22
Along the Corridor
‘Well, well, well,’ sighed Mr Willy Wonka, ‘two naughty little children
gone. Three good little children left. I think we’d better get out of this
room quickly before we lose anyone else!’
‘But Mr Wonka,’ said Charlie Bucket anxiously, ‘will Violet
Beauregarde ever be all right again or will she always be a blueberry?’
‘They’ll de-juice her in no time flat!’ declared Mr Wonka. ‘They’ll roll
her into the de-juicing machine, and she’ll come out just as thin as a
whistle!’
‘But will she still be blue all over?’ asked Charlie.
‘She’ll be purple!’ cried Mr Wonka. ‘A fine rich purple from head to
toe! But there you are! That’s what comes from chewing disgusting gum
all day long!’
‘If you think gum is so disgusting,’ said Mike Teavee, ‘then why do
you make it in your factory?’
‘I do wish you wouldn’t mumble,’ said Mr Wonka. T can’t hear a word
you’re saying. Come on! Off we go! Hurry up! Follow me! We’re going
into the corridors again!’ And so saying, Mr Wonka scuttled across to the
far end of the Inventing Room and went out through a small secret door
hidden behind a lot of pipes and stoves. The three remaining children –
Veruca Salt, Mike Teavee, and Charlie Bucket – together with the five
remaining grown-ups, followed after him.
Charlie Bucket saw that they were now back in one of those long pink
corridors with many other pink corridors leading out of it. Mr Wonka
was rushing along in front, turning left and right and right and left, and
Grandpa Joe was saying, ‘Keep a good hold of my hand, Charlie. It
would be terrible to get lost in here.’