KS2 English: Roald Dahl's 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' read by Sir Michael Palin

'Veruca Salt!'sang the Oompa Loompas.

'Veruca Salt, the little brute,Has just gone down the garbage chute,(And as we very rightly thoughtThat in a case like this we oughtTo see the thing completely through,We've polished off her parents, too.)

Down goes Veruca! Down the drain!And here, perhaps, we should explainThat she will meet,as she descends,A rather different set of friendsTo those that she has left behind -These won't be nearly so refined.A fish head, for example, cutThis morning from a halibut.

'Hello! Good morning! How d'you do?

How nice to meet you! How are you?'And then a little further downA mass of others gather round:A bacon rind, some rancid lard,A loaf of bread gone stale and hard,A steak that nobody could chew,An oyster from an oyster stew,Some liverwurst so old and grayOne smelled it from a mile away,A rotten nut, a reeky pear,A thing the cat left on the stair,And lots of other things as well,Each with a rather horrid smell.These are Veruca's new found friendsThat she will meet as she descends,And this is the price she has to payFor going so very far astray.

But now, my dears, we think you mightBe wondering - is it really rightThat every single bit of blameAnd all the scolding and the shameShould fall upon Veruca Salt?Is she the only one at fault?For though she's spoiled,and dreadfully so,A girl can't spoil herself, you know?Who spoiled her, then?Ah, who indeed?Who pandered to her every need?Who turned her into such a brat?Who are the culprits? Who did that?Alas! You needn't look so farTo find out who these sinners are.They are (and this is very sad)Her loving parents, mum and dad.And that is why we're glad they fellInto the garbage chute as well.