"Turkey with all the Schemings"

You know, I think this is the FOURTH time that I've thought I'd covered every Barks Christmas story only to realize, whoa, missed one (UPDATE: fifth, actually.  MY GOODNESS!).  I hadn't read this one in a long time, my memory of it was a little hazy, and I think I just assumed without really thinking about it that that "turkey" in the title meant it was probably a Thanksgiving story.  There's certainly precedent.  More fool me!  Well here we are.  And how about that unofficial title, anyway?  Nobody's finest moment, I'd say.  Getting to "schemings" from "trimmings" is a reeeeeeal stretch.  Gladstone went another direction for their reprint:

That seems better, I'd say.  More distinctive and less strained.

Anyway, I probably missed it--and none of you pointed it out to me--because it's not really an essential Christmas thing.  For most of its running time, it's not Christmasy at all.  Still, the first few pages are pretty good in that regard, as Barks adroitly captures Donald's holiday stress.  It's my favorite part of the story, really; a lot of fun to look at.

Gotta love him just upending HDL's bed like that.  Was that the most practical way to wake them up?  No time to think!  Gotta ACT!  Well, okay, you can't help but think a LITTLE wonder, would they really still be abed, even if this be an early dinner?  Hmm.

I also like him getting tangled up.  This panel could be anything, really, but Barks as usual went the extra mile.

Finished.  And now, everything will be great.  What could go wrong?

I feel bad for him.  I want him to succeed.  He is not having a good Christmas.  

A plan that can never fail!  Echoes of "Shacktown," though in a somewhat--somewhat!--less selfless way.  It's tough, because he's kinda giving up any moral high ground here.  I want him to do well, and I don't have any problem with Scrooge being cheated as such, but still.  You're not setting yourself up for success here.

Not that this isn't something we see all the time, but it's still always interesting to note how essentially childish Scrooge's conception of money is.  Clinking!  Coins!  Bring him in!  Practically speaking, he really should be A LOT less obsessed with small change.  But that would be less fun.

...so, like, is Donald enjoying this?  Even if it "works," it seems like it'd be incredibly stressful.  Also, does that bottom left panel suggest that he's planning on just revealing his identity after the bill's paid?  That doesn't seem like a good idea.

WHOA.  There's a continuity blip for you.  This story was written years before Glomgold was introduced, of course.  But damn.  You'd think that someone else would've done something with this Duke of Baloni, as a fun bit of Barksiana, but as far as I know, that has never happened.  Too bad: it seems like having one of the richest-duck competitors be a European noble could make for some interesting story possibilities.

This is pretty funny.  They just can't help but engaging in this meaningless oneupmanship.

Actually, this entire thing where they try to get out of paying may have little to do with any holiday, but it's quite well-done.  I enjoy it.

Also, how 'bout that waiter?  He does not mess around.  I think he deserves a raise.

"Can't you see we're talking business?" gets another laugh outta me, I'll tell you that.  The question is: how did Scrooge possibly manage to tie Donald's foot to the chair in such a way that he's unable to untie it?  Okay, maybe after that "CRASH!" he wakes up and Donald's chance is lost, but I have to think that Don would've noticed if it were tied that securely.  Who knows?!?

Same waiter as the night before?  Shouldn't it be someone else's shift?  Also, are waiters generally authorized to sell their restaurants?  I don't know how business works.

But yeah.  Poor Donald.  Does he really deserve this much comeuppance?  I mean, obviously this wasn't meant as a Christmas story per se; it was just published around that time and makes incidental use of the holiday, so there's no point in complaining.  But I like complaining!  Humbug!