Amelia Bedelia was sick. She was really, really, really, really, really sick. She was sick of being in her bedroom. She was sick of playing with her animals and dolls.

She was sick of watching nature programs on TV. She was sick of gazing out the window at the beautiful spring day. She was sick of thinking about how much fun her class was having without her on the field trip to the zoo. Most of all, she was sick of being sick.

“How’s the worst patient in the world?” asked Amelia Bedelia’s mother. She put a bowl of soup and a grilled cheese sandwich on Amelia Bedelia’s desk, along with Amelia Bedelia’s favorite fruit, a banana.

Amelia Bedelia stood up in bed.

“I’m all better now!” she announced.

To prove it, she jumped up and started waving her arms around. Quickly she plopped back down again.

“Mommy,” she said, “make the room stop spinning!”

“Don’t make yourself dizzy, sweetie,” her mother said, tucking her back in. “I don’t want you to fall and hit your head, on top of having the flu!”

Amelia Bedelia began coughing.

“Are you okay?” asked her mother. “This pesky flu is one tough bug!”

“Flu comes from an insect?” said Amelia Bedelia. “That’s gross! It’s not fair that a tiny bug stopped me from going to the zoo. I’m missing all the cool animals!”

Only one good thing had happened while Amelia Bedelia was sick. She had gotten to watch a television show about monkeys, and she learned an amazing thing. Since monkeys eat lots of bananas, they have figured out a fast way to peel them. Instead of starting at the hard stalk at the top, they turn the banana upside down. Then they pinch the little nub at the bottom, and the skin falls right off!

Amelia Bedelia peeled her banana the way she had seen the monkeys do it on TV. Presto! It worked! The skin fell right off. Amelia Bedelia ate her banana, but she didn’t touch anything else. She was too sick!