Barney is doing his chores when he overhears neighbor William Wildcat threating to tan his son's hide "til it glows in the dark". Barney explains to the father that any child can be tamed using psychology and uses a handy book to help look after his neighbor's son. However, Willie Wildcat is evil to the core. When they try playing "Pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey", Willie gets Barney kicked by a real donkey. When Barney bakes Willie a cake, Willie fills it with gas from the stove and it explodes. Finally, Barney takes the last chapter's advice ("If all else fails, BOTTOMS UP!") and he joins his neighbor in spanking the youngster.