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Recently I introduced you to the first seven stops along the yellow path that made up RCA Victor’s “Little Nipper Game.” Now we continue on our journey to the end. There we will hopefully meet up with a jolly fellow in a red suit, but first onward to space 24.

This is home to real life western actor Gabby Hayes, sidekick to movie cowboys Hopalong Cassidy and Roy Rogers. Gabby is dressed in yellow pants, yellow hat, white shirt and brown vest. He sprouts a rather furry face with bushy eyebrows and a long fuzzy mustache. His right leg is raised and his cowboy boot rests on the red circle that marks his place in the game. When you land here you jump forward 2.

If you make it to space 27, prepare to sprint, because you run right into Mr. McGregor chasing after Peter Rabbit with a garden hoe. McGregor’s been running after the bunny for decades and not getting very far. Peter, wearing a red jacket and putting all four feet to the floor, runs as fast as he can, ears flapping in the wind. Oh McGregor tries hard enough, with his overalls, yellow hat and weeding implement, but he will never, ever catch the fleet of foot bunny. Land here and you go back two spaces.

It’s a totally different situation on space 30. Get ready to attend the Ding Dong School. Since I didn’t grow up in Chicago, I had never heard of this educational program that ran on local television starting in 1952, beating Romper Room to the airwaves by year. The school was run by Miss Francis, seen here in a gray dress and ringing a bell in her hand. The outline of a school building, complete with a bell tower, stands next to her. If you land on the home of a pioneer, groundbreaking educator, you get to jump ahead five.

Next get set for witty banter and fun if you land on space 33, for here you get to meet musician, comedian and entertainer Spike Jones. Jones was a band leader who specialized in satirical arrangements of popular songs and classical music.

He would punctuate the songs with sound effects like gunshots, whistles, cowbells etc. He was popular between the 1940s and 1950s. Here he has a jovial face with red hair. He’s wearing a red jacket, yellow pants and a blue tie. A sign with his name on it dangles from his left ankle. In one hand he shakes a cowbell in the other he toots a horn. A  drum set beats merrily behind him. If you land on this space you get to jump forward one

Now travel another three spaces, 36, to find buried gold on Treasure Island. Based on the novel by Robert Louis Stevenson, young Jim Hawkins sets sail on the high seas for adventure and riches. Jim looks fantastic in his lace vest with yellow breeches and yellow high top shoes. Wearing a Buccaneers hat, he flails his sword in his right hand. His left points forward and if you land on his space you jump forward 2.

Let’s join Little Red Riding Hood through a romp in the woods where she meets up with the Big Bad Wolf. Here he is, in all his glory, just like in the fairytale. You can almost hear Little Red Riding Hood ask him, “what big eyes you have?” “The better to see you with, he replies.” In the drawing his eyes are large, slanting inward. Although his coat is red, his brow and snout are enhanced with a line of dark fur, making him more scary.

Red Riding Hood must have noticed his teeth, sharp and pointy, because next she asks “What a big mouth you have?” He answers, “the better to eat you with!” The girl is dressed in a red outfit with a yellow basket. She has a alarmed expression on her face and it’s no wonder. Is she doomed?  Well, the best that could happen if you land on 39, is you go back four. The worst? Little Red Riding Hood becomes the Wolf’s lunch! Perhaps the Giant on the next space will save her.

If you make it to 42 you’ll greet the Giant from Jack and the Beanstalk. Jack and his magic beans are missing from this drawing, but the Giant sits happily on a three legged stool in front of his castle, holding a magic harp in his hand. He’s stunning with a bushy circle of black hair and beard that surrounds his whole face. A red shirt, gray pants and black boots complete his outfit. Through his toothless grin you could almost imagine him saying: “Fie-fi-fo-fun! I smell the blood of an Englishman.” Land here and you have to go back three.

Next to Red Riding Hood, we find a gentleman who doesn’t have a space of own, but he’s a welcome respite from Hood-eating wolves and scary giants. This is real life entertainer Dennis Day. An Irish crooner, Dennis was a regular cast member of the Jack Benny Show, both on radio and television. He would sing in every episode in which he appeared. He also told jokes and appeared in skits on the program.

He made several albums of his own and sang in many Little Nipper records. Here, cartoon Dennis looks spiffy in his yellow suit, red tie around his neck, and wearing yellow shoes. He hangs from the game track by a strap, and balances a gift in his other hand. What’s in the present? One could only hope it was an RCA “Little Nipper” disk.

On space 47 you find it’s “Howdy Doody” time. Howdy Doody was a popular children’s TV show in the 1950s, which had circus and western frontier themes. It’s starred Buffalo Bob Smith and his puppet partner Howdy Doody.

As you can see here, Howdy is a freckle faced boy marionette.  He dangles by five strings, which make his arms and legs go up and down. He’s dressed in a red checked shirt, yellow pants, black boots, gloves and has a gray bandanna around his neck. Legend has it that Howdy’s name came from the American greeting, “Howdy Do.” A typical episode of the show started with Buffalo Bob asking the audience, “Say kids, what time is it?” The kids would shout back, “It’s Howdy Doody Time!” Land on Howdy’s space and you jump ahead four.

Go forward another six and you land on space 53 which finds us back again on Treasure Island. This time we meet up with famous pirate Long John Silver. In the story, Silver is the secret ringleader of the pirate band. Here he looks wonderful. Despite inflicted with a peg leg and holding a crutch, he is still able to waive a cutlass in his free hand, have another dagger clenched between his teeth and run with a parrot on his head. His black hat is symbolized with the skull and cross bones of the Jolly Roger. Land here and you go back 10 whole spaces.

Finally spin a four and you make it to the end of the game. Santa Claus is here to greet you in his traditional red outfit with white trim. At Santa’s feet is a present with another sign tied to the bow. It simply says, “You Win!”

18 characters in all grace this game, each with their own RCA children’s record, and a vital clue to the true nature of the “Little Nipper Record Club.”

You also hear a surprise guest star on these records, Little Nipper himself. According to the introduction in the Snow White set, Dennis Day tells the kids to listen for Nipper’s bark.

Every time they hear it, they’re to turn the page in the book. That way they can read along as the record plays and the story unfolds. Neat.

It’s possible that once a family signed up for the service, a new record would show up in their mailbox at regular intervals. Perhaps once a month like many book clubs of the era. The last is just a guess on my part.

Also I’m guessing this was sent to club members as a special Christmas treat. Little Nipper does wish you a “Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year” at the end. As I said, that’s just a guess. Do any of you know for sure?

In any case, this game represents a true cross-section of children’s entertainment in the 1950s and is truly a Glorious piece of Vintage Stuff!