Gilda is a buff Orpington hen, and a member of a close-knit neighborhood of like-minded "birds of a feather." Everything is fine on the block until Gilda gets a letter from her sister. Gilda's sister lives in a neighborhood some distance away, where customs are different than the buff's. Gilda's sister has come down with the deadly croup, and Gilda feels that she must go to her and do what she can to help. When Gilda arrives at her sister's house, Gilda does whatever her sister thinks will help her, even though her sister's customs are strange to her. When Gilda returns home, she is no longer the same. This disturbs her neighbors, who like everything the way it is just fine. Thank heaven, one of Gilda's neighbors opens her little chicken heart to the strange new bird Gilda has become. With the help of her empathetic friend, the unintentionally subversive Gilda breaks the imperceptible shell of intolerance that has surrounded the neighborhood.