Told by her friend, Lavinia, that she and Old Tom should 'smarten themselves up', Angela takes Old Tom to the local department store to buy new outfits. There, they bump into Lavinia, who insists on taking them shopping. Lavinia leaves Old Tom to play on a children's ride, as she takes Angela around the store, buying increasingly silly outfits for her. Meanwhile, Old Tom breaks free from the ride and causes mayhem around the store, much to the anger of the store manager, Mr Pangborn. Angela, in her new outfit, gets away from Lavinia, just as Old Tom, in disguise, manages to escape Mr Pangborn. They both end up in the Missing Persons department, where they recognise each other and, shedding their silly outfits, decide they don't need to smarten up, after all.

Angela buys a birthday present for Lavinia - a parrot. But while she goes out to buy some birdseed, Old Tom lets the bird out of the cage. Angela returns home to find Old Tom and Lucy chasing the bird around the living room. They almost catch it, but it escapes through the chimney. Then Lavinia arrives. Angela pleads with Old Tom and Lucy to catch the bird, while she keeps Lavinia busy. Old Tom and Lucy build a home-made flying machine so they can fly after the bird, but it keeps outsmarting them. Finally, Old Tom catches the bird with his net, but he falls out of the flying machine. The bird and Old Tom tumble down Angela's chimney and land back in her living room. Lavinia is delighted with her present but, because she believes animals should be free, lets the bird go.