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The scene is a summer evening in New York City. A dog, a cat, and a donkey each thrown out of home and work, meet by chance in Central Park , criticizing one another — the cat for her sly agility, the dog for his craven dependence, the donkey for his dull-witted strength — each determined to go away on his own to find a new life.
As night falls, however, they sleep. They are awakened by the landing of a space ship. Despite the warnings of the Starbird, the animals board the ship, hoping it will take them to their new lives.
Two robots appear and entrap the animals. The Starbird tells them of the horrors of outer space and the animals beg her to help them escape. She rescues them by utilizing their disparaged qualities — the dog's attractiveness, the donkey's strength, the cat's agility. Persuading them to see each other's faults as virtues, the Starbird takes the animals home. They go off together to a new life on earth as the Starbird disappears into endless space.
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