The Chocolate Room

           ’Animportantroom,this! ’criedMrWonka,takingabunchofkeysfromhispocketandslippingoneintothekeyholeofthedoor. ’Thisisthenervecentreofthewholefactory,theheartofthewholebusiness! Andsobeautiful! Iinsistuponmyroomsbeingbeautiful! Ican’tabideuglinessinfactories! Inwego,then! Butdobecareful,mydearchildren!Don’tloseyourheads!Don’tgetover-excited!Keepverycalm!’ 

           MrWonkaopenedthedoor. Fivechildrenandninegrown-upspushedtheirwaysin—andoh,whatanamazingsightitwasthatnowmettheireyes! 

           Theywerelookingdownuponalovelyvalley. Thereweregreenmeadowsoneithersideofthevalley,andalongthebottomofitthereflowedagreatbrownriver. 

           Whatismore,therewasatremendouswaterfallhalfwayalongtheriver—asteepcliffoverwhichthewatercurledandrolledinasolidsheet,andthenwentcrashingdownintoaboilingchurningwhirlpooloffrothandspray. 

           Belowthewaterfall(andthiswasthemostastonishingsightofall),awholemassofenormousglasspipesweredanglingdownintotheriverfromsomewherehighupintheceiling!Theyreallywereenormous,thosepipes. Theremusthavebeenadozenofthematleast,andtheyweresuckingupthebrownishmuddywaterfromtheriverandcarryingitawaytogoodnessknowswhere. Andbecausetheyweremadeofglass,youcouldseetheliquidflowingandbubblingalonginsidethem, andabovethenoiseofthewaterfall,youcouldhearthenever-endingsuck-suck-suckingsoundofthepipesastheydidtheirwork.