Robert is different from all other ravens. He is a happy bird. But when he laughs and tells jokes, the other birds don't like it at all. Nor do they like his colorful clothes and they hold their ears when he tries to sing. Unhappy, Robert is forced to leave home. Far away, he sings and dances and tells his terrible jokes, and eventually he finds friends who enjoy him as he is, and even join in. Back home, the black birds discover to their surprise that the world feels a bit empty without Robert. But every now and again, a bird from another place comes to visit, telling stories and terrible jokes, and the black ravens gather and listen.