The Horseradish Story is a story written and drawn by Carl Barks for the Disney Ducks Comic Universe. It was first printed without a title in Uncle Scrooge #3, in 1953. Due to its fame, fans would refer to it as "The Horseradish Story". Although it was given the title "Trouble From Long Ago" by Barks himself when it was reprinted Walt Disney's Uncle Scrooge McDuck #1 and The Carl Barks Library, in its next three printings (The Adventures of Uncle Scrooge McDuck in Color #3, Uncle Scrooge #338 and 'Uncle Scrooge #338) used "The Horseradish Story"; however, the most recent reprint, in The Fantagraphics Carl Barks Library in 2012, it was titled "The Horseradish Treasure", a title that has hardly caught on.
A man enters Scrooge's office to claim a 200 year old debt. The man introduces himself as Chisel McSue and gives Scrooge a paper.
The paper tells how 200 years ago, Swindle McSue put captain "Seafoam" McDuck in charge of delivering a horseradish cargo to Jamaica. Seafoam signed the contract without reading the fine print, since he didn't have his glasses. Seafoam's ship sunk during the travel and he only managed to save his gold teeth. When he returned to his mansion, Seafoam found Swindle McSue there, explaining that the fine print said that if the horseradish cargo didn't reach Jamaica, Seafoam should give all his belongings to Swindle. These included Seafoam's gold teeth, but he refused to give them and ran away.
Scrooge then reads the current contract, saying that since Seafoam didn't give the teeth away, Scrooge must give all his belongings to McSue. However, Scrooge has his glasses on, and reads the fine print saying that McSue cannot take possession until 30 days, and never will if Scrooge manages to complete the original contract.
Scrooge goes to Donald, Huey, Dewey, and Louie for help. He explains that one way to complete the contract is to give his ancestor's gold teeth, but he sold them years ago to invest the money. The other way to complete the contract is to find the horseradish cargo and deliver it in Jamaica. Donald tries to dissuade him, since the cargo sank 200 years ago and they don't even know where.
Scrooge prepares a ship anyways, but before sailing out, Huey, Dewey, and Louie get Scrooge to sign a contract ensuring that he will pay for their help. From time to time, the ship stops so a frogman can explore underwater to find Seafoam's ship; Scrooge does it the first time, but Donald takes the frogman duty from then on. Donald finds a place where there are no fish, but Scrooge doesn't care, and later chastises Donald for getting treasure from other ships instead of seeking for horseradish.
The search takes several days. One day, Scrooge is going to eat his lunch, but when he finds out that the salad is horseradish, he throws it away as it reminds him of his unsuccessful search. Donald sees the horseradish falling to the sea, and notices that every fish stays away from it, so he suggests to return to the place they found the first day where there were no fish. When they return, Donald finds Seafoam's ship and its horseradish cargo, and also discovers that Swindle McSue sabotaged the ship 200 years ago.
Meanwhile, Chisel McSue talks with a friend about his upcoming fortune, when they hear the radio news telling that Scrooge sent a message offering a reward to anyone who can take him to Jamaica to bring horseradish. McSue and his friend take a motor boat and reach Scrooge ship, shooting and sinking it. Then Mc Sue tries to kill his own friend as he is an eyewitness of his crime, so when McSue falls from the boat, his friend leaves him.
The Ducks, who survived the sinking, carry the horseradish box on a raft. They find McSue drowning and Donald tries to save him with the help of the kids. Donald asks Scrooge to help them saving McSue, and while Scrooge refuses at first, then he notices he cannot let him die and all five ducks save the villain. The ungrateful McSue kicks the horseradish box overboard and then tries to kill the Ducks, but Donald decides it has been enough and all them defeat and tie McSue.
Scrooge is depressed as he will lose his fortune, while McSue is still happy, as he will soon become the richest man in the world. A ship finds the raft, saving the six castaways, and the nephews tell the captain that Uncle Scrooge will pay him for bringing them to Jamaica, as they knew McSue would kick the horseradish box, so they secured it with fishing lines.
At Jamaica, after leaving the cargo, Huey, Dewey, and Louie tell Scrooge to pay them for their help. Scrooge tries to not pay, but the kids tell him the fine print states that if he doesn't pay, he will have to eat every horseradish from the box!
Tropes
- Crazy-Prepared: Huey, Dewey and Louie first make Scrooge sign a contract assuring that he will pay them, as he's tried to welch on them in the past. Then, they secure the horseradish with fishing lines before saving McSue.
- Leave No Witnesses: Why McSue tries to kill his friend after sinking the Ducks' ship. It gets him tossed overboard, however.
- Meaningful Name: Swindle McSue and his descendant Chisel. Fitting for con artists who tried to bilk the McDucks out of their money with contract stipulations.
- Read the Fine Print: A recurring element. The problem starts because Seafoam was unable to read the find print on Swindle McSue's contract without his glasses. In the present, Scrooge does have his glasses and can read the fine print on Chisel's court order, finding the stipulation that will save his fortune. And at the end, it's revealed that the fine print on the nephews' contracts that if Scrooge doesn't pay, he must eat the horseradish!
- Save the Villain: In spite of McSue being the reason they're lost at sea, the Ducks, not even Scrooge, can bring themselves to let him drown. Unsurprisingly, McSue proves to be an Ungrateful Bastard and tries to kill them.
