Segments: "A Rustic Ballad," a story of feuding hillbillys; "A Tone Poem," a mood piece set on a blue bayou; "A Jazz Interlude," a bobby-soxer goes jitterbugging with her date at the malt shop; "A Ballad in Blue," dark room, rain and somber landscapes illustrate the loss of a lover; "A Musical Recitation," the story of Casey at the Bat; "Ballade Ballet," ballet dancers perform in silhouette; "A Fairy Tale with Music," Peter and the Wolf; "After You've Gone," four musical instruments chase through a surreal landscape; "A Love Story," about the romance between a fedora and a bonnet; "Opera Pathetique," the story of Willie, the Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met.

The first story, a "rustic ballad," depicts the feud of the Martins and the Coys, two hillbilly families. After many fierce battles, only one member of each family is left alive, the lovely Grace Martin and the burly Henry Coy. Much to the disgust of their ghostly families, who are watching from above, Grace and Henry fall in love and marry. Their ancestors are pleased, however, when the newlyweds begin to quarrel and carry on the feud.
       In the next interlude, a "tone poem," two white cranes fly through a quiet bayou that is shining with moonlight. The third number, a "jazz interlude," portrays the antics of a lively group of teenagers dancing up such a storm at a malt shop that the jukebox explodes. In the following "ballad in blue," animation of rain and shadowy scenery illustrates the sorrow of an offscreen singer.
       The fifth number, a "musical recitation," tells the tale of Casey, the star player of Mudville's baseball team. Casey, a handsome fellow who is the "Sinatra of 1902," comes to bat when his team is two runs behind with two outs and two men on base. The crowd goes wild as Casey arrogantly lets the first pitch go by and the first strike is called. Casey reads the Police Gazette during the next pitch, strike two, then grows stern, and his loyal fans are sure that he will hit a home run. Much to their horror, however, Casey takes a swing at the next pitch and completely misses it. As Casey tries in vain to hit the ball, the narrator relates, "there is no joy in Mudville, mighty Casey has struck out."
       The sixth number is a "ballade ballet," in which the silhouettes of two ballet dancers glide through an animated background, accompanied by two cupids.
       The next story, a "fairy tale with music" relates the adventures of a young Russian boy named Peter and his friends, Sasha the bird, Sonia the duck and Ivan the cat, as they hunt for a ferocious wolf. The pals search through the snowy forest until they find the wolf, who chases them and appears to gobble up Sonia. Outraged, tiny Sasha pounds on the wolf's nose and is about to be eaten when Peter and Ivan tie a rope around the wolf's tail and hoist him over a tree branch. Three hunters arrive on the scene and gaze in wonder at Peter, who has vanquished the beast. Peter and Ivan accompany the hunters on a procession through the town, but Sasha cries for his lost friend until Sonia emerges from her hiding place and reveals that she is alive. Overjoyed, Sasha and Sonia race to town to join Peter. Next, an animated clarinet, piano, bass and drum kit try to outdo each other in a jazzy race through a surrealistic landscape. The following number is a love story about Johnny Fedora and Alice Bluebonnet, two hats who fall in love while on display in a department store window. Johnny is heartbroken when Alice is purchased and leaves, but soon after, he is bought, too. During his owner's travels, Johnny searches for his lost love, until one day, he spots her. Johnny loses Alice in the crowd though, and spends months wandering alone. Finally, an iceman fishes Johnny out of the gutter and, after cutting two holes in him, places him atop his horse's head. Johnny is not dismayed by the rough treatment, however, for on top of the horse next to him is Alice, and the two hats live happily ever after.
       The final story, an "opera pathetique," presents the tale of Willie, the whale who wanted to sing at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. Several newspapers print the incredible story of a whale who has been heard singing in the ocean, and impresario Professor Tetti-Tatti assumes that the whale has swallowed an opera singer. While the professor sets out to find Willie, the whale's friend, Whitey the seagull, learns of the voyage and alerts Willie. The excited whale then races to meet Tetti-Tatti's ship and audition for him. The sailors are enchanted by Willie, who can simultaneously sing in tenor, baritone and bass voices, and while he auditions, Willie imagines the great acclaim that will soon be his. Willie's grand dreams are cut short, however, when Tetti-Tatti kills him with a harpoon. Whitey is saddened to lose his friend, but Willie's beautiful voice, now amplified a hundred times, thrills the heavens as his miraculous singing continues.