Random Happenstance

The other day, I thought that last Sgt. Rock comic was going to be a downer, so I made sure to have something more cheery next: from 1990, Donald Duck #279, reprinting "Maharajah Donald" from 1947's Boys' and Girls' March of Comics #4, story and art by Carl Barks.

Donald tricks Huey, Dewey, and Louie into cleaning the garage, by promising them anything he didn't want to keep, which turns out to be a stub of a pencil. Undaunted, they then trade it for a ball of string, then trade that to a kite-flyer for his knife, and so on and so forth, until they've traded a loose pearl for a steamship ticket to India! Which Donald promptly yoinks: they only got one ticket after all, not three. The boys then stow away in "bon voyage baskets" they had filled with fruit, but they're later found by the purser, and Donald claims he never saw those nephews before in his life. 

After being forced to work the whole trip, the boys swipe Donald's ticket and passport: if they couldn't go ashore, he wasn't going to get to either! But, they're then approached by the Maharajah of Hoopadoola, who offers to help them out, if Donald will perform...a small favor. Yeah, he's not suspicious or anything. The Maharajah is richer than hell, with a lucrative enterprise of loaning gold and collecting interest in diamonds; but he has something else in mind: the jungle of Bumpay. He already had the mortgage, and they had to pay in diamonds or land...and he wanted the land. Which is where Donald comes in: all he had to do, was ride the old "mogul" elephant across the river over to Bumpay. And the Maharajah is waiting with a cannon, so they can't turn around back!

Although a tiger nearly gets them, the elephant knows where its going: the royal palace of Bumpay. They're not surprised or thrilled to see Donald, even though he was the new Maharajah of Bumpay: the Maharajah of Hoopadoola had long before figured out how to game their system. Bumpayan custom was to release the sacred elephant every year, and whoever rode him back was the new maharajah--how many times will I type 'maharajah' this post? How many times will I mistype it, is a better question...The maharajah then had to weigh as much as a hundred pounds of diamonds, which would then be used to pay off the mortgage: if he didn't weigh enough, Bumpay would get foreclosed on and lose another chunk of tiger land, and the new maharajah would be thrown to said tigers! Since just quitting doesn't work, Donald goes with plan B: beg his nephews to save his feathered hindquarters.

Since Donald didn't weigh a hundred pounds, the boys have a fix: mixing gold dust and glue into his feathers to weigh him down. They get him to 98 pounds and figure he can drink two pounds of water; if they used the water hose instead of the gas one...the ballooned-up Donald weighs in at "60 pounds less than nothing!" so the Bumpayans are a little let down. Maybe they can recoup some losses with ticket sales to the tiger feeding! The nephews are thrown out of the palace so they don't rescue Donald, but all hope is not lost, as they find an old stub pencil, and start trading up. They manage to get 500 pounds of cat food, which they lob into the tiger pens, so when Donald is thrown into the stadium, the tigers are so stuffed they can barely move! Since even the tigers don't want him, the Bumpayans have had just about enough of this maharajah, and ask how they can get rid of him: steamer tickets home for everyone! 

This trading scheme has been known by different names, like One Red Paperclip or Straw Millionaire. I think there was a pretty good episode of DS9 where they did it as well. I also swear, did somebody mention this one in the comments some time we checked out a Donald Duck comic? Sorry, I didn't plan this; just lucky! 

Also this issue: "Amundsen's Talisman," a fanciful exploration of Antartica; and a USPS statement of ownership. Average number of copies sold during preceding 12 months (total paid circulation): 69,492. Actual number sold for issue nearest filing date (total paid circulation): 68,371.