There’s really no better way to spend Thanksgiving than with a story about generosity and friendship – Daffy Duck style!?

With warm wishes to all here’s a spoiler-stuffed Thanksgiving treat…

Thanksgiving day nears and an old hillbilly couple – Maw and Paw – prepare for the feast with their newly acquired turkey.  Before the bird is ready to be stuffed and consumed, however, it must be fattened up.  Paw puts the turkey out in the yard with a spread fit for a king.

Just as Thomas (the turkey) prepares to stuff his face, along comes the other bird who’s been residing on the old couple’s property, Daffy.  “How do ya like that?  Puttin’ another bird in here, another mouth to feed?!”  Outraged with jealousy at the site of the other bird about to stuff himself, Daffy quickly talks himself down by remembering he’s got seniority around the place.  As far as birds go in any case.  Thinking fast on his duck feet Daffy runs to Thomas and with the pretext of saving the turkey’s life convinces him that he cannot eat the food unless he wants to have a very short life, “You will soon be surrounded by friends and cranberries.”

Daffy then puts Thomas on a strict diet and rigorous exercise routine so that the turkey will be too skinny by Thanksgiving to be anyone’s main course.

Of course, while it’s true that Daffy sets out to save Thomas’ life it’s not for completely unselfish reasons.  While the turnkey’s busy reducing the food is free for consumption.

And Daffy takes full advantage…

As far as Thomas goes, Daffy’s plan works.  In no time the turkey’s too skinny and malnutritioned to serve as anyone’s meal.  Thanksgiving day arrives and the farmer goes out to get the turkey only to find a disappointing, “boney-looking critter.”  “Yeah, ain’t he a mess?!” Daffy chimes in.  “Too bad he ain’t healthy like me!  Here, look at this wing…yessir!  An old, fat, tender duck.  Now, take this drumstick for instance…”  Oh, Daffy!  He put the idea in the old man’s head…a plump duck is a fine substitution for a turkey!

Now panicked, Daffy tries to lose the extra pounds he’s put on.  And Thomas tries to save him (sort of), but none of it works.  Thinking the only way Daffy will be saved is if he leaves the country, Thomas quickly packs the duck’s bags and sends him off on a boat to Rio De Janeiro – EXCEPT it’s really a plank that leads Daffy right into the oven!

A couple of hours go by…

“Is that duck cooked yet, Maw?”

“No and it don’t look like t’ever will be.  I keep-a-lightin’ the matches n he keeps-a-blowin’ ’em out!”

There’s no duck served at the hillbilly home that day!

Happy Thanksgiving!

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HOLIDAY FOR DRUMSTICKS is a Warner Bros. Pictures Inc., Merrie Melodies cartoon from 1949.  Directed by Arthur Davis, all the characters in DRUMSTICKS are voiced by Mel Blanc.