One Day in the Life of Mike Teavee
by Roderick T. Long
[Idaho Falls, 1975 or 1976 (age 11 or 12). The assignment was to write a day in the life of some fictional character from one of our favourite books; I picked one from Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. This obviously takes place after Teavee’s session on the gum-stretching machine.]
Mike Teavee woke up from a cold draft on his legs, which were sticking out at the foot of the bed. He pulled them in and jumped out of bed. He leaned over, and with his long arm, he stretched to the living room T.V. and turned it on. While he was getting dressed, he watched the T.V. He then bounded in to breakfast (his long legs knocking over to lamps, a vase, and a whole bookcase on the way), and sat down and gulped it up. Then, he rushed to the T.V. and remained there until it was time for school. He then stooped under the door and walked to school. With his long legs, he arrived at school very quickly. He ducked in the door and sat down at his desk. He had to spread his legs wife to make room for them.
During P.E., they played basketball. Mike’s class won, of course. Then it was time for lunch. Mike had a whole table to himself.
On the way home from school he saw a little girl crying because her cat was up a tree. He plucked the cat out of the tree, gave it to the girl, and went on home.
Suddenly he saw a “Detour” sign. The detour led through a tunnel. He got down on his stomach and squirmed through the tunnel – it was much too low for a man as tall as Mike Teavee to walk upright! After he had squeezed out of the tunnel, he went on home.
FINIS
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