7 Charlie’s Birthday
‘Happy birthday!’ cried the four old grandparents, as Charlie came into their room early
the next morning.
Charlie smiled nervously¹ and sat down on the edge of the bed. He was holding his
present, his only present, very carefully in his two hands. WONKA’S WHIPPLE-
SCRUMPTIOUS FUDGEMALLOW DELIGHT, it said on the wrapper.
The four old people, two at either end of the bed, propped² themselves up on their
pillows and stared with anxious eyes at the bar of chocolate in Charlie’s hands.
Mr and Mrs Bucket came in and stood at the foot of the bed, watching Charlie.
The room became silent. Everybody was waiting now for Charlie to start opening his
present. Charlie looked down at the bar of chocolate. He ran his fingers slowly back and
forth³ along the length of it, stroking⁴ it lovingly, and the shiny paper wrapper made little
sharp crackly noises in the quiet room.
Then Mrs Bucket said gently, ‘You mustn’t be too disappointed, my darling, if you
don’t find what you’re looking for underneath⁵ that wrapper. You really can’t expect to
be as lucky as all that.’
‘She’s quite right,’ Mr Bucket said.
Charlie didn’t say anything.
‘After all,’ Grandma Josephine said, ‘in the whole wide world there are only three
tickets left to be found.’
‘The thing to remember,’ Grandma Georgina said, ‘is that whatever happens, you’ll
still have the bar of chocolate.’
‘Wonka’s Whipple-Scrumptious Fudgemallow Delight!’ cried Grandpa George. ‘It’s the
best of them all! You’ll just love it!’
‘Yes,’ Charlie whispered. ‘I know.’
‘Just forget all about those Golden Tickets and enjoy the chocolate,’ Grandpa Joe said.
‘Why don’t you do that?’
They all knew it was ridiculous to expect this one poor little bar of chocolate to have
a magic ticket inside it, and they were trying as gently and as

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