in because she was paid to do so Part of her payment was to feed and clothe the children Being a greedy woman she kept all the money for herself Oliver and the others got used to going to bed with empty bellies Word would come to Mrs Mann when an inspection was to take place It was only at these times the children were bathed spruced up and given a full meal When Oliver Twist was nine the head of the workhouse Mr Bumble paid a surprise visit to Mrs Mann Oliver Twist is nine today said Mr Bumble We never did fi gure out who his father or mother were Mrs Mann raised her hands in astonishment How does he have any name at all I named him said Mr Bumble We name the children in alphabetical order The child before him was Swubble Then a T was due So I named him Twist Oliver is too old to stay 6
here It’s time he moved back to the house he was born into I’ve come to take him I’ll fetch him myself said Mrs Mann After a quick cleaning of his outer layer Oliver was brought before Mr Bumble Make a bow to the man Oliver Mrs Mann said Oliver quickly bowed his head Will you come with me Oliver asked Mr Bumble Before he answered Oliver saw Mrs Mann shaking her fi st as a warning to the young boy Oliver was used to her threats Will she be going with me he asked I’m afraid not said Mr Bumble Although Oliver was not sad to be leaving Mrs Mann he quickly pretended to be sad at the sight of her shaking fi st Mrs Mann shoved him off with a thousand embraces and a piece of bread and butter She couldn’t have Oliver appearing too hungry when he arrived at the workhouse 7
As the gate closed behind them Oliver felt a sudden sadness in leaving behind the only friends he had ever known Oliver was immediately brought before a council of ten men at the workhouse They decided that Oliver should start work the very next day Life in the workhouse was hard Meals were limited to once a day with the rare exception of a holiday here and there The boys ate in a large stone hall A copper stove stood at one end with a master constantly stirring the gruel in it There was never a need to wash the bowls as the boys licked them clean Oliver and his friends suffered a slow starvation for three months One day a new boy came along He wasn’t used to hunger His father had owned a small cookshop before he had died and left the boy an orphan The boy’s eyes grew wild with hunger If I don’t get more food I shall eat one of you 8
