Chapter 4 Miss Honey
Most children began school when they are five years old, or just before, but Matilda’s parents forgot to sand her. She was five and a half when she went for the first time. Crunchem Hall School had about two hundred and fifty children, and the head teacher was called Miss Trunchbull. She was a terrible woman who frightened the children and the teacher. When she came near, you could almost feel danger coming from her; and if four or five children got in her way, she crashed straight them, pushing them right and left.
Matilda found herself in a group with eighteen other small boys and girls about her age. Their teacher was Miss Honey, and she was about twenty-three. She had a pretty face, with blue eyes and brown hair. She never shouted, but she did not seem to smile. But all the children loved her.
Matilda put up her hand. She was the only one.
Miss Honey looked carefully at the small girl with the dark hair and the round serious face.
Miss Honey tried to speak calmly.
Miss Honey was careful not to show that she was very, very surprised.
Miss Honey was feeling quite strange. But she had to find out more about this surprising little girl.
Three hands want up. They belonged to Lavender, a small boy called Nigel and to Matilda.
Nigel spelled it.
Then Miss Honey asked a question that she had never asked a group of children before on their first day.
Miss Honey suddenly found that she had to sit down.