Ralph, a small brown mouse, waits for the clock to strike so he can ride his motorcycle. Ralph lives in an old hotel and spends his nights zooming around the empty halls and rooms on the tiny red motorcycle given to him by Keith, a boy who stayed at the hotel for the Fourth of July.

While Ralph waits for the hotel to close, he sees a boy and his parents come into the hotel. After the clock loudly chimes, Ralph and the newcomers hear music coming from some distance away. The boy’s father tells his son, Garf, that the sound they heard was the bugle at the nearby camp playing Taps. Garf doesn’t believe he’ll have fun at camp, and his parents encourage him to be more positive. Ralph is confused by Garf’s negativity, as most kids he sees are excited about camp. Matt, the handyman, guides Garf and his parents to the elevator, telling Garf a joke and coaxing a slight smile from him.

After Ralphs sees Matt go onto the hotel porch and the night clerk fall asleep, the mouse is free to explore the nighttime hotel. He makes the motorcycle engine noise as he speeds through the lobby, up and down the hall, and into the bar area.