9 Gobbled Up
On the day when all this was happening, no factories openedanywhere in the world. All offices and schools were closed.
Nobody moved away from the television screens, not even fora couple of minutes to get a Coke or to feed the baby. Thetension was unbearable¹. Everybody heard the AmericanPresident's invitation to the men from Mars to visit him in theWhite House. And they heard the weird² rhyming reply, whichsounded rather threatening. They also heard a piercing scream(Grandma Josephine), and a little later on, they heard someoneshouting, 'Scram! Scram! Scram!' (Mr Wonka). Nobody couldmake head or tail of the shouting. They took it to be somekind of Martian language. But when the eight mysteriousastronauts suddenly rushed back into their glass capsule andbroke away from the Space Hotel, you could almost hear thegreat sigh of relief that rose up from the peoples of the earth.
Telegrams and messages poured into the White Housecongratulating the President upon his brilliant handling of afrightening situation.
The President himself remained calm and thoughtful. He sat athis desk rolling a small piece of wet chewing-gum between hisfinger and thumb. He was waiting for the moment when hecould flick³ it at Miss Tibbs without her seeing him. He flicked⁴ itand missed Miss Tibbs but hit the Chief of the Air Force onthe tip of his nose.
'Do you think the men from Mars have accepted my invitationto the White House?' the President asked.
'Of course they have,' said the Foreign Secretary. 'It was abrilliant speech, sir.'
'They're probably on their way down here right now,' said MissTibbs. 'Go and wash that nasty sticky chewing-gum off yourfingers quickly. They could be here any minute.'
'Let's have a song first,' said the President. 'Sing another oneabout me, Nanny … please.'
THE NURSE'S SONG
This mighty⁵ man of whom I sing,The greatest of them all,Wasonce a teeny little thing,Just eighteen inches tall.
I knew him as
a tiny tot.
I nursed him on my knee.I used to sit him on thepot
And wait for him to wee.
I always washed between his toes,
And cut his little nails.I brushed his hair and wiped his noseAnd weighed him on the scales.Through happy childhood dayshe strayed,As all nice children should.I

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