Wonka Wisdom

"The most important thing we've learned

So far as children are concerned

Is never, never, never let

Them near your television set

Or better still, just don't install

The idiotic thing at all. . .

They sit and stare and stare and sit

Until they're hypnotized by it,

Until they're absolutely drunk

With all that shocking ghastly junk. . .

'All right!' you'll cry. 'All right!' you'll say,

'But if we take the set away,

What shall we do to entertain

Our darling children? Please explain!'

We'll answer this by asking you,

'What used the darling ones to do?

'How used they keep themselves contented

Before this monster was invented?'

Have you forgotten?

Don't you know?

We'll say it very loud and slow:

They used to read.

They'd read and read and read and read and then proceed

To read some more."

- Roald Dahl

'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory'