Makio and his neighbor, Mr. Hirota, loved looking out at the ocean every morning while watching Makio’s father and Mr. Hirota’s daughter working. One day, a tsunami came and killed their family members, prompting Mr. Hirota to build a telephone booth as a way to cope with his grief. Soon after,  Makio and Mr. Hirota began speaking into a disconnected telephone while communicating with the loved ones they lost.

Grandma calls in her three grandchildren to tell a story. A boy, a girl, and their baby brother all shrink until they can sneak out of the house unnoticed. They move into a snail house for a day where they have adventures with an earthquake, a disappearing baby, and a scary bird. After the adventures, they thank the snail and return home to become their normal size.

A bear tells the story of the great earthquake of 1811 In its own unique way, the bear describes the possible reasons for the earthquake and the changes that are made by the earthquake.

The silly town of Pickleberry is full of nonsense. The emperor treats his bird better than his own brother, who is his janitor. He sends his brother out on an errand, not knowing he was tricked into doing a favor for the bird. As Lou escapes, a salesman gets a hold of him. He escapes again by reciting his nonsense tales of Pickleberry. He finally reaches his Aunt Millie and continues to recite and pass on his side of the story, a lot of nonsense!