The Travelling Jindas

by Bob Carrau, originally aired on 10/5/85
review by Michael Streeter

 
Latara (left) and the Dulok brats (right)

 
The Duloks are looking for a baby-sitter (left), and are attacked by a monster (right)

Latara wants to play music on her flute all day, but her parents make her clean the house all day, and baby-sit they’re little children. Wicket and the gang come by, and ask her to come and play, but she can’t, because she has chores to do. Latara goes out into the woods with her two little siblings, and plays music for them. The Duloks, who have small children of their own, and could use a baby-sitter, too, overhear it, and observe how well she can keep the children under control.

Meanwhile, a circus-type group called ‘The Traveling Jindas’ come into town. They travel from town to town and village to village, and bring entertainment for everyone. Latara begs Chief Chirpa to let the Jindas stay in the village, and Chirpa lets them stay for one day. The Jindas entertain all the Ewoks with music, dance, and many other acts. When the Jindas leave the next day, Latara decides to go with them, because nobody appreciates her music in the village. She tells nobody except for Wicket, Teebo, and Kneesaa, and they leave. However, the Jindas let Kneesaa do all the cleaning work, and she doesn’t get to play her flute at all. Later, Wicket, Teebo, and Kneesaa tell Logray what has happened to Latara, and Logray sends them, along with Paploo, out to go find her. The Duloks, having followed the Jindas from their stop at the village, kidnap Latara, and bring her to the Dulok hideaway. They torture her by letting her baby-sit the little Dulok brats. Wicket and gang find the Jindas, and find out what happened, and make a plan. Later, the Traveling Jindas stop by the Dulok hideaway to stay for a show. The Ewoks, dressed as dancers, try to get Latara back, but it doesn’t work, and the Duloks chase the Ewoks until they’re almost near the Ewok village. Using Princess Kneesaa’s magic potion (that she carries in a bottle around her neck), Wicket traps the Duloks, and the Ewoks and the Jindas all escape. Latara decides she’d rather be an Ewok than a Jinda, and the Ewoks head back.

The leader of the Jindas (above) and the Duloks (below)

 
Chief Chirpa, and the leader of the Jindas with Latara.