Post by Hector on Jul 10, 2017 19:56:07 GMT
This is a story whose creators i don't know (the drawing style is awesome nonetheless) and
i couldn't find in any archive to show you, but i decided to review it cause i loved it. It's
one i read in a classic stories' volume, so i guess it must be well known and there will be
at least one of you who will get what i am talking about.
The ''pill of knowledge'' (at least that's the title in my mother tongue) is about Scrooge's
persistent attempts to break the language barrier, so that he can fire his interpreter,
who dared asking for a raise in his salary!
Up to that point, Scrooge needed one to do business with foreign partners, because, as
opposed to his Barkses and Rosa's versions, he only speaks one language. This made me
wonder, even as a child/early teen when i first read this story, isn't english the language
everybody speaks nowadays anyway? Aren't the language barriers supposed to have been
broken by the common use of that simple and convienient language in places like stock
markets? (if you disagree that english is an easy language, you should see my mother one)
Anyway, just for the sake of a good story, i accepted (just like any other reader did i guess)
that, in that story's universe, every person, no matter how important he is, speaks his
mother tongue only, so the language barrier is still a thing, and so is the profession of an
interpreter.
Scrooge first decides to try his luck by using a spiritual method that guarantees fast learning
of many languages. The problem is it is only taught in Tibet. Surprisingly, Scrooge finds out
about all that by looking it up in an encyclopedia! Yes, no Junior Woodchuck book this time!
Also, this is the right time for any kid who happens to be reading this review to wonder: ''duh,
why didn't he just google it?'' (try to imagine a kid wondering this in a naive expression; funny
huh?)
Our feathery aged hero goes all the way to Tibet and asks for a place at a school/monastery.
First, he has to pass a test to prove his pure intentions. Not knowing what the test is about,
which would give him the luxury to prepare himself i guess, he's soon exposed as the money
hungry duck he is and, naturally, he is kicked out of the school. Or should i say, he's launched
by a catapult that sends him back to Duckburg (yes, all the way from Tibet to Duckburg!)
Of course, our money obsessed hero won't give up! He asks his scientists to solve his
problem (yes, after Junior Woodchuck book, it's Gyro's turn to lose his role as a plot device),
threatening to fire them should they fail.
The nameless scientists manage to invent a mechanical helmet that enables the one who
wears it to speak and understand any language. Mister McDuck gets delighted at first.
No matter how wondrous this invention is though, it's still a machine, and machines break or
malfunction sometimes. During an important business meeting, the helmet glitches and
Scrooge unintentionally insults his potential partner, who happens to be sword wielder (!).
After barely escaping with his life, our beloved tycoon gets adviced by his scientists to
hire a technician to do regular mantainance on the helmet. At first, Scrooge is like ''so
i fired the interpreter to hire a technician?'', but, in the end, he guesses it will still cost him
less than his old interpreter's salary, so he gets compromised.
Inevitably, there comes a day when the technician asks for a raise! You can guess how
mad Scrooge became! Once more, he calls his scientists and asks them to find another
solution, threatening them with a cannon this time!
The head scientist comes up with a pill that does the same job as the old helmet. However,
first, he has to consult a doctor, in case there are side effects. The doctor needs time to
study the evidence, but Scrooge is impatient. Therefore, fearing of getting ''cannonized'',
the scientist decides to risk it and presents his idea to his boss.
Scrooge is excited. Not only does he receive the pill himself, but he also decides to sell it
to all the important persons in the world (businessmen, politicians etc), not caring about
the fact that he will force all the interpreters in the world out of business this way (i figure
those monks at Tibet treated this version of Scrooge the way he deserved).
Things couldn't be going better for the unscrupulous tycoon, until the doctor makes a
horrible discovery. The one who has this pill in his stomach for a long time won't be able
to speak his mother tongue! The rest of the story is a series of hilarious gags, resulting
from the pill's side effects.
When the pill wears off and everyone is back to normal, Scrooge has to pay an enormous
amount of money to those who took it.
The story ends with Donald (who has barely appeared at all up to this point) packing his
things to leave Duckburg and escape his uncle's wrath. When his nephews ask him: ''Why?
How is all this your fault?'', Donald answers, in a smile of defeat and acceptance of his fate:
''According to uncle Scrooge, everything is always my fault!''
Oh, god, this last line was epic! It killed me!
Rating: 10/10
i couldn't find in any archive to show you, but i decided to review it cause i loved it. It's
one i read in a classic stories' volume, so i guess it must be well known and there will be
at least one of you who will get what i am talking about.
The ''pill of knowledge'' (at least that's the title in my mother tongue) is about Scrooge's
persistent attempts to break the language barrier, so that he can fire his interpreter,
who dared asking for a raise in his salary!
Up to that point, Scrooge needed one to do business with foreign partners, because, as
opposed to his Barkses and Rosa's versions, he only speaks one language. This made me
wonder, even as a child/early teen when i first read this story, isn't english the language
everybody speaks nowadays anyway? Aren't the language barriers supposed to have been
broken by the common use of that simple and convienient language in places like stock
markets? (if you disagree that english is an easy language, you should see my mother one)
Anyway, just for the sake of a good story, i accepted (just like any other reader did i guess)
that, in that story's universe, every person, no matter how important he is, speaks his
mother tongue only, so the language barrier is still a thing, and so is the profession of an
interpreter.
Scrooge first decides to try his luck by using a spiritual method that guarantees fast learning
of many languages. The problem is it is only taught in Tibet. Surprisingly, Scrooge finds out
about all that by looking it up in an encyclopedia! Yes, no Junior Woodchuck book this time!
Also, this is the right time for any kid who happens to be reading this review to wonder: ''duh,
why didn't he just google it?'' (try to imagine a kid wondering this in a naive expression; funny
huh?)
Our feathery aged hero goes all the way to Tibet and asks for a place at a school/monastery.
First, he has to pass a test to prove his pure intentions. Not knowing what the test is about,
which would give him the luxury to prepare himself i guess, he's soon exposed as the money
hungry duck he is and, naturally, he is kicked out of the school. Or should i say, he's launched
by a catapult that sends him back to Duckburg (yes, all the way from Tibet to Duckburg!)
Of course, our money obsessed hero won't give up! He asks his scientists to solve his
problem (yes, after Junior Woodchuck book, it's Gyro's turn to lose his role as a plot device),
threatening to fire them should they fail.
The nameless scientists manage to invent a mechanical helmet that enables the one who
wears it to speak and understand any language. Mister McDuck gets delighted at first.
No matter how wondrous this invention is though, it's still a machine, and machines break or
malfunction sometimes. During an important business meeting, the helmet glitches and
Scrooge unintentionally insults his potential partner, who happens to be sword wielder (!).
After barely escaping with his life, our beloved tycoon gets adviced by his scientists to
hire a technician to do regular mantainance on the helmet. At first, Scrooge is like ''so
i fired the interpreter to hire a technician?'', but, in the end, he guesses it will still cost him
less than his old interpreter's salary, so he gets compromised.
Inevitably, there comes a day when the technician asks for a raise! You can guess how
mad Scrooge became! Once more, he calls his scientists and asks them to find another
solution, threatening them with a cannon this time!
The head scientist comes up with a pill that does the same job as the old helmet. However,
first, he has to consult a doctor, in case there are side effects. The doctor needs time to
study the evidence, but Scrooge is impatient. Therefore, fearing of getting ''cannonized'',
the scientist decides to risk it and presents his idea to his boss.
Scrooge is excited. Not only does he receive the pill himself, but he also decides to sell it
to all the important persons in the world (businessmen, politicians etc), not caring about
the fact that he will force all the interpreters in the world out of business this way (i figure
those monks at Tibet treated this version of Scrooge the way he deserved).
Things couldn't be going better for the unscrupulous tycoon, until the doctor makes a
horrible discovery. The one who has this pill in his stomach for a long time won't be able
to speak his mother tongue! The rest of the story is a series of hilarious gags, resulting
from the pill's side effects.
When the pill wears off and everyone is back to normal, Scrooge has to pay an enormous
amount of money to those who took it.
The story ends with Donald (who has barely appeared at all up to this point) packing his
things to leave Duckburg and escape his uncle's wrath. When his nephews ask him: ''Why?
How is all this your fault?'', Donald answers, in a smile of defeat and acceptance of his fate:
''According to uncle Scrooge, everything is always my fault!''
Oh, god, this last line was epic! It killed me!
Rating: 10/10
