an unusual Mickey

[Marco Barlotti]

I've read the Italian translation ("Topolino e l'incendiario") of the story 
D 93559 "The firemaker" ("Dem Feuerteufel auf der Spur" in LTB 229).

This story tells about Mickey Mouse chasing a firebug. In case anybody here 
knows the original version, or a different translation, I have a couple of 
questions.

At the beginning, Chief O'Hara rings up Mickey for help. This is very 
common, as we all know. Very unusual is however Mickey's answer: OK, he 
says, I'm going to help you. But I'm a private detective, I'm currently 
working on a (paid) case, and if I have to use my time to help you then you 
too must pay.

This is even common sense (who hasn't wondered at least once HOW in the 
world Mickey Mouse earns his money? Donald Duck is working much more often 
than Mickey, and he is always broke, while Mickey (almost) never has 
problems with money!). It is only right that the police pays for Mickey's 
help, but this is the first (and, to be honest, also the last) time that he 
asks for payment.
So the first question is: is this the original dialogue? Are there other 
stories where Mickey gets paid by the police for his help?

Then the plot carries on, and we reach the end. No more mention of the 
payment. But in the last three panels there is a strange dialogue between 
Mickey and O'Hara. O'Hara offers Mickey a steak, or a mixed grill, or a 
toast; Mickey refuses and says he will go home to eat a raw carrot. There 
is probably a reasonable pun on the misuse of fire (remember? The whole 
story is about a firebug), that explains why Mickey won't eat a steak 
(cooked on fire) or even a mixed grill (cooked on fire) but why not a toast?
Again, I'd like to know whwther the dialogue was changed. Maybe there was 
some pun on the payment? The matter of the payment is not mentioned anymore 
after the beginning of the story.

OK, that's all. If the dialoge was not changed this is a very partcular MM 
story, and I thought it was worth mentioning. So here comes the last, but 
not least, question: who wrote that story? Did the same person write other 
stories, and which?

Thanks everybody for your help!


     Marco

http://www.cce.unifi.it/~marcobar/Comics