Chapter 1: The Big Winner
Peter
Hatcher won Dribble, his new turtle, at Jimmy Fargo’s birthday party. Peter is
nine years old and in the fourth grade. Peter shows Henry Bevelheimer the
elevator operator in his apartment building. Farley Hatcher is Peter’s 2 and ½
year old brother whom everyone calls Fudge. His Father is an advertiser.
Chapter 2: Mr. and Mrs. Juicy-O
Peter’s
father did advertising for a drink called Juicy-O (oranges, grapefruits,
pineapples, pears and bananas) Mr. and Mrs. Yarby (creator of Juicy-O) were
coming into NY from Chicago to meet with Peter’s father and instead of staying
in a hotel he suggests they stay at their own apartment. Mother isn’t too
thrilled. The Yarby’s thought the boys were rude and ill-mannered. Dinner was a
disaster (Fudge scared Mrs. Yarby with Dribble and a gorilla mask) and the
Yarby’s were packed and ready to go home by morning. Fudge had placed stamps all
over their suitcase and it took their mother a half an hour to clean it off.
There was no more deal with Juicy-O.
Chapter 3: The Family Dog
Fudge stopped eating one night and the only
way his mother could get him to eat was if Peter stood on his head and then his
mother could shove some food into his mouth. She became worried and began
taking him to doctors but they all told her the same thing, he will eat when he
is hungry which is exactly what Peter had told her before the doctors. He was
under the kitchen table one night pretending to be a dog when his mother had an
idea to give him his food down there. This went on for a week and Peter thought
of how nice it would be if he could really trade his brother for a dog. Peter
seems to feel extremely neglected by his parents and envious of the attention
they give to his younger brother. One day his father took fudge into the
bathroom and dumped his cereal onto his head “If you don’t eat it you’ll wear
it!” Peter was thrilled with his punishment and Fudge began eating regularly
again a day after this incident.
Chapter 4: My Brother the Bird
Peter
lives close to Central Park. His friend had been mugged three times and his
father once so his mother had warned him not to wonder alone. Him and Jimmy
went together to play on the rocks and realized that Sheila was sitting on
“Their” rocks. Peter’s mom went by chasing after Fudge who was on his bike
racing after birds. She had to run home for ten minutes and left the three of
them in charge. They went over to the playground and the two boys were being
chased by Sheila. Peter realized Fudge had climbed to the top of the jungle gym
and was calling out that he was a bird and going to fly. He feel to the ground
and started to bleed. They realized that his two front teeth had been knocked
out from the fall. His mother came and they went home and she cleaned him up.
Peter’s mother blamed him for the accident and they fought. Peter did not feel
loved or even liked in his house. The next morning his mother came in and apologized
for blaming Peter, it was nobody’s fault, just an accident.
Chapter 5: The Birthday Bash
The
dentist told them that Fudge’s teeth would not grow in until he was six or
seven. Peter could not help but call him fang. Fudge was turning three and his
mother wanted to throw him a little birthday party. She invited over his three
friends, Sam, Ralph, and Jennie. Same was afraid of everything, Ralph was on
the heavy side and ate a lot, and Jennie was a biter. Peter’s father couldn’t
make it so his grandma came over to help. From 1-2:30 four three year olds were
running around the house. Jennie bit Peter’s grandma and peed on the floor,
Ralph passed out in Fudge’s room, and Sam screamed at everything. Peter had
warned his mother that three was too young to have a party. When his father
came home from work he asked how it was and Peter again said three was too
young for a party and his mother could not agree more.
Chapter 6: Fang Hits Town
Peter’s mother decided that the boys and her
would spend the Saturday out and about. They first had a dentist appointment
for Fudge. Peter had to help Dr. Brown (also an old family friend) get Fudge to
open his mouth. Next they went to Bloomingdales and got new shoes. Fudge wanted
ones like Peter so they had to trick him and Peter had to pretend to get saddle
shoes instead of loafers. Then they went out to lunch where Fudge was acting up
and smearing his food on the walls. He dumped his peas on his head and said
“Eat is or wear it” Peter laughed and nearly choked. His mom asked him on the
way back home in the taxi if the day was really that bad. Peter did not answer.
Chapter 7: The Flying Train Committee
In
Peter’s fourth grade class they were all assigned to committees and assigned a
project on a particular part of the city. Peter, Jimmy, and Sheila were
partnered together and were assigned to make a poster board and a booklet and
an oral report on NYC transportation. Sheila agreed to do the booklet and ten
pages if Jimmy and Peter both did 5 and the poster board. The met every Tuesday
and Thursday at Peter’s and eventually were making progress. He did not
understand why NYC didn’t just use a monorail. Peter stored everything under
his bed and discovered one day that Fudge had destroyed his poster board him
and Jimmy worked hard on. He was very upset and his mother actually spanked
Fudge. Peter wanted a lock on his door. His mother refused but bought him a new
poster board. It looked better than the first one. Peter came home one day to
Fudge in his room cutting his hair over Dribble’s bowl and markers all over his
face. Peter’s father installed a latch on his door. The project turned out
great. The truck on the poster look like a “flying train”.
Chapter 8: The TV
Star
Peter’s
mother’s sister had her first baby and she was flying out to Baltimore to help
her for the weekend. Peter did not have school that day so his father took him
and Fudge to his office. He had the secretary watch over them and give them a
tour. A commercial for a toddle-bike was being filmed and many kids with their
mothers were lined up to try-out. Mr. Vincent saw Fudge and wanted him for the
commercial. He wouldn’t move on the bike until Peter finally got him too.
Chapter 9: Just Another Rainy Day
It was raining and Peter’s father decided to
take him and Fudge to the movies. They saw a G movie about bears. Fudge was
throwing popcorn at people and talking a lot. Once the movie started he was
intrigued. Soon Peter realized that Fudge was gone. Peter’s dad found an usher
and they stopped the movie. Peter found Fudge in the front he said he wanted to
touch the bears. That night for dinner Peter’s father tried to make a mushroom
omelet but it was awful even though Fudge loved it. They picked up their mom at
the airport and Peter’s dad suggested that they should keep the things they did
that weekend a secret. Peter’s mother did not know about the commercial until
she saw it.
Chapter 10: Dribble!
May
tenth Peter came home from school and noticed Dribble was not in his bowl. He
and his mother searched the house. Fudge confessed to swallowing him. She took
him to the hospital and it took a couple of days but it finally came out. Upon
returning from the hospital Peter’s parents agreed that Peter was a good sport
about the whole situation. The gave him a dog.
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