Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing

Although Mr. Hatcher loses the lucrative Juicy-O advertising account, he is pleased when he is assigned the Toddle-Bike TV commercial. Peter is disappointed to find that his ability to stand on his head, taught to him by his grandmother, will not win him a role in the ad.

Fudge suddenly refuses to eat his meals. His parents try to cajole him; Peter notes that “my father did tricks for him while my mother stood over his chair trying to get some food in his mouth” (23). When these efforts fail, Fudge’s mother begs him to entertain the toddler by standing on his head as she tries to feed him. Peter agrees once but refuses the next morning, as he wants to get to school on time. He rebels, saying, “I’m not going to stand on my head anymore” (24). He advises his mother that Fudge will eat when he is sufficiently hungry.

Fudge continues to misbehave by throwing his food instead of eating it. When he hides under the table during dinner and barks like a dog, Mrs. Hatcher places his dinner plate on the floor to appease him. Peter fantasizes about trading Fudge for a cocker spaniel puppy.