Horace is so excited to play with his friend, Mary McKay, a beautiful and graceful wombat. When she asks if he has a hat to protect his face from the sun, he tells her he doesn't need one. When their friend, Samuel Smithers, slithers across a rock beside them, he complains about the heat and asks why Horace isn't wearing a hat. As Horace becomes more grumpy and rude by the minute, he eventually discovers that it is okay to listen to the advice of friends who care. In this delightful tale for children, a stubborn animal who thinks he knows it all learns that sometimes he doesn't.