When I was growing up, no author ‘spoke’ to me more than what Roald Dahl did. In my little world, it seemed as if only he knew what it was like to be me. So when I found the Roald Dahl collection of books a while back, I was thrilled. Every now and then I pick one up and read a paragraph or two. The one I seem to go back to the most is The Twits.

Dahl’s account of The Twits has been etched in my memory ever since I was a little girl. The way they lived and how they treated one another and everyone else, including animals horrified me. As a child, I hoped to never come across people that ugly. How ironic that as an adult, I do. To this day, when I see a man with a big beard, I always imagine food stuck in it just like Mr Twit. *yuck*

The story always leaves me smiling. Not only is it filled with clever humour, but also such great lessons about life. Here’s one of my favourite examples:

Thank-you Mr Dahl. Thank-you.

** Reference: Roald Dahl’s Scrumdiddlyumptious Story Collection. 2007.