The Adventures of Peck's Bad Boy #[nn]

Peck's Bad Boy takes a mischievous turn when his father, convinced he’s ill, sends the boy for a patent medicine. The boy, ever the prankster, swaps the medicine for water and hides a cat inside a stuffed toy elephant—setting off a chaotic chase that leaves Pa swearing off patent remedies for good.

Peck's Bad Boy pulls off a clever prank by posing as a female palm reader, charming Pa with playful flirtation—until Ma returns from her visit and catches the ruse in the act. The boy’s scheme takes a surprising turn when Ma’s reaction leaves him with a surprising lesson in mischief and consequence.

In this classic 1906 humor strip, Peck's Bad Boy watches in dismay as his father tries (and fails) to charm a young lady in the park—only to be bested by her angry beau. With Walt McDougall’s sharp wit and expressive art, the story captures the boy’s mortification and the dad’s predictable misadventure in three perfectly paced pages.