Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing

Dr. Brown, the family dentist, advises that Fudge will not grow new top front teeth until he is six or seven years old. Peter starts calling his brother “Fang” as a result. When his mother insists that he stop, Peter continues to use the nickname silently.

Peter and his grandmother are enlisted to help at Fudge’s third birthday party. Three young guests arrive: Ralph, an overweight child; Jennie, who is going through a biting stage; and Sam, who is afraid of everything. When the cake is served, Fudge and Ralph grab icing flowers from it with their hands. Jennie bites Peter’s grandmother as she is being served a slice of cake. Ralph demands a second helping, but “he threw up right after he finished it” (47). Fudge is pleased by Jennie’s gift of a musical jack-in-the-box, but Sam is terrified of it, and Grandma has to hide the toy in another room. Ralph gives Fudge a windup car but rescinds the gift, and the pair argue until Peter’s mother confiscates the gift. Sam is the unfortunate giver of a picture dictionary that displeases Fudge greatly.

Peter distracts the group by leading them in a dance while they hold on to balloons, but Sam has a terrified reaction when Jennie’s balloon bursts. The group starts to jump up and down on all the furniture, causing the downstairs neighbor to complain; however, Mrs. Hatcher appeases the woman by inviting her to share the birthday cake. Eventually, Ralph falls asleep on the floor, and Mrs. Hatcher asks Peter to show Dribble to the children. He protests but eventually complies with the request. Jennie asks about where Dribble “tinkles,” then proceeds to deliberately wet the floor in Peter’s room. Sam, who acclimates to the Hatcher apartment, cries when his mother arrives to retrieve him. Peter, his mother, and his grandmother are all exhausted by the end of the afternoon.