l Mom came home, she got a surprise:
No loud sounds of yelling, no insults, or cries.
Small Itty Brother was sewing up clothes,
While Brother Enormous pulled bugs from his nose.

Kinda Sorta Big Brother was just very kind.
Three better brothers would be hard to find.
When she asked who was leaving, they simply refused.
Needless to say, this left her confused.

"When we weren't being horrible," said Itty Brother,
"We found that we actually like one another."
She smiled when they said there would be no more fighting,
But as she hugged them, she asked if they'd put that in writing.

XXXIII

TREMENDOUS STUPENDOUS!

It was the day that Farmer Duff waited for all year round: Today was
Family Funday Sunday! The kids came rushing onto the farm as soon as
the gates opened. They fed the goats. They rode the horses. They
watched the pigs roll in the mud and tried to jump in with them. The
rest of the day was spent running away from the goats who were
looking for more food.

When everyone had left, all the animals gathered in the barn to fall
asleep. Just as the last chick had closed its eyes, and everything
was silent, all of a sudden... BOOM! CRRRRACK!

Something fell from the ceiling into a pile of hay. The dog started
barking loudly and the chickens ran in circles, bumping into each
other. Then the something on the floor started moving and dusting
itself off. It had the oddest little vest and a very tall top hat.
(How it had stayed on his head, we'll never know.)

"Please excuse my entrance, all my furry little friends.
Give me just a moment and I'll try to make amends,"
said the something with a hat and vest.

Then he pulled out from his vest an old wooden spoon. He waved it at
the ceiling and said, "TREMENDOUS STUPENDOUS!" And with that, the
roof was fixed, just like new. "Where did you come from?" asked the
sheep. "How'd you'd that!" said the dog.

"I arrived today from Walden where I lived inside their Zoo.
I was raised in Southern France, but I was born in Timbuktu."

About this time the hawk and the blue jay came to see what had made
all the noise. (The hawk never went anywhere without his friend, the
blue jay.) They sat high up on the windowsill and watched below.
"That's all well and good," said the hawk, "But who are you?"

"How rude of me--my name is Ferret R. Fable," he said as he bowed.
Ferret R. Fable adjusted his vest and removed his hat, carefully
placing it in the middle of the floor.