30 Charlie’s Chocolate Factory
The great glass lift was now hovering¹ high over the town. Inside the lift stood Mr
Wonka, Grandpa Joe, and little Charlie.
‘How I love my chocolate factory,’ said Mr Wonka, gazing down. Then he paused, and
he turned around and looked at Charlie with a most serious expression on his face. ‘Do
you love it too, Charlie?’ he asked.
‘Oh, yes,’ cried Charlie, T think it’s the most wonderful place in the whole world!’
‘I am very pleased to hear you say that,’ said Mr Wonka, looking more serious than
ever. He went on staring at Charlie. ‘Yes,’ he said, ‘I am very pleased indeed to hear you
say that. And now I shall tell you why.’ Mr Wonka cocked his head to one side and all at
once the tiny twinkling wrinkles² of a smile appeared around the corners of his eyes, and
he said, ‘You see, my dear boy, I have decided³ to make you a present of the whole place.
As soon as you are old enough to run it, the entire factory will become yours.’
Charlie stared at Mr Wonka. Grandpa Joe opened his mouth to speak, but no words
came out.
‘It’s quite true,’ Mr Wonka said, smiling broadly now. ‘I really am giving it to you.
That’s all right, isn’t it?’
‘Giving it to him?’ gasped⁴ Grandpa Joe. ‘You must be joking.’
‘I’m not joking, sir. I’m deadly serious.’
‘But… but… why should you want to give your factory to little Charlie?’
‘Listen,’ Mr Wonka said, ‘I’m an old man. I’m much older than you think. I can’t go on
for ever. I’ve got no children of my own, no family at all. So who is going to run the
factory when I get too old to do it myself? Someone’s got to keep it going – if only for the
sake of the Oompa-Loompas. Mind you, there are thousands of clever men who would
give anything for the chance to come in and take over from me, but I don’t want that
sort of person. I don’t want a grown-up person at all. A grown-up won’t listen to me; he
won’t learn. He will try to do things his own way and not mine. So I have to have a

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