"Rival Beachcombers" is a 10-page
Disney comics story written, drawn, and lettered by
Carl Barks. The story was first published in ''
Walt Disney's Comics & Stories'' #103 (April 1949). It has been reprinted many times since.
Story
The story opens with
Donald Duck and his nephews
Huey, Dewey, and Louie
Huey, Dewey, and Louie are Multiple birth, triplet cartoon characters created by storyboard artist (screenwriter) Carl Barks for The Walt Disney Company from an idea proposed by cartoonist Al Taliaferro and are the nephews of Donald Duck and th ...
beachcombing. They are searching for valuables washed ashore by the winter waves. They meet Donald's ever-lucky cousin Gladstone Gander who is also beachcombing. The nephews find a newspaper from the previous year. It tells of a
maharajah
Mahārāja (; also spelled Maharajah, Maharaj) is a Sanskrit title for a "great ruler", "great king" or " high king".
A few ruled states informally called empires, including ruler raja Sri Gupta, founder of the ancient Indian Gupta Empire, a ...
who lost a valuable
ruby
A ruby is a pinkish red to blood-red colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum ( aluminium oxide). Ruby is one of the most popular traditional jewelry gems and is very durable. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called ...
on the beach, and is offering a $10,000 reward for its return. Gladstone is interested, but decides to let the Ducks dig up their side of the beach looking for the ruby. If they don't find it, then he knows the ruby is on his side of the beach. He takes a nap.
The Ducks work hard, but do not find the ruby. Donald tries to trick Gladstone into leaving the beach, but fails. Gladstone hires the Ducks to dig for the ruby, promising they will share in the reward. The Ducks dig while Gladstone lounges on a
dune. About sunset, the
police
The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and th ...
arrive. They arrest Donald for spoiling the beach. In court, the
judge hits Donald with a $5,000 fine. The nephews want to do something to help him, or he will lose his house.
The nephews decide the only way to help Donald is to find the ruby. They return to the beach after dark, and find the ruby on the dune where Gladstone was napping. In the last panels, the Ducks are riding in a magnificent
limousine
A limousine ( or ), or limo () for short, is a large, chauffeur-driven luxury vehicle with a partition between the driver compartment and the passenger compartment.
A very long wheelbase luxury sedan (with more than four doors) driven by a pr ...
. Gladstone is their lowly
chauffeur.
See also
*
List of Disney comics by Carl Barks
References
External links
Rival Beachcombers
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rival Beachcombers
Disney comics stories
Donald Duck comics by Carl Barks
1949 in comics