Trail of the Unicorn is a Donald Duck comic book written and drawn by Carl Barks. It was first printed in Four Color Comics #263 in Febuary, 1950. It is the first appearance of the McDuck Zoo, as well as Unie the Unicorn, who would both make periodical appearances in the Disney Ducks Comic Universe.
Scrooge McDuck calls upon his nephew Donald Duck with a matter worth $10,000; He's built a zoo that he prides on having one of every animal in the world. However, he has just learned that there is one creature he lacks- a unicorn! Donald balks, but Scrooge shows him a photo that shows a real-life unicorn living in the Himalayan Mountains, and orders Donald to track the mythical equine down. And the eavesdropping Gladstone Gander is interested as well...
More to come
Tropes
- Ass in a Lion Skin: Gladstone tricks Donald into buying a "unicorn" which is actually a horse with a carrot for a horn. Luckily, the triplets are a Spanner in the Works.
- Instantly Proven Wrong: While searching the area where the unicorn is supposedly located, Donald expresses his belief that unicorns are very timid creatures. The minute he says this, the unicorn tries to charge and gore him! The equine even splits a boulder in two by accident!
- Little Stowaway: Donald initially left Huey, Dewey and Louie back in Duckberg and went off on his own. However, they stowed away in his plane to come along. And as it turned out, this is how Gladstone followed Donald as well.
- Phony Psychic: Gladstone tries to swindle Donald by posing as a fakir in India. The triplets note that his "crystal ball" is a lightbulb.
- Spanner in the Works: The triplets spoil Gladstone's attempt to swindle Donald into buying a fake unicorn.
- Strange Minds Think Alike: Both Gladstone and the triplets first assume Scrooge wants to make Donald an exhibit in his zoo! (Although Gladstone immediately dismisses this).
