Joey is visited by an encyclopedia salesman who is rather persuasive. The salesman impresses Joey with the books and tries to convince Joey to buy the entire set. He can't afford it but with the fifty dollars he does have, he chooses to buy one book since the salesman got him so hooked. 

Mandy invites Grim to a tea party and works out a deal with Grim to keep Mr. Snuggles if she and Billy win a game against him. Grim wagers that he will be their best friend forever if they win.

Shelby uses Aristotle's appeals to persuade Mr. Ford, to not just continue the racing program, but also make Shelby in charge of the entire race team.

Babe is tasked to herd the sheep. He takes advice from the sheepdogs and acts aggressively and mean towards the sheep to get their compliance. However, Babe is not intimidating like a sheepdog and needs to try a different tactic. He shows his kindness to the sheep and they agree to follow his orders if he asks them nicely.

The Democratic White House is at odds with a Republican Congress that is looking to run the table. President Bartlet is arriving to agree to a continuing resolution on budget negotiations. The White House and Congress previously agreed to a 1% cut, but the new Speaker of the House changes the terms last-minute and gives President Bartlet an ultimatum.