Barney Bear has a sign on his cabin door that says, "Do not disturb - asleep for the winter." Unfortunately, the poor bruin's wish to hibernate in his bed under a pile of clothing is dashed by the arrival of his nephew, a polar bear from up north, who has come down to spend the winter with him. Right away, the boy makes a pest of himself by opening all the windows in the cabin in order to let in some cold air. Next, he drags his uncle outside to go ice fishing, an adventure that nearly ends in disaster when Barney gets frozen in a block of ice and almost goes over a waterfall. The unwelcome visit is cut short when the boy realizes that Barney's patience has just about snapped.