Wild Jungle EP: The Flag of Cheng Ho

[The Bamboo Forest]

Legends: Wild Jungle

Season 1, Layout 2, Episode 9

(the camera zooms in on an ancient lush jungle, the palms are moving away as an elephant is heard. all the palms are gone, showing Olmec)

Olmec: Legends of the Hidden Temple: Wild Jungle

(The camera shifts to the temple and its rooms)

Olmec: With your guide, Kirk Fogg! And here he is now.

(Kirk is seen coming down the steps of the temple)

Kirk: Thank you, thank you! It's nice to see you! Thank you, Olmec. Welcome to the Hidden Temple. The rooms are filled with lost treasures that are protected by mysterious Mayan Temple Guards. Only Olmec knows the legend behind each of the treasures in his temple. Which one are we going to hear about today?

Olmec: The legend of the Flag of Cheng Ho.

Kirk: Ahh, the Flag of Cheng Ho. Well, the legend is set and one of these six teams will have the chance to retrieve that flag. Will it be The Red Jaguars? The Blue Barracudas? The Green Monkeys? The Orange Iguanas? The Purple Parrots? Or the Silver Snakes? They?re going to have to pass some tough mental and physical tests, and in the end, only one team will have the right to enter Olmec?s temple, but first they have to cross the moat, and here's how they're gonna have to do it today.

Halfway across the moat is a large net, and a vine before you. You are going to reach out for the vine and use it to swing across and hang on to the net. Then, you'll climb over and drop down into the water, and swim to the shore. Then your partner will do the same. When you're done, run over and hit the gong! (Kirk hits the Red Jaguars' gong) The first four teams to hit their gongs go on to the next round...are you ready?

Teams: Yeeaaahhh!!!!

Kirk: Olmec are you ready?

Olmec: Rock on!

Kirk: All right then. Teams! On your marks, get set... GO!

(Event Occurs)

Kirk: That's it! We've got our four teams! Going on to the Steps of Knowledge are the Red Jaguars and the Blue Barracudas! And the Green Monkeys and the Silver Snakes! Orange Iguanas and Purple Parrots gave it a great effort too. They will not be going away empty handed though, here's what we have for them:

(Prizes are announced)

[The Bamboo Forest]

Kirk: As we continue our quest, it's now time for Olmec to tell us about the Flag of Cheng Ho. But teams, pay close attention because your knowledge of the legend can bring you a step closer to the Temple.

Olmec: The most well-known European explorers could be Columbus, Vespucci, or Cabot. But the Chinese explorers were much lesser known. One of these important but not famous explorers was Cheng Ho. Being born in the late 1300's, he grew up in China and when the Ming goverment sponsored a series of expeditions during the early 1400's, Cheng Ho was put in charge of the enormous fleet. The first trip involved some 300 ships and they gradually made their way to exotic places in Asia such as India and modern-day Sri Lanka. His first three expeditions were a roaring sucess. His next expeditions brought him to the dark coasts of Africa, as far as Kenya. He recieved many unusual presents such as giraffes and zebras. An interesting note about him was that he always hung a large sign bearing his name, "Cheng". After his death in the early 1420's, this flag strangely vanished. No one could ever find it, but now you'll have the chance to do exactly that...because it ended up in the temple. Your quest now is to find the Flag of Cheng Ho, and bring it back here.

Kirk: Thank you Olmec. But where is this Flag of Cheng Ho?

(Camera shows the Flag, and zooms out to its location)

Olmec: The flag can be found in the Lion's Lair.

Kirk: Okay! Teams, you are standing on the Steps of Knowledge. In a minute, Olmec will ask you a question about the legend you just heard. If you think you know the answer, stomp down on the ancient marking in front of you. If you're first, your step will light up. Now try this!

(Orange stomps down first)

Then you've got to answer the question. If you?re right, you?ll move down to the next level. If you?re wrong or run out of time, I?m going to give the other teams a chance to answer. The first two teams to make it to the bottom level will be one step closer to Olmec's Temple. Olmec, we are now ready for your first question.

1. Cheng Ho was a famous explorer from which of these three countries?
China
Spain
England

2. About when was Cheng Ho born?
500 B.C.
A.D. 150
The Late 1300's

3. When was the series of expeditions mentioned sponsored?
In the 1390's
The Early 1400's
The Late 1500's
4. Who sponsored the series of expeditions?
Cheng Ho
The Ming Goverment
Spain

5. The flag found on Cheng Ho's ship bore what name?
Cheng Ho's name
The King's name
China's name

6. When was Cheng Ho's death?
The 1420's
The 1450's
The 1480's

Kirk: We've got our two teams who are going the Temple Games! They are the Green Monkeys and the Silver Snakes! The Red Jaguars and the Blue Barracudas gave it a great effort, and they are not going home empty handed. We got a cool prize for both of them, and here it is.

(Prizes are announced)

Kirk: These two teams will play for the right to enter Olmec's Temple, and they're gonna do it right after this!

(Pendant joins)

(Comercial Break)

[The Bamboo Forest]

(Pendant Splits)

Kirk: Welcome back to Legends! Now the glory goes to the fastest and the strongest. But before we get started, let's get to know our team players. On the Green Monkeys, we have Benedict. He likes to play football and dreams of becoming an Olympic star. And his partner Dominique likes to swim and hang out with friends, and wants to star in lots of movies some day! Let's hear it for the Green Monkeys!

(Applause)

Kirk: And on the Silver Snakes we have Carl. He likes soccer and wants to play for a professional team when he grows up. And his partner Justine likes to hang out with friends, play various sports, and sleepover with her best friend. She is in fact friends with Dominique of teh Green Monkeys! Oohh! Might have some problems....hope not! Let's hear it for the Silver Snakes!

(Applause)

Kirk: Alright now, you guys should get ready for your games..'cause they're gonna start soon. This is what's going to happen: in the temple games, teams are competing to win Pendants of Life. (Kirk holds up a pendant). They need those pendants to protect themselves from the dreaded temple guards as they make their way through the temple. There are three temple games. And this is temple game number one:

To fund the voyage, the Ming Goverment had to get a lot of money and find a lot of gold. Now you have to do the same. When I say go, race out onto the platfrom and jump on the trampoline which will catapult you up onto the "web". Then you'll climb up to the twelve holes on each of the three rows of holes. You will punch through the cover, and grab the coin if there's one in there. If there isn't, move on to the next hole, but if there is, get down here and drop it in your basket, here. The team with more coins at the end of sixty seconds wins!

We gotta get lots of MONEY! Let's put sixty seconds on the clock!

(Clock bangs down)

Kirk: On your marks, get set, go!

(Event Occurs)

Kirk: Alright now, we've gotta count up now...oh look, Carl's really tired. Whoo! Alright, let's see, the Green Monkeys got two, four, six, eight, ten, twelve coins, while the Silver Snakes got two, four, six, eight, ten, eleven coins! It was very close, but the Green Monkeys still get the half pendant of life! The next game is also worth a half pendant, and here it is:

Cheng Ho went to many exotic lands, and certainly didn't come home empty handed, like all other explorers! He brought back riches, gold, and presents from the local people. Now you have to do the same. When I say go, roll your wheel down the ramp to the end of the route, where you have two pedestals, one for each team, with a money bag on each. You will get out, grab your money bag, then get back in and roll back to the ramp, then you'll get out again. The first team that gets out of their wheel at the ramp wins!

We're ready to roll! On your marks, get set, GO!

(Event Occurs)

Kirk: Okay! Stop now! The Silver Snakes definetely reached here first, so they get the half pendant of life! I guess now they're all tied up! The next game is worth a full pendant, and here it is:

Cheng Ho had to put his signature flag bearing his name on it on his ship every expedition he went on. Now you have to pin your own flag up. When I say go, climb up the first of three large steps, and help your partner up. Then do the same till you reach the top. When you do, take your team's flag and pin it up to the board. The first team to do that, or the team that's climbed the most steps at the end of sixty seconds wins.

Kirk: Extreme step climbing ahead. Let's put sixty seconds on the clock!

(Clock bangs down)

Kirk: On your marks, get set, GO!

(Event Occurs)

Kirk: Oooh! The Green Monkeys pinned their flag up first, with 14 seconds to go! The Silver Snakes were so close though, but this means that the Green Monkeys get the full pendant. So that gives them one and a half pendants, the Silver Snakes only have a half, the Green Monkeys are going to the temple!

(Cheers)

Don't worry, Silver Snakes, you guys did a good job too! You're gonna take home a cool prize:

(Prizes are announced)

The Green Monkeys are going to Olmec's temple and retrieve Cheng Ho's flag, and they're gonna do it...right after this!

(camera pans to the inside of the Mouth of the Jaguar, showing the four fangs)

(Pendant joins)

(Comercial break)

[The Bamboo Forest]

(Pendant Splits)

Kirk: Welcome back to Legends. The Green Monkeys have proven themselves worthy, and now have earned the right to enter Olmec's Temple. But before we get started, Olmec will give us some information on how to retrieve the Flag of Chneg Ho.

Olmec: You could start by running through the Mining Chamber and climbing down into the Pit of Despair. Crawl through the pit, then race into the Chameleon Chamber. Change the color of the right chameleon and you could choose to go up the Lion's Lair, or into the Spider's Lair. If you escape, you may have a chance to enter the Sacred Safari. Find the right key to go upstairs, or plough through the wall and into the Lion Cage. Ride the cage up into the Viper's Nest and pull the snakes from the jars to open the doors to the Shrine of the Silver Monkey. Assemble the statue and you may be headed for the Vine Drop. Next, race up to the Mouth of the Jaguar. Put the fangs in the mouth and jump back into the Pit. Pass through the Room of the Three Gargoyles, race down the stairs and back through the temple gates. The choices are yours and yours alone. Good luck!

Kirk: Okay, you guys won one and a half pendants in the temple games, and here they are. Now, who's going first?

Benedict: I am!

Kirk: Okay, now, when I say go, you will race through the gates into the temple and you'll make your way to the Lion's Lair, where you'll find the flag. But be careful ? the Temple has many locked doors and dead ends. Also hidden in the Temple there are also Temple Guards assigned to protect three specific rooms. If you enter one of those rooms, a Temple Guard will jump out and grab you. You can trade your Pendant for an extra life and go on, but if you're caught without a Pendant, you'll be taken out of the Temple? and it'll be Dominique's turn to enter and try her luck. Now you won one-and-a-half pendants. Hidden inside the temple is the other half of your pendant. If you find it, and you're carrying the otehr half, you will earn an extra life. If you can reach the flag, all the doors of the Temple will instantly unlock, and the Temple Guards will vanish. You?ll have three minutes, and for your efforts you will both be handsomely rewarded? and here's how!

(Prizes announced)

Kirk: Okay, you'll wanna run your heart out to get those super-cool prizes! Put your mouthpieces! Let's put three minutes on the clock!

(Clock bangs down)

Kirk: On your marks, get set, GOO!!!

(Benedict runs straight into a temple guard after trying to enter the Mining Chamber)

(His reaction is normal, and he calmly hands him a pendant and dives into the Pit of Despair with 2:52 left!)

(He opens the door straight to the Chameleon Chamber, and starts banging on actuators. He lights up four chameleons--red, orange, purple, and blue before lighting up green. The door to the Spider's Lair opens with 2:43 left.)

(He pushes away the panel and jumps into the swampy lair with 2:39 left, however a temple guard springs up and captures him first!)

(Kirk starts yelling, and Dominique quickly runs into the Mining Chamber and climbs down towards the Chameleon Chmaber via the Pit, and enters the Chamber with 2:21 left on the clock.)

(She starts wading through the Spider's Lair, and climbs up the web to the middle door to the Vine Drop. The actuator does not work.)

(Determined to suceed, she jumps back down and tries the camera-left door. It opens, and she climbs slowly but surely up to the Vine Drop with about 2:12 left.)

(She makes a bit of a wrong turn there, and opens the door to the Shrine of the Silver Monkey. She jumps to get the base, but Kirk and her partner yells, so she retreats into the Vine Drop with 1:53 left!)

(She finds her bearings and tries the door to the Lion's Lair. It does not open, perhaps obviously, but she makes some good time and heads up to the Mouth of the Jaguar with 1:45 left.)

(She quickly grabs two of the fangs and places them into the top two holes in the gums. Then she grabs the other two and places them quickly into the bottom two. The door to the Lion's Lair slides open!)

(She quikcly turns around and descends slowly into the Lion's Lair, and grabs the flag off the ladder with a whopping 1:21 left!)

(She does not, however, dive into the Pit of Despair. The loudness of the doors opening scared her a little, and she retreats down into the Chameleon Chamber and WALKS through it towards the Pit of Despair.)

(Crawling through the green balls, she enters the Mining Chamber with 1:15 left, and crawls slowly, before throwing the flag onto the mat marking the entrance to teh temple)

(She then drops down, grabs the flag, and races toward the gates. She crosses them with 1:00 left!)

Kirk: She made it! She got that flagl! They got it all! They did it! I wanna stay but I gotta go, so check us out next time for another great Legend of the Hidden Temple: Wild Jungle style! Buh-bye!

(Credits scroll as the camera pans to the half pendant on the actuator at the door to the Sacred Safari from the Tropical Forest.)

Olmec: Hmmmmmm....

(Stone Stanley logo)

Dee Baker: Legends of the Hidden Temple was recorded....

[The Bamboo Forest]

Artifact Name: The Flag of Cheng Ho
Location: The Lion's Lair
Season: 1
Layout: 2
Result: Won!
Time Remaining: 1:00

Diagram:


Summary:

The temple layout in this episode was extremely simple, and the team could have gotten out with over one minute, however, the second runner was rather slow and dumb. Benedict was very speedy, but was removed from the temple in the Spider's Lair. Dominique came in slowly, and went up web inside the Spider's Lair.. Obviously, after passing through only five rooms, the direct door to the artifact would not open, so she went up to the Mouth of the Jaguar, SLUGGISHLY completed the objective, and grabbed the flag. Even so, her route out was strange. She went down to the Chameleon Chamber, through the Pit and out through the Mining Chamber. This is the simplest route found on the show so far, but also sets the record for both the fastest victory and the fastest team victory.