Harriet the Spy

The next day, Harriet goes on her spy rounds to visit a couple named Robinson. They never speak to each other but spend all their time buying things for their home, which they love to show off. As Harriet watches them, she thinks, “They never worked, and what was worse, they never even read anything. They bought things and brought them home and then they had people in to look at them” (66).

After the Robinsons, Harriet goes to watch Harrison Withers. Peering down through a skylight, she can see him making birdcages. The work seems to make him very happy. Harriet counts the cats inside his apartment and learns there are 26 of them. He feeds them kidneys while he eats yogurt.

Harriet’s next stop is to visit Janie, who isn’t in a good mood because her parents are upset about her many flammable chemical experiments. Janie’s mother is threatening to send her to dance school to turn her into a proper young lady. Apparently, Harriet’s mother is planning the same thing. Both girls vow that they will never be forced to dance.