Aunt Minnie McGranahan lives alone and has a very orderly life. She has a system for doing everything from cleaning to feeding her animals. One day, Minnie receives a telegram from across the country telling her that her nieces and nephews need someone to raise them and take care of them. Despite her neighbors' doubts that nine children could never fit into her perfectly ordered schedule, Minnie and the children work as a team and live together quite nicely.