“Don’s Fountain Of Youth” is a 1953 Classic Disney Short directed by Jack Hannah and starring Donald Duck.
Donald is taking his nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie on a trip to Florida, but the boys are more interested in reading comic books than seeing the sights. When the car overheats, Donald looks for water and finds a spring that, according to a sign, was mistaken for the fabled Fountain of Youth. Deciding to teach his ungrateful nephews a lesson, he sabotages the sign, gets in the water, and pretends to have regressed into a baby. But then Donald takes things too far when he steals an egg from an alligator's nest, which doesn't sit well with mama gator.
Tropes:
- Baby Talk: Donald talks like a baby as he tricks his nephews into thinking the fountain of youth caused him to regress into one.
- The Cameo: One of the flamingos from “The Three Caballeros” briefly appears.
- Fountain of Youth: The episode’s plot resolves around Donald discovering a spring that was mistaken to be the fountain of youth and Donald using it to trick his nephews into believing he has regressed into a baby.
- Idiot Ball: Donald manages to steal one of the alligator’s eggs while she is sleeping. Yet, he is stupid enough to invite the alligator to watch his nephews fall for his prank. Donald unwittingly makes the alligator realize that he took one of her eggs.
- Imprinting: Donald is knocked out by the mama gator and falls on top of her nest. When the alligator eggs hatch, the hatchlings mistake Donald for their mother. At the end, Donald and the nephews leave the little gators behind and the mother appears to claim them. The babies won't approach her until she starts quacking like a duck.
- Kick the Dog: As part of his prank to trick his nephews that he is experiencing reversal aging, Donald steals an alligator’s eggs and places under his baby bonnet. As Hewey, Dewey, and Louie become heartbroken in believing that their uncle turned back into an egg, Donald laughs at them.
- Laser-Guided Karma: Donald pays the price for his prank when he accidentally hatches the alligator’s eggs and the hatchlings think he is their mother. He is also chased by the mama gator as a consequence for stealing one of her eggs.
- Mama Bear: The crocodile attacks Donald, along with his nephews, for stealing one of her eggs.
- Never Smile at a Crocodile: Donald and his nephews are chased by an alligator on account of Donald stealing one of her eggs.
- Paper-Thin Disguise: When pretending that the fountain of youth turned him into a baby, all Donald wears for a disguise is a baby bonnet. His nephews are easily fooled, but they fail to notice that Donald is still wearing his signature wardrobe and hasn’t gotten any smaller.
- Took a Level in Jerkass: Donald is understandably disgruntled that his nephews are more interested in reading their comic book than seeing any of the sights on their road trip. Still, Donald does let his prank of tricking the boys into believing he turned back into a baby get out of hand. It is especially harsh when he convinces the boys that he regressed into an egg. Donald even laughs at his nephews as they become heartbroken.
- Shut Up, Scary Thing!: Donald is so amused by tricking his nephews with an alligator egg that he fails to notice that the mother has woken up; he even invites her to watch. Once Mama realizes what he's done, she roars at Donald, but he just shushes her.
- Tail Slap: How the mother alligator punishes Donald for stealing her egg.
