The Ghost

Audio Transcript Auto-generated

• 00:00 - 00:06

  Everybody and welcome to Chapter four Rating of the Ghost,

• 00:06 - 00:08

  pages 32- 42.

• 00:11 - 00:13

  There was a comparative calm in the Warm wood household

• 00:13 - 00:15

  for about a week after the Superglue incident.

• 00:16 - 00:17

  Our episode.

• 00:17 - 00:21

  The experience has clearly chastened mr wormwood and he seemed

• 00:22 - 00:24

  temporarily to have lost his taste for boasting and bullying.

• 00:26 - 00:27

  Then suddenly he struck again.

• 00:28 - 00:29

  Perhaps he had had a bad day at the garage

• 00:31 - 00:33

  and had not sold enough crummy second hand cars.

• 00:34 - 00:37

  There are many things that make a terrible man irritable

• 00:38 - 00:40

  when he arrives home from work in the evening, and

• 00:40 - 00:43

  a sensible wife will usually notice the storm signals and

• 00:44 - 00:46

  will leave him alone until he simmers down.

• 00:47 - 00:49

  Mr warm warm, or to ride back from the garage

• 00:49 - 00:50

  that evening.

• 00:50 - 00:53

  His face was as dark as a thundercloud and somebody

• 00:53 - 01:00

  was clearly for the and somebody was clearly for the

• 01:00 - 01:00

  high jump.

• 01:01 - 01:01

  Pretty soon.

• 01:02 - 01:05

  His wife recognized the science immediately and made herself scarce.

• 01:06 - 01:08

  He then strode into the living room.

• 01:08 - 01:11

  Matilda happened to be curled up in an armchair in

• 01:11 - 01:13

  the corner, totally absorbed in a book.

• 01:14 - 01:16

  Mr warm wood switched on the television.

• 01:17 - 01:19

  The screen lit up the program blared.

• 01:20 - 01:21

  Mr Warm word glared at Matilda.

• 01:22 - 01:27

  She hadn't moved and she had somehow trained herself by

• 01:27 - 01:29

  now to block her ears to the ghastly sound of

• 01:30 - 01:32

  the dreaded box she kept right on reading.

• 01:33 - 01:35

  And for some reason this infuriated her father.

• 01:36 - 01:39

  Perhaps his anger was intensified because he saw her getting

• 01:40 - 01:42

  pleasure from something that was beyond his reach.

• 01:44 - 01:46

  Don't you ever stop reading?

• 01:46 - 01:47

  He snapped at her.

• 01:48 - 01:49

  Hello Daddy!

• 01:50 - 01:50

  She said pleasantly.

• 01:51 - 01:52

  Did you have a good day?

• 01:53 - 01:54

  What is this trash?

• 01:55 - 01:56

  He said, snatching the book from her hands.

• 01:57 - 01:59

  That it isn't trash daddy.

• 01:59 - 01:59

  It's lovely.

• 02:00 - 02:01

  It's called the red pony.

• 02:02 - 02:03

  It's by john stain back.

• 02:04 - 02:05

  An american writer.

• 02:05 - 02:06

  Why don't you try it?

• 02:06 - 02:07

  You'll love it.

• 02:08 - 02:11

  Filth! Mr wormwood said if it's by an american it's

• 02:11 - 02:12

  certain to be filth.

• 02:12 - 02:13

  That's all they write about.

• 02:14 - 02:14

  No daddy.

• 02:15 - 02:15

  It's beautiful.

• 02:16 - 02:16

  Honestly. It is.

• 02:17 - 02:19

  It's about I don't want to know what it's about.

• 02:19 - 02:20

  Mr warm wood bark.

• 02:21 - 02:21

  I'm fed up with your reading.

• 02:22 - 02:25

  Anyway, go and find yourself something useful to do with

• 02:26 - 02:26

  frightening suddenness.

• 02:27 - 02:29

  He began ripping the pages out of the book and

• 02:29 - 02:32

  handfuls and throwing them in the wastepaper basket.

• 02:33 - 02:34

  Matilda frozen horror.

• 02:35 - 02:36

  Her father kept going.

• 02:36 - 02:39

  There seemed little doubt that that man felt some kind

• 02:40 - 02:40

  of jealousy.

• 02:41 - 02:42

  How dare she?

• 02:42 - 02:45

  He seemed to be saying with each rip of the

• 02:45 - 02:49

  page. How dare she enjoy reading books when he couldn't?

• 02:49 - 02:50

  How dare she?

• 02:51 - 02:53

  That's a library book, Matilda cried.

• 02:54 - 02:55

  It doesn't belong to me.

• 02:55 - 02:56

  I have to return it to mrs Phelps.

• 02:58 - 03:00

  Then you'll have to buy another one, won't you?

• 03:00 - 03:02

  The father said, still tearing out pages.

• 03:03 - 03:05

  You'll have to save your pocket money until there's enough

• 03:05 - 03:08

  ability to buy a new one for your precious mrs

• 03:08 - 03:09

  false, won't you?

• 03:10 - 03:10

  With that?

• 03:11 - 03:15

  He dropped the now empty cover of the books into

• 03:15 - 03:18

  the basket and march out of the room, leaving the

• 03:18 - 03:18

  telly blaring.

• 03:20 - 03:23

  Mhm. Most Children in Matilda's pace would have burst into

• 03:23 - 03:24

  a flood of tears.

• 03:24 - 03:25

  She didn't do this.

• 03:26 - 03:28

  She seemed to know that neither crying or sulking ever

• 03:29 - 03:30

  got anybody anywhere.

• 03:31 - 03:34

  The only visible thing to do when there isn't it,

• 03:34 - 03:37

  when you are attacked as a napoleon once said, was

• 03:38 - 03:42

  to counterattack Matilda's wonderfully subtle mind was already at work

• 03:42 - 03:46

  devising yet another subtle punishment for the poisonous parent.

• 03:48 - 03:50

  The plan that was now being beginning to hatch in

• 03:50 - 03:54

  her mind depended however, upon whether or not fred's parrot

• 03:54 - 03:57

  was really as good a talker as fred made out

• 03:58 - 03:59

  fred was a friend of Matilda's.

• 04:00 - 04:01

  He was a small boy of six who lived around

• 04:02 - 04:04

  the corner from her and for days had been going

• 04:04 - 04:07

  on about the great talking parrot his father had given

• 04:07 - 04:11

  him. So the following afternoon, as soon as mrs wormwood

• 04:11 - 04:14

  had departed in her car for another session of bingo,

• 04:15 - 04:17

  Matilda set out for fred's house to investigate.

• 04:18 - 04:21

  She knocked on his door and asked if she would

• 04:21 - 04:23

  be kind enough to show her the famous bird.

• 04:24 - 04:27

  Fred was delighted and let her to up to his

• 04:27 - 04:31

  bedroom, where a truly magnificent blue and yellow parrot sat

• 04:32 - 04:32

  in a tall cage.

• 04:33 - 04:34

  There it is, fred said.

• 04:35 - 04:39

  Its name is chopper, Make it talk, Matilda said, you

• 04:40 - 04:42

  can't make it talk fred said, you have to be

• 04:43 - 04:45

  patient, it'll talk when it feels like it.

• 04:46 - 04:47

  They hung around waiting.

• 04:47 - 04:50

  Suddenly the parents said, hello, hello, Hello.

• 04:52 - 04:53

  It was exactly like a human voice.

• 04:53 - 04:55

  Matilda said, That's amazing.

• 04:56 - 04:57

  What else can it say?

• 04:58 - 04:58

  Rattle my bones!

• 04:59 - 05:02

  The parents said, giving a wonderful imitation of a spooky

• 05:02 - 05:03

  voice, Rattle my bones.

• 05:05 - 05:09

  He's always saying that fred told her, what else can

• 05:09 - 05:09

  he say?

• 05:09 - 05:10

  Matilda asked.

• 05:11 - 05:13

  That's about it, fred said, but it's pretty marvelous.

• 05:14 - 05:17

  Don't you think it's fabulous, Matilda said, will you lend

• 05:18 - 05:19

  them to me for just one night?

• 05:20 - 05:22

  No, fred said, certainly not.

• 05:23 - 05:25

  I'll give you all my weeks pocket money.

• 05:26 - 05:30

  Matilda said that was different fred thought about it for

• 05:30 - 05:30

  a few seconds.

• 05:31 - 05:33

  All right then, he said, but if you promise to

• 05:34 - 05:37

  return him tomorrow, Matilda staggered back to her own empty

• 05:37 - 05:40

  house, carrying the tall cage in both hands.

• 05:40 - 05:43

  There was a large fireplace in the dining room and

• 05:44 - 05:47

  she now set the wedging the cage up the chimney

• 05:47 - 05:48

  and out of sight.

• 05:49 - 05:52

  This wasn't so easy, but she managed it in the

• 05:52 - 05:52

  end. Hello?

• 05:53 - 05:56

  Hello? Hello, The burl called down to her.

• 05:56 - 05:57

  Hello. Hello.

• 05:58 - 06:01

  Shut up, you nut, Matilda said, and she went out

• 06:01 - 06:05

  to wash the soot off her hands that evening while

• 06:05 - 06:07

  the mother, the father, the brother in Matilda, we're having

• 06:07 - 06:10

  supper as usual, in the living room, in front of

• 06:10 - 06:10

  the television.

• 06:11 - 06:13

  A voice came loud and clear from the dining room

• 06:14 - 06:14

  across the hall.

• 06:15 - 06:16

  Hello? Hello.

• 06:17 - 06:18

  Hello, it said harry!

• 06:19 - 06:20

  Cried mother, turning white.

• 06:20 - 06:21

  There's someone in the house.

• 06:21 - 06:22

  I heard a voice.

• 06:24 - 06:25

  So did I.

• 06:25 - 06:27

  The brother said until the jumped up and switched off

• 06:27 - 06:27

  the telly.

• 06:28 - 06:32

  She said, listen, they all stopped eating and sat there,

• 06:32 - 06:33

  very tense, listening.

• 06:34 - 06:34

  Hello? Hello?

• 06:35 - 06:37

  Hello, came the voice again.

• 06:37 - 06:38

  There it is!

• 06:38 - 06:38

  Cried the brother.

• 06:39 - 06:42

  It's burglars hits the mother there in the dining room.

• 06:42 - 06:45

  I think they are for the father said, sitting tight,

• 06:45 - 06:46

  then go and catch them.

• 06:46 - 06:49

  Harry, hits the mother, go out and collar them Red

• 06:50 - 06:52

  handed. The father didn't move.

• 06:53 - 06:54

  He seemed to be in no hurry to dash off

• 06:55 - 06:55

  and be a hero.

• 06:56 - 06:58

  His face had turned gray.

• 06:59 - 06:59

  Get on with.

• 07:00 - 07:00

  It hits the mother.

• 07:01 - 07:02

  They're probably after the silver.

• 07:03 - 07:05

  The husband wiped his lips nervously with his napkin.

• 07:06 - 07:08

  Why don't we all go and look together?

• 07:08 - 07:09

  He said.

• 07:10 - 07:11

  I'm sensing he must be afraid.

• 07:12 - 07:12

  Come on then.

• 07:13 - 07:14

  The brother said, come on, mom.

• 07:14 - 07:17

  They definitely, they're definitely in the dining room until the

• 07:17 - 07:19

  whisper. I'm sure they are.

• 07:20 - 07:21

  The mother grabbed the poker from the fireplace.

• 07:22 - 07:24

  The father took a golf club that was standing in

• 07:24 - 07:25

  the corner.

• 07:25 - 07:28

  The brother seized the table lamp, ripping the plug out

• 07:28 - 07:28

  of its socket.

• 07:29 - 07:32

  Matilda took the knife she had been eating with, and

• 07:32 - 07:34

  all four of them crept toward the dining room, the

• 07:35 - 07:37

  father keeping well behind the others.

• 07:37 - 07:38

  Hello, Hello!

• 07:39 - 07:40

  Hello! Came the voice again.

• 07:41 - 07:43

  Come on, Matilda cried, and she bursts into the room

• 07:44 - 07:45

  brandishing her knife.

• 07:45 - 07:46

  Stick them up!

• 07:46 - 07:46

  She yelled.

• 07:47 - 07:48

  We've caught you!

• 07:48 - 07:50

  The others followed her, waving their weapons.

• 07:51 - 07:51

  Then they stopped.

• 07:52 - 07:53

  They stared around the room.

• 07:54 - 07:54

  There was no one there.

• 07:55 - 07:59

  There's, there's no one here, the father said, greatly relieved.

• 08:00 - 08:01

  I heard him harry.

• 08:02 - 08:06

  The mother shrieks, still quaking, a distinctive, heard his voice.

• 08:06 - 08:08

  So did you?

• 08:09 - 08:10

  I'm certain I heard him.

• 08:10 - 08:11

  Matilda cried.

• 08:11 - 08:12

  He's in here somewhere.

• 08:13 - 08:15

  She began searching behind the sofa and behind the curtains.

• 08:17 - 08:21

  Then came the rattled voice again, soft and spooky this

• 08:21 - 08:23

  time. Rattle my bones!

• 08:23 - 08:25

  It said, Rattle my bones!

• 08:26 - 08:29

  They all jumped, including Matilda, who was pretty good actress.

• 08:30 - 08:31

  They stared around the room.

• 08:32 - 08:33

  There was still no one there.

• 08:33 - 08:34

  It's a ghost!

• 08:34 - 08:34

  Matilda said.

• 08:35 - 08:36

  Heaven help us!

• 08:36 - 08:37

  Cried the mother, clutching her husband.

• 08:38 - 08:39

  But around the neck I knew it.

• 08:39 - 08:40

  I know it's a ghost.

• 08:40 - 08:42

  Matilda said, I've heard it here before.

• 08:43 - 08:44

  This room is haunted.

• 08:45 - 08:46

  I thought you knew that.

• 08:47 - 08:48

  Save us!

• 08:48 - 08:50

  The mother screamed, almost throttling her husband.

• 08:51 - 08:52

  I'm getting out of here!

• 08:52 - 08:54

  The father said, grayer than ever.

• 08:54 - 08:57

  Now they all fled slamming the door behind her.

• 08:58 - 09:01

  The next afternoon, Matilda managed to get the rather city

• 09:02 - 09:05

  and grumpy parrot down from the chimney and out of

• 09:05 - 09:06

  the house without being seen.

• 09:07 - 09:09

  She carried it all the way through the back door

• 09:09 - 09:12

  and ran it with all her and ran with it

• 09:12 - 09:16

  all the way to fred's house, didn't behave itself fred

• 09:16 - 09:17

  as he.

• 09:18 - 09:19

  We had a lovely time together.

• 09:19 - 09:23

  Matilda said, my parents adored it.

• 09:25 - 09:28

  I hope you enjoyed the chapter The Ghost.

• 09:29 - 09:30

  We'll continue reading tomorrow.