk.ʃən (1)

Português: introdução

Simple English: The first part that explains what will come next.

Example: The book began with a detailed introduction.

Uses in this book:

1. He explained in the book's introduction that the story was Pippinella's own, and he had only translated it from Canary to English. Back to B1

lack /læk/ (1)

Português: falta; ausência; faltam

Simple English: To be without enough of something needed or desired.

Example: He lacks the skills necessary for this job application.

Uses in this book:

1. He added that this lack of trust could be very difficult for any creature's personality. Back to B1

male meɪl (7)

Português: masculino

Simple English: a man or boy, or an animal like this

Example: The male lion is bigger than the female.

Uses in this book:

1. The bird they heard was a bright yellow male bird outside the shop. Back to B1

2. She said that male birds invented this story because they are proud. Back to B1

3. However, male birds do not want them to sing and will hurt them if they do. Back to B1

4. He said that hens are born with voices as good as male birds. Back to B1

5. She bought a smart-looking male canary.

messy ˈmes.i (4)

Português: bagunçado

Simple English: Not clean or tidy.

Example: Her desk is always messy.

Uses in this book:

1. This made the cage and the occupant wet and messy. Back to B1

2. Later, the occupant was moved to a new cage that was larger and cleaner, which was a welcome change from the small, messy cage used during the journey. Back to B1

3. He looked very tired, his clothes were messy, and he was soaking wet.

4. Niccolo Paganini was a tall, thin man with messy hair, and some people thought he looked like the devil.

miss mɪs (1)

Português: sentir falta

Simple English: To feel sad because someone is not here.

Example: She will miss her old teacher.

Uses in this book:

1. This was to make sure they did not sleep too late and miss seeing the world before their brothers and sisters. Back to B1

missing ˈmɪsɪŋ (5)

Português: faltando

Simple English: not present or lost

Example: Tarzan felt he was missing something important.

Uses in this book:

1. The cat ran away with a piece of her ear missing. Back to B1

2. Two days passed, and the window cleaner was still missing.

3. After the Doctor asked many city sparrows and wild birds around London to help find her, the missing bird was found with Jip on the east side of London and brought back.

4. However, some people who were at the first celebration were missing.

5. The Doctor realized that many performers were missing.

misunderstanding ˌmɪsʌndərˈstændɪŋ (1)

Português: mal-entendido

Simple English: A failure to understand correctly.

Example: There was a misunderstanding about who should enter.

Uses in this book:

1. I continued to believe this until a chaffinch corrected my misunderstanding. Back to B1

mix mɪks (3)

Português: mistura

Simple English: A combination of different things.

Example: The cake is made from a mix of ingredients.

Uses in this book:

1. She had six brothers and sisters, and they all looked similar, with a mix of green and yellow colours. Back to B1

2. The sounds of a jingling chain, a working sewing machine, a tapping hammer, and a smoothly used razor strop created a surprisingly nice mix of sounds for the listeners.

3. Instead, he smelled jasmine and honeysuckle, explaining it was a special mix they were proud of.

narrator ˈnærətər (22)

Português: narrador

Simple English: The person who tells a story.

Example: The narrator was busy looking for strange things.

Uses in this book:

1. The narrator thought the parrot, Pol, was very independent and had strong principles. Back to B1

2. The narrator would whistle loudly to wake Pol up, and the cat would then run away, angry that her plan was ruined. Back to B1

3. The narrator and the parrot were given extra food and water, and the house was locked. Back to B1

4. The narrator felt sure the parrot would be safe that day. Back to B1

5. The narrator states that one should never trust a cat. Back to B1

nearby ˌnɪərˈbaɪ (8)

Português: próximo

Simple English: close in distance

Example: He climbed a nearby tree for safety.

Uses in this book:

1. It added that dogs often scare away prey by barking and scratching at holes, and that it would prefer to be in a room full of dogs than have one cat nearby. Back to B1

2. They saw Pol lying on the floor, dead, and the white cat sitting nearby with a pleased look on its face. Back to B1

3. There was another family of young birds in a cage nearby. Back to B1

4. She said that the blackbird nearby was in an even worse situation.

5. He then suggested they move to the large aviary nearby.

negative /ˈnɛɡətɪv/ (4)

Português: negativo

Simple English: Focusing on faults and quick to lose hope.

Example: His negative comments made it hard to enjoy the project.

Uses in this book:

1. After that, she could sing as much as she wanted, and the others could only make negative comments about her singing from a distance. Back to B1

2. He felt that for musical shows, it was important to generate discussion, even if the critics were negative, because discussion would attract the public.

3. Some reviews were positive, while others were negative.

4. After Jip had made everyone unhappy with his negative comments about their products, the Doctor suggested a better idea.

normal ˈnɔrməl (6)

Português: normal

Simple English: usual or regular

Example: It was a normal day at school.

Uses in this book:

1. He explained that he did not use normal bird songs, except for one part. Back to B1

2. He said he would tell the story in a normal way, without music. Back to B1

3. She explained that if she had been a normal wild bird, she would have known him.

4. They planned to travel more miles each day than normal, so they could reach London as soon as possible.

5. The opera was performed on a very small stage, not much bigger than a normal room.

occupant ˈɑk.jʊ.pənt (8)

Português: ocupante

Simple English: A person or animal that lives or stays in a place.

Example: The room’s occupant was very quiet.

Uses in this book:

1. This made the cage and the occupant wet and messy. Back to B1

2. The occupant heard sounds that suggested they had entered a town. Back to B1

3. The sounds of birds, dogs, and people made it seem like a pleasant place, and the occupant hoped they would stay. Back to B1

4. The cage was taken by new hands, and the occupant heard a woman greeting the rider. Back to B1

5. After being placed on a table and unwrapped, the occupant was finally able to see. Back to B1

okay oʊˈkeɪ (1)

Português: tudo bem

Simple English: Everything is all right.

Example: Is everything okay with the car?

Uses in this book:

1. The Doctor said okay and walked quickly towards the shop. Back to B1

operations ˌɒpəˈreɪʃənz (1)

Português: cirurgias

Simple English: Medical surgeries to treat problems in the body.

Example: He was against operations for appendicitis.

Uses in this book:

1. The bird felt it was not just connected to the world but also an important part of the hotel's operations, like a member of the staff. Back to B1

personality ˌpɜːrsəˈnælɪti (1)

Português: personalidade

Simple English: The way someone thinks, feels, and behaves.

Example: They reacted based on their personality.

Uses in this book:

1. He added that this lack of trust could be very difficult for any creature's personality. Back to B1

plant plænt (1)

Português: planta

Simple English: a living thing that grows in soil

Example: There is a beautiful plant in the garden.

Uses in this book:

1. He explained that only north and northeast winds push the jasmine plant against the window. Back to B1

practice ˈpræktɪs (7)

Português: prática

Simple English: Doing something many times to improve.

Example: She needs more practice to play the piano well.

Uses in this book:

1. So, she decided to practice singing secretly to improve her voice and become as good as her brothers. Back to B1

2. She continued to practice singing quietly when the others were busy. Back to B1

3. They would begin singing practice later, after all the other birds had arrived and the opera music was fully written out by Pippinella and Manager Dolittle.

4. He started to practice the songs for the first part of the show.

5. That night, he started to practice the songs for the first part of the opera.

preserve /prɪˈzɜːrv/ (1)

Português: preservar; conservar; conserva

Simple English: To keep something in its original or good condition.

Example: We must preserve natural habitats to protect endangered species.

Uses in this book:

1. An unusually large, preserved fish in a glass box was placed above the fireplace. Back to B1

recognise ˈrɛkəɡnaɪz (5)

Português: reconhecer

Simple English: to know someone or something when you see it

Example: I can recognise that newspaper page.

Uses in this book:

1. He asked Matthew to go into the shop and buy it for him because he did not want to go himself, as he thought the animals might recognise him. Back to B1

2. This was so the animals in the shop would not recognise him.

3. He felt the disguise was not good enough, saying he could still recognise the Doctor, especially at night.

4. He worried that even if the animals did not recognise him, he would certainly frighten them.

5. He thought the animals in the shop would be less likely to recognise him.

rocking ˈrɒkɪŋ (1)

Português: balançando

Simple English: moving slowly back and forth

Example: The baby was rocking in the cradle.

Uses in this book:

1. A new type of movement started, and from the rocking motion and the regular sound of hooves, the bird knew it was being carried on horseback. Back to B1

skillfully ˈskɪlfəli (2)

Português: habilmente

Simple English: in a clever or expert way

Example: She skillfully cooked a delicious meal.

Uses in this book:

1. The parrot was on the floor with its neck broken, which the cat had done very skillfully. Back to B1

2. She explained that this instrument would need to be played skillfully.

speaker ˈspiːkər (1)

Português: falante

Simple English: A person who talks to others.

Example: The speaker explained the journey.

Uses in this book:

1. The speaker's mother often said that her children looked healthier than the other family's children. Back to B1

strength strɛŋkθ (1)

Português: força

Simple English: The ability to do hard physical work or be powerful.

Example: He has a lot of strength to lift heavy boxes.

Uses in this book:

1. The birds could tell the wind's direction and strength by the sound the branches made on the window. Back to B1

talented /ˈtæləntɪd/ (1)

Português: talentoso

Simple English: Possessing a natural skill or ability for something.

Example: He is a talented musician who plays the guitar beautifully.

Uses in this book:

1. The Doctor told the canary that he was a very talented artist, calling him a poet and a singer. Back to B1

tradition trəˈdɪʃən (1)

Português: tradição

Simple English: A custom or habit passed down for many years.

Example: Celebrating New Year is an old tradition.

Uses in this book:

1. He felt this was an old and unfair tradition. Back to B1

trapped træpt (2)

Português: preso

Simple English: caught and unable to escape

Example: The animals were trapped in the cage.

Uses in this book:

1. The woman thought it was understandable to believe the cat was helped by the devil, because if the wind had come just two minutes earlier, it would have trapped the cat inside the room. Back to B1

2. The Doctor replied that he would not allow selling trapped wild birds or receiving stolen goods.

unexpected ˌʌnɪkˈspɛktɪd (1)

Português: inesperado

Simple English: not expected to happen

Example: The test was unexpected but I did well.

Uses in this book:

1. Like many important things, it started with a small, unexpected event. Back to B1

unlike /ʌnˈlaɪk/ (3)

Português: ao contrário

Simple English: Used to show differences between two things or people.

Example: Unlike cats, dogs love to play fetch with their owners.

Uses in this book:

1. The canary asked if dogs had the patience to wait silently for hours for a mouse, unlike cats. Back to B1

2. Matthew told the Doctor that the bird's singing was amazing and unlike anything heard before.

3. Doctor Dolittle told Dab-Dab that he liked the idea of spending money on hobbies, especially natural history, unlike most rich people who waste money.

untrustworthy ʌnˈtrʌstwɜːrði (1)

Português: não confiável

Simple English: Not able to be trusted.

Example: He is untrustworthy and often lies.

Uses in this book:

1. He explained that cats are naturally untrustworthy and should never be trusted. Back to B1