Chapter 7
Matilda's Eyes
'I feel quite sick when I realize that I'm going to have
you in my school for the next six years,' Miss Trunchbull
told the children. She looked slowly along the lines of
small faces.'You!' she shouted, pointing at a small boy
called Rupert. 'What is two sevens?'
'Sixteen,' answered Rupert, too quickly.
Miss Trunchbull walked towards him like a dangerous
animal who has just found something nice to eat.
'Eighteen!' Rupert cried. 'Eighteen, not sixteen!'
'You stupid little sausage!' shouted Miss Trunchbull.
'You oily little hamburger!' She put one of her large hands
round Rupert's beautiful golden hair and lifted him out of
his chair. The boy kicked and screamed like a frightened
pig. 'Two sevens are fourteen! Two sevens are fourteen!'
shouted Miss Trunchbull. 'Say it!'
From the back of the room, Miss Honey cried,'Please
put him down, Miss Trunchbull. You're hurting him!' 21
'Say it, boy!' shouted Miss Trunchbull.
'T-t-two sevens are f-f-fourteen,' cried Rupert, and Miss
Trunchbull opened her hand and dropped him on the
ground like a rubber ball.
Rupert went back to his chair, making small noises.
Miss Trunchbull looked at the others. 'I don't like small
people. Why do children take so long to grow up? I think
they do it on purpose.'
A very brave boy called Eric said, 'But you were a
small person once, Miss Trunchbull.'
'I was never a small person!' she shouted. 'Don't be
rude! And stand up when you speak to me.'
Eric stood up.
'Spell what,' said Miss Trunchbull.
'Pardon?' said Eric. 'What do you want me to spell?'
'Spell what, you stupid boy! Spell the word "what"!'
'W... O... T, 'said Eric.
'Wrong!' screamed Miss Trunchbull. She walked across
and looked down at his frightened little face.
'W... H ... О... T,' he said, trying again quickly.
Miss Trunchbull put her hands round each of the boy's
ears and lifted him out of his chair.
'Help!' cried Eric. 'You're hurting me!'
From the back of the room, Miss Honey cried, 'Miss
Trunchbull, don't! His ears will come off!'
'Small boys' ears do not come off!' shouted Miss
Trunchbull. 'You spell the word "what", W... H... A... T
Now spell it, you little snake!'
'W... H... A... T spells what!' cried Eric. 22
Miss Trunchbull dropped him back into his chair.
'That's the way to do it, Miss Honey!' she said. 'You're too
soft with them. Read Nicholas Nickleby, by Charles
Dickens. Read about Mr Wackford Squeers of Dotheboys
Hall school. So that they learned, what did he do with
boys? He hit them, Miss Honey! Hit them hard! Read it.
It's a very good book.'
'I've read it,' said Matilda quietly.
Miss Trunchbull looked down at her. 'Don't lie to me,
girl!' she shouted. 'Stand up. What is your name?'
Matilda stood up and said, 'Matilda Wormwood, Miss
Trunchbull.'
'Wormwood?' said Miss Trunchbull. 'Are you the
daughter of the man Wormwood of Wormwood Cars?'
Yes, Miss Trunchbull,' said Matilda.
'He's a robber!' shouted Miss Trunchbull. 'A few days
ago he sold me a car. "It's almost new," he said. But today
the gearbox blew up! And it was full of sawdust!'
'He's clever at his business,' said Matilda.
'Clever? No, he's not!' shouted Miss Trunchbull. 'Miss
Honey tells me that you're clever, too! Well, I don't like
clever people, so I'm going to watch you very carefully.
Now, sit down and be quiet.'
Matilda sat down and Miss Trunchbull turned and
picked up her glass of water — and screamed! Then all the
children saw the long, thin thing swimming round and
round in the glass. They jumped up and shouted 'What is
it?' 'It's a snake!' and 'Be careful, it bites!'
Miss Trunchbull was shaking. 'Wh-what is it?' she said.
She did not know. She just knew that it was something 23
very unpleasant. 'Matilda!' she shouted. 'Stand up! Stand up
you dirty little rat!'
'I didn't do it!' shouted Matilda.
'Oh yes, you did!' shouted Miss Trunchbull. 'Your
father was right to warn me about you!'
'But I didn't do it!' screamed Matilda.
'Shut up and sit down!' shouted Miss Trunchbull.
Slowly, Matilda sat down. She got angrier... and
angrier... and angrier... 'I'll blow up in a minute!' she
thought. She looked at Miss Trunchbull, then she looked at
the newt in the glass. 'I want to pick up the glass and drop
the newt on Trunchbull's head!' she thought.
And then, quite slowly, Matilda began to feel
something strange. It was mostly in her eyes. A sort of
electricity seemed to be inside them. A strong feeling... and
her eyes were beginning to get hot...
She looked at the newt in the glass... and the feeling in
each eye got stronger and stronger... 'Push it over!' she said
very softly. 'Push it over!' And suddenly the glass fell over,
and the water and the newt went on to the front of Miss
Trunchbull's dress!
Miss Trunchbull screamed and knocked the newt off
with the back of her hand, and it went flying across the
room. It landed on the floor near Lavender's desk, and she
quickly picked it up and put it into her pencil box.
'Who did it?' Miss Trunchbull was screaming. 'Come
on! Who pushed t