Martha and Skits run past Truman, who berates them for not saying hello. They reveal they're headed for the butcher's shop and invite him to come along. Truman, however, wants to go to the bookstore, saying that books smell better than meat. Skits is curious as to whether that's true, so he follows Truman, and Martha reluctantly comes too.
When they get there, they see T.D. excitedly pointing at a sign, advertising that a woman named Beppo, who writes instructional books, and her pet monkey Professor Monkey are coming to visit. While the boys run in, the dogs stay outside to sniff the books. T.D. says that the show doesn't start in two hours, to Truman's dismay. Beppo and Professor Monkey arrive, then Martha runs up and wonders why she can't understand him despite understanding most animals.
At the hotel where Beppo and Professor Monkey are staying, they practice for their show. He tries to warn her that she's left a piece of paper behind, but she assumes he's just worried and tells him to take a bath to de-stress. He takes one, then accidentally makes a paper plane out of Beppo's piece of paper. He hurriedly chases it out the window, but it lands in Bob's yard, who takes it.
Martha and Skits show up, but they don't understand Professor Monkey when he tries to explain. Martha meets a bird and asks if it speaks monkey, and the bird (who is apparently a male bird) doesn't, but knows a zoo giraffe who does. When the dogs and bird get to the zoo, the giraffe doesn't understand English, but she understands the bird. The dogs try to dig the giraffe out, but she can go out on her own (and reveals all zoo animals can). Meanwhile, Beppo has to wait to do the show, since Professor Monkey isn't around.
Martha brings the rest of the animals over and explains that she will talk to the professor, who will talk to the giraffe, who will talk to the bird, who will talk to her. The dogs find out that Professor Monkey needs to get his paper plane from under Bob's porch, but can't get past him. Martha suggests making another, but he says that he's a genius and thus would've thought of that.
Martha tries asking, but Bob refuses. Then, they come up with a plan: Martha and Skits distract Bob, while the giraffe lowers Professor Monkey to the porch. He gets the paper plane, but Bob chases him and Professor Monkey drops it. Luckily, the bird then gets it, but then Bob swallows half of it.
However, when Professor Monkey explains (with the giraffe and bird explaining) that he missed his show, Martha and the others take him to the show just before Beppo is about to cancel it. Then, the giraffe goes back to the zoo.
This episode provides examples of
- Ahem: Martha clears her throat when she notices Truman isn't following her.
- Animal Talk: While most episodes play this straight, this episode zigzags it — the dogs can understand the bird and the giraffe, but not Professor Monkey, the giraffe can understand birds and monkeys, and all of them can understand English except the giraffe.
- Blowing a Raspberry: Professor Monkey blows a raspberry when Martha suggests making a new paper plane.
- Comically Missing the Point: When T.D. says that he wants to show Truman and the dogs something amazing and points to the sign, they think he's pointing at the man stacking the books.
- Department of Redundancy Department: Apparently, when Martha asks Bob if Professor Monkey can get his paper plane back, he says, "No. No. No no. No."
- False Reassurance: Martha tells the zookeeper that animals can't leave the zoo any more than dogs can talk.
- Hope Spot: Double subverted. Professor Monkey gets the paper plane, but drops it, but the bird gets it back, but then Bob swallows half of it.
- Language Barrier: Martha, Skits, the bird, and Professor Monkey all understand English, but Professor Monkey only speaks monkey, which only the giraffe understands. Meanwhile, the giraffe can also understand bird (which the Lorraine dogs also understand) but not English.
- Nearly Normal Animal: The giraffe isn't anthropomorphic and can't speak, but she says, "Shh" at one point.
- Oh, Crap!: Professor Monkey looks scared when he realises that he used Beppo's paper to make a paper plane.
- Omniglot: While Professor Monkey can't speak, he apparently understands all languages.
- Race-Name Basis: Martha says, "Excuse me, bird", to a bird.
- Speak in Unison: In Professor Monkey's imagination, the crowd chants in unison, "We want Monkey! We want Monkey!".
- Tertiary Sexual Characteristics: The female giraffe has long eyelashes.
- Tropey, Come Home: Professor Monkey runs away in search of the paper.
- Unusually Uninteresting Sight: Beppo is unfazed about Martha being able to speak.
- You Can Talk?: The zookeeper looks gobsmacked when Martha talks to him.
