Donald and Chip & Dale at Christmas

[Elaine Ramshaw]

Does anyone know the history of how Mickey turned into Donald, when the
Little Golden Book _Donald Duck's Christmas Tree_ was written? I assume that
the cartoon "Pluto's Christmas Tree" came first, and was adapted into the
Golden Book. Indeed, Pluto remains in the Golden Book. But instead of
Mickey's house, it's Donald's house, and the second page provides this
explanation: "Pluto was visiting with Donald because Mickey was away for the
holidays." Was the change from Mickey to Donald made because at the time the
book was written Donald was more popular among American children, thanks to
Barks and the comics? Or for some other reason? 

 

I don't mind the Pluto-staying-with-Donald maneuver, but I am nonplussed by
the fact that Huey, Dewey and Louie don't appear to live with Donald in this
book! There are stockings at the hearth with their names, and their photo is
on the mantel, but their absence is unexplained, and on the last page it
says "And when Donald's nephews, Huey, Dewey, and Louie, came by to sing
carols, eat cookies, and drink eggnog, they all agreed that this was by far
their happiest Christmas Eve ever." When it says that they "came by" rather
than "came home," it definitely sounds as if they do not live with Donald. 

 

This story appears to be a separate line of development from the
Donald-vs.-C&D Christmas story (or stories), where Donald fights Chip & Dale
with toys around the tree. In that case, did the cartoon "Toy Tinkers" come
first? Or did a comic book story such as W CP 2-08 (titled variously
"Christmas Fray" or "Such a Clatter") inspire the cartoon? 

 

Elaine

 

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