Duck happily raises a duckling that has wandered into the amusement park where she is a carousel animal, but finds that she cannot teach what she herself has always longed to do--fly--and sets out to find real ducks to instruct him.

In a rainy town in the north of England, there are strange goings-on. Dad is building a pair of wings, eating flies, and feathering his nest. Lizzie is missing her Mom and looking after Dad by letting him follow his newfound whimsy. What's behind it all? It's the great human bird competition.