Dylan Taylor accidentally sets Whit's lawnmower on a path of destruction that includes Mrs. Evelyn Harcourt's rose garden. Whit and Dylan try to apologize, but because of bad past experiences with Whit, Mrs. Harcourt is unable to forgive or trust them. Later that night, while helping his sister Jessie memorize a Bible verse, Dylan realizes he must try to make it up to Mrs. Harcourt. To make up for the damage he has done, Mrs. Harcourt instructs Dylan to perform several tasks around her house while she is away, including babysitting her prize parrot, Napoleon, who is the only family she has left, and Napoleon's mate, Josephine, disappeared previously. Dylan accomplishes all of his tasks easily, until it comes time to feed and water Napoleon. The bird escapes from his cage, and as Dylan tries to catch him, Whit, who has come to apologize again to Mrs. Harcourt, accidentally lets Napoleon out the front door. Whit, Dylan, and Eugene Meltsner scour Odyssey for the next three hours, trying to find Napoleon before Mrs. Harcourt returns. They locate Napoleon on the clock tower with his mate, Josephine, and a nest of eggs. Risking life and limb, they retrieve the birds and are waiting for Mrs. Harcourt when she returns. Mrs. Harcourt is grateful and very impressed with how responsible Dylan is.