Uncle Scrooge #32

“That’s No Fable!” – December – February 1961

Sometimes the quarter bin giveth, sometimes it taketh away, and sometimes it does both. Take for instance this early ‘60s issue of Uncle Scrooge, featuring a classic Carl Barks duck adventure. This particular story sees Scrooge, Donald, and the boys relating how they once discovered the fountain of youth, telling the story with the sort of blasé attitude that only Scrooge could have toward such an adventure. It’s a pretty entertaining story, featuring centuries-old Spanish soldiers and a fountain-affected Scrooge spouting some great “young people” dialog (“Man! Man! That juice is the real end!”). The story quickly builds to a climax where Scrooge, Donald, and the boys need to figure out how to get off a little island in the middle of a small spring that is the actual “fountain,” having lost their raft. Donald is about to dive in, but finds out that, if he swims across, he’ll be turned into an egg before reaching the other side. The implication is that only Scrooge is old enough to survive the crossing and… that’s it. The center pages are missing, denying me the last two to four pages. Like most Barks stories, it’s a supremely well written and drawn adventure story, the likes of which just aren’t told anymore, and missing out on the end is a real bummer that is only slightly eased by a back up story featuring Scrooge trying to avoid being invited to a fancy party, lest he have to buy a new suit.