Stephen, a four-year-old boy, lives with his parents. His mother is a free-spirited woman who loves him very much but doesn’t discipline him. His father regrets having children, and Stephen senses that resentment. His parents often have intense arguments. During one of their fights, Stephen’s mother takes him to live with his beloved grandmother. Stephen looks forward to evenings with his Uncle David. After a few weeks, Stephen starts school. He has trouble making friends. One night, Uncle David saves two balloons for Stephen to play with. He’s a businessman who uses them to advertise. At school, Stephen blows them up with a girl named Frances. He delights in having a new friend, so the next day he takes more to share with all of his classmates. They love the balloons, and play with him every day. One day, Frances comes to visit Stephen. He takes out Uncle David’s large box of balloons and says that they can blow up as many as they want. Later, Stephen sneaks inside and makes lemonade. He makes a huge mess in the kitchen. The kids sit outside and drink lemonade until Stephen’s grandmother finds them. She is upset at the mess, and sends Frances home. When David arrives, he finds that Stephen has used up his balloons. He furiously exclaims that thievery runs in his blood because of who his father is. Stephen is confused at how quickly his grandmother and uncle turn on him. They call his mother, who rushes over to take him home. Stephen begins to cry at the thought of seeing his father. He wishes that he could go back to school where everyone liked him.