Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - The Movie

Author: (English) Roald Dahl
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-04-01
Features: "The Prince of Pea wrote a letter to Mr. Willy Wonka," said Grandpa Joe, "asking him to cross the ocean to India to build a grand palace for him with chocolate." "Did Mr. Wonka build it, Grandpa?" "Of course he did. What kind of palace was it! It had one hundred rooms, all made of either black chocolate or white chocolate! The bricks were chocolate, the cement that held them together was chocolate, the windows were chocolate, all the walls and ceilings were chocolate, and even the carpets, pictures, furniture, and beds were chocolate. When he turned on the bathroom tap, hot chocolate gushed out." "After the palace was built, Mr. Wonka said to the Prince of Pea, 'But I must remind you, it won't last long. You'd better eat it up right away.'" "'Nonsense!' shouted the Prince, 'I don't plan to eat my palace! I won't even bite the stairs or lick the walls! I'm going to live in it!'" "However, Mr. Wonka was right, of course, because soon after, one day the weather was extremely hot, the sun was scorching, and the entire palace began to melt. It slowly collapsed to the ground. The mad prince was then napping in the living room, and when he woke up, he found himself swimming around in a sticky brown chocolate lake."
Little Charlie sat motionless by the bed, staring intently at his grandfather. Charlie's face shone, his eyes so wide that even the white of his eyes could be seen. "Is all of this really true?" he asked, "Or are you just teasing me?" "It's true!" the four old grandfathers called out at the same time, "Of course it's true! You can ask anyone!" "I'll tell you another thing that's absolutely true," said Grandpa Joe, moving closer to Charlie and whispering so softly it was barely audible, "No one has ever come out!" "Come out where?" Charlie asked. "No one has ever come in either!" "Go in where?" Charlie exclaimed. "To the Wonka factory, of course!" "Grandpa, who are you talking about?" "I mean the workers, Charlie." "Workers?" "In all factories," said Grandpa Joe, "there are workers coming and going through the main gate early in the morning and late at night, except for Wonka's factory! Have you ever seen a single person go in or come out of there?" Little Charlie slowly turned his head to look at the faces of the four old grandfathers, and they were looking back at him. Each face was kind, but also very serious. No one's face showed any hint of joking or tricking. "Well, have you seen it?" Grandpa Joe asked. "I, I really don't know, Grandpa," Charlie stammered, "Every time I pass the factory, the gate seems to be closed." "Exactly!" said Grandpa Joe. "But there must be people working inside." "Not people, Charlie, at least not ordinary people." "Then who?" Charlie shouted. "That's right, you see. That's another trick of Mr. Willy Wonka." "Charlie, dear," Mrs. called out from where she was standing by the door, "it's time for bed. That's enough for tonight." "But Mom, I really have to hear," Charlie said. "Listen to it tomorrow, my little one."