Chapter 11: Fudge’s Easter Egg Hunt

Based on Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume

I was in my room playing with Dribble when my mom came in and said that she wanted to talk to me. I don’t like it when she says she wants to talk to me. It usually means that I am either in trouble or I’ll be asked to do something that I don’t want to do.

“Peter,” my mom said, “I would like you to take Fudge to the Egg Hunt at the park this afternoon. Your father had to go in to work to make some last minute changes to the Toddle Bike account and I have too much to do to get everything ready for when Mr. and Mrs. Vincent come to dinner.”

“Oh mom,” I groaned loudly. “Do I have to take him? I was supposed to hang out with Jimmy Fargo.”

“Yes Peter,” my mom said sternly. I could tell that she was not very happy. “It is really important that it goes well tonight. The Toddle Bike is a big account for your father. And you remember what happened the last time we had over one of your father’s clients. Fudge annoyed the Yarby’s so much that your father lost the Juicy-O job.”

“Why can’t you ask creepy old Sheila to watch Fudge?” I suggested. “She is always bugging you about what a great babysitter she is.”

“Peter,” my mom said, “the last time that I left Sheila in charge, Fudge came home without his two front teeth. Now stop complaining and help me out.”

I was supposed to meet Jimmy Fargo at the park in 15 minutes so I didn’t have time to argue. My mother went into the kitchen to start on dinner and I went to find Fudge.

“Fudge, hurry up!” I hollered. “What is taking you so long?”

Fudge came bouncing down the hall. He was wearing his bunny pajamas – the kind with the feet.

“Here I am, Pee-tah. I am a bunny just like Pee-tah Rabbit.”

“Mom,” I shrieked in the direction of the kitchen. “I am NOT taking Fudge to the park if he is going to be wearing THAT.”

Mrs. Hatcher came out of the kitchen, drying her hands on a dishtowel. When she saw Fudge, instead of getting angry, she smiled. “Fudgie, you look precious. Let mommy take a picture of you.”

Fudge got his picture taken and I got a lecture. Before we left, my mom looked right at me and said, “Take good care of him, Peter. Don’t let him out of your sight. And for heaven’s sake, don’t let him eat too much chocolate. You know what happens to him when he eats too much chocolate!”

“I know mom,” I sighed. “Watch Fudge. Don’t let him out of my sight. And don’t let him eat too much chocolate. Now can I go? Jimmy is waiting for me.”

When I got to the playground, Jimmy was there waiting on our favourite rock. He didn’t look too crazy about seeing Fudge.

“Pee-tah, can we go and find eggs now?” Fudge asked.

“Aw, Peter,” Jimmy moaned. “How are we going to win the Spoon Race if we have to watch your dorky little brother find chocolate eggs?”

I thought about it and decided that Jimmy was right. So I turned to Fudge and said, “Okay Fudge. Now listen. Just go and find a bunch of eggs and meet me back here in 15 minutes.”

“Okay Pee-tah,” Fudge said.

“And don’t eat all of your chocolate eggs,” I warned him.

“I won’t, Pee-tah,” he promised.

I watched as Fudge hopped off.

Jimmy and I joined the line for the Spoon Race. Sheila was there, waiting for us.

“Hello Peter. Hello Jimmy,” she said.

“Hello Sheila,” I muttered.

“Since I do a lot of baking with my mother, I know how to handle eggs. I am going to win the Spoon Race and you are going to loose,” Sheila boasted.

“Oh yeah,” Jimmy snorted. “You’re going to be as rotten as the egg on your spoon!”

A grown-up handed each of us a spoon and an egg and told us to spread out across the field.

When the whistle went off, we all began to run as fast as we could. Jimmy’s egg was the first to fall. It landed with a thud. Jimmy was out of the race. That just left me to beat Sheila. I ran carefully, trying to keep my spoon from jiggling. I beat Sheila. And she was sure sore about it.

But when Fudge bounced over, Sheila smiled. Fudge was covered in chocolate. He had chocolate all over his face, all over his bunny pajamas and even in his hair. His basket was full of empty chocolate wrappers.

Boy, was I ever going to be in trouble. And Sheila knew it.

“Peter, you are going to get it when you take Fudge home!” she smirked. “You were supposed to watch Fudge and you didn’t. It looks like he ate about 50 chocolate eggs!”

Ignoring Sheila, I turned to Fudge. “Fudge,” I yelled, “I told you not to eat all your chocolate!”

Fudge began to cry. “I didn’t Pee-tah. I saved one for you.”

Even though I was kind of mad at Fudge, I felt bad about making him cry.

I managed to sneak Fudge back into the apartment without my mom seeing us. While I was cleaning him up, Fudge started to complain that his stomach hurt. “My tummy hurts, Pee-tah,” Fudge said. “I want mommy.”

“I know you do, Fudge,” I told him. “But we will both get into trouble if mom finds out that you ate all that chocolate. Don’t say anything!”

Fudge was clutching his stomach and it was almost impossible to pull his clean shirt over his head.

And at that moment the doorbell rang. “Fudge,” I pleaded, “just go out and say hello to the nice people that daddy brought home.”

“Okay Pee-tah,” Fudge said.

Fudge and I went out to meet Mr. and Mrs. Vincent. My father introduced us and, like usual, our company began to gush all over Fudge, telling him how cute he was. For once I was happy to be ignored.

“My, my,” Mrs. Vincent said, “isn’t he a darling little fellow! I think that I have something special in my purse for such a darling little fellow.”

Fudge was starting to sway back and forth. He looked like he was turning green.

Based on Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Bloom

Mrs. Vincent opened up her purse and pulled out a chocolate bunny that was wrapped with a big bow. “Here you are,” she said, handing it to Fudge.

Fudge took one look at the chocolate bunny and threw up in Mrs. Vincent’s purse!