Norman Reilly Raine (June 23, 1894–July 19, 1971), best known today as the screenwriter for the 1938 epic film The Adventures of Robin Hood, also wrote the once-popular Tugboat Annie series. First appearing on July 7, 1931, more than 60 short stories were published over a span of 30 years in The Saturday Evening Post. The series inspired several films and one television adaptation.
What made it such an enduring series, even to readers today, is the character of Tugboat Annie. Her accents, forceful personality, and witty insults keep the laughs, especially when she faces off against Bullwinkle, her arch nemesis on the high seas. This short story, “The Bashing of Bullwinkle,” is the first time Bullwinkle makes an appearance in the series, and the confrontation is memorable.
Read “The Bashing of Bullwinkle”, by Norman Reilly Raine [PDF].