Матильда
The Weekly Test
"Andwhy,mightIask,isthereabakedbeanonthefrontofyourshirt?"
"Wehadthemforlunch,MissTrunchbull."
"Anddoyouusuallyputyourlunchonthefrontofyourshirt,Nigel?Isthatwhatthisfamousdoctorfatherofyourshastaughtyoutodo?"
"Bakedbeansarehardtoeat,MissTrunchbull.Theykeepfallingoffmyfork."
"Youaredisgusting!"theTrunchbullbellowed."Youareawalkinggerm-factory!Idon’twishtoseeanymoreofyoutoday!Goandstandinthecornerononelegwithyourfacetothewall!"
"ButMissTrunchbull..."
"Don’targuewithme,boy,orI’llmakeyoustandonyourhead!Nowdoasyou’retold!"
Nigelwent.
"Nowstaywhereyouare,boy,whileItestyouonyourspellingtoseeifyou’velearntanythingatallthispastweek.Anddon’tturnroundwhenyoutalktome.Keepyournastylittlefacetothewall.Nowthen,spell’write’."
"Whichone?"Nigelasked."Thethingyoudowithapenortheonethatmeanstheoppositeofwrong?"Hehappenedtobeanunusuallybrightchildandhismotherhadworkedhardwithhimathomeonspellingandreading.
"Theonewiththepen,youlittlefool."
NigelspelleditcorrectlywhichsurprisedtheTrunchbull.Shethoughtshehadgivenhimaverytrickyword,onethathewouldn’tyethavelearned,andshewaspeevedthathehadsucceeded.
ThenNigelsaid,stillbalancingononelegandfacingthewall,"MissHoneytaughtushowtospellanewverylongwordyesterday."
"Andwhatwordwasthat?"theTrunchbullaskedsoftly.
