'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 completely, 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 come 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, come 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. 'Aug
ustus, come 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 come out of it just fine, you wait and see.'
'How can he possibly come 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.