During an assignment on ancestry, Jim discovers that he is not descended from the infamous Rackham Red Blood, but from Francis Flunky, an expert on etiquette. Devastated as he is by the awful news, Jim refuses to become a usurper. He determines to follow in the footsteps of his illustrious forebear by turning into a model boy: he becomes the most insipid little boy, taking lessons from Mrs. Bevan on good manners. However, when Grandpa makes Matilda his prisoner, Jim is forced to react… and he’ll find out that you can’t board a ship by asking nicely and being polite!