Bernice

Bernice the Whiffle Hen, also referred to as an African Escape Hen, is a Thimble Theatre character created by E. C. Segar in 1928, shortly before Popeye's introduction.

History

A mysterious bird given to Castor Oyl by his uncle Lubry Kent, Bernice dodged Castor's every attempt to rid himself of her, having grown attached to her master. He then found out about her true powers: she would grant luck to anyone who rubbed her feathers. So Castor set sail to Dice Island, where a legendary casino stood, meeting and hiring Popeye to man the ship he bought. During the trip both Popeye and Castor obtained luck from rubbing Bernice, and millions were won upon arriving at the casino. On the way back Popeye, having been shot multiple times by the evil casino manager, kept rubbing Bernice's feathers for "luck" and eventually recovered. It is unclear if his miraculous recovery owed to Bernice's powers or to his formidable constitution, which he was yet not aware of.

External links

• Popeye | The Home of Popeye the Sailor Man website
• Don Markstein's Toonopedia Popeye page