Ozzie and Babs #5

When Ozzie Turner ditches his movie date with Babs Forester to chase down the mysterious Mr. Z—a roaming contest prize-winner worth $5,000—the two teens tumble through an increasingly wild carnival chase that tests their determination, their teamwork, and Babs's patience. Across tunnel mazes, Ferris wheels, and roller coasters, Ozzie and Babs race against a determined lady also hot on Mr. Z's trail, each collision and close call bringing them closer to their prize—or so they think.

When mischievous Algernon decides the firehouse needs some excitement, he sets a "hot foot" prank in motion that sends the Fire Chief and his men scrambling—only to discover the real fire is on one of their own. With sirens wailing and confusion running high, the firemen find themselves caught in a cycle of false alarms as Algernon's pranks keep them rushing back to the station, leaving the poor Fire Chief wondering if he'll ever get a moment's peace.

Ozzie Turner has been reading up on hygiene and germs, and now he's determined to warn his family about every possible health hazard—armed with medical "facts" about bacteria in cereal, disease on napkins, and dangers lurking everywhere. When his father Phil dismisses the warnings and gets caught by one of Ozzie's own cautionary signs, the tables turn as Phil starts taking the germ panic seriously, only to find himself on the receiving end of his son's well-intentioned but misguided health remedies. It's a lighthearted spin on how a little knowledge can cause plenty of chaos in a household.

When Midge is stuck in the hospital because her doctor forgot to discharge her before leaving town, Babs hatches a scheme to spring her friend in time for the big dance—by impersonating the switchboard operator and calling in fake orders. But Babs quickly discovers that running a busy hospital switchboard is more complicated than she bargained for, and her well-intentioned deception sends the whole place into hilarious chaos.

Dapper Dan shows off his flashy new sport jacket to his friends, but when they compliment his sharp appearance from the day before, a rib about spats turns into an embarrassing revelation about what they actually saw. This one-page humor story delivers a quick laugh at Dapper Dan's expense in the style you'd expect from a 1948 teen comic.

Sloppy Josie covets a sweater she spots in a shop window, but her father's recent bungalow purchase has left the family finances tight. When her friend asks why she can't simply ask him for the money, Josie explains his constrained situation—setting up a humorous predicament about wanting what she can't have.

When a lamp dealer's stock keeps getting mysteriously destroyed night after night, detective Richard Richard and his quirky assistants Ah Choo and Flub Dub the talking dog take the case—but their scheme to catch the culprit in the act turns into a slapstick scramble that threatens to wreck more than just lamps. This 1948 humor mystery pits bumbling detective work against a vengeful candle salesman with a hammer and absolutely no patience for incompetence.

Theresa is devastated to discover that another girl in her history class has a dress identical to her brand-new outfit, and she's convinced the situation is dire enough to warrant drastic measures. When she appeals to her Pop for help, his practical suggestion offers a hilariously different perspective on the fashion crisis.

Ozzie Turner shows up at the school dance barefoot and acting stranger than usual, so Babs Forester is reluctant to go with him—until he convinces her to visit Gypsy Jordano's Tea Room first, where a fortune teller reads the leaves and declares the man in Babs's life wears no red. Desperate to win her back after Babs spots someone who fits the description better, Ozzie hatches a scheme involving a fortune teller disguise that backfires in the most unexpected way.