Willy led the group to the edge of the river where a boat came out. It too seemed to be made out of candy.
Oompa Loompas rowed up to us. When they came to a stop they started laughing.
"What's so funny?" Violet asked.
"I think it's from all those don gon cocoa beans." Willy said then added, "Hey by the way did you know that chocolate contains a property that triggers the release of endorphins. Gives one the feeling of being in love." He looked at me.
I blushed. It was really hard not to give into him when he acted this way. So nice and sweet.
"You don't say…" Mrs. Beauregard said smiling.
Willy gave an uncomfortable look and said, "All aboard."
We climbed in the back. I sat on the edge, slightly worried that Charlie might fall in accidently. Willy sat on the other side of him. He almost looked hurt that we weren't sitting by each other.
"Onward!" he waved and we began to move. A few minutes passed before he began to start talking again. "Here," he handed Charlie a ladle of chocolate, "try some of this it'll do you good. You looked starved to death."
Charlie sipped it and then handed it to me, "It's great."
"That's because it's mixed by a waterfall. The waterfall is most important. It mixes the chocolate, turns it out. Makes it light and frothy. By the way no other factory in the world-."
"You already said that," Veruca said.
Willy leaned back and said, "You're all quite short aren't you?"
Violet snapped back, "Well yeah, we're children."
"Well that's no excuse I was never as short as you."
Mike said sassily, "You were once."
"Was not. You know why? Cause' I distinctly remember putting a hat on top of my head." He smiled, "Look at your short little arms, you could never reach."
Everyone thought his little joke was dumb and turned around.
Charlie piped up, "Do you even remember what it was like being a kid?"
"Oh boy do I," Willy said and then said a little quieter, "do I?" He then got this strange look on his face. Almost blank, like he was remembering something.
That look was on his face for a while because he didn't even notice when we were headed for a tunnel.
"Mr. Wonka, Mr. Wonka," Charlie said snapping him out of it; "we're headed for a tunnel."
"Oh, yeah. Full speed ahead," Willy said without thinking.
"How can they see where they're going?" Violet asked.
"They can't," Willy said mysteriously, "there's no knowing where they're going. Switch on the lights!"
Suddenly the boat tipped forward and we were falling in the boat down a slide of water. Charlie looked like he was having so much fun. It was like a water ride. We then slowed down.
"People, keep an eye out we are passing some very important rooms here," Willy said. And true to his word rooms started appearing on each side of the passage way.
Clotted Cream. Coffee Cream. Hair Cream.
"What do you used hair cream for?" Violet's mother asked.
Willy giggled, "To lock in moisture." He bounced his hair.
We passed by a room where a cow was being whipped.
"Whipped cream," Charlie and I said at the same time.
"Precisely," Willy said with a laugh.
"That doesn't make sense," Veruca said.
Willy turned to the little girl and said, "For your information little girl, whipped cream isn't whipped cream at all unless it's been whipped with whips. Everyone knows that."
The boat increased speed as we passed by more rooms. We moved so fast I couldn't read them quick enough before we were already passed them. Soon the boat slowed down though.
"Stop the boat, I wanna show you guys something." Willy took my hand and helped me out of the boat.
The Inventing Room.
We entered and found the place was abuzz with odd sounds and filled with strange objects.
Willy turned, "Now this is the most important room in the entire factory. Now everyone enjoy yourselves, but just don't touch anything." He shooed them off. I was about to go and join them when he grabbed my arm.
Charlie looked up at me.
"Go on, I'll join you in a bit," I said.
"Rosie," he said once Charlie was gone. "Who's is he."
I froze. "Charlie?"
He nodded.
Now was not the time and place for this. "Well-."
"Hey Mister Wonka what's this?" Violet shouted.
Willy looked slightly upset.
I mouthed, "Later."
We walked over as he said, "Oh. Let me show you." He reached into the tank and pulled out a small red ball. "These are everlasting gobstoppers. They're for kids who get very little allowance money. You can suck on them all year and they'll never get any smaller. Heh, isn't that neat?"
Violet answered, "It's like gum."
"No," Willy said a little miffed, "gum is for chewing. And if you tried chewing on one of these gobstoppers you'd break all your little teeth off. They sure do taste terrific." Willy led the group over to a bunch of steaming beakers explaining. "This is hair toffee. You suck down one of these little boogers and in only half an hour you'll find a new crop of hair will start growing all over the top of your little noggin. And a mustache. And a beard."
"Who wants a beard?" Mike asked.
"Well, beatniks for one. Folk singers and motorbike riders. You know all those hip jazzy supercool neat and groovy cats. Gets you in the fridge daddy'o. Are you hip to the jive? Do you dig what I'm laying out? Slide me some skin soul-brother." Will held out his hand for a high-five. Mike just stared at him.
That was weird.
"Unfortunately the mixture isn't quite right yet. Cause' an Oompa Loompa tried some yesterday and well…"
What must have been the Oompa Loompa walked to us. He was completely covered in hair, so much so that you couldn't see any of him
Willy asked, "How are you today?"
The Oompa Loompa gave a thumbs up.
"You look great." He then led us over to another machine. "Watch this." With that he pulled on a lever. The machine seemed to be working as a loud ringing was heard. And out of the machine came one stick of what seemed to be gum,
Violet took it.
Make said, "You mean that's it?"
"Do you even know what it is?" Willy asked.
"It's gum," Violet said.
"Yeah, it's a stick of the most amazing sensation gum in the entire universe." He seemed to be getting very excited. Charlie looked up at me. "Know why? Know why? Cause' that little stick of gum is a three course dinner all by itself."
Mr. Salt asked, "Why would anyone want that?"
Willy held up a finger and pulled out the cue cards again, "It will be the end of all kitchens and all cooking. Just a little strip of Wonka's magic chewing gum and that is all you'll ever need at breakfast lunch and dinner. This piece of gum happens to be tomato soup, roast beef, and blueberry pie."
"Sounds great," I said thinking about how Grandpa George complained about Cabbage Soup.
"Sounds weird," Veruca said.
"Sounds like my kind of gum." No prizes as to who said that. The little girl took out her own piece and put it behind her ear.
Willy tried to warn her, "I don't think so. There are one or two things that are a little-."
"I'm the world record gum chewer. I'm not afraid of anything," Violet said and stuck the piece of gum in her mouth.
"How is it honey?" Mrs. Beauregard asked her disobedient daughter.
Violet kept chewing while she talked, "It's amazing. Tomato soup, I can feel it running down my throat."
"Yeah spit it out," Willy said.
"Young lady I think you better-." She interrupted me.
She said, "It's changing. Roast beef with baked potato. Crispy skin and butter."
Mrs. Beauregard encouraged her daughter, "Keep chewing kiddo. My daughter is going to be the first person to have a chewing gum meal."
"Yeah, I'm just a little concerned about the-."
"But berry pie and ice cream!"
"That part."
"What's happening to her nose," Veruca asked.
She was right. Something odd was happening to Violet's nose. It was turning purple.
"You're turning blue," Mr. Salt commented after his daughter.
"Your whole nose has gone purple." Mrs. Beauregard said.
"What do you mean?" the girl asked touching her face.
"Violet, you're turning violet, what's happening.
Willy said, "Well I told you hadn't quite got it right yet, cause' it gets a little funny when it gets to the dessert. It's the blue berry pie. I'm terribly sorry." With that he ducked out of the way.
But the transformation didn't stop there at her face. All of her, from her hair to the rest of her body turned purple.
"Mother, what's happening to me?" She asked the gum still in her mouth.
Once she was completely cover in purple she began to swell up.
My eyes widened, "She's swelling up."
"Like a blueberry," Charlie said as everyone backed away from her.
Willy then popped up behind us, "I've tried it on like twenty Oompa Loompas and each time one ended up as a blueberry. It's just weird."
Mrs. Beauregard obviously didn't have her properties straight, "But I can't have a blueberry as a daughter. How is she supposed to compete?"
"You could put her in a county fair," Veruca said.
Willy smiled as if that was the answer.
Again the odd noises started. This time they seemed for coordinated. Another song.
"Listen close, and listen hard, the tale of Violet Beauregard.
The dreadful girl she sees no wrong...
Chewing, chewing, chewing, chewing, chewing, chewing all day long.
Chewing, chewing all day long.
Chewing, chewing all day long.
Chewing, chewing all day long.
She goes on chewing till at last, her chewing muscles grow so fast.
And from her face her giant chin, sticks out just like a violin...
Chewing, chewing all day long.
Chewing, chewing all day long.
Chewing, chewing all day long.
For years and years she chews away, her jaws get stronger every day.
And with one great tremendous chew...they bite the poor girl's tongue in two.
And that is why we try so hard, to save Miss Violet Beauregard.
Chewing, chewing all day long.
Chewing, chewing all day long.
Chewing, chewing all day long."
"Mr. Wonka!" Violet called as they tried to stuff her in a tube.
Willy was still moving back and forth like he was dancing. However when Mrs. Beauregard approached him he stopped, "I want you to roll Miss. Beauregard into the boat and take her along to the juicing room at once."
"Juicing room? What are they going to do to her there?"
"They're gonna squeeze her. Like a little pimple," Willy laughed. "We gotta squeeze all that juice out of her imminently."
The woman looked horrified and ran over to help with her little blueberry of a daughter.
Once she was gone Willy said, "Come on. Let's boogie."