George Pal's Puppetoons #17

Jasper learns some tall tales from the Scarecrow, who claims to have covered the greatest events in history as a reporter—from Benjamin Franklin's kite experiment to the atomic bombing of Hiroshima—each one wildly exaggerated with his own starring role. When Jasper asks him to recommend him for the school paper and request a simple signature, the Scarecrow's illiteracy catches up with him in this humorous tale from the 1947 collection.

In this 1947 humor tale, a young violinist desperate to break into theatre work auditions at the Bijou Theatre, but a broken violin string turns his performance into a disaster—and he's thrown off stage before he can explain. After repairing his instrument and landing an usher job at the rival Majestic Theatre, he gets his real chance when quick thinking and his violin skills help him prevent a panic during a theatre fire. His heroic performance with the national anthem earns him the spotlight he always deserved.

When Sylvester Buttery Barth schemes to frame his rival Punchy by hiring the unsavory Herman Honkweiler to destroy a library book, he doesn't count on his own written I.O.U. falling out as evidence. As Punchy faces the librarian's wrath and Judy's disappointment, a single piece of paper threatens to expose the real culprit—but will the truth come out before an innocent friendship is ruined?

Rusty daydreams his way into becoming Pierre Rusty, the mightiest lumberjack in the Canadian northwoods—until a jealous rival named Gaston sets a deadly trap to eliminate both him and his admirer Nanette. When the scheme goes sideways, Pierre Rusty must use his wits and skill to save the day and set things right.

Sgt. Jan is tasked with scouting the area for enemy spies before special military maneuvers begin, but his search through the hedges proves frustratingly slow going. When a goat's unexpected charge sends him tumbling into the thick brush, he stumbles directly into the spies' hiding spot at just the right moment—a stroke of luck that turns the tables on those who were lying in wait. This wartime romp from George Pal's Puppetoons blends slapstick mishaps with comedic military mayhem in fine form.

Jasper receives a pair of boxing gloves for his birthday despite his mother's concerns, and eagerly invites his friend Skippy over to practice with them. When a sparring match breaks out, things quickly go sideways—and Jasper learns that enthusiasm doesn't always translate to skill.