A Waggily Tale is a 1958 Looney Tunes cartoon. It was directed by Friz Freleng.
A boy called Junior mistreats his dog, Elvis, riding him like a horse and making him pull him in a wagon. Junior’s mother, catching him at this, sends him to his room, telling him, “You wouldn’t want to be treated that way if you were a dog!”
Junior falls asleep and dreams about being a dog in a pet shop, then being adopted by a girl who means well but doesn’t understand that dogs shouldn’t be bathed in washing machines. Junior wakes from his dream in shock and vows to treat Elvis better, having learned how hard a dog’s life can be.
Tropes appearing in this cartoon:
- Dream Within a Dream: Most of the short is a boy’s dream about being a dog himself after mistreating his dog. After Junior makes up with Elvis and promises to treat him better, the dog tells the audience, “That’s okay, because I’m not really a dog, neither. I’m really another little boy having a dream.”
- Fake Rabies: The girl in Junior’s dream brushes his teeth with shaving soap (mistaking it for toothpaste), causing him to be mistaken for a mad dog and get sent to the pound.
- Go to Your Room!: When Junior’s mother catches him riding Elvis like a horse, she sends Junior to his room.Junior’s mother: Junior, you’ve tormented that dog enough! You march right into the house this minute, and stay in your room ‘til I tell you you can come out.
- In Another Man's Shoes: Junior dreams that he’s a dog, learning not to mistreat his own dog.
- No Name Given: The name of the girl is never mentioned.
- Opinion-Changing Dream: Junior, after dreaming of being a dog and getting sent to the pound after the girl brushes his teeth with shaving soap, vows to treat Elvis better.
- Pounds Are Animal Prisons: The pound Junior gets sent to is portrayed as a jail, with bars across the door of the room he’s locked in. In the room with him is another dog, sadly playing the harmonica.
- Through a Face Full of Fur: In Junior’s dream, the girl is carrying Junior, then shows him to a boy named Johnny, who wants to carry him. The girl refuses, and the two kids wind up playing tug-of-war with Junior, unknowingly choking him.Johnny: [dragging Junior by the tail] Hey, fellas, look! A dog with a blue face!
