As Gooney Bird stands at the front of the class and adjusts her hair, she wishes she had worn the diamond earrings she was given by a prince in a palace. The class wants to hear about those things, but Gooney Bird insists they are stories for another day and continues with her original plan. Gooney asks the class to be quiet and encourages Mrs. Pidgeon to sit down as well. She tells the story “How Gooney Bird Got Her Name” (13), beginning with when her parents found out they were expecting a child. They wanted a name that used each of their first initials, a G and a B, but could not agree on anything. They decided to wait until the girl was born to decide. When they saw her, Gooney’s big feet and bobbly head reminded them of a bird they saw on vacation once. They confirmed it to be the Laysan albatross, known commonly as the Gooney Bird, and gave her that name. Gooney stops halfway to allow for comments, and though the class wants more when the story ends, time has run out. Gooney mentions that she moved to Watertower on a flying carpet. Mrs. Pidgeon assumes the flying carpet is a joke, but Gooney insists that all her stories are entirely true. Mrs. Pidgeon asks Gooney to tell another story tomorrow.

Gooney Bird comes to class the next day with a pearl necklace and her hair braided, and she feels confident in herself. Gooney Bird awaits her time to tell her story and then heads to the front of the class. She promises her story will have a journey, some mystery, and even a rescue; Mrs. Pidgeon then compliments Gooney’s decision to include these elements in her story. Gooney’s story, titled “How Gooney Bird Came from China on a Flying Carpet” (35), begins by explaining that Gooney and her parents originally lived in China, but they had to move when her father got a job in Watertower. The class interrupts, commenting on the fact that Watertower, their own town, is included in this story. Gooney reminds them all that she cannot tell a good story if they continue to stop her, and several students apologize. Gooney then continues her story, telling of how her family packed everything (including almost fifty sets of dentures) and drove from China to Watertower. Seeing that many people are curious, she stops to allow for questions and calls on Mrs. Pidgeon. Mrs. Pidgeon tells Gooney to be clear in whether her stories are true or false, and she adds that a van cannot drive from China to Watertower in the United States. Gooney urges her to research places called China, and Mrs. Pidgeon is surprised to learn that several towns and cities in her own country are named China. Gooney feels satisfied that she has proven her point and continues.

Gooney’s parents could not fit her mother’s treasured heirloom rug in their station wagon, so they had to roll it up and leave it sticking halfway out the window. On the drive, Gooney’s cat, Catman, crawled inside the rug and stayed there. Gooney felt concerned for her cat and decided to crawl in after it, rather than bothering her parents, who seemed busy. When the car hit a pothole, it bounced, and the rug rolled out the window with Gooney and Catman inside. Not realizing what had happened, her parents kept driving. Gooney’s cat ran away and was apparently eaten by a cow; Gooney was later found by passersby, police, and her parents. A reporter who covered the story called the event a “flying carpet ride” (32). At the end, Gooney and her parents danced a tango together. When her story ends, her classmates are already eager for another one.