The Fram went to an island in the south of Norway．It was a very little island，with only one small wooden house，two trees—and nearly a hundred dogs．

'Look at that！'Bjaaland said．'It's an island of dogs！There are dogs in the water，near the trees，on the house—dogs everywhere！'

Two men came out of the house．'Hassel！Lindstrom！'Amundsen said．'It's good to see you！How many dogs do you have for me？'

'Ninety-nine，Roald，'said Hassel．'The best ninety-nine dogs from Greenland．And they're very happy！They don't work；they just eat and play all day！They're having a won-derful summer here！'

'Good，good．'Amundsen laughed．'But that's finished now．Hey，Bjaaland！Stop laughing—come down here and help me．Let's get all these dogs onto the ship！'

It was not easy．The dogs were fat and strong，and they didn't want to go on the ship．But at last，after three hours'hard work，all ninety-nine were on the ship，and the Fram went out to sea again．

The men were not happy．The weather was bad，the dogs were dirty，and some of the men were ill．They began to ask questions．

'Why are we bringing dogs witn us？'asked one man，Jo hansen．'We're going thousands of kilometres south，past Cape¹ Horn，and then north to Alaska．Why not wait，and get dogs in Alaska？'

'Don't ask me，'said his friend，Helmer Hanssen，'I don't understand it．'

The men talked for a long time．Then，on September 9th， Amundsen called everyone to the back of the ship．He stood quietly and looked at them．Behind him was a big map．It was not a map of the Arctic．It was a map of Antarctica．

Bjaaland looked at Helmer Hanssen，and laughed．Then Amundsen began to speak．

'Boys，'he said．'I know you are unhappy．You often ask me difficult questions，and I don't answer．Well，I'm going to an-swer all those questions now，today．

We began to work for this journey⁴ two years ago．Then，we wanted to be the first men at the North Pole．But last year，Peary，an American，found the North Pole．So America was first to the North Pole，not Norway．We're going there，but we're too late．'

'I don't understand this，'Bjaaland thought．'Why is Amundsen talking about the North Pole，with a map of Antarctica³ behind him？'

Amundsen stopped for a minute，and looked at all the men slowly．No one said anything．

'We have to go a long way south before we get to Alaska，'he said．'Very near Antarctica，you know．And Captain Scott，the Englishman，is going to the South Pole⁵ this year．He wants to put his British flag⁶ there．An American flag at the North Pole，a British flag at the South Pole．'

Bjaaland began to understand．He started to smile and couldn't stop．He was warm and excited．

'Well，boys，'Amundsen said slowly．'Do we want the British to put their flag at the South Pole first？How fast can we travel？We have a lot of dogs，and some of the most won-derful skiers on earth—Bjaaland here is the best in Norway！So I have an idea，boys．Let's go to the South Pole，and put the Norwegian flag there before the British！What do you say？'

For a minute or two it was very quiet．Amundsen waited，and the men watched him and thought．Then Bjaaland

laughed．

'Yes！'he said．'Why not？It's a ski⁷ race，isn't it，and the English can't ski！It's a wonderful idea，of course！Let's go！'

2 比赛

弗雷门号抵达挪威南部的一个小岛。该岛很小，仅有一间小木屋，两棵树，还有将近100条狗。

“看那儿！”比阿兰德说，“是座狗岛！海水里有狗，树旁有狗，房顶上有狗，处处都有狗！”

房内走出两个人。“哈塞尔！林德斯特伦！”阿蒙森呼唤说，“见到你们就好了！你们给我养了多少条狗？”

“99条，罗阿尔，”哈塞尔说，“99条格陵兰最好的狗。这些狗太好过了，啥事不干，整天好吃好玩！它们正在这儿欢度夏天呢！”

“好，好，”阿蒙森朗声笑了，“但是现在这一切全结束了。喂，比阿兰德！别笑啦，下船来这儿，帮帮我，把这些狗全弄到船上去！”

这事并不容易。这些狗又肥又壮，不愿上船。然而在苦干3小时后，所有99条狗全都上船，弗雷门号再度驶向大海。

船上的人员高兴不起来：气候恶劣，狗群肮脏，而且有人病倒了。于是，他们便开始提出种种问题。

“我们为什么要带这些狗？”有人提问说，他叫约翰森。“我们即将南行好几千公里，穿越合恩角，然后向北，到阿拉斯加。为什么不等等，等到阿拉斯加后再弄狗？”

“别问我，”他的朋友赫尔默•汉森说，“我也搞不懂。”

好长时间内，这些人一直都在议论纷纷。后来，9月9日那天，阿蒙森将所有人员召集到大船尾部。他静静地站着，看着众人。他身后有一大幅地图，然而这不是北极地图，而是南极洲地图。

比阿兰德看着赫尔默•汉森，笑出声来。这时，阿蒙森开始讲话。

“伙计们，”他说，“我知道你们心中不满。你们经常问我一些难题，我都没有回答。好吧，今天我当即解答所有的问题。”

“两年前，我们便开始为这次旅程做准备。当时，我们想成为最先抵达北极的人。然而去年，美国人皮里找到了北极。所以，美国人首先到达了北极，而不是挪威人。我们现在正要去那儿，但为时过晚了。”

“我听不懂这些话，”比阿兰德心想，“阿蒙森身后挂着南极洲地图，为什么却大谈北极呢？”

阿蒙森稍作停顿，缓缓地看着全体人员。这时没有任何人多嘴。

“到阿拉斯加前，还得南行好远的路，”他说。“你们都知道，几乎是到了南极洲。英国人斯科特队长今年正赶往南极。他想将英国国旗插在那儿。美国国旗已经插上了北极，而英国国旗正插向南极。”

比阿兰德开始省悟了，脸上露出了微笑，难以自制。他浑身暖洋洋的，亢奋不已。

“好吧，伙计们，”阿蒙森缓缓地说，“眼睁睁地看着英国人将他们的旗帜首先插上南极，我们能同意吗？我们的前行速度非常之快，不是吗？我们不仅带着许多狗，而且拥有地球上最杰出的滑雪能手：我们这儿的比阿兰德便是全挪威最优秀的！所以，我有个主意，伙计们。咱们到南极去，赶在英国国旗之前，将挪威国旗插到那儿去！你们有何看法？”

一时间，整个场面安静极了。阿蒙森等待着，而这些人看着他，考虑着这些。这时，比阿兰德朗笑出声。

“对！”他说，“为什么不呢？这是场滑雪比赛，难道不是吗？再说，英国人不会滑雪！这主意绝妙之极！咱们就去那儿！”