As the Salts lay among the garbage heap in the currently inactive incinerator, Mr. Salt had a realization that he should have had years ago. "Veruca dear, I'm afraid I've made quite a mistake." Veruca turned to her father, and her face turned red in anger. "Daddy, I still want a SQUIRREL!" She demanded. At this time, Mr. Salt picked up what he had done wrong. "Veruca, don't speak to me that way, and that's final!" This was new to Veruca. It wasn't just strange, but scary. "Daddy_!" Veruca began. "Veruca, I'm afraid I've done what people call spoiling" Rupert Salt said, wiping a speck of ash from his daughter's cheek, which had gained a frightened tear.
"As it turns out, Veruca, I had been getting you everything you wanted your whole life, and you became greedy, always demanding me for more, and you couldn't do anything for yourself." At first, Mr. Salt's words meant nothing to Veruca, but then they sunk in like their shoes into the garbage. "Daddy, what_" But Veruca found no words. She was speechless for about five minutes. "How did you just now realize that?" Veruca asked. The silence was broken, only to be replaced by another, this one longer than the last. Perhaps ten minutes passed with no exchange of words between Veruca and her father. At last, Mr. Salt said, "It helped having Oompa Loompa people dressed in yellow sing about it. All it took was you being judged as a bad nut for me to realize the error of my ways." This caused Veruca to giggle slightly, but her mood overtook her again.
Veruca and Rupert Salt sat together, awaiting whatever fate would come to them. "I suppose that the incinerator won't be turned on today" Veruca said hopefully. But she spoke too soon. At this time, the incinerator started to heat up, and within seconds, an orange splash of flames rose up from the floor, engulfing the garbage around them. Veruca's face went pale and her eyes widened in horror. "Good observation, Veruca" Mr. Salt responded sarcastically. "Daddy, shut up and help me get out of here!" Veruca shouted, fear coating her screams as she searched around the walls of the incinerator in hope of finding an exit. Rupert sighed in resignation, and began trying to dig through the garbage alongside his daughter.