Li'l Genius #15

When a boring rainy day calls for indoor entertainment, a young boy and his pal come up with a game of mountain climber that turns out to have some unexpected—and destructive—consequences. What started as harmless fun quickly gets out of hand, leaving behind a trail of damage that lands one climber in serious trouble with the club.

A young man jumps at the chance to earn a free circus ticket by carrying water for an animal trainer's menagerie—but what starts as a simple job quickly spirals into one mishap after another as he tangles with enormous elephants, sour lemonade, and a temperamental lion tamer's act. Desperate to salvage his circus dreams, he hatches a scheme that lands him center ring with consequences he never saw coming. It's a slapstick romp where every good intention leads to bigger trouble in "Water Water!" from Li'l Genius #15.

Li'l Tomboy surprises her mother by asking for ribbon, sending mom into fits of joy at the prospect of her tomboy finally wanting to dress up like a girl—but there's a twist to what the resourceful kid actually has in mind. This playful 1957 romp from Li'l Genius shows why assumptions can be the trickiest thing to fly.

Uncle John expects his brilliant young nephew Ollie to arrive by train for a brief stay, but the energetic boy's talent for causing chaos—from scooter mishaps to accidental collisions—tests his uncle's patience at every turn. When a mix-up involving a runaway dog sends Ollie back home faster than he arrived, Uncle John sends a telegram that perfectly sums up his experience. This five-page romp from 1957 captures all the mischievous charm of a pint-sized genius who means well but leaves a trail of mayhem in his wake.

When Lil' Tomboy brags that the surf isn't rough enough to scare her, a big wave has other ideas—and teaches her a lesson in humility. Later, after the fellas try to make amends with snacks and flattery, they finally get their chance at a beach photograph, but Lil' Tomboy's got the last laugh.

When Rollo mentions his family always enjoys dessert in the library, Rock decides they can do the same thing—and drags his friend to the public library to prove it. What follows is a hilarious clash of high-minded dining customs and a child's literal interpretation of the rules.

A young boy named Ollie finds himself with a marching drum after a tumble from a tree lands him right in a parade—and things only get louder from there. When the drum's straps break and he ends up attached to an increasingly frustrated drummer, Ollie's well-meaning attempts to help only make matters worse. Now stuck minding the instrument while its owner recuperates, Ollie is ready to play another tune, but his parents have other ideas about what needs to happen to that drum.

Shadow robs his best friend Dr. Guess at gunpoint, but the doc reminds him of a debt unpaid—the time he once saved Shadow from jail by convincing a judge that Shadow was crazy. Shadow's comeback is a darkly funny one: only somebody crazy would steal from the person who saved him. It's a sharp little tale of misguided gratitude and the fine line between sanity and crime.