Before passing away Lady Pagwell leaves a legacy in memory of her late husband to fund local new inventions and, as the only inventor in town, Branestawm is the obvious recipient. However his evil opponents Councillor Hagglestone and Miss Silt insist on an inventing competition to divert the cash elsewhere. Likeliest contender is Professor Algebrain who decides to steal one of Branestawm's creations, electric clairvoyant glasses, to pass off as his own.