Alice Mongoose and Alistair Rat love to eat. And they love to cook together. Naturally, they decide to open a restaurant. How much fun it will be! But on opening night, Alice and Alistair find that some customers are impossible to please, others are happy to eat everything in the pantry and squawk for more, and the entire endeavor is far too much for the two friends to manage. Their dream, they fear, has turned out to be a failure. Fortunately, with the help of their wise friend Pennie Pueo, Alice and Alistair are able to find a happy solution. This story illustrates the importance of planning ahead.

The Alice Mongoose and Alistair Rat stories, by Mary Pfaff, "The Beatrix Potter of Hawaii," are classic tales of friendship, beloved to this day by children of all ages.