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
This frightened all the other boys Oliver was picked to get more food for this boy He took his bowl and presented it at the stove Please sir I want some more The cook was a fat nasty man He couldn’t believe his ears What did you say Please sir repeated Oliver I want some more The cook crashed the ladle down on Oliver’s head and called for Mr Bumble Bumble was horrifi ed to learn that Oliver had asked for more food It simply wasn’t done Bumble took Oliver before the council He shall be hung said one of the men An animated discussion took place Oliver was ordered into confi nement and a note was hung on the gate outside the next day It said Offering fi ve pounds to anyone who will take Oliver Twist off the hands of the parish Poor Oliver he was about to be shuffl ed off once more 10
2 Oliver Becomes an Apprentice As punishment Oliver stayed inside his small dark cramped room for more than a week He had committed the crime of asking for more food A basic need that he often had been denied During the day Oliver cried bitterly But during the night he covered his eyes with his small hands to shut out the darkness He’d crouch against the wall which is the only thing he felt comforted by Once a day he was brought before the boys and fl ogged as an example It was during the second week that Mr Gamfi eld a chimney sweep saw the reward notice He was met at the gate by Mr Bumble 11
