What It Said on the Golden Ticket

           Charlieburstthroughthefrontdoor,shouting,’Mother!Mother!Mother!’ 

           MrsBucketwasintheoldgrandparents’room,servingthemtheireveningsoup. 

           ’Mother!’yelledCharlie,rushinginonthemlikeahurricane.’Look!I’vegotit!Look,Mother,look!ThelastGoldenTicket!It’smine! IfoundsomemoneyinthestreetandIboughttwobarsofchocolateandthesecondonehadtheGoldenTicketandtherewerecrowdsofpeopleallaroundmewantingtoseeitandtheshopkeeperrescuedmeandIranallthewayhomeandhereIam! IT’STHEFIFTHGOLDENTICKET,MOTHER,ANDI’VEFOUNDIT!’ 

           MrsBucketsimplystoodandstared,whilethefouroldgrandparents,whoweresittingupinbedbalancingbowlsofsoupontheirlaps,alldroppedtheirspoonswithaclatterandfrozeagainsttheirpillows. 

           Forabouttensecondstherewasabsolutesilenceintheroom.Nobodydaredtospeakormove.Itwasamagicmoment. 

           Then,verysoftly,GrandpaJoesaid, ’You’repullingourlegs,Charlie,aren’tyou?You’rehavingalittlejoke?’ 

           ’Iamnot!’criedCharlie,rushinguptothebedandholdingoutthelargeandbeautifulGoldenTicketforhimtosee. 

           GrandpaJoeleanedforwardandtookacloselook,hisnosealmosttouchingtheticket. Theotherswatchedhim,waitingfortheverdict. 

           Thenveryslowly,withaslowandmarvellousgrinspreadingalloverhisface,GrandpaJoeliftedhisheadandlookedstraightatCharlie.