DISNEY, Walt. Mickey Mouse. The Sheriff of Nugget Gulch. New York Dell Publishing Company. 1938.

Small 8vo., (100 x 138mm); original pictorial card covers; pp. 192, with printed advertisements to the inner covers; with bold captioned black and white illustrations throughout to every recto; a very good sound copy of a scarce book, externally dust-soiled with wear to joints, edges and corners; internally very good but evenly toned, due to the quality of the stock; scarce.

First edition in book form of an early, and classic, Mickey Mouse volume, priced 10 cents to upper cover, and issued in The Big Little Book series. Previously the story appeared as a comic strip in 1937.  It was primarily drawn by Flloyd Gottfredson and scripted by Ted Osborne.  A long while later issued as a Gladstone Comic Album in 1989.

It is a rollicking Western-themed 1930s’ Mickey Mouse adventure, also featuring Goofy. When Minnie Mouse, on a visit to her uncle in the Western town of Nugget Gulch, announces to Mickey and Goofy that gold has been discovered they set off there by train. Their riotous behaviour persuades the locals that they are dangerous outlaws, named “Big Poison” and “Little Poison” and through a comedy of errors Mickey is elected the new sheriff.