Matilda’s Journey: Magic, Friendship, and New Beginnings
Matilda’s Extraordinary Abilities Unfold
The second miracle occurred when Matilda was in school, shortly after the first. Matilda decided to tell Miss Honey what had happened. When Miss Honey heard Matilda’s account, she initially thought it was a product of Matilda’s vivid imagination.
To play along, Miss Honey decided to test Matilda’s power. She placed a glass on the table and asked Matilda to do it again. Matilda, excited, began to concentrate on making the glass drop. Suddenly, Matilda felt a surge of electricity and started to see many hands reaching out towards the glass, causing it to fall. Miss Honey was utterly surprised. Matilda then asked Miss Honey to keep her secret.
A Glimpse into Miss Honey’s Humble Abode
Miss Honey’s house was located deep in a forest, at the end of a narrow dirt road. From the outside, the house looked remarkably small and old. It was constructed of old red bricks, with a gray roof and a worn green door.
Upon entering, the first thing one saw was a dark, narrow hallway that connected directly to the kitchen. The kitchen itself was very small, featuring only a tiny window and an oil stove.
Following the hallway, one found the living room, which was even smaller. Surprisingly, it was empty, furnished only with three wooden boxes that served as two chairs and a table.
To get water into the house, they relied on a well located outside the old house.
Matilda, surprised by the stark simplicity, realized that Miss Honey was very poor, and she became curious to know why.
Miss Honey’s Tragic Past Revealed
Miss Honey confided in Matilda, explaining that when she was born, she lived in a very big and beautiful house. However, that was when her first tragedy struck: her mother died when she was barely two years old. Because of this, her father, a busy doctor, had to ask Honey’s aunt to take care of her.
Her aunt, Mrs. Trunchbull, was always cruel to Honey; she abused her, but only when no one else was looking.
When Honey was five years old, her father died suddenly. At first, she didn’t know why, until she learned he had committed suicide.
So, Honey lived alone with her aunt. The aunt was exceedingly mean and treated Honey like a servant. When Honey grew up, she took a course to become a teacher because it was the closest profession to home. When she started working, all her money went directly to her aunt, as the aunt had set up Honey’s bank account so that her salary would be deposited there. Honey only lived on £1 a month, but still managed to save enough to get a house and escape from her evil aunt, Mrs. Trunchbull.
The Third Miracle: Trunchbull’s Downfall
The third miracle happened during Thursday’s class, when Mrs. Trunchbull came to question the children about what they had learned. Before her arrival, Miss Honey had warned them to be quiet and behave.
When Trunchbull arrived, she began asking a boy the three times table backward. When he couldn’t answer, she pushed him, causing him to fall.
Suddenly, Nigel shouted that the chalk was moving by itself. Everyone looked surprised and watched as the chalk began to write a message for Trunchbull. It declared: “This is Magnus. I am angry. Give Jenny her house back, or I will get you!”
Trunchbull, utterly frightened, fainted. Miss Honey watched from a distance as Matilda focused intently on her plan to destroy her. After Trunchbull fell, everyone was shocked, and five teachers came to take her to the hospital wing.
A New Beginning: Matilda’s Forever Home
After Trunchbull escaped, the new headmaster found a will in which Miss Honey’s father had left her his house and savings. Miss Honey moved into a charming red house near Matilda, and Matilda began visiting her every afternoon.
One day, Matilda told Miss Honey she had lost her power, and Miss Honey explained it was because she was now using all her energy on her studies.
Upon returning home, Matilda learned that her family was leaving for Spain in 30 minutes. Frightened, she ran to tell Miss Honey everything and asked to stay with her. Miss Honey agreed on the condition that Matilda’s parents would stay with her as well. In the end, her parents agreed without saying goodbye, and Matilda went to live permanently with Miss Honey.