The Moffats

One day, Jane’s frustration with the “For Sale” sign on the yellow house boils over, and she angrily throws mud all over it. Mama scolds her and makes her wash it off, leaving the sign clean and noticeable. The local Murdock family comes walking down the street, and they notice the sign when they see Jane scrubbing it. Over the following weeks, the Murdocks continue to stop by and pester the Moffats, asking to see the house and deliberating whether to buy it. Mama and the Moffat children are annoyed by the constant unwanted visits from the Murdocks and ask the house’s owner, Dr. Witty, to stop them.

The most annoying Murdock is the youngest daughter, Letitia, whom Jane knows from dance class. Letitia rings the bell constantly, and when it goes unanswered, she simply crawls in the window and walks around the yellow house. One day, Jane is hiding from Letitia in the lilac bush when the youngest Murdock child finds her. Jane decides to play a trick on her, telling her that she knows how to hypnotize people. She “hypnotizes” Rufus, who becomes a dog and starts biting Letitia’s socks. The prank works as intended, and Letitia quickly runs home in terror.