A family is held hostage so they can't testify at the trial of a killer.

A jury has the fate of a mountain man in it's hands.

The meanest outlady in the US is coming to Dodge, at least that's what Festus has heard, but it's really Emma Grundy out to retrieve her seven orphans from Titus Spangler and take them back to the orphanage where they belong. The town finds it ludicrous that these children have never had a Christmas and plan on putting one on in the Long Branch. The problem arises when Mrs. Grundy arrives, and she has her own personal reasons for not giving the children Christmas. Kitty steps in to solve the problem single handedly and ends up messing things up worse than they were.

Ben Justin must try and clear his name of false charges.

Lucius's daughter wants her dad locked up so she and Tom can have the estate. Judge Broker thinks Mr. Prince is sane and Mr. Prince proves he can be a dad.

Festus is mistaken for a killer.

Matt comes back to Dodge City after capturing a prisoner he has been following for two days straight. Kitty is upset with Matt for not attending a lunch. To make up for the mistake Matt asks her out for dinner.

Mr. Wolfe has taken the case and said it was sham, Matt offers to protect the lawyer. Cora feels lied to because she didn't know Mr. Wolfe was an indian. Cicero wolfe continues his after defense lawyer objects to the facts proving nothing. Cora feels that the case could hurt her dad no matter how the case ends.

Cora feels her dad drove his wife to her death.Mr. Wolfe rests his case. Bear realizes that what Cora said was right and still loves her. Mr. Wolfe asks for a friend and says he always loved her.

Billy comes back to Dodge because he has trouble finding anyone to listen to his stories and visit Festus who is a friend of his. Billy retarded and tells Festus a riddle and the answer given isn't funny to Billy, Doc tells Festus that Billy has the mind of a seven or eight year old and needs better care.

Billy sees a man hurting a cat and almost kills the man, not knowing that what he did was wrong Matt and Festus talk to Judge Brooker and Festus becomes a guardian to Billy. When a deer is shot for food Billy attacks Festus. Festus has a hard time trying to make Billy understand why the deer was shot.

Doc tells Festus to take Billy back to where he came from but finds that hard to do. They go to the place Doc suggested and Billy gets worried about the noises inside the place. Festus tells Billy he is going to kill rabbits for dinner and try to give Billy a taste of life.

Matt, Doc & Festus find Billy telling kids stories at an orphan's home.

Joan Shepherd wants Anna May to marry Steven Rogers, not Newly or Orlo who is a farmer. Ana May wants to date Newly. Newly drops by to take Anna May for a ride and is told she won't be back for awhile. Orlo fights Newly over Anna May, Orlo hits his head on the wagon causing him to lose his memory.

Henry Decory is a schoolteacher who makes a strong statement for compulsory education for frontier children as a stubborn father feels that books and education are a waste of time and tries to keep his son Tommy out of school.