On Thursday, Miss Trunchbull came to teach the youngest children again. Everybody watched her lift up her large glass of water and look carefully at it. “I’m glad to see you there’s nothing in it today.” She said. She looked round at them with an unpleasant smile on her face. “Today I’m going to see if you can multiply by three. You! She pointed at a boy called Wilfred. Stand up!” Wilfred Stood up. “Give me the answer to this. I have seven apples, seven oranges and seven bananas. How many price of fruit do I have? Quickly! Give me the answer!”
“That isn’t multiplying” began Wilfred.
“You stupid boy!” Shouted Miss Trunchbull. “You dirty little snake! That is multiply by three. Doesn’t Miss Honey teach you anything? You have three sorts of fruit and each sort has seven prices. Three seven are twenty-one, you ugly little spider!”