Barnaby and Flora have just moved from the city to their new home in the country. How different everything is! When they see tame pigeons flocking around old Gabriel, who lives next door, Barnaby rushes off to buy a pigeon of his own. He names her Jewel, and he and Flora hide her in the garden shed. But Jewel soon escapes. Old Gabriel tells them that most pigeons will come back home again, but Jewel had been with them for only a few hours. Will she ever return? Barnaby and Flora can only wait--and hope--and while they do, they learn a lot about pigeons and make a wonderful new friend.