"Little Nemo in Slumberland" dated August 29, 1926:
Transcript of Tweets by @LittleNemo1905 (JANUARY 5, 2022):
Look, stealing is stealing and what these boys were doing was stealing… but, if they'd taken maybe *one* melon, it wouldn't have been so bad… - 1/13
Like, I'm not trying to justify their actions, and maybe I'm missing the ethical mark here regardless, but I feel like had they been a bit less greedy this might've turned out different. - 2/13
It could've ended with them gathered under a tree, laughing and enjoying some watermelon together as friends. - 3/3
Instead, the boys are greedy and start collecting a pile of melons to steal… how does one expect the father to react? - 4/13
Furthermore, the gang blames IMPIE for the situation… what the actual hell for!? - 5/13
First, Flip and Nemo go after him (with Nemo actually putting hands on Impie in panel 3, which I don't think has ever happened before because it's usually Flip or Slivvers doing this) then Slivvers hits him with a melon. - 6/13
I'm sorry, but a watermelon to the "bean" would not feel good and it is not his fault he's crying out… Slivvers was overzealous with the melon tossing! - 7/13
And, in truth, I'm not convinced it was an accident… Slivvers association with pitching and baseball is well documented (between snowball fights and baseball themed strips)… he is a damn good shot. - 8/13
Maybe it's because I don't like the kid… but I think he did it on purpose. Which means that the entire situation is his fault anyway. - 9/13
It's all too bad because the scarecrow gag could've been funny… even if the narrative had seen Slivvers scaring the farmer or something… there was potential here not linked to making Impie the butt of the joke. - 10/13
It's also clear that the Princess didn't know that Nemo had gone off to be involved in these shenanigans… she sounded disappointed in his behaviour in the penultimate strip. - 11/13
In truth, between the stealing and abuse of Impie, I'm pretty disappointed in him too. - 12/13
This is my reading of "Little Nemo in Slumberland" #530. What's yours? - 13/13