Bribed by three industrious beavers, Carp Lowry convinces the Wave Makers and the Pond Preservation Society-the pond's two chief factions-that the "no dam building" ordinance is archaic. When the sticks start to fly, Gaither's Pond is divided into several splinter groups. But pond harmony is restored when Carp confesses and the Friends of the pond determine to tear down the barriers that divide them.