Alexander Botts, a tractor salesman, writers letters to his colleague detailing the bizarre story of Signor Ghini and his quest to honor his aging parents. Ghini has heard friends and coworkers speak of how much money they send back to their parents and wished to do the same for his own. However, he was born to simple farmers, and neither is comfortable with finery or servants. As a solution, Ghini decides to build them a farmhouse where they have to do as little work as possible - complete with a dishwasher, laundry machine, garbage chute, and Botts's tractor. However, when his parents arrive, they struggle with the technology, and disaster strikes. They break all the dishes by using the dishwasher incorrectly, refuse to even glance at the tractor, and accidentally put their cat in the washing machine. At last, they escape and walk home to their old house. Signor Ghini is utterly discouraged by his parents' dislike of the property. He decides to give it to his sister and her boyfriend, who are delighted by the new technology, especially the tractor. Alexander Botts tells Signor Ghini he has done well to honor his family in a non-traditional way.