The Milky Waif

The Milky Waif
Tom and Jerry series
Reissue 1954 title card of The Milky Waif
Directed by	William Hanna Joseph Barbera
Produced by	Fred Quimby (uncredited on original issue)
Music by	Scott Bradley
Animation by	Michael Lah Kenneth Muse Ed Barge Additional animation: Ray Patterson (credited on original issue) Irven Spence (uncredited)
Distributed by	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date(s)	May 18, 1946
Color process	Technicolor
Running time	7:23
Language	none (text in English)
Preceded by	Springtime for Thomas
Followed by	Trap Happy

The Milky Waif is a 1946 American one-reel animated cartoon and is the 24th Tom and Jerry short directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, produced by Fred Quimby in Technicolor, released in theaters on May 18, 1946, and re-released in theaters on January 9, 1954 by Metro-Goldwyn Mayer. It was animated by Ed Barge, Kenneth Muse and Michael Lah. The name is a pun on "The Milky Wave" and "The Milky Way".

Jerry's asleep on his bed was having a nightmare when he wakes with the sound of a knock at his door and goes out to open it, finding a basket on his door step. He pokes the basket, and it comes alive and runs around in circles. Jerry pulls the blanket off to reveal Nibbles. An attached note says, "Please take care of Little Nibbles—He's always hungry! P.S. Feed him lots of milk." Nibbles then begins to licking his lips and rubbing his belly.

As seeing that he was no food, Jerry tiptoes out of his hole, spotting Tom asleep by his bowl of milk. Nibbles sees the milk and runs towards it, but Jerry pulls him back and goes out to get the milk for him. Nibbles runs out, but accidentally waking Tom. Jerry grabs Nibbles and both fall into the bowl of milk, splashing it into Tom's face and waking him. Tom, startled, looks around and sees no one, so he starts to drink his milk. Jerry and Nibbles are under the milk holding their breath until Tom unsuspectingly scoops up Nibbles with his tongue. Jerry jumps out of the milk and opens the cat's mouth to retrieve Nibbles, which begins the chase. The mice retreat into the mousehole before Tom crashes head first into the wall.

Jerry builds a pipeline of straws into a milk but Tom turns the tables by grabbing the end of the straw and sucking Nibbles through into it. Jerry squishes the end of the straw, saving Nibbles just in time, and blows the small mouse into the mousehole. Tom chases Jerry back to his hole but the cat moves the hole so that Jerry crashes into the wall and grabs him, but Nibbles comes out and hits Tom's tail with a hammer. The chase starts up again until Nibbles sips and spits some milk into Tom's face.