Monkey Business (WDC 297)

[Daniel van Eijmeren]

On Discovery Channel, I saw a snippet of a documentary about the Chinese 
dictator Moa. It contained b/w (1950s?) footage of people having to hunt 
for sparrows, which were considered a plague. The people were shaking the 
trees, so the sparrows couldn't land on the branches. And others were 
shooting at the sparrows with guns and slingshots.

This sparrow plague reminded me of Barks's art-only "Monkey Business" 
(WDC 297), in which Scrooge telephones King Jambok of Siambodia to help 
him get rid of a plague of ricebirds raiding the country's rice paddies. 
During the story, King Subgum of Upper Malaria tries to invade country 
Siambodia. He's mad because the Siambodian ricebirds begin to raid *his* 
countries rice paddies.

I didn't realise that the story apparently has a real-life connection with 
bird plagues in Asian countries. Is there more to discover? Does the story 
refer to some actual toys, countries, and events in particular? (Submission 
date is 16 November 1964.)

Some other notes/observations:

Panel 2.6 shows a picture of a duckling coming out of an egg, basically 
resembling the looks of one of Donald's nephews.

Panel 3.7 refers to statues in Duckburg's McMallard Park. One statue looks 
like Napoleon. I don't know if the other resembles a real person. (Does it?)

Panel 5.7 shows the Royal Nightingales of Siambodia. They have to witness 
the payment of Scrooge, to make the deal legal in Siambodia. There's a 
fairy tale about a Chinese nightingale, by Hans Christian Andersen. Is 
there also a connection with real-life Chinese/Asian traditions of kings
or emperors? Could Barks have known the Andersen fairy tale?

In panel 6.5, King Jambok substracts another five gallons of diamonds for 
an army to defend Siambodia's rice fields. Scrooge then thinks: "What I 
could say right now about RICE wouldn't be nice!" Is there a gag in here, 
other than just the rhyming sound?

In panel 9.2, King Jambok is angry about the plague returning and wants to 
let Scrooge pay, because he's "the only guy that can afford the damages!"
On the last page of "The Giant Robot Robbers" (US 58), Mayor Hogwilde says: 
"SOMEBODY has to PAY for the damage to those man-robots - and YOU'RE the 
only guy rich enough, McDuck!" So, together with "The Doom Diamond" (US 70), 
Scrooge has had to cope with at least three situations in which leaders are 
eager to demand access to his fortune.

Panel 2.5 shows a picture of a dinner bell being served as dinner. This 
is a background detail. In panel 8.5, royal gongs and dinner bells are 
mentioned, this time as part of the story.

--- Daniël

"Hey! Somethin's makin' SENSE!"
(Which Barks story?)