The Wise Little Hen

The Wise Little Hen is a Silly Symphony short released on June 9, 1934. It marks the debut of Donald Duck and is based on the fairy tale The Little Red Hen.

Plot

The Wise Little Hen lived with her chicks. They were running low on food and she was worried, so she decided to plant some corn. So they set off to Peter Pig's house. She asked him if he would help her plant corn, but sadly Peter complained of having a belly ache and snorted off. The Hen realized that he would not help her, so she skipped off to Donald Duck's house. Donald did not help her either, as he also faked a belly ache and quacked off. The Hen decided to plant the corn herself. As soon as the corn had grown, the Hen asked Peter and Donald again if they would help her. They faked belly aches again and went into the club house they owned. Peter banged the door so hard the wall broke, but the Pig and the Duck were shaking hands without noticing the wall at all. The Hen saw through their trick and agreed with her chicks to not let them eat any corn when it's done. So they harvested and cooked the corn themselves for their dinner. When they were done, the Hen decided to ask Peter and Donald if they wanted corn. They agreed and came rushing over to grab the basket full of corn. They fought over it but then decided to dig in. To their surprise, it was castor oil for belly aches! The Hen and the chicks enjoyed their meal, while Peter and Donald kicked each other in the rear for the rest of the day.

Characters

• Donald Duck (voiced by Clarence Nash)
• The Wise Little Hen (voiced by Florence Gill)
• Peter Pig (voiced by Pinto Colvig)
• Chicks (Voiced By Purv Pullen)

Trivia

• This was Donald Duck's only color appearance until the release of The Band Concert in 1935, as Mickey Mouse cartoons from 1928 to 1935 were in black-and-white.
• All of the characters' speeches are hard to interpret due to mixing in animal sounds.
  • This was what led to Donald to have his trademark quack-like speech.
• Donald Duck was first mentioned in The Adventures of Mickey Mouse in 1931, but did not appear in it; though a similar and different duck (presumably an early prototype of him) appeared on the back cover.

Goofs

• Peter's leg outline was pink in one scene.

Releases

Television

• The Mickey Mouse Club, October 6, 1955
• The Mickey Mouse Club, March 25, 1958
• Donald's Quack Attack, episode #81
• Sing Me a Story with Belle: "Reap What You Sow"
• The Ink and Paint Club, episode #1.4: "Disney Firsts"
• The Ink and Paint Club, episode #1.14: "Early Donald"

Home video releases

VHS

• Walt Disney Cartoon Classics: Donald Duck's First 50 Years
• Mickey and Company

DVD

• Walt Disney Treasures: Silly Symphonies
• Walt Disney Treasures: The Chronological Donald, Volume 1
• Walt Disney's Timeless Tales: Volume 3
• Walt Disney Animation Collection: Classic Short Films: Volume 5: Wind in the Willows

Gallery

The chicks and Wise Hen are sad after Donald Duck and Peter Pig won't help them.

The Chicks and Wise Hen harvested corn!

The Chicks watering their corn with a pea can filled with water with holes in it.

The Chicks and Little Wise Hen enjoying the corn feast.

The Chicks and Wise Little Hen on a picture-book cover.

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1930s The Wise Little Hen • Donald and Pluto • Don Donald • Modern Inventions • Donald's Ostrich • Self Control • Donald's Better Self • Donald's Nephews • Good Scouts • Donald's Golf Game • Mother Goose Goes Hollywood • Donald's Lucky Day • The Hockey Champ • Donald's Cousin Gus • Beach Picnic • Sea Scouts • Donald's Penguin • The Autograph Hound • Officer Duck • The Fox Hunt (co-starring Goofy) • Polar Trappers (co-starring Goofy) 1940s The Riveter • Donald's Dog Laundry • Mr. Duck Steps Out • Put-Put Troubles • Donald's Vacation • The Volunteer Worker • Window Cleaners • The Fire Chief • Timber • The Golden Eggs • A Good Time for a Dime • Early to Bed • Truant Officer Donald • Old MacDonald Duck • Donald's Camera • Chef Donald • Donald's Decision • The Village Smithy • The New Spirit • Donald's Snow Fight • Donald Gets Drafted • Donald's Garden • Donald's Gold Mine • Sky Trooper • Bellboy Donald • Der Fuehrer's Face • The Spirit of '43 • Donald's Tire Trouble • Lake Titicaca • Aquarela do Brazil • The Flying Jalopy • Fall Out-Fall In • The Old Army Game • Home Defense • Trombone Trouble • Donald Duck and the Gorilla • Contrary Condor • Commando Duck • The Plastics Inventor • Donald's Off Day • The Clock Watcher • The Eyes Have It • Donald's Crime • Duck Pimples • Cured Duck • Old Sequoia • Donald's Double Trouble • Wet Paint • Dumbell of the Yukon • Lighthouse Keeping • Straight Shooters • Sleepy Time Donald • Clown of the Jungle • Donald's Dilemma • Bootle Beetle • Wide Open Spaces • Chip an' Dale • Drip Dippy Donald • Daddy Duck • Donald's Dream Voice • Blame It on the Samba • The Trial of Donald Duck • Inferior Decorator • Soup's On • Three for Breakfast • Tea for Two Hundred • Donald's Happy Birthday • Sea Salts • Winter Storage • Honey Harvester • All in a Nutshell • The Greener Yard • Slide, Donald, Slide • Toy Tinkers • Billposters (co-starring Goofy) • No Sail (co-starring Goofy) • Frank Duck Brings 'em Back Alive (co-starring Goofy) • Crazy with the Heat (co-starring Goofy) 1950s Lion Around • Crazy Over Daisy • Trailer Horn • Hook, Lion and Sinker • Bee at the Beach • Out on a Limb • Dude Duck • Corn Chips • Test Pilot Donald • Lucky Number • Out of Scale • Bee on Guard • Donald Applecore • Let's Stick Together • Uncle Donald's Ants • Trick or Treat • Don's Fountain of Youth • The New Neighbor • Rugged Bear • Working for Peanuts • Canvas Back Duck • Spare the Rod • Donald's Diary • Dragon Around • Grin and Bear It • The Flying Squirrel • Grand Canyonscope • No Hunting • Bearly Asleep • Beezy Bear • Up a Tree • Chips Ahoy 1960s The Litterbug Educational Shorts How to Have an Accident in the Home • How to Have an Accident at Work • Donald in Mathmagic Land • Donald and the Wheel • Steel and America • Donald's Fire Survival Plan • Family Planning Songs Donald Duck See Also DuckTales (1987 series) • Donald's Quack Attack • Quack Pack • Pomp and Circumstance • DuckTales (2017 series)

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1929 The Skeleton Dance • El Terrible Toreador • Springtime • Hell's Bells • The Merry Dwarfs 1930 Summer • Autumn • Cannibal Capers • Frolicking Fish • Arctic Antics • Midnight in a Toy Shop • Night • Monkey Melodies • Winter • Playful Pan 1931 Birds of a Feather • Mother Goose Melodies • The China Plate • The Busy Beavers • The Cat's Out • Egyptian Melodies • The Clock Store • The Spider and the Fly • The Fox Hunt • The Ugly Duckling 1932 The Bird Store • The Bears and Bees • Just Dogs • Flowers and Trees • King Neptune • Bugs in Love • Babes in the Woods • Santa's Workshop 1933 Birds in the Spring • Father Noah's Ark • The Three Little Pigs • Old King Cole • Lullaby Land • The Pied Piper • The Night Before Christmas 1934 The China Shop • The Grasshopper and the Ants • Funny Little Bunnies • The Big Bad Wolf • The Wise Little Hen • The Flying Mouse • Peculiar Penguins • The Goddess of Spring 1935 The Tortoise and the Hare • The Golden Touch • The Robber Kitten • Water Babies • The Cookie Carnival • Who Killed Cock Robin? • Music Land • Three Orphan Kittens • Cock o' the Walk • Broken Toys 1936 Elmer Elephant • Three Little Wolves • Toby Tortoise Returns • Three Blind Mouseketeers • The Country Cousin • Mother Pluto • More Kittens 1937 Woodland Café • Little Hiawatha • The Old Mill 1938 The Moth and the Flame • Wynken, Blynken and Nod • Farmyard Symphony • Merbabies • Mother Goose Goes Hollywood 1939 The Practical Pig • The Ugly Duckling