Alex's disappointment at her father's failure to arrive home from a business trip in time for her birthday party overshadows all of her other and aunts' attempts to provide fun and festivity. Finally, the child's bad temper leads to bad manners; roughly clutching the music-box carousel that is her father's gift to her, she storms off to her room. When she falls asleep, the animals come to life and she rides them through the night. She awakens to find her father, who is glad to be home and sorry to have missed her birthday. Alex, too, is sorry at having spoiled the party and broken the carousel, but is glad that her Dad is back.