When Mr. Griff has to step out of the kitchen one morning to take an important phone call, he agrees to let Stanley fix his own breakfast. Stanley succeeds in pouring his own cereal and milk, but then ends up spilling it all over the floor. Surely that his father will think he's just a little kid for doing this, Stanley searches for animal that could help him clean up the mess. He thinks of the anteater, but Dennis encourages him to learn more about them. Stanley's frustration over having to have a babysitter while his parents are away evaporates when he learns that his babysitter is his Grandma Griff, who speaks to animals like him. To Stanley's delight, Grandma Griff's pet parrot Peeky has joined her on this trip. She agrees to let Stanley briefly look after him while she fixes a snack and while she's out, Stanley looks up parrots in The Great Big Book of Everything.