oment of their days climbing through the treetops looking for other things to mash up with the caterpillars to make them taste better — red beetles； for instance； and eucalyptus leaves； and the bark of the bong…bong tree； all of them beastly； but not quite so beastly as the caterpillars。 Poor little Oompa…Loompas！ The one food that they longed for more than any other was the cacao bean。 But they couldn't get it。 An Oompa…Loompa was lucky if he found three or four cacao beans a year。 But oh； how they craved them。 They used to dream about cacao beans all night and talk about them all day。 You had only to mention the word 〃cacao〃 to an Oompa…Loompa and he would start dribbling at the mouth。 The cacao bean；' Mr Wonka continued； 'which grows on the cacao tree； happens to be the thing from which all chocolate is made。 You cannot make chocolate without the cacao bean。 The cacao bean is chocolate。 I myself use billions of cacao beans every week in this factory。 And so； my dear children； as soon as I discovered that the Oompa…Loompas were crazy about this particular food； I climbed up to their tree…house village and poked my head in through the door of the tree house belonging to the leader of the tribe。 The poor little fellow； looking thin and starved； was sitting there trying to eat a bowl full of mashed…up green caterpillars without being sick。 〃Look here；〃 I said （speaking not in English； of course； but in Oompa…Loompish）； 〃look here； if you and all your people will e back to my country and live in my factory； you can have all the cacao beans you want！ I've got mountains of them in my storehouses！ You can have cacao beans for every meal！ You can gorge yourselves silly on them！ I'll even pay your wages in cacao beans if you wish！〃
'〃You really mean it？〃 asked the Oompa…Loompa leader； leaping up from his chair。
'〃Of course I mean it；〃 I said。 〃And you can have chocolate as well。 Chocolate tastes even better than cacao beans because it's got milk and sugar added。〃
'The little man gave a great whoop of joy and threw his bowl of mashed caterpillars right out of the tree…house window。 〃It's a deal！〃 he cried。 〃e on！ Let's go！〃
'So I shipped them all over here； every man； woman； and child in the Oompa…Loompa tribe。 It was easy。 I smuggled them over in large packing cases with holes in them； and they all got here safely。 They are wonderful workers。 They all speak English now。 They love dancing and music。 They are always making up songs。 I expect you will hear a good deal of singing today from time to time。 I must warn you； though； that they are rather mischievous。 They like jokes。 They still wear the same kind of clothes they wore in the jungle。 They insist upon that。 The men； as you can see for yourselves across the river； wear only deerskins。 The women wear leaves； and the children wear nothing at all。 The women use fresh leaves every day 。 。 。'
'Daddy！' shouted Veruca Salt （the girl who got everything she wanted）。 'Daddy！ I want an Oompa…Loompa！ I want you to get me an Oompa…Loompa！ I want an Oompa…Loompa right away！ I want to take it home with me！ Go on； Daddy！ Get me an Oompa…Loompa！'
'Now； now； my pet！' her father said to her； 'we mustn't interrupt Mr Wonka。'
〃But I want an Oompa…Loompa！' screamed Veruca。
'All right； Veruca； all right。 But I can't get it for you this second。 Please be patient。 I'll see you have one before the day is out。'
'Augustus！' shouted Mrs Gloop。 'Augustus； sweetheart； I don't think you had better do that。' Augustus Gloop； as you might have guessed； had quietly sneaked down to the edge of the river； and he was now kneeling on the riverbank； scooping hot melted chocolate into his mouth as fast as he could。
17
Augustus Gloop Goes up the Pipe
When Mr Wonka turned round and saw what Augustus Gloop was doing； he cried out； 'Oh； no！ Please； Augustus； please！ I beg of you not to do that。 My chocolate must be untouched by human hands！'
'Augustus！' called out Mrs Gloop。 'Didn't you hear what the man said？ e away from that river at once！'
'This stuff is fabulous！' said Augustus； taking not the slightest notice of his mother or Mr Wonka。 'Gosh； I need a bucket to drink it properly！'
'Augustus；' cried Mr Wonka； hopping up and down and waggling his stick in the air； 'you must e away。 You are dirtying my chocolate！'
'Augustus！' cried Mrs Gloop。
'Augustus！' cried Mr Gloop。
But Augustus was deaf to everything except the call of his enormous stomach。 He was now lying full length on the ground with his head far out over the river； lapping up the chocolate like a dog。
'Augustus！' shouted Mrs Gloop。 'You'll be giving that nasty cold of yours to about a million people all over the country！'
'Be careful； Augustus！' shouted Mr Gloop。 'You're leaning too far out！'
Mr Gloop was absolutely right。 For suddenly there was a shriek； and then a splash； and into the river went Augustus Gloop； and in one second he had disappeared under the brown surface。
'Save him！' screamed Mrs Gloop； going white in the face； and waving her umbrella about。 'He'll drown！ He can't swim a yard！ Save him！ Save him！'
'Good heavens； woman；' said Mr Gloop； 'I'm not diving in there！ I've got my best suit on！'
Augustus Gloop's face came up again to the surface； painted brown with chocolate。 'Help！ Help！ Help！' he yelled。 'Fish me out！'
'Don't just stand there！' Mrs Gloop screamed at Mr Gloop。 'Do something！'
'I am doing something！' said Mr Gloop； who was now taking off his jacket and getting ready to dive into the chocolate。 But while he was doing this； the wretched boy was being sucked closer and closer towards the mouth of one of the great pipes that was dangling down into the river。 Then all at once； the powerful suction took hold of him pletely； and he was pulled under the surface and then into the mouth of the pipe。
The crowd on the riverbank waited breathlessly to see where he would e out。
'There he goes！' somebody shouted； pointing upwards。
And sure enough； because the pipe was made of glass； Augustus Gloop could be clearly seen shooting up inside it； head first； like a torpedo。
'Help！ Murder！ Police！' screamed Mrs Gloop。 'Augustus； e back at once！ Where are you going？'
'It's a wonder to me；' said Mr Gloop； 'how that pipe is big enough for him to go through it。'
'It isn't big enough！' said Charlie Bucket。 'Oh dear； look！ He's slowing down！'
'So he is！' said Grandpa Joe。
'He's going to stick！' said Charlie。
'I think he is！' said Grandpa Joe。
'By golly； he has stuck！' said Charlie。
'It's his stomach that's done it！' said Mr Gloop。
'He's blocked the whole pipe！' said Grandpa Joe。
'Smash the pipe！' yelled Mrs Gloop； still waving her umbrella。 'Augustus； e out of there at once！'
The watchers below could see the chocolate swishing around the boy in the pipe； and they could see it building up behind him in a solid mass； pushing against the blockage。 The pressure was terrific。 Something had to give。 Something did give； and that something was Augustus。 WHOOF！ Up he shot again like a bullet in the barrel of a gun。
'He's disappeared！' yelled Mrs Gloop。 'Where does that pipe go to？ Quick！ Call the fire brigade！'
'Keep calm！' cried Mr Wonka。 'Keep calm； my dear lady； keep calm。 There is no danger！ No danger whatsoever！ Augustus has gone on a little journey； that's all。 A most interesting little journey。 But he'll e out of it just fine； you wait and see。'
'How can he possibly e out just fine！' snapped Mrs Gloop。 'He'll be made into marshmallows in five seconds！'
'Impossible！' cried Mr Wonka。 'Unthinkable！ Inconceivable！ Absurd！ He could never be made into marshmallows！'
'And why not； may I ask？' shouted Mrs Gloop。
'Because that pipe doesn't go anywhere near it！ That pipe — the one Augustus went up — happens to lead directly to the room where I make a most delicious kind of strawberry…flavoured chocolate…coated fudge 。 。 。'
'Then he'll be made into strawberry…flavoured chocolate…coated fudge！' screamed Mrs Gloop。 'My poor Augustus！ They'll be selling him by the pound all over the country tomorrow morning！'
'Quite right；' said Mr Gloop。
'I know I'm right；' said Mrs Gloop。
'It's beyond a joke；' said Mr Gloop。
'Mr Wonka doesn't seem to think so！' cried Mrs Gloop。 'Just look at him！ He's laughing his head off！ How dare you laugh like that when my boy's just gone up the pipe！ You monster！' she shrieked； pointing her umbrella at Mr Wonka as though she were going to run him through。 'You think it's a joke； do you？ You think that sucking my boy up into your Fudge Room like that is just one great big colossal joke？'
'He'll be perfectly safe；' said Mr Wonka； giggling slightly。
'He'll be chocolate fudge！' shrieked Mrs Gloop。
'Never！' cried Mr Wonka。
'Of course he will！' shrieked Mrs Gloop。
'I wouldn't allow it！' cried Mr Wonka。
'And why not？' shrieked Mrs Gloop。
'Because the taste would be terrible；' said Mr Wonka。 'Just imagine it！ Augustus…flavoured chocolate…coated Gloop！ No one would buy it。'
'They most certainly would！' cried Mr Gloop indignantly。
'I don't want to think about it！' shrieked Mrs Gloop。
'Nor do I；' said Mr Wonka。 'And I do promise you； madam； that your darling boy is perfectly safe。'
'If he's perfectly safe； then where is he？' snapped Mrs Gloop。 'Lead me to him this instant！'
Mr Wonka turned around and clicked his fingers sharply； click； click； click； three times。 Immediately； an Oompa…Loompa appeared； as if from nowhere； and stood beside him。
The Oompa…Loompa bowed and smiled； showing beautiful white teeth。 His skin was rosy…white； his long hair was golden…brown； and the top of his head came just above the height of Mr Wonka's knee。 He wore the usual deerskin slung over his shoulder。
'Now listen to me！' said Mr Wonka； looking down at the tiny man。 'I want you to take Mr and Mrs Gloop up to the Fudge Room and help them to find their son； Augustus。 He's just gone up the pipe。'
The Oompa…Loompa took one look at Mrs Gloop and exploded into peals of laughter。
'Oh； do be quiet！' said Mr Wonka。 'Control yourself！ Pull yourself together！ Mrs Gloop doesn't think it's at all funny！'
'You can say that again！' said Mrs Gloop。
'Go straight to the Fudge Room；' Mr Wonka said to the Oompa…Loompa； 'and when you get there； take a long stick and start poking around inside the big chocolate…mixing barrel。 I'm almost certain you'll find him in there。 But you'd better look sharp！ You'll have to hurry！ If you leave him in the chocolate…mixing barrel too long； he's liable to get poured out into the fudge boiler； and that really would be a disaster； wouldn't it？ My fudge would bee quite uneatable！'
Mrs Gloop let out a shriek of fury。
'I'm joking；' said Mr Wonka； giggling madly behind his beard。 'I didn't mean it。 Forgive me。 I'm so sorry。 Good…bye； Mrs Gloop！ And Mr Gloop！ Good…bye！ I'll see you later 。 。 。'
As Mr and Mrs Gloop and their tiny escort hurried away； the five Oompa…Loompas on the far side of the river suddenly began hopping and dancing about and beating wildly upon a number of very small drums。 'Augustus Gloop！' they chanted。 'Augustus Gloop！