52 LITERATURE Roald Dahl (1916–1990) was a famous British writer who is well known worldwide for his children’s books such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or Matilda, but many people don’t know that he also wrote books based on his life. In Boy he shares anecdotes of his family and school life in the 1920s. The following extract tells the story of ‘The Great Mouse Plot’, in which Dahl, aged eight, and four of his friends play a trick on Mrs Pratchett, the mean old lady who runs the sweet shop. They hide a dead mouse in a big jar of sweets to frighten her. Unfortunately for the boys, they are caught … 1 Literature along the way What do you think punishments were like for pupils at that time? What do you think is going to happen to the boys now? Now read the extract and talk about the questions on the next page. Mrs Pratchett’s Revenge1 Our Form Master came into the classroom with a piece of paper in his hand. ‘The following are to report to the Headmaster’s study at once,’ he said. ‘Thwaites … Dahl …’ And then he read out the other three names which I have forgotten. The five of us stood up and left the room. We didn’t speak as we made our way down the long corridor into the Headmaster’s private quarters where the dreaded2 study was situated. Thwaites knocked on the door. ‘Enter!’ We sidled3 in. The room smelled of leather and tobacco. Mr Coombes was standing in the middle of it, dominating everything, a giant of a man if ever there was one, and in his hands he held a long yellow cane4 which curved round the top like a walking stick. ‘I don’t want any lies,’ he said. ‘I know very well you did it and you were all in it together. Line up over there against the bookcase.’ We lined up. Thwaites in front and I, for some reason, at the very back. I was last in the line. ‘You,’ Mr Coombes said, pointing the cane at Thwaites. ‘Come over here.’ Thwaites went forward very slowly. ‘Bend over,’ Mr Coombes said. Thwaites bent over. Our eyes were riveted on him5. We were hypnotized by it all. We knew, of course, that boys got the cane now and again, but we had never heard of anyone being made to watch. ‘Tighter, boy, tighter!’ Mr Coombes snapped out. ‘Touch the ground!’ Thwaites touched the carpet with the tips of his fingers. Mr Coombes stood back and took up a firm stance6 with his legs well apart. I thought how small Thwaites’s bottom looked and how very tight it was. Mr Coombes had his eyes focused squarely upon it. He raised the cane high above his shoulder, and as he brought it down, it made a loud swishing sound, and then there was a crack like a pistol shot as it struck Thwaites’s bottom. 1 revenge: Rache 2 dreaded: gefürchtet 3 to sidle in: sich hineinschleichen 4 cane: Stock 5 our eyes were riveted on him: wir konnten unseren Blick nicht von ihm lösen 6 stance: Haltung Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
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