The Ugly Duckling is an episode from the fourth season of Garfield and Friends.
Synopsis[]
Orson tells the story of "The Ugly Duckling", who is Wade with a paper bag over his head.
Plot[]
Out camping in the woods, Orson is reading the phone book to Booker and Sheldon, since it is the only book that Orson has yet to read to them. The chicks, who become bored listening to it, suggest the story of the Ugly Duckling (as it is the title of the episode). Since Orson lacks a copy of the story, the chicks resort to making their own version of it.
In the story, the Ugly Duckling (Wade) must hide himself with a paper bag over his face because he is ashamed of his looks. Whenever asked how ugly he is, he answers with comparisons and jokes. One day, he hears from two forest dwellers (Fred Duck and Plato Rooster) about a wizard who can improve his looks. The wizard (Bo) runs a cottage for casting spells and making sandwiches; he sometimes gets his skills mixed up, as shown when serving a customer (Roy). The duckling begs him to give him a new face, and the wizard makes a deal. First, the duckling must retrieve the shoes of his evil sister, the witch, merely because they are stylish.
When the duckling gets to the castle, the witch (Lanolin) refuses to give him the shoes and sics her minions (Orson's brothers) on him. After a chase (in typical cartoon style), the duckling ultimately uses his ugliness on the minions and the witch, scaring them all off. He retrieves the shoes, supposedly to bring them to the wizard. Instead, he remains ugly due to the power of his face, as well as some jokes he has yet to utilize.
The chicks, disappointed with the results and the moral of the story, want to go back to listening to the phone book.
Characters[]
Main characters[]
Major characters[]
Minor characters[]
- Fred Duck/Forest Dweller
- Plato/Forest Dweller (non-speaking cameo)
- Odie (cameo)
Trivia[]
- This episode marks the final appearance of Fred Duck in the series.
- This is the third time Odie makes a guest star appearance in an U.S Acres cartoon. The first time was in "Flop Goes the Weasel", and the second time was in "Quack to the Future".
- Plato, who was previously shown in the first two episodes of the third season, reappears in this episode in a cameo. It is also his final appearance in the series.
Cultural references[]
- Orson's story is a take on "The Ugly Duckling", combined with elements of The Wizard Of Oz.