The New Neighbor

Donald has recently moved into a new house and neighborhood. He notices Pete walking outside to dump garbage into Donald's yard, and Pete's dog Muncey breaks through the fence to dig up Donald's garden. The early encounter hints at a tense dynamic that will underpin the coming feud.

Pete introduces himself and immediately exploits Donald's friendliness to take all of Donald's food and serving ware. He asserts control from the start, leaving Donald unsure how to push back. The interaction foreshadows the petty power struggle that will drive their war.

Pete's seemingly gracious offer of a bowl of homemade green porridge turns out to be dog food. Donald realizes the disguise and feels mocked by his neighbor. The incident reveals Pete's manipulative streak early on.

With Spring arriving, Donald tries to use his wheelbarrow and other tools, but Pete forcibly takes each tool as Donald picks it up. The ongoing takings turn ordinary chores into a battleground of control. The small acts accumulate into a broader conflict.

A sudden thunderstorm breaks out and the neighbors scramble for cover. Pete reminds Donald that all of his tools are sitting out in what has become a mud puddle. Donald ends up sprinting out in the rain to save the tools while Pete stays warm and dry inside.

On a later spring day, Pete trims his tree and leaves are blown onto Donald's lawn. Pete mocks Donald, telling him to rake the mess up quickly. Donald decides to retaliate by burning the leaves, directing smoke toward Pete's laundry and taunting him with the act.

The escalating feud attracts crowds and even local TV coverage. Pete kicks things off by cutting a large protruding limb from Donald's tree, and Donald retaliates by cutting Pete's long johns that extend over the boundary. The back-and-forth continues to escalate into bigger, louder stunts.

The conflict pushes them to new heights when they end up on a ladder suspended on the fence, appearing to play a dangerous see-saw. Pete lifts the ladder and Donald retaliates by using gravity to drive his lawn mower toward Pete, injuring his back. The crowd laughs and the danger becomes real, raising the stakes for both neighbors.

Between rounds, supporters retreat to their corners for pep talks. Someone in the crowd suggests a spite fence as a prudent move, fanning the conflict's momentum. The neighborhood watches as the feud threatens to spiral beyond control.

Both neighbors start building fences along the property line, and the barriers rise higher as the crowd chants 'Higher! Higher!' Muncey begins digging under the foundations and punching holes through the bottoms of the fences, undermining the structures. The structural damage weakens the walls until the fences collapse in a dramatic failure.

The foundational damage causes the tall fences to crumble and collapse, and the gathered crowds scatter in confusion. The spectacle ends with both sides left reeling as their own efforts undo each other. The neighborhood is left in a shaky, unresolved state.

In the final scene, Pete is shown injured and moving away with his house, seemingly defeated. Donald is declared the winner, but the camera pulls back to reveal he is moving away as well, making the entire war a draw. The neighborhood closes on a note of futility, with the former adversaries leaving town in tandem.