Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing Chapter 9 Summary

Just Another Rainy Day

  • The next day, their father decides to take the boys to the movies. Peter's skeptical because Fudge is awfully young and might not do well at the movies, but Mr. Hatcher finds a kids' film playing called A Bear's Life.
  • Fudge is looking a bit worse for the wear since their mother left, since his father hasn't even had him change his clothes. Peter helps Mr. Hatcher get Fudge cleaned up, and off they go to the movies.
  • Because it's raining, Fudge's pants get all wet before he even gets to the movie theater. Mr. Hatcher has to buy him some popcorn and he stuffs paper towels up Fudge's pant legs so he doesn't complain.
  • This isn't starting off well at all.
  • When the movie actually starts, Fudge starts talking, which Peter immediately tells him that he can't do. Needing something else to entertain himself, Fudge starts throwing popcorn at the people in front of him.
  • As if things couldn't get any worse, Peter turns to his father to talk about the popcorn throwing, and when he turns back, Fudge is gone.
  • They have to disrupt the whole movie to look for Fudge and make an announcement that a three-year-old boy named Fudge is missing.
  • Peter walks down the aisles calling for Fudge, and finally finds his brother up at the front row, trying to touch the bears in the movie. He obviously doesn't get how movies work.
  • After they find Fudge, they watch the rest of the movie, even though Peter's still pretty mortified by the whole episode. He's never going to take Fudge to the movies again.
  • When they get home, their dad tries to explain that movies are like TV, and then tells the boys that he's making them an omelet for dinner. This is really weird, because their dad isn't exactly big on cooking.
  • He makes a huge omelet, using all twelve eggs. When he brings it out, Fudge takes a bite and says that it's good. But when Mr. Hatcher tries it, he admits that it's absolutely disgusting.
  • Fudge starts yelling at him to either eat it or wear it (which is what his dad told him when he wouldn't eat), and flings some of the omelette at his dad.
  • Touché, Mr. Hatcher. Fudge is a pretty quick learner.
  • The next day, they all drive to the airport to pick up their mother, and Mr. Hatcher makes Peter promise not to tell anything about the disastrous weekend.
  • Six weeks later, they're all watching TV when the commercial for Toddle-Bikes come on and Fudge is in it.
  • That's when they all break down and tell her about all the things that happened during the long weekend that she went to visit Aunt Linda, and they all can't help but laugh about it.