Kidnapping Abner

Originally Aired: September 5, 1935

In Lum & Abner #189, "Kidnapping Abner," Lum Edwards attempts to restore his tarnished reputation by orchestrating an elaborate scheme: he'll kidnap Abner with his partner's permission, then heroically "rescue" him to win back the good graces of their fellow Pine Ridge townspeople. At midnight, Lum sneaks through Abner's bedroom window to execute the plan, but nothing goes smoothly. He has to douse the sleepy Abner with water to wake him, an alarm clock goes off at the wrong time, a lamp gets knocked over, and Abner's dog raises a ruckus as they escape.

The bumbling kidnapping turns into pure chaos as Abner jumps through a closed window, injures his leg, and insists on running away in his nightshirt without proper clothes. As the pair stumbles through the darkness with Abner complaining about his sore feet and refusing to walk any further, Lum is reduced to carrying his "victim" piggyback down the road. The ridiculous spectacle leaves Lum questioning why he ever thought this harebrained scheme would help his reputation in the first place.