世界上最冷的地方(3)

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 99 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 with us? ' asked one man, Jo hansen. 'We're going thousands of kilometres south, past Cape 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 answer all those questions now, today.

We began to work for this journey 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. '