Chapter 5 Summary

Polski comes to the Fox house after supper. Jerry and the twins are in bed, and Mother is swabbing Charlie's rash with Calamine lotion. Charlie confides his fears to his mother. He is afraid something terrible is going to happen, especially to his father. Father sends Charlie off to bed when Polski appears, but Charlie sneaks back and eavesdrops.

Polski wants Father to use his invention to refrigerate the barn, so the farmer will have space to store more asparagus. Fox refuses. Polski asks Fox to build another cold storage facility, but again Fox refuses. He insists that all Polski needs to do is sell some of the harvested asparagus, and his problem is solved. He will make up in volume what he loses in price, Fox argues. During their conversation, Polski accidentally sits on Fox's foot massaging stool and in his hydraulic...