On Christmas day 1947 Duckburg once again saw events that turned the tides, and made old $crooge McDuck return to public life.

A dramatic Christmas and McDuck's return to public life in Duckburg

In the Christmas of 1947 old McDuck lent his cottage in Bear Mountain to his nephew Donald Duck and Donald's three nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie Duck. McDuck's idea was to have fun with his nephews by dressing himself as a Bear and scare them. However some real bears showed up and McDuck was the one to be scared instead.

Since the nephews had been brave (that was at least what McDuck believed) he invited them to dinner in his big house. To stop Donald's skepticism about the stories about his fantastic life and his enormous fortune, McDuck invited his nephews to see his Money Bin.


Illustration 6.1 - McDuck knock the door open.

On their way to the Money Bin the Ducks were observed by the Beagle Boys, for the time being dressed as Santa Claus. While looking at the fabulous money-vault, McDuck and his nephews were surprised by the Beagle Boys who had secretly followed them into the Money Bin. McDuck and his nephews were then locked into another room with a lot of trophies and other memorable items from McDuck's younger years. To show Donald that he really had used the items in his younger years, McDuck grabbed a hitch and knocked a big hole in the door with it, so that it could be opened.


Illustration 6.2 - McDuck and his nephews ready to follow the Beagle Boys.


Illustration 6.3 - McDuck and his nephews following the Beagle Boys.

Afterwards McDuck and his nephews followed the Beagle Boys through the streets of Duckburg. For the first time in five years McDuck was thus again seen in public. Revitalized by this fight with the Beagle Boys, McDuck shortly after reopened his empire and thus initiated a new period growth for Duckburg. During the following 20 years he experienced adventures that brought new treasures, fame and glory to Duckburg from all parts of the world.

Donald Duck discovers square-eggs


Illustration 6.4 - Donald Duck's discovery of square-eggs.

In the late 1940's and early 1950's McDuck's nephew Donald Duck made some success working at several museums in Duckburg. In the spring of 1949 he was the fourth assistant janitor at the Ducburg Museum of Natural Science. One day when he cleaned dust from some stones found in ancient Inca ruins in Peru, he accidentally dropped one square stone on the floor and discovered that it broke like an egg. This discovery made a lot of attention and Donald Duck and his nephews were sent on an expedition to the Andes to find more such square eggs. Eventually they returned in success after discovering both square eggs and square hens in a small hidden society in the Andes. They also brought with them two square chickens - however both appeared to be male chickens so no production of square eggs could be started outside the Andes.

Canon-fire in Duckburg


Illustration 6.5 - Canon-fire in Duckburg.

In Terror of the Beagle Boys / Scrooges anti-Beagle Canon Carl Barks shows that in 1951 a canon installed to protect the McDuck-building in Downtown Duckburg from the Beagle Boys, was fired by accident and caused some damage to several buildings in the centre of Duckburg.

A new Money Bin


Illustration 6.6 - The new overflow Money Bin.

In The Big Bin on Killmotor Hill / Water in Money-Bin freezes Barks shows that Scrooge McDuck built at new Money Bin in 1951. This is the first time the Money Bin is mentioned, and to fit to the story's gag it is showed on the top of Killmotor Hill which is also mentioned for the first time. However, since the Killmotor Hill bin was built back in 1902 the 1951 bin must be the newer downtown office building/"overflow bin" which is shown by Barks in some stories (mostly Gyro stories and other non-$crooge logoed stories). In The Pied Piper of Duckburg Don Rosa shows that Scrooge indeed has both a downtown "overflow bin" and the old Money Bin on the top of Killmotor Hill.

The great McDuck calamity


Illustration 6.7 - The great McDuck calamity.


Illustration 6.8 - The expert-report.
Illustration 6.9 - An expert says that Scrroge's money is lost for ever.

Just before the Christmas of 1951 Scrooge McDuck went on the roof of his Money Bin, to put a new coin into the overloaded vault through the roof-hatch. Unfortunately that was one coin to much. With a thunderous sound the floor in his money-vault broke down and all his money fell into a gigantic deep hole underneath the Money Bin. The world's greatest experts were called in to find a way to get the money back into the Money Bin. Unfortunately the experts discovered that only a thin lair of earth kept the money from sinking into deep quicksand, and thus made any easy way of reaching the money impossible. A deeply depressed McDuck then moved in with his nephews, while the people in Duckburg started to talk about "The great McDuck calamity".

An unforgettable Christmas for Shacktown

Illustration 6.10 - Scrooge smells his money.
Illustration 6.11 - The discovery of the badger's hole.


Illustration 6.12 - The toy-train with the first load om money.

The Christmas of 1951 became unforgettable for the children in Duckburg's poorest part - Shacktown. It began when Daisy Ducks ladies-club, in co-operation with the Junior Woodchucks, decided to arrange an acceptable Christmas celebration for the poor children in Shacktown. McDuck was asked to help and actually accepted to donate half the necessary amount of money, but only when the ladies and the JW had made their half of the money. Unfortunately McDuck's fortune was lost in the great McDuck calamity before he could contribute with his share...


Illustration 6.13 - A happy Christmas for the poor children of Shacktown.

Fortunately McDuck's grandnephews Huey, Dewey and Louie Duck knew about a cave underneath the city. Together with their uncles, they entered the cave to see if it could lead them closer to Scrooge's money. At the end of the cave Scrooge could smell his money and soon discovered a badger's hole that lead to the money. Soon after HD#38;L brought in a toy train which they had borrowed from their JW friends. With the train they could finally reach the money. To show his great appreciation to the JW for their help Scrooge promised to donate the first load of money to them. Unfortunately for him and fortunately for the JW and the poor children of Shacktown, there were one hundred 1000-dollar bills in that load. Afterwards the children of Shacktown experienced the best Christmas of their lifetimes.

Biography:

Born in the early 1920s as one of two twins. Son of $crooge McDuck's sister Hortense McDuck and Quackmore Duck - the oldest son of Elivira "Grandma" Duck and her husband Humperdink "Dabney" Duck. Donald Duck thus is a descendant from both the Clan McDuck and the Coots.

Donald Duck has trough the years tried all kinds of jobs without much success. This is though more caused by constant bad luck and stubbornness than a lack of talent. It however seems that his Uncle $crooge always has something for him, like shining his coins.

Once Donald built his own car (registered with the number 313) from spare parts. He has used it ever since.

Donald has a rumour for being a "difficult" neighbour. His fights with his neighbour J. Jones are matter of discussions all over Duckburg. Donald is also known for fights with his own cousin Gladstone Gander, mostly over Donald's girlfriend Daisy Duck.

In the private Donald raises his three nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie Duck, with great success.

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