Fudge makes a new friend, a six-year-old boy named Daniel who lives nearby. He knows all about different kinds of birds and shows his know-how on his first visit over while observing Uncle Feather. Daniel has a tough guy attitude and frequently asks, “you want to make something of it?” (118). He is picky and pushes Fudge’s mom to make his sandwich exactly to his specifications. When Tootsie learns to crawl, a monumental moment for her and the Hatcher family, Daniel is unimpressed. Mom and Dad are thrilled and film Tootsie for the rest of the day. Before long, she is standing and crawling fast, grabbing everything she can get her hands on. The house is babyproofed to allow for the change.

Jimmy comes to visit Peter and is impressed by the changes in Tootsie and the new pet bird. When Alex comes over to meet Jimmy, the day goes downhill and the two boys compete over who is best at every little thing. Mom suggests going to see Superman at the theater and the boys agree, and Peter’s mom tells them to take Fudge and Daniel along.