Inspired by Popeye's bedtime story about "George Washlincoln" and the cherry tree, Swee'pea takes his little hatchet, cuts a hole in the floor, and admits to his perfidy. Popeye's Pappy is all for beating the daylights out of Swee'pea, but Popeye consults his child psychology book and discovers that, when a child does something wrong but confesses to it, he should be rewarded. While Popeye is out shopping for a gift for Swee'pea, the disgruntled Pappy determines to get even with the kid, first by subjecting him to an impromptu trapeze act, then by playing "William Tell"--with a real shotgun, which somehow morphs into a pogo stick. This was the last "Popeye" cartoon to open with the traditional "ship's hold" credit titles.