Chapter 10B: The Sharpie of the Culebra Cut
Released: France- February 2001, United States- August 2004Dates: 1906
Scrooge tells Donald and the triplets about the "worst bargain I ever made!" He happens to try excavating for gold in Panama at the same time the Panama Canal is under construction. Unfortunately for world progress, Scrooge owns the mountain right in the Canal's path and refuses to sell, even to his old friend President Roosevelt, for anything short of the U.S. Treasury. After avoiding international incident and several series of steam-shoveling hijinks, Scrooge ends up unconscious after Scrooge drinks a Chicha (a gift from an Indian they met) when he and Teddy are supposed to be making the deal for his mountain, so his sisters make it for him: they trade Scrooge's gold claim for a teddy bear.
Donald is thrilled to hear how his mother got the best of Scrooge. His ecstasy quickly ends when the boys realize Scrooge doesn't own just any old teddy bear but the first teddy bear ever made... the "world's most valuable toy." Even when Scrooge McDuck loses, he wins.
This chapter provides examples of:
- Briar Patching: In the climax, a native chief who hates Scrooge appears right while The Generalissimo is holding Scrooge at swordpoint and knocks the man out. Scrooge then tricks the chief into taking away a cart of gold (which he actually needs to get rid of to avoid jeopardizing a far bigger deal) and letting the authorities in a neighboring country take custody of the general by pretending to be horrified at both prospects, at which point the chief takes the gold for his tribe and the general as a prisoner immediately.Scrooge: Please don't turn him over to Colombia. He is the traitor-chief who made it possible for Panama to break away from Colombia. They will put my poor friend into prison forever. (Crocodile Tears)
- …But He Sounds Handsome: Scrooge while pretending to be Theodore in order to make a deal with the indian chief.The chief: (after Scrooge accidentally points at the wrong place at a map) Hm... ten miles out into the pacific ocean? [Scrooge] is way off, but he must have good lungs!
Scrooge: (as Theodore) Er... yes! Quite a remarkable fellow! Handsome, too! - Funny Background Event: While Scrooge and Theodore Roosevelt are discussing, Hortense and Matilda can be seen chasing two cowboys in the background, including chopping down the tree they try to hide in.
- It Will Never Catch On: Roosevelt says that buying into the movie business will be a foolish investment that will accomplish nothing.
- Mayincatec: Literally — an Aztec-designed jaguar statue, built by Incas, and the writing is Mayan.
- My Greatest Failure: Scrooge thinks his deal with Roosevelt was this, since he passed out at the last moment after carelessly drinking the wine sent by the indian chief, and in his stead, his sisters traded his gold claim with a teddy bear. Subverted Trope when his grand-nephews point out that the teddy bear (the first ever made) has now become the most valuable toy in the world.
- Serial Romeo: Hortense and Matilda flirt with every cowboy they come across. Note that at this point, Hortense would have already started dating Quackmore.
- Show Some Leg: Matilda and Hortense try this, until Hortense blows their cover with a Groin Attack when the guard mentions a certain "holy terror" he once met in Duckburg.
- Symbol Swearing: The newspaper in the end with Donald's Death Glare picture:"Nephew says @#%*@! And you may quote me!"
- Wide-Eyed Idealist: President Roosevelt is convinced that the world will be a Utopia with no greed, warmongering, or societal dishonesty by 2006. The more tough and realistic Scrooge just snorts at this suggestion.
