Mr Wonka Goes Too Far
The last time we saw Charlie, he was riding high above his home town in the
Great Glass Lift. Only a short while before, Mr Wonka had told him that the
whole gigantic fabulous Chocolate Factory was his, and now our small friend
was returning in triumph with his entire family to take over. The passengers in
the Lift (just to remind you) were:
Charlie Bucket, our hero.
Mr Willy Wonka, chocolate-maker extraordinary.
Mr and Mrs Bucket, Charlie's father and mother.
Grandpa Joe and Grandma Josephine, Mr Bucket's father and mother.
Grandpa George and Grandma Georgina, Mrs Bucket's father and mother.
Grandma Josephine, Grandma Georgina and Grandpa George were still in bed,
the bed having been pushed on board just before take-off. Grandpa Joe, as you
remember, had got out of bed to go around the Chocolate Factory with Charlie.
The Great Glass Lift was a thousand feet up and cruising nicely. The sky was
brilliant blue. Everybody on board was wildly excited at the thought of going to
live in the famous Chocolate Factory.
Grandpa Joe was singing. Charlie was jumping up and down. Mr and Mrs
Bucket were smiling for the first time in years, and the three old ones in the
bed were grinning at one another with pink toothless gums.
'What in the world keeps this crazy thing up in the air?' croaked Grandma
Josephine.
'Madam,' said Mr Wonka, 'it is not a lift any longer. Lifts only go up and down
inside buildings. But now that it has taken us up into the sky, it has become
an ELEVATOR. It is THE GREAT GLASS ELEVATOR.'
'And what keeps it up?' said Grandma Josephine.
'Skyhooks,' said Mr Wonka.
'You amaze me,' said Grandma Josephine.'Dear lady,' said Mr Wonka, 'you are new to the scene. When you have been
with us a little longer, nothing will amaze you.'
'These skyhooks,' said Grandma Josephine. 'I assume one end is hooked on to
this contraption we're riding in. Right?'
'Right,' said Mr Wonka.
'What's the other end hooked on to?'...