City Mouse turns up his nose at the Country Mouse’s simple home and plain food. Back at his house in the city, he treats his country cousin to a soft bed, beautiful gardens, and a buffet of delicious things to eat. Country Mouse is greatly impressed with City Mouse’s riches until he meets a cat and nearly loses his life in a mousetrap.

Mom and Dad Fox try to set a healthy example for triplets: Freddy, Fay, and Flip. Even though Mom cooks nutritious meals, Freddy prefers to stuff himself with sugary treats, and refuses to participate in healthy family exercise. One bad choice leads to another, and in spite of Dad and Mom’s efforts, Freddy finds himself part of a crooked gang of foxes. When the leader recruits Freddy as a decoy to help him outwit a lion and a donkey, the plan backfires.

To grow up to be big, little lions have to learn survival skills, but the cub Sangu doesn’t want to listen to Papa and Mama’s lessons—he just wants to play. Getting lost while escaping a charging rhino, Sangu learned how unprepared he really was to be out on his own.

While a little fun is essential for a happy life, wise individuals know that prosperity begins with hard work. Gary and the other grasshoppers want to play all day, and they cannot understand why the ants work so hard and miss all the fun. Alex and the ants know they must work during the spring to have food for the winter.