Lisa has grand plans for Arnold after he appears in a local theatre production; Eb announces his engagement to Lorelei Appleby, a girl he met the day before. In an attempt to impress his future father-in-law, Eb succeeds in destroying the farmer's cabbage crop. To get back in the man's good graces, Eb pawns Oliver's cow Eleanor so he can make the Appleby's mortgage payment; Fed up with the lousy condition of the Hooterville highway, Oliver launches an attack on their beloved state district representative, Ben Hanks. The folksy, duck-calling, guitar-playing politician proves too wily for Oliver, even when caught padding the state payroll with relatives.