The residents of Din, known as “Rushers,” receive their sweet dreams from the land of Frivoli, delivered by Greensleeves and his Figmen of Imagination, and their nightmares from the Murkworks castle, in the form of bombs dropped by vultures. However, Murkworks overlord Synonamess Botch wants to monopolize the dreams of the four billion Rushers, and orders his vulture minions to abduct Greensleeves and the Figmen. Greensleeves sends a letter asking for help from Frivoli’s Chef of State, in care of his niece, aspiring actress Flora Fauna. Although she delivers the letter, the illiterate Chef of State discards it, assuming all news is good news. Meanwhile, Ralph, the all-purpose animal, and his silent friend Mumford, known as Mum, cause an industrial accident at the sweet dream factory. As punishment, they are assigned to the Garbagerie, where Flora discovers her uncle’s letter in an overturned garbage cart. She informs Ralph and Mum of Greensleeves’ plight, and they volunteer to rescue him. At Murkworks, a robot gorilla named Ibor displays the conversation on its video screen. Botch travels to Frivoli to enlist the Frivolians as his pawns, and takes them to his castle, where he presents an educational slide show about the Rushers of Din, so named because they are in a constant hurry. He assigns Ralph and Mum to remove the mainspring from the Cosmic Clock, located in a modest Din storefront, and bring it to Murkworks. Botch exploits Flora’s acting ability by casting her as a victim in his nightmare scenarios, extracting the essence of her horrific screams for his bombs. Scuzzbopper, Murkworks’ head writer, is enamored with Flora, but Botch discourages him, explaining that writers are beneath actors in the entertainment hierarchy. Dejected, Scuzzbopper returns to his chamber to complete his epic novel. Meanwhile, Ralph and Mum arrive in the land of Din through a subway grate. Ralph transforms into a bee, carrying Mum through the air and inside the Cosmic Clock. While Ralph searches for the mainspring, Mum sits on a lever, causing time to move backward and forward, until the mainspring breaks loose and time stops completely, allowing Botch’s minions to grab the spring as it bounces onto the street. Ralph and Mum are visited by Fairy Godmother, who informs them of Botch’s evil scheme, and gives them three magical dimes to telephone her if they need help. With the mainspring in his possession, Botch orders the deployment of his entire stock of nightmare bombs, which he will detonate with a big red button once the Cosmic Clock resumes operation. The Fairy Godmother returns to her trailer in the sky and searches the telephone directory for a superhero to assist Ralph and Mum. Rod Rescueman bursts through the door, offering his services. Impressed with Rod’s superhuman powers and annoyed by his limited intellect, Fairy Godmother gives him the job so he will go away. While Rod frees Flora from the castle, Ralph and Mum enter an office building filled with nightmare bombs and Rushers suspended in time. Mum accidentally detonates a bomb, giving Ralph his first nightmare, and the traumatic experience reinforces his determination, despite reminders from Fairy Godmother of his inadequate heroism skills. Later, when Rod attempts to romance Flora aboard his blimp, she runs out the door, unaware that she is thousands of feet above the ground. Seeing her fall, Rod intends to save Flora once he finishes ironing his cape. Ralph and Mum find their way back to Murkworks and are accosted at the gate by a giant mechanical snake, which Flora crushes as she falls out of the sky. Rod joins the group and they sneak into Murkworks. Meanwhile, Scuzzbopper completes his novel, but when Botch drops it into the moat surrounding the castle, the writer attempts suicide. Flora discovers Scuzzbopper trying to hang himself in the basement and recruits him as an ally. He leads Ralph and Mum toward Botch’s control room, while Rod and Flora free Greensleeves and the Figmen. Ibor tries to abduct Flora, but she destroys the robot by sabotaging its circuit board. Upon reaching the control room, after surviving a series of booby traps, Ralph enters in the form of a mosquito. Botch swats at Ralph and inadvertently presses the big red button, detonating the nightmare bombs among the suspended Rushers. Mum appears, disguised as a bomb, causing the terrified Botch to back through an open door and fall into the moat. Ralph and Mum congratulate each other on their victory, while Botch’s minions save their master from drowning. Ralph and Mum return to Frivoli, leaving Flora, Scuzzbopper, and Rod to man the castle. Fairy Godmother commends Ralph and Mum on their success, but suggests they keep the last of their magic dimes, as they may need her help in the future. The mainspring finds its way back to the Cosmic Clock, and time resumes for the Rushers of Din.