Oh, Brother! #4

Jul 1953 · Stanhall · 10

☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join free

This issue contains humorous domestic comedy stories. In one tale, a young boy gives his substitute teacher only half an apple, leading to comedic consequences when family members forget items and must backtrack to retrieve them, culminating in a string tied around a father's finger as a reminder about "elbow macaroni." Another story follows a man babysitting his brother's son, who repeatedly interrupts his attempts to answer a phone call; when he finally goes to pick up a Mr. Blair, he discovers the child has been picked up for vagrancy, leading to an awkward confrontation at the police station. A third story features a boy named Melvin who wants to donate his allowance to the community chest, but discovers he has spent his money already and owns the school a debt for chair repairs.

Contains 5 stories

Mrs. Murphy's Jam

6 pp · Humor, Domestic

When a neighbor's homemade jam causes a young man to hear his friend's father is "laid up" because of it, he jumps to the worst possible conclusion—and before anyone can set the record straight, the rumor spirals into a full-blown town panic. As doctors swarm the makeshift emergency dispensary and authorities search for a culprit, the truth about what really happened remains just out of reach. This hilarious 1953 tale of miscommunication shows how a single misheard story can turn an entire town upside down.

Forgetful Father

2 pp · Humor

A forgetful father heads to the store with a simple shopping list, but Babs suspects he'll bungle the errand—and she's not wrong. When he returns missing one crucial item, Mother decides to make the return trip herself, though a well-meaning suggestion about tying a string on her finger to remember the elbow macaroni leads to an amusing twist on who really needs the memory aid.

The Train Trip

8 pp · Humor, Domestic

A young man determined to avoid an awkward encounter ends up telling a lie that spirals into genuine trouble—all because he told his father to "get lost" and his father took him literally. When a casual fib about catching a train to Noboro lands him in the custody of the station master, his parents must rush to pick him up, leaving him to face an uncomfortable reckoning with both them and the girl he was trying to dodge in the first place.

The Elopement

4 pp

When a young woman needs to escape an unwanted visitor, her brother devises a quick getaway—but a busybody neighbor misinterprets their departure as an elopement, setting off a chain of misunderstandings that lands the brother in hot water with the persistent suitor. Ellen must think fast to untangle the mess and finally get this persistent fellow off her back for good.

The Community Chest

6 pp

Melvin has only two cents to his name, but he's determined to raise money for the Community Chest—and he's got an audacious plan. With help from a girl named June, he decides to auction off his mother's crystal chandelier to raise funds for the cause, setting off a chain of events that's bound to land him in hot water. When the chandelier ends up back at his doorstep with a receipt in hand, Melvin discovers that good intentions don't always protect you from the consequences of questionable decisions.