Donald’s Ostrich 1937

Donald starts his shift as custodian at the whistle stop

Donald is working as a custodian at a small whistle stop train station. He handles loading and unloading luggage as trains pass. He keeps the station clean and orderly while the bustle of arrivals and departures goes on.

A passing train dumps luggage, revealing Hortense

A train passes the station and dumps a large pile of luggage on Donald without stopping. From one crate emerges an ostrich named Hortense. Around Hortense's neck Donald finds a note that mentions her name and her appetite.

The note explains Hortense and her appetite

Donald reads the note and learns Hortense's name and her instruction to be fed and watered. The note also signals that Hortense will eat anything. The discovery sets up the premise for the strange misadventure that follows.

Hortense begins eating items

Hortense starts munching on anything she can reach, beginning with the message note itself. She doesn't discriminate and proceeds to sample other objects around the station. The breakfast sets off the chaotic chain of events that follows.

Consecutive bites: concertina

Hortense next eats a concertina, adding to the growing pile of eaten objects. The strange appetite begins to trouble Donald as more items vanish. The station grows noisier and more chaotic as the ostrich feeds.

More snacks: wind-up clock

A wind-up alarm clock disappears into Hortense's beak, widening the bizarre chain of events. The situation escalates as Donald scrambles to manage the escalating chaos. Hortense's digestion becomes part of the spectacle.

Balloons join the menu

Hortense eats several balloons, inflating the scene with color and confusion. The eating episode triggers hiccups that ripple through the station. Donald grows increasingly desperate to calm the situation.

Hiccup cure attempt

The hiccups become a nuisance and Donald tries to cure them by scaring Hortense, hoping to frighten the hiccups away. His plan backfires as Hortense remains unfazed and the chaos continues. The crowd around the station watches the outrageously comic calamity unfold.

Hortense swallows Donald's radio

Hortense suddenly swallows Donald's radio, causing new trouble. The radio's broadcasts begin to affect her behavior as her body reacts to the sounds inside. Donald scrambles to find a way to retrieve the device.

Attempt to retrieve the radio ends with a concertina extraction

Donald grabs a pair of forceps to pull the radio out, but he ends up pulling out the concertina instead. Hortense's reactions to the radio's sounds escalate the chaos. The station becomes a slapstick arena of flying objects and frantic attempts to intervene.

Radio reacts to a car race; control slips away

As Hortense responds to a broadcast car race, Donald finds he cannot control her movements. The ostrich races around the platform, driven by the racing sounds. The scene grows louder and more out of control.