Tam Tam gets woken up by a bad dream. Startled by the nightmare, he falls out of bed and bumps his head. Frustrated by his feelings after the dream, and thinking he shouldn't be afraid of something like that, Tam Tam turns his fear into anger. His anger makes him lose control of his behaviour and he is mean to his mother and his best friend, Mellie.

In his second grade classroom, instead of taking part in one of his favorite activities, Tam Tam sits brooding in his chair until Mellie asks him to participate. This sets him off and forces Mr. Knightly, their teacher, to intervene. Mr. Knightly acknowledges that Tam Tam is not in a good mood and asks him to talk to Mellie - who is a great help. Tam Tam returns to the group activity, everyone has a great time, and Tam Tam makes it up to his mother.