Now that all animals have equal rights, and the Phantastic Noodler is public property, Beaston is the perfect place for pasta parties. Creatures flock from far and wide to transform string into spaghetti and pillows into ravioli. But things take a turn when a wealthy Okapi-talist sees an investment opportunity. He cuts a deal with the Mayor, buys the Noodler, and suddenly things change for the worse. With privatization come monopoly, exploitation, pollution, and poverty. As for Noodlephant, she's off in Japan and China, slurping up ramen, soba, and biang biang. What will Noodlephant's friends face as they struggle to regain their town? Will Noodlephant ever return? And how will Beaston resolve the age old question: To whom does the Phantastic Noodler belong? Read on for a tale of power, politics, and of course ... pasta!