Dunno's Adventures

by Nikolai Nosov

Translated by Margaret Wettlin
freebooksforkids.net
Illustrated by Viktor & Kira Grigorievs

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

Chapter Twenty-Three
DR. PILLMAN AND GRUMPS RUN AWAY

The work went much faster now. The two cars darted here and there, taking the fruit to various cellars. Apples and pears were hauled one at a time, plums — five at a time. Mechanization left many of the Mites with nothing to do, but instead of sitting down and folding their hands, they opened up two street stands. In one of them they had soda-water and syrup, in the other — pies, cakes, biscuits, and sweets. The fruit- pickers could now get themselves refreshments whenever they had an off-minute.

Roly-Poly besieged the pies stand; Treacly-Sweeter the one providing soda-water and syrup. It was quite impossible to tear either of them away.

Suddenly something quite unexpected occurred.

Shouts were heard in the distance, and all the Mites turned to see Dr. Pillman running for all his worth down the street with Honeysuckle and all the hospital staff at his heels. Dr. Pillman was quite naked — that is, he had on nothing but a pair of shorts and his spectacles. As soon as he reached a tree he scampered up it.

Dunno's Adventures

"What do you mean by running away, patient?" Honeysuckle shouted up at him.
"I'm not your patient any more," called down Dr. Pillman, trying to climb as high as he could.

"Yes, you are. You haven't been let out of the hospital yet," said Honeysuckle.

"I have been let out," laughed Dr. Pillman. "I let myself out," and he stuck out his tongue at her.

"Wretch!" cried Honeysuckle. "Don't think we'll give you back your clothes!"

"I haven't asked you to," said Dr. Pillman.

"You'll catch cold."

"I won't go back to your hospital even if I do."

"Shame on you!" cried Honeysuckle. "A doctor showing such lack of respect for medicine!"

Whirling round on her heel, she marched away with her head held high. All the hospital attendants marched after her.

As soon as the danger hand passed, Dr. Pillman climbed down.

He was instantly surrounded by girl-Mites who showed the greatest concern for him.

"Aren't you cold?" they asked. "You'll catch a chill. Would you like us to bring you some clothes?"

"I would," said Dr. Pillman.

Fluff ran home and brought him a white dress with green stripes on it.

"What's that?" said Dr. Pillman with popping eyes. "You don't think I'll put on a dress, do you? Everyone'd take me for a girl."

"Well, and what of it? Is it so awful to be a girl?"

"Yes, it is."

"Why is it? So you think girls are bad, do you?"

"Oh no, you're very good, but... er ... boys are better," stuttered Dr. Pillman.

"Why are they better? Tell us that, if you please."

"They're better because... well, take Trills for instance. He's an excellent musician. You ought to hear him play the flute."

"We have heard him. Lots of our girls play the harp."

"And then there's Blobs. You should see how he paints portraits!"

"We have. But Blobs is your only artist, while all of us can draw and embroider pretty designs in coloured thread. Could you embroider a red squirrel like the one on my pinafore?" asked Chippy.

"I'm afraid I couldn't," admitted Dr. Pillman.

"See that? But any of us could, and not only squirrels, but bunnies or butterflies or anything else."

"Well, have it your own way," said Dr. Pillman resignedly as he pulled the dress up over his legs.

Dunno's Adventures

When it was on he stared down his front and over his shoulder, trying to see what he looked like. Dunno let out a shout of laughter. All the other boys laughed too.

"Shame on you!" cried Kitty indignantly. "There's nothing to laugh at!"
But they kept on laughing. Seeing this, Dr. Pillman took off the dress.

"Oh, but you mustn't!" cried the girls.

"Yes, I must," said Dr. Pillman very definitely. "Soon I'll get back my own clothes."

"Honeysuckle won't give them back to you. She's very strict, you know."

But Dr. Pillman only gave a mysterious smile.

When Honeysuckle and her helpers returned to the hospital they discovered that Grumps, too, was gone. They rushed to the closet and found out that two sets of clothes had disappeared. Shot's were the only clothes left.

And so it was clear that the escape of Dr. Pillman and Grumps had been carefully planned. According to this plan, Dr. Pillman was to have jumped out of the window naked. The conspirators counted on having Honeysuckle and all the hospital attendants set out after him, thereby giving Grumps an opportunity to go to the closet, take out his and Dr. Pillman's clothes, and walk straight out without anyone to stop him. The plan was carried out down to the last detail.

Once outside Grumps hid in some burdock leaves. For a long time Honeysuckle searched for him and the clothes, but in vain.

Dunno's Adventures

Although Grumps was not very comfortable crouching in the burdock leaves, he was beside himself with the joy of being free. He could not get enough of gazing at the clear blue sky and the fresh green grass. A smile came to his lips, and he swore he would never grumble again if only he did not have to go back to that hospital.

At last he saw Honeysuckle give up the search. As soon as the hospital door shut behind her he crawled cautiously out of his hiding place and set out to find Dr. Pillman.

When he found him he gave him his clothes.

"Here they are, fellow-sufferer," he said as he handed to him.

Dr. Pillman threw his arms about his friend's neck. They had grown very fond of each other while in hospital. Dr. Pillman was dressed in a jiffy.

Scatterbrain, P'raps, Bendum, and other boys crowded round Grumps and congratulated him on his escape. All of them were astonished to see him looking so cheerful.

"It's the first time I've ever seen Grumps smile," said Roly-Poly.

The girls gathered round him, too.

"What's your name?" Fluff asked him.

"Grumps."

"Oh no! You must be fooling!"

"I'm not. What makes you think I am?"

"You look so kind and good-natured. The name doesn't suit you in the least."

Grumps' mouth stretched almost from ear to ear.

"It's me that doesn't suit the name," he said.

"Would you like to climb a tree?" said Kitty.

"May I?"

"Why not? We'll bring you a saw and you can join us in our work."

"Bring me one too," said Dr. Pillman.

"You don't deserve it because you have such a bad opinion of girls," said Kitty. "But we'll forgive you."

Two more saws were brought and Grumps and the doctor set to work along with the others. Grumps said it was much more fun to climb trees than to be shut up in the hospital.

"And much healthier," added Dr. Pillman.

He considered that the higher you went, the purer the air, and so he and Grumps climbed to the very top of the tree.

Dunno's Adventures