Elmer and his dog are relaxing by the fire when a passing hobo flea (shouting “T-bone!”) decides to make a meal out of the dog. After a furious round of scratching and a dose of flea powder, the dog is warned by Elmer that he’ll be given a bath if he scratches just one more time- a fate the dog considers worse than death. The happy flea, preparing a major dig into the dog’s “rump roast,” continues its excavation of the dog’s body, employing various power tools and condiments. The dog’s efforts not to scratch cause him to turn several different colors, but he manages to hold out until the flea resorts to heavy explosives. As the dog goes crazy trying to get rid of his tenant, Elmer comes to drag him off to the bathtub, whereupon the flea attacks him as well. Both dog and master end up in the tub, and are carried off by the flea as a “blue plate special.”
