Old Tom overhears Lucy and Angela complaining about Billy, and mistakenly thinks they are talking about him. Devastated that not even his best friends really like him, Old Tom runs away from home and joins a circus. There, he is immediately accepted and told that he is not the 'no-hoper' he thinks he is. With the encouragement of the Ringmaster, Old Tom learns that everybody has a talent, and his talent is to make people laugh. Meanwhile, Lucy and Angela search the town for Old Tom and eventually find him in the circus - just as he is doing his act. They clear up the misunderstanding with Old Tom, telling him they were always proud of him and always will be, and he returns home with renewed faith in himself.