The following evening, Sherman found Mr. Peabody bustling around the kitchen. He was busy cooking. Shiny silver pots full of delicious soups and sauces crowded the stove, and platter after platter of gourmet food covered the countertops.

“Wow! Is today some kind of special occasion?” Sherman asked.

“You could say that,” Mr. Peabody answered mysteriously.

Just then, the doorbell rang. Mr. Peabody pulled off his apron and chef’s hat and went to answer the door. Sherman followed, curious to see who was coming to dinner. He was shocked—a little freaked out, actually—when the door opened to reveal Penny and her parents, Paul and Patty Peterson.

“Welcome,” Mr. Peabody said, flashing the Petersons a charming smile.

Paul Peterson’s eyes widened in surprise. “So he’s literally a dog?” he asked his wife.

“Paul!” Patty shushed him.

“No, that’s all right. Although, I prefer ‘literate dog,’ ” Mr. Peabody replied graciously.

Patty Peterson chuckled, but Paul remained unimpressed. He looked at Mr. Peabody suspiciously.

“Say hello to Penny, Sherman,” Mr. Peabody prompted.

Sherman forced a smile and said hello. Penny was pretty much the last person he wanted to see. From the expression on her face, it was clear she felt the same way.

“Now why don’t you go show Penny your mineral collection, Sherman?” Mr. Peabody suggested. “I’m sure she’ll find those new geodes of yours fascinating.”

Reluctantly, Sherman took Penny off to his room, but not before he gave Mr. Peabody a wounded look.

Mr. Peabody led the Petersons into the living room. “I’m so glad you accepted my invitation. Now the kids can resolve their differences in a more civilized manner,” he said brightly. Mr. Peabody knew that smoothing things over with Penny’s parents would be a good way to prevent Miss Grunion from taking Sherman away.

“I’m not here to be civilized,” Paul grumbled. “In fact, if it weren’t for Patty, I would have pressed charges already. And I have to tell you, Peabody, where my daughter is concerned, nothing is more important than her safety!”

Mr. Peabody sighed. Becoming friends with the Petersons wasn’t going to be as easy as he’d thought.

In Sherman’s room, Sherman and Penny spent most of the evening ignoring each other. The one time he tried to talk to her, she hissed, “If you say one word to me, jerkface, I’ll hurt you.”

That was enough to convince Sherman to keep his distance. He could have easily ignored her all night if Mr. Peabody hadn’t popped in to check on them. He pulled Sherman aside and encouraged him to make friends with Penny.

“Share your interests. Tell her a witty anecdote,” he advised.

Mr. Peabody made it sound so easy. He had no idea what Sherman was dealing with.

After Mr. Peabody had returned to his guests, Sherman glanced at Penny. She was sitting on the opposite side of the room playing a video game on her phone. A few minutes later, Sherman worked up the courage to speak to her.

“You know, Penny, Sigmund Freud says if you don’t like a person, it’s because they remind you of something you don’t like about yourself,” he said.

Penny rolled her eyes. “What do you know about Sigmund Freud?” she asked skeptically.

“More than you think,” Sherman replied.

Penny jumped to her feet. “Sure. Just like you know all that stuff about George Washington not cutting down the cherry tree,” she sneered. “What a crock.”

“But it’s true!” Sherman protested.

“How do you know?” Penny pressed.

“I just know!” Sherman shouted. He wasn’t telling the whole truth, but he didn’t have a choice. Mr. Peabody always warned him not to tell anyone about the WABAC.

Penny propped her hands on her hips and took a slow step toward Sherman. He backed away nervously.

“Did you read it in a book?” she asked menacingly.

Sherman shook his head. Penny asked question after question, marching Sherman across the room, until at last his back was against the wall.

Fed up, Penny poked a threatening finger into his chest. “So how do you know, Sherman?” she demanded.

Sherman couldn’t bear it any longer. He buckled under the pressure and blurted out that he’d spoken directly to George Washington himself.

Penny blinked in surprise. For a moment she almost believed him. Then reality set in. “Liar!” she mocked him.

Sherman groaned in frustration. He wasn’t lying, and there was only one way he could think of to prove it.