Julian enjoys eating figs, so his father buys him a fig tree for his fourth birthday. Ralph brings the tree home, leaving it in the car, and tells Julian, whom Huey is following, to look in the car. Ralph explains that the tree will grow along with Julian, and Julian is excited for it to produce figs.

They plant the tree next to the fence, and Julian waters it every day until two new leaves grow. Julian checks to see if he has grown and is disappointed to find he hasn’t. Going back outside, Julian talks to the tree and then picks and eats its new leaves, performing a small ceremonial dance. Since Julian remains taller than Huey, he believes that eating the fig leaves helps him grow.

A year after planting the tree, Ralph is concerned about its lack of growth, and he starts fertilizing the tree. However, Julian continues to eat any new leaves and to track his growth: “My mark on the bathroom wall went up three inches” (41).

After another year, Ralph talks to Julian about the tree, asking if Julian knows why it isn’t growing.