A comic loan dispute escalates through deception, pursuit, false injury, and a final request for a new loan.
Story Structure — 5 Plot Phases
The Broken Car Bargain
The woodpecker's car breaks down during a cheerful drive. He obtains a loan from the wolf, who sets a thirty-day repayment condition.
Key Events
Joyful Street Drive — The woodpecker drives happily and unpredictably along the street.
Location: Street
Car Breaks Down — The woodpecker's car breaks down during the drive.
Location: Street
Loan Request — The woodpecker tries to obtain a loan using his car.
Location: Near the Street
Wolf Approves Loan — The wolf agrees to lend money against the car.
Location: Near the Street
Thirty-Day Warning — The wolf warns that nonpayment in thirty days means losing the car.
Location: Near the Street
Thirty Days of Forgetting
A title card announces that thirty days have passed, along with the woodpecker's memory. The overdue loan becomes an immediate source of pressure.
Key Events
Thirty-Day Warning — The wolf warns that nonpayment in thirty days means losing the car.
Location: Near the Street
Time Card Appears — A title card announces that thirty days have elapsed.
Location: Narrative transition
Memory Has Elapsed — The title card adds that the woodpecker's memory has also elapsed.
Location: Narrative transition
Notice at the Door — The wolf arrives at the door to serve a notice.
Location: Woodpecker's home
The Doorstep Deception
The wolf arrives with a notice, but the woodpecker pretends not to be home. The wolf then attempts a deliveryman disguise and uses a cake as bait.
Key Events
Notice at the Door — The wolf arrives at the door to serve a notice.
Location: Woodpecker's home
Pretended Absence — The woodpecker pretends that he is not home.
Location: Woodpecker's home
Deliveryman Disguise — The wolf disguises himself as a deliveryman and approaches with a cake.
Location: Woodpecker's home
Cake Trap — The disguised wolf uses the cake as an attempt to trap the woodpecker.
Location: Woodpecker's home
Cake in the Face — The woodpecker throws the cake into the wolf's face.
Location: Woodpecker's home
Cheesecake Rejection — The woodpecker declares, "I don't like cheesecake!"
Location: Woodpecker's home
Punch and False Sympathy
The pursuit continues with the fox, who punches the woodpecker and believes he has caused serious harm. Sympathy leads the fox to abandon the loan demand.
Key Events
Cheesecake Rejection — The woodpecker declares, "I don't like cheesecake!"
Location: Woodpecker's home
Fox Joins Pursuit — The fox becomes the pursuer in the continuing loan dispute.
Location: Woodpecker's home
Punch Lands — The fox throws a punch at the woodpecker.
Location: Woodpecker's home
Apparent Injury — The fox believes that the punch has seriously injured the woodpecker.
Location: Woodpecker's home
Loan Forgiveness — Feeling sympathetic, the fox agrees to forget about the loan.
Location: Woodpecker's home
The Clock Loan Trick
The woodpecker suddenly recovers while holding a cuckoo clock. His request for another loan infuriates the fox and provides the final comic reversal.
Key Events
Loan Forgiveness — Feeling sympathetic, the fox agrees to forget about the loan.
Location: Woodpecker's home
Sudden Recovery — The woodpecker suddenly recovers while holding a cuckoo clock.
Location: Woodpecker's home
Clock Loan Proposal — The woodpecker asks, "How about a loan on the clock, Doc?"
Location: Woodpecker's home
Furious Final Reaction — The fox becomes infuriated by the woodpecker's renewed loan request.
Location: Woodpecker's home
Story Breakdown
Broken Car Setup — The opening establishes the woodpecker's carefree driving and sudden mechanical problem.
Cheerful Street Drive — The woodpecker drives happily and nuttily down the street.
Unexpected Breakdown — The car breaks down and creates the need for money.
Loan Agreement — The woodpecker seeks financial help and accepts a condition involving his car.
Loan Request — The woodpecker tries to get a loan on the car.
Thirty-Day Deadline — The lender warns that the car will be taken without payment.
Memory Loss Gag — The passage of time creates the central comic complication.
Elapsed Time Card — A title card states that thirty days have passed.
Forgotten Obligation — The same card jokes that the woodpecker's memory has also elapsed.
Doorstep Evasion — The lender attempts to enforce the agreement while the woodpecker avoids direct contact.
Notice Delivery — The wolf comes to the door with a notice.
False Absence — The woodpecker pretends he is not home.
Cake Disguise — A delivery disguise turns the collection attempt into a physical comedy routine.
Baited Delivery — The wolf disguises himself as a deliveryman carrying cake.
Cheesecake Counterattack — The woodpecker throws the cake into the wolf's face and rejects it.
False Injury Finale — The final pursuit uses apparent injury to produce a temporary concession and a comic reversal.
Fox's Punch — The fox strikes the woodpecker and believes he has seriously injured him.
Clock Loan Reversal — The woodpecker recovers with a cuckoo clock and asks for another loan, enraging the fox.
Woody is happily (and nuttily) driving down the street when his car breaks down. He tries to get a loan on it from a nearby wolf. The wolf agrees to give Woody the loan but exclaims if he doesn't receive payment in thirty days, he'll take Woody's car away. Sure enough, a title card tells us, "Thirty days have elapsed (and so has Woody's memory)". The wolf appears at Woody's door trying to serve him with a notice but the crafty woodpecker pretends he's not home. The wolf tries to trap him disguised as a deliveryman giving Woody a cake... but the woodpecker throws it in his face bellowing, "I don't like cheesecake!" Finally, the fox throws a punch at Woody and believes to have seriously injured him. He sympathetically agrees to forget about the loan only to be infuriated when Woody "recovers" holding a cuckoo clock and asking, "How about a loan on the clock, Doc?"
