Release Date:

September 2, 1939

Main Character(s):

Sniffles

Summary:

Sniffles is one of the participants in a scavenger hunt at a birthday party with other mice. He only needs to collect one more item to win the hunt. Unfortunately, this last item is an owl’s egg, which is made difficult thanks to a watchful papa owl and the baby owl hatching out of the egg that won’t stay in the egg and then keeps following Sniffles.

That’s Not All, Folks:

The cartoon was given a Blue Ribbon reissue. When it was restored for the Looney Tunes Mouse Chronicles: The Chuck Jones Collection DVD set in 2012, the original titles were put back in.

Sniffles would face off against the papa owl again in “The Egg Collector” (1940).

What I Like About This One:

Sniffles pulling out a cat’s whisker which is revealed to be one of the items on the scavenger hunt list. He doesn’t realize that this act just gave him an enemy.

When Sniffles goes out to get the owl’s egg, the cat recognizes him and attempts to pounce on an oblivious Sniffles but Sniffles enters a hole at the very last second.

Sniffles attempting to make off with the egg while the papa owl is asleep, only for the papa owl to suddenly appear in front of him. Sniffles quickly hides the egg behind his back, but the papa owl isn’t an idiot, and slaps Sniffles’ hand, causing the other hand to go forwards and reveal the egg. The papa owl laments that he once had a pretty egg, before speaking in an annoyed tone, “It looked a lot like YOUR egg”. He then forces Sniffles to put the egg back in the nest, “before a certain little mouse gets himself HURT!” (this entire scene is animated by Robert McKimson).

As the papa owl attempts to lead Sniffles away, he says that he has nothing against mice. “Why, some of my best friends are mice”. But then he suddenly yells, “BUT I DON’T LIKE YOU!!!!” (as seen in the screenshot used).

After the papa owl throws Sniffles out of the barn, Sniffles bounces back up on the waiting cat’s back.

Sniffles’ second attempt to steal the egg resulting in him tripping over a nail, causing the egg to break and the baby owl to pop out. Sniffles then finds it difficult to get the kid back in the egg.

Sniffles giving up and putting the egg back in the nest, before exiting the barn by sliding down the drainpipe. But suddenly, the baby owl appears behind him, much to his shock. Seeing the cat approaching, Sniffles runs off, but when he sees the cat about to pounce on the helpless baby owl, he comes back and runs off with the kid.

The papa owl witnessing the chase below, and picking up the cat and depositing him in the house’s chimney.

In the end, the owls decide to give Sniffles the egg as a “token of our gratitude”. As Sniffles heads back to the party, the baby owl suddenly pops out of the shell (animated by McKimson).

Where Can I Watch It?

At archive.org!

Carrot Rating:

🥕🥕🥕🥕