Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: A Sweet Retelling

Chapter 18: The Wonderful Boat Ride

The rest of the group followed Mr. Wonka toward the edge of the river. Charlie somewhat hoped Augustus was okay and Mike, on the other hand, wasn't sure about what he saw in the river, but decided to keep it to himself. Not only because of how the others would react, but because of what Mr. Wonka might say about it. His thoughts were cut off when Mr. Wonka shouted.

"Look! Here she comes!" He was pointing out toward a steamy mist that rising up from the great, warm chocolate river. Out of the mist emerged a large boat. The most fantastic and beautiful pink boat. It was a very wide and open boat with a tall front and back, similar to those Viking ships of old. It looked to be made of the most bright, shiny, glistening pink color that made it appear to made of glass. The boat was being rowed across the light brown water by an array of oars being pulled by a mass of Oompa-Loompas. The watchers by the riverbank got an eyeful of the beautiful structure as it sailed just in front of them.

"This, children, is my private yacht." exclaimed Mr. Wonka with pleasure. "I made her out of the best boiled rock candy. Isn't she a beauty?"

The gleaming pink, boiled-sweet boat came to a full stop and the Oompa-Loompas rested their oars for a moment to stare at the children. Then suddenly, to some reason unknown to anyone besides them, the Oompa-Loompas broke into fits of giggles.

"What's so funny?" asked Violet as she chewed.

"Oh, don't mind them." Mr. Wonka waved off. "They always like to laugh. They think anything is a joke waiting to be told. All aboard the boat, everyone! All of you! Come on, then!"

As soon as his command got through, the children all carefully stepped onto the boat and sat down safety. Mr. Wonka sat in the very back with Charlie. The chocolatier gestured for them to take them down the river and the Oompa-Loompas aboard the tiny vessel grabbed their oars and started to row the boat downriver. Mike decided to have a taste of the boat to see what flavor it was. He gave a small lick to the edge and it tasted like strawberries.

"Uh, Mike? I wouldn't like the boat with your tongue if I were you." Mr. Wonka warned him. "It's similar to what lollipops are made of. The more you lick it, the stickier it gets."

"I definitely want a boat like this!" cried Veruca with a look of eagerness. "A big, pretty, pink and sugar-sweet boat just like this!"

"What you need is therapy and pronto." Mike said snappily.

"Excuse me?" Veruca barked with fury.

"Children, please. No fighting on my boat." Mr. Wonka chastised them. Although, unknown to them, it looked like he was enjoying seeing them argue.

Charlie sat quietly on the seat next to Mr. Wonka while watching the landscape slowing move as the boat did. He gazed a good long look on the room and at everything he had already seen. The grassy meadows, the chocolate river, the candy trees and plants, the huge pipes, the Oompa-Loompa doing their work on the land of confectionary, the beautiful waterfall and most importantly, Mr. Willy Wonka himself. Everything so astonishing to say the least. But where were they going now? What else was there to see in his marvelous factory? What was going to happen in the next room?

Suddenly, Mr. Wonka pulled out a scooping spoon, reached down over the side of the boat and dipped it into the river, scooping up some chocolate before handing it to Charlie.

"Here, drink this." He said. "Have a taste. It'll do you good. You look starved to death."

Charlie took the spoon and sipped the chocolate, drinking it down. He licked his lips and smiled. Despite Augustus falling into it, the liquid chocolate was better than any chocolate Charlie has tasted. It was a real sensation.

"It's wonderful!" He cried with delight.

"That's because it's mixed by waterfall." Mr. Wonka explained.

The boat sped up a little faster down the stream, which was started to get a narrower as they went along. The river was leading them up to a large, dark tunnel up ahead. It appeared as a giant sewer pipe with no light to reveal what direction it led to. The river was bringing the boat closer and closer to the growing, thick, pitch-black darkness ahead, causing the children to become increasingly nervous and uncomfortable. The Oompa-Loompas rowed and the stroked their oars faster and faster.

"Hey, where are we going?" asked Mike.

"I'm a little afraid of the dark." Veruca complained, shaking with fear.

"How can they see where they're going?" asked Violet with confusion, trying to hide her own growing edginess.
"There's no telling where we're going." said Mr. Wonka.
Suddenly, the whole tunnel lit up in an eerie red light.
The boat began to speed up.

"It's a fairground ride!" said Matsuda, not terrified like the others were.

But the fairground ride turned very dark.

The boat sped up even more.

"Help!" screamed Matsuda, not finding the ride cool anymore.

"I can take a joke," said Mr D. "But this has gone too far!"

"Slow down!" screamed Kirumi.

But Wonka interpreted it wrongly!

"What's that? Go faster? Okay." he said. He then tapped his cane, and the boat sped up so fast that Kaede thought the boat would tip over and send everyone into the sticky river of doom.

Then disturbing images started flashing on the wall.

Then as if this ride of terror couldn't get scarier enough, Wonka began to sing a chilling poem.
"There's no

earthly way of knowing

Which direction we are going

There's no knowing

where we're rowing

Or which way

the river's flowing

Is it raining?

Is it snowing?

Is a hurricane a-blowing?

Not a speck

of light is showing

So the danger

must be growing

Are the fires of

hell a-glowing?

Is the grisly reaper mowing?

Yes

The danger must be growing

For the rowers

keep on rowing

And they're

certainly not showing

Any signs

that they are slowing!"
Then Wonka let out a horribly loud scream, and everyone was horrified as a picture of a massive blooded skull flashed on the wall.

"Stop!" said Kaede.

"That's right!" said Wonka. "Stop the boat!"
Then the lights turned off.
When everyone could see again, they were standing outside a door.
The door read 'INVENTING ROOM - Private: Keep Out!'.

"What a nightmare," groaned Mr D.

"Thank god that's over." Mike sighed.

"I'm never getting on that thing again!" Violet complained, still chewing her gum.

"I changed my mind! I don't want a boat like this!" cried Veruca.

"Wow, that was very cool, but a bit scary." said Matsuda.