12 back to the chocolate factory

and then the noise of splintering wood and broken glass andabsolute darkness and the most awful crunching sounds as theelevator rushed on and on, smashing everything before it.

all at once, the crashing noises stopped and the ride becamesmoother and the elevator seemed to be travelling on guidesor rails, twisting and turning like a roller-coaster. and when thelights came on, charlie suddenly realized that for the last fewseconds he hadn't been floating at all. he had been standingnormally on the floor. mr wonka was on the floor, too, andso was grandpa joe and mr and mrs bucket and also thebig bed. as for grandma josephine, grandma georgina andgrandpa george, they must have fallen right back on to thebed because they were now all three on top of it andscrabbling to get under the blanket.

'we're through!' yelled mr wonka. 'we've done it! we're in!'

grandpa joe grabbed him by the hand and said, 'well done,sir! how splendid! what a magnificent job!'

'where in the world are we now?' said mrs bucket.

'we're back, mother!' charlie cried. 'we're in the chocolatefactory!'

'i'm very glad to hear it,' said mrs bucket. 'but didn't wecome rather a long way round?'

'we had to,' said mr wonka, 'to avoid the traffic.'

'i have never met a man,' said grandma georgina, 'who talksso much absolute nonsense!'

'a little nonsense now and then, is relished by the wisest men,'

mr wonka said.

'why don't you pay some attention to where this crazyelevator's going!' shouted grandma josephine. 'and stopfootling about!'

'a little footling round about, will stop you going up the spout,'

said mr wonka.

'what did i tell you!' cried grandma georgina. 'he's round thetwist! he's bogged as a beetle! he's dotty as a dingbat! he'sgot rats in the roof! i want to go home!'

'too late,' said mr wonka. 'we're there!' the elevator stopped.

the doors opened and charlie found himself looking out onceagain at the great chocolate room with the chocolate river andthe chocolate waterfall, where everything was eatable — thetrees, the leaves, the grass, the pebbles and even the rocks.

and there to meet them were hundreds and hundreds of tinyoompa-loompas, all waving and cheering. it was a sight thattook one's breath away. even grandma georgina was stunnedinto silence for a few seconds. but not for long. 'who in theworld are all those peculiar little men?' she said.

'they're oompa-loompas,' charlie told her. 'they're wonderful.

you'll love them.'

'ssshh!' said grandpa joe. 'listen, charlie! the drums arestarting up! they're going to sing.'

'alleluia!' sang the oompa-loompas.'oh alleluia and hooray!

our willy wonka's back today!

we thought you'd never make

it home!we thought you'd left us all alone!we knew that youwould have to facesome frightful creatures up in space.weeven thought we heard the crunchof someone eating you forlunch …'

'all right!' shouted mr wonka, laughing and raising both hands.

'thank you for your welcome! will some of you please help toget this bed out of here!'

fifty oompa-loompas ran forward and pushed the bed withthe three old ones in it out of the elevator. mr and mrsbucket, both looking completely overwhelmed by it all, followedthe bed out. then came grandpa joe, charlie and mr wonka.

'now,' said mr wonka, addressing grandpa george, grandmageorgina and grandma josephine. 'up you hop out of thatbed and let's get cracking. i'm sure you'll all want to lend ahand running the factory.'

'who, us?' said grandma josephine.

'yes, you,' said mr wonka.

'you must be joking,' said grandma georgina.

'i never joke,' said mr wonka.

'now just you listen to me, sir!' said old grandpa george,sitting up straight in bed. 'you've got us into quite enoughtubbles and trumbles for one day!'

'i've got you out of them, too,' said mr wonka proudly. 'andi'm going to get you out of that bed as well, you see if idon't!'