It is washday. "Are you ready for work, Lizzie girl?" Grandma asks. "I am," Lizzie replies. It's hard for her to set aside her plans for a tea party, but she rolls up her sleeves. Together Lizzie and Grandma haul the steaming washtub to the workbench and shave lye soap into the boiling water. They rub, rub, rub the clothes over the washboard, pull them through the wringer, and hang them out to dry. In the end, the satisfaction of a job well done, an unexpected guest, and a loving gesture make Lizzie's washday just about perfect.