The main character, Arthur Bobowitz, is asked to pick up a reservedturkey for his family's Thanksgiving dinner. However, the meat market has lost their reservation and has no unclaimed turkeys or any other type of bird available for purchase, nor does any other market in the entire city ofHoboken. Arthur eventually finds an eccentric old man, who sells him a live chicken named Henrietta that weighs. The Bobowitz family welcomes her with openarms and full hearts, but the neighbors are not so sure. Everyone in town is horrified after Henrietta escapes.