The World According to Humphrey

Humphrey is “SAD-SAD-SAD” (8) for the rest of the day. Golden-Miranda notices. It is her day to clean his cage and feed him. The food and treats cheer him up, and Humphrey decides to observe Mrs. Brisbane. Mrs. Brisbane is the polar opposite of Ms. Mac in character and appearance.

Mrs. Brisbane asks the class if all Humphrey does is sleep. Raise-Your-Hand Heidi Hopper explains that Humphrey is nocturnal. The class discusses nocturnal animals. Humphrey thinks Mrs. Brisbane could learn from him if she observed him, but she avoids his cage like he has a disease. When she reads the class an engaging ghost story, even Humphrey begins to like her. However, at the end of the day, she leaves him alone for the first time in the classroom.

Humphrey is nervous. He tries writing in his notebook to pass the time. He fondly recalls the warmth and freedom of Ms. Mac’s apartment, until he remembers the “lock-that-doesn’t-lock” (12). He enjoys his new freedom, crawling all around the classroom, until he hears thumping noises eerily reminiscent of Mrs. Brisbane’s ghost story. He panics and tries to get back up to his cage, but he cannot climb up the leg of the table. He manages to get into his cage by climbing up a cord.

The lights turn on and a man with a black mustache enters the room. He introduces himself as Aldo Amato, the janitor who cleans the room every night. Aldo takes a great liking to Humphrey. He dances while he sweeps and mops and frequently roars with laughter. He eats dinner in the room and gives Humphrey some lettuce.

Aldo lost his job and was lucky to be hired at Longfellow School. However, since he works nights, he misses hanging out with his friends. Humphrey tries to tell him about the other animals at the pet store, but all Aldo hears are squeaks. However, he seems to get the message: He will no longer be alone when he works at night. Though Aldo cannot leave the light on, he opens the blinds a bit so that the streetlight shines on Humphrey’s cage. 

The rest of the week is busy. Humphrey learns that “[t]here are two Mrs. Brisbanes” (17). Though she is otherwise a good teacher, Mrs. Brisbane seems to pick on Speak-Up-Sayeh, a quiet, gentle girl who never speaks in class. Mrs. Brisbane calls on her over and over again. She gives Sayeh recess detention. Humphrey sees Sayeh crying silently, and he hates Mrs. Brisbane for it.

During recess, Mrs. Brisbane explains to Sayeh that she is not picking on her. She knows Sayeh aces all of her tests, and she wants her to speak up in class. Sayeh agrees to volunteer an answer in class, and Mrs. Brisbane agrees not to send a letter home to Sayeh’s parents. Humphrey likes this Mrs. Brisbane.

At the end of the day, Mrs. Brisbane’s frightening side returns when she is alone with Humphrey. It was Garth’s day to take care of Humphrey, and he left Humphrey’s area a mess. She angrily cleans it up and vows to get rid of Humphrey.

Humphrey is glad when she leaves. He keeps his mind occupied by studying vocabulary words. Aldo returns and gives Humphrey a small dog biscuit, to his delight. Aldo tells Humphrey that it is lonely not being able to see his friends during the week. He tells him that his nephew, Repeat-That-Please-Richie Rinaldi is in Mrs. Brisbane’s class. Aldo opens the blinds and tells Humphrey he will see him next week.

Humphrey is horrified: He realizes he will be alone over the weekend. He does not think Mrs. Brisbane will bring him home for the weekend like Ms. Mac did.

Friday is Richie’s day to care for Humphrey. The day goes smoothly, but Humphrey is still worried about what will happen to him over the weekend. After school, Heidi Hopper and Art Patel’s mothers discuss Halloween with Mrs. Brisbane. Mr. Morales, the principal of Longfellow School, enters the room. He is the “Most Important Person” at the school (26).

Mr. Morales greets the women. Humphrey discovers that Mrs. Brisbane’s first name is Sue. Mr. Morales is delighted by Humphrey; he explains that he always wanted a hamster growing up. Mrs. Brisbane says that she was thinking of seeing if another teacher would take Humphrey. The room moms say that the children love Humphrey. They suggest having students sign up to take Humphrey home over the weekend. Mr. Morales volunteers to take him home.

Mr. Morales introduces Humphrey to his children, Willie, age five, and Brenda, age seven. They are hyper, and Humphrey is easily overwhelmed. Mrs. Morales does not seem pleased with the hamster, but she has to leave to showcase a house. The children will not calm down. Humphrey realizes that “[t]he Most Important Person at Longfellow School was not treated with respect in his own house” (31).

Willie points out Humphrey’s waste in the corner, which Humphrey finds incredibly rude. Brenda squeezes Humphrey so hard he squeals. Mr. Morales sends them to their rooms. He slumps next to Humphrey’s cage. He tells Humphrey that he is not respected in his own house. Humphrey vows to teach the children a lesson. 

Humphrey waits until Mr. Morales leaves the room, then he slips out of his cage and hides behind the curtains. Mr. Morales is frantic when he sees Humphrey is gone. Humphrey feels bad and lets Mr. Morales find him; however, he scampers away when the principal tries to grab him.

Mr. Morales gets an idea. He calls the children to close all of the doors: He says Humphrey escaped because they scared him. He gets Willie and Brenda to cooperate on a plan to get Humphrey back into the cage. They make a trail of seeds leading to the cage. Humphrey goes along with it.

The rest of the weekend goes smoothly. Mr. Morales and Humphrey’s plan did the trick: Willie and Brenda respect him more. Mr. Morales calls him a true friend. Back at school on Monday, all of the children volunteer to take a turn hosting Humphrey on a weekend.

Aldo mentions he wishes he had a girlfriend. On a Wednesday afternoon, while Humphrey wanders around the classroom at night, he finds a newspaper ad for a club for people who work graveyard shift. He cuts it out with his teeth and puts it conspicuously by his cage to attract Aldo’s attention; however, Aldo does not acknowledge the clipping.

When Mrs. Brisbane wheels in an overhead projector the next day, Humphrey hatches a plan.