At the county fair "Fruit Pies and Cobblers" competition, Grandma Dowdel cheats by switching her pie card with Rupert Pennypacker's. This way, she's dead certain that she will win first prize: a free ride in Barnie Buchanan's plane. Rupert has the reputation of being the best home baker in the whole of Illinois, so it's not surprising that Grandma Dowdel feels she has to resort to such desperate measures to win the contest.

As it turns out, however, the joke's on her. Grandma's home-made gooseberry pie wins the contest after all. But, because she already switched pie cards before the judging began, first prize is awarded to Rupert Pennypacker, not to her. Grandma has to make do with the second-prize red ribbon instead. If she hadn't cheated, she would've won the contest—and against the best home baker in Illinois, too.