Chapter 24: Veruca in the Goose Room
Author's Note: Happy Saturday, dear readers! After a small break, the third demise is finally here! As per the schedule so far, Chapters 25 and 26 are fully done and will be published very soon. I hope you'll enjoy this one, everyone. Now, let me respond to your reviews.
ABBAbethTheHamster, as you can probably tell by the title, you'll find out Veruca's demise in this chapter. And in case you're curious, yes, it's a perfect line-up this time, as Veruca gets eliminated in Chapter 24 in the book. Just something I thought I'd point out. And I also agree with you on the tour. My other favorite moment is also coming up, but it won't be for quite a few chapters, because we have quite a few things to do.
Avimo, strangely enough, it does not say what is in the red door. And yes, it is pretty weird why Dahl switched Violet's and Veruca's dialogue. It's such a minor detail.
Guests 1 and 2, Charlie's Chocolatey Adventure will resume immediately after this story is done. I give you my word that I will never abandon any of my stories.
Sonny April, thank you so much for your reviews! I'm so happy that you're enjoying this story thus far! I agree with all of your assessments here. When I was a kid, I was expecting the Square Candies that look Round in the 2005 film since the 1971 film removed them, but I was sorely disappointed. I get that chapter is supposed to be book filler in between Violet and Veruca, but that joke never gets old in my opinion, just like the famous has beans joke. As with David Seltzer, there have also been rumors that he was the one that changed Veruca's demise, but you can also tell by the title, this is untrue.
mattTheWriter072, I forgive you for the late review, and I'm glad you're also enjoying the story so far! I understand that your other reviews will be late, but nonetheless, I hope you'll enjoy this one. :)
With all the reviews responded to, enjoy this chapter, everyone! :D
In this room, there were five enormous white geese sitting upon enormous throne-nests situated high up in the air. Out of the back of each throne-nest, there was a sort of narrow chute that ran downward until it merged with the main chute, which ran into a groove around the top of a large, circular table. At the table, there were approximately ten to twenty Oompa-Loompas. In each chute, a nonstop stream of golden eggs were running down it. When each egg reached the table, an Oompa-Loompa picked it up, and began tapping it with its knuckle. Then, the Oompa-Loompa either put the egg into one of many large boxes on the table, or tossed into a round manhole in the floor.
"These are the geese that lay the Golden Eggs!" proclaimed Mr. Wonka. "They are laying overtime right now for Easter."
"Chocolate eggs?" questioned Mr. Salt.
"Golden chocolate eggs," corrected Mr. Wonka. "Absolutely delicious. Watch the Oompa-Loompas. See how they test each egg to make sure it's not a bad 'un!"
Everyone watched as one of the Oompa-Loompas in the room tapped one of the eggs with its knuckle. He shook his head, then tossed it into the manhole.
"There!" remarked Mr. Wonka. "That's a bad egg! Got to watch out for those!"
Suddenly, an animal that looked like a baby elephant came into the view of the group!
"Look, look!" the children cried. "An elephant! It's a baby!"
"It is not a baby," Mr. Wonka said. "It's a pygmy elephant. It does the heavy work. There she goes!"
The group noticed that one of the boxes on the table was now full of Eggs. When an Oompa-Loompa gave a signal, the elephant lifted the box with its trunk, then placed it on a moving conveyor belt (or simply a trolley, Dahl noted).
"Hey, that's pretty clever!" remarked Mike Teevee. "Where d'you get the elephant?"
"They brought it with them from Loompaland," responded Mr. Wonka. "There are hundreds of them around the factory."
"We haven't seen them," Mike remarked.
"You haven't seen one hundredth part of the factory yet, my boy," said Mr. Wonka as he began to restrain Veruca Salt, who had started to run forward eagerly.
"No no no!" cried Mr. Wonka. "You must not go in there! It stops the geese laying! They are extremely temperamental!"
"I simply don't believe those eggs are chocolate!" remarked Mrs. Teevee.
"Madam, I sell millions of Easter Eggs all over the world every year," Mr. Wonka said. "I've not had a complaint yet."
"Hey, Daddy!" Veruca shouted. "I want a goose!"
"Now now, Veruca," said Mr. Salt soothingly. "They belong to Mr. Wonka."
"I don't care who they belong to!" she shouted back. "I want one! All I've got at home is two dogs and six bunny-rabbits and two parakeets and three canaries and a green parrot and a turtle and a bowl of goldfish and a cage of white mice and a silly old hamster! I want a goose!"
"All right, my pet, I'll buy you a goose just as soon as we get home," Mr. Salt responded.
"I want a goose that lays the Golden Easter Eggs!" Veruca shouted.
Mr. Salt sighed and took out his wallet.
"Okay, Wonka," he said. "How much for one of those geese? Name your price."
"They're not for sale," answered Mr. Willy Wonka. "She can't have it."
"Who says I can't!" Veruca barked.
"I do!" yelled Mr. Wonka angrily.
"We'll soon see about that!" she shouted, running into the Goose Room.
"Don't!" shouted Mr. Wonka. "You'll stop them laying! Please! I beg you! Come back!"
"Veruca, come back!" shouted Mr. Salt.
As soon as she ran into the Goose Room, all the Oompa-Loompas around the table stopped their work and stared at her. Veruca started to head towards the nearest goose.
"Okay, goose, let's go!" she said.
Suddenly, the pygmy elephant was behind Veruca, but it was too late. Using its trunk, it picked up Veruca by her waist, and she started to scream. It placed her on the table.
"What's he doing?!" exclaimed Mr. Salt. "Let go my daughter!"
One of the Oompa-Loompas by the table began to tap her head with its knuckles, while the elephant held her. Veruca was unable to escape.
"Look!" remarked Mr. Wonka. "They're testing her! Seeing if she's a bad 'un!"
The Oompa-Loompa shook his head firmly and signaled over his shoulder with his thumb.
"My goodness, she is!" said Mr. Wonka. "She's a bad egg!"
"What's he doing?" asked Mr. Salt. "Where's he taking her?"
"She's going where all the other bad eggs go," explained Mr. Wonka. "Down the garbage chute."
"No!" exclaimed Mr. Salt. "Save her!"
The elephant gently dropped Veruca down the manhole in the floor.
"Too late!" responded Mr. Wonka. "She's gone!"
"Where does it lead to?!" panicked Mr. Salt. "Tell me, quick!"
"To the furnace, of course," Mr. Wonka answered. "The incinerator."
"The incinerator!" shouted Mr. Salt. "She'll...she'll be sizzled like a sausage!"
"Quite right," agreed Mrs. Teevee.
"She'll be roasted to a crisp!" he shouted again.
"Don't lose heart, my dear sir," Mr. Wonka answered. "She's probably stuck just inside the hole. Why don't you go in and pull her out?"
Mr. Salt rushed into the room and peered down the manhole. His enormous bottom was winking at the sun.
"Veruca, are you there?!" shouted Mr. Salt. "Can you hear me?"
Immediately after he said this, the pygmy elephant came up behind him and gently nudged him in the back. Down went Mr. Salt, screaming blue murder.
"What a lot of garbage there's going to be today!" said Mr. Wonka.
"They won't really be burned in the furnace, will they, Mr. Wonka?" asked Charlie, extremely concerned.
"Well now…" thought Mr. Wonka. "I believe that furnace is lit only every other day...so they've got a good sporting chance, haven't they?"
The Oompa-Loompa band began to form up inside the Goose Room. The drums and music began to play...
(deletions as per book, Dahl said, but you know the drill by now. Here, however, I made a minor edit of changing 'parents' to 'father', as well as removing the final two lines of the poem, "And that is why we're glad they fell/Into the garbage chute as well." I also changed the line "rotten nut" to "rotten egg.")
"Veruca Salt, the little brute,
Has just gone down the garbage chute,
(And as we very rightly thought
That in a case like this we ought
To see the thing completely through,
We've polished off her father, too.)
Down goes Veruca! Down the drain!
And here, perhaps, we should explain
That she will meet, as she descends,
A rather different set of friends
To those that she has left behind–
These won't be nearly so refined.
A fish head, for example, cut
This morning from a halibut.
'Hello! Good morning! How d'you do?
How nice to meet you! How are you?'
And then a little further down
A mass of others gather round:
A bacon rind, some rancid lard,
A loaf of bread gone stale and hard,
A steak that nobody could chew,
An oyster from an oyster stew,
Some liverwurst so old and gray
One smelled it from a mile away,
A rotten egg, a reeky pear,
A thing the cat left on the stair,
And lots of other things as well,
Each with a rather horrid smell.
These are Veruca's new found friends
That she will meet as she descends,
And this is the price she has to pay
For going so very far astray.
But now, my dears, we think you might
Be wondering–is it really right
That every single bit of blame
And all the scolding and the shame
Should fall upon Veruca Salt?
Is she the only one at fault?
For though she's spoiled, and dreadfully so,
A girl can't spoil herself, you know.
Who spoiled her, then? Ah, who indeed?
Who pandered to her every need?
Who turned her into such a brat?
Who are the culprits? Who did that?
Alas! You needn't look so far
To find out who these sinners are.
They are (and this is very sad)
Her loving parents, MUM and DAD."
Author's Note: Wow, that was pretty unexpected! What did you think, everyone? Do you like this Goose Room scene better, or the final one? As for me, I like this one better. The elephant was really creative, but I understand why it was cut, most likely budget concerns. I also find it hilarious how the Oompa-Loompa hit her on the head with his knuckles. As always, thank you for your support, and stay tuned for the next chapter! :D
Until then,
Gabe S. :)