Wild Jungle EP: The Broken Plow of the Egyptian Farmer

[The Bamboo Forest]

To find more Wild Jungle episodes, click THIS LINK to go to the Official Episode Guide thread!



The camera makes its way through lush greenery, and the palms move away as ambient animal noises are heard. Portions of a temple are shown, and suddenly the jungle ends, and we see Olmec’s face light up and shout, “LEGENDS OF THE HIDDEN TEMPLE!”

The show’s title card—a pendant of life—crashes together on the screen, and the camera shifts to focus on the temple and its rooms. “With your guide, Kirk Fogg! And here he is now!”

The pendant splinters and Kirk is seen crawling out of the Jungle Crevice to run right into the center of the stage and up the Steps of Knowledge as he begins his narration.

“Thank you, thank you!” says Kirk. “It's nice to see you! Thank you, Olmec. Welcome to the Legends of 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 replies, “The Legend of The Broken Plow of the Egyptian Farmer!”

“Ooh, the Broken Plow of the Egyptian Farmer,” remarks Kirk. “Well, the legend is set and one of these six teams will have the chance to retrieve the Broken Plow—will it be The Red Jaguars?”

At this point, the camera focuses on each team as they are introduced.

“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,” continues Kirk, “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 Olmec’s gonna tell us how they have to do it today.”

Olmec instructs:
“Before you, an ancient post protrudes from the water, and in front of it is an old vine. When Kirk gives the signal, climb up the ladder and balance yourself on top of the pole. Then, grab the rope and swing out to the other platform, and slide down onto the deck. Then your partner will climb up the post, swing out to the platform and slide onto deck. When the second player reaches the other side, run over and hit the gong!”

Kirk hits the Silver Snakes’ gong to demonstrate, which—in turn—lights up a bright silver.

“The first four teams to hit their gongs will go on to the next round,” finishes Olmec. “Teams—are you ready?” asks Kirk loudly.

The teams excitedly reply, “Yeeaahhhh!”

Kirk then asks, “Olmec—are you ready?”

“The fire’s burning and it’s outta control, and not a problem you can stop it’s rock n’ rooooooll…” sings Olmec in a slow deep voice.

Kirk visibly laughs and the audience cheers loudly. “Thank you for that lovely performance, Mr. Guns N’ Olmecs,” jokes Kirk. “Alright, teams! On your marks, get set… GO!”

“There they go, scrambling up to the top!” narrates Kirk as the six players climb up the post. “Nice job, Blue Barracudas! I like the way she’s moving fast—and across they go!” All six teams then begin swinging across at about an even speed, the vines falling back as the players slide down the wooden slides. “It’s a close game today,” comments Kirk, eyeing the Moat as he commentates. “But here come the second players—woah, it’s neck-and-neck… Who’s going to be first…? Remember, we need four teams!” Within a few seconds of Kirk’s last word, the teams begin banging down on their gongs. “One—two—three—four— We’ve got our four teams, right here!” yells Kirk. The camera cuts to a close-up of Kirk standing with the successful Silver Snakes.

 “Going on to the Steps of Knowledge are the Silver Snakes… and the Purple Parrots… and the Orange Iguanas… and the Red Jaguars! The Green Monkeys and the Blue Barracudas gave it a great effort as well. They’re not going away empty handed—we’ve got a nice gift for them and here’s what it is…”

Dee reads the prize:
“It’s a prize package from Mrs. Butterworth’s! Now available in apple, cinnamon, and butter cinnamon—but does she only talk to kids? You butter believe it, from Mrs. Butterworth’s!”

[The Bamboo Forest]

The screen transitions to a shot of the four teams atop the Steps of Knowledge. “As the quest continues,” says Kirk, “it’s now time for Olmec to tell us about The Broken Plow of the Egyptian Famer. But teams—pay attention, because your knowledge of the legend can bring you a step closer to Olmec’s temple.”

Olmec narrates the legend:
“One of the fiercest pharaohs to ever rule Egypt was Ramses the Ninth, who reigned till 1111 B.C. Legend has it, he deliberately increased taxes the moment he took the throne just to add on to his already large savings, and would be even meaner to those below him—including those who worked with him. But his people were not happy with him, including one particularly angry farmer called Okpara.

“‘Ever since his rule, I’ve had to work twice as hard just to keep any crops for myself!’ he complained to his faithful ox. ‘But you understand about the extra plowing we have to do, don’t you?’

“His ox grunted, as if he was answering. ‘Curse that king…’ Unfortunately, a soldier walking by heard Okpara and captured him. Okpara tried to hold on to his plow, hoping that his ox would help him, but even the strong animal couldn’t withstand the force of the soldier, and the plow broke, leaving Okpara with wooden shreds in his hand on his way to execution. The rebellious farmer’s plow later made its way to the temple! Your quest is to find the Broken Plow of Okpara and bring it back here.”

“Thank you Olmec,” says Kirk after a short pause, “so tell us—where is the plow?”

“The Broken Plow of Okpara can be found in the Shriiiiiine of the Siiiiiiilver Monkey!” shouts Olmec. A close-up of the rotted half of the plow sitting on one of the shelves is shown.

“So it is,” replies Kirk. “Teams—you are now standing on the Steps of Knowledge. In a minute, Olmec’s gonna ask you a question. If you think you know the answer, stomp down on the ancient marking in front of you. If you’re right, you’ll move down to the next level, but if you’re wrong or run out of time, I’m gonna have to give the other teams a chance to answer. The first two teams that make it to the bottom level—” Kirk runs down the steps, then walks out of view “—will be one step closer to Olmec’s temple. Olmec, we’re now ready for your first question…”

Olmec asks: “Was the farmer’s name—Okpara, Osiris, or—”

The Orange Iguanas quickly ring in: “Okpara!”

“That is correct,” replies Olmec. “All right, step on down Orange Iguanas!” says Kirk. “Next question, Olmec.”

Olmec asks: “Did Okpara live under the rule of—Ramses the First, Ramses the Ninth, or King Tutankhamen?”

The Purple Parrots stomp down: “Ramses the Ninth?”

“That is correct,” announces Olmec. “Purple Parrots are on the board too,” comments Kirk. “All right, Olmec—next question.”

Olmec asks: “According to our legend, what evil deed did Ramses the Eleventh do—raise taxes, cut—”

The Purple Parrots hit the marking: “Raise taxes…?”

“That is correct!” says Olmec. “Nice job by the Purple Parrots, there,” narrates Kirk. “And now they’re just one step away from the Temple Games! We’re looking for two teams with plenty of time, though… Next question, Olmec.”

Olmec asks: “Is the capital of Egypt—Cairo, P—”

The Purple Parrots stomp down quickly: “Cairo!”

“That is correct!” yells Olmec. “The Purple Parrots are going on to the temple games!” exclaims Kirk. “But we’re still looking for one more team… Next question.”

Olmec asks: “Is the material that Ancient Egyptians wrote on called—paper, papyrus, or bamboo chute?”

The Orange Iguanas buzz in: “Papyrus?”

“That is correct,” replies Olmec. “All right, step down again, Orange Iguanas!” says Kirk. “Now they’re also just one step away from the Temple Games! Still got time for the rest… Next question, please.”

Olmec asks: “Was Okpara’s plow pulled by—a bull, a cow, or an ox?”

The Orange Iguanas stomp down: “An ox!”

“That is correct!” booms Olmec. “These two teams are going on to the temple games!” shouts Kirk as he runs over to the bottom of the steps to meet the two teams. “They are the Purple Parrots… and the Orange Iguanas! The Silver Snakes and the Red Jaguars played a great game; they’re not going away empty handed. We’ve got a great gift for ‘em, and here’s what it is!”

Dee reads the prize:
“It’s a savings bond from Sketchers Footwear! Sketchers—makers of fun, exciting, cool shoes, sneakers, and boots! Sketchers—it’s the ‘S’!”

The screen wipes to reveal Kirk with his hands on the two remaining teams’ shoulders. “These two teams are going to be playing for the rights to enter Olmec’s temple… And they’re gonna do it, right after this!” The camera zooms across the stage, stops in front of Olmec and the foliage in front of him, then fades to commercial.

[The Bamboo Forest]

We see a close-up of a dragonfly stuck onto the Blue Barracudas’ gong, then swings around to face the entire Temple Games area with the backdrop of the Temple.

“Welcome back to Legends,” says Kirk, standing  in front of The Jungle Crevice with the two remaining teams. “Now the glory goes to the fastest and the strongest—so let’s hear it for Graham and Kellie of the Orange Iguanas… and John and Justine of the Purple Parrots!
   
“All right, let’s get this started! Boys, you can go get ready for the first temple game, and the girls can go get ready for the second—” The players walk off in different directions as Kirk continues his narration.

“In the temple games, teams are competing for pendants of life—” Kirk grabs a pendant out of his pouch and holds it up to the camera. “The winning team will 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 Olmec will tell us about Temple Game #1.”

Olmec explains:
“At the end of spring, Egyptian farmers collected their harvest and gave some to Ramses as taxes. In this game, you’ll be collecting crops for the pharaoh. When Kirk gives the signal, run out and grab a vegetable, turn around, and run back to place it in your bin… but be careful of the swinging boulder! If you are hit, you’ll have to go back and start again. The team with the most vegetables in their bin at the end of 60 seconds wins!”

“Okay, let’s collect the crops,” says Kirk. “Let’s put 60 seconds on the clock!”

The clock appears onscreen. “On your marks, get set… GO!” John and Graham run out, with purple just barely missing the boulder. “Now it gets harder,” comments Kirk, “because the next crop is going to be even further out. [0:46] “Doing a good job so far… Oh, Purple got hit—Orange got hit too! Come on back…” continues Kirk. Both teams are almost dead-even… until Graham gets hit again. At this point, the Purple Parrots take the lead. [0:13] “Orange Iguanas are going to have to make up a lot of time now!” yells Kirk as the audience starts cheering, counting down. “Few more seconds… time’s up!” The clock explodes and the ceiling lights flash, and Kirk walks over to the middle of the two footpaths.

“All right, all right—come on over here,” says Kirk, beckoning the two players. “Let’s go back to the baskets and count up… We’ve got… one… two… three for the Purple... And we’ve got… one… TWO for the Orange—The Purple Parrots get the half pendant of life!” Kirk gives Graham a high-five as the audience cheers in the background. “The Orange Iguanas can catch up in the next game, though,” he explains, “it’s also worth a half-pendant—Olmec, tell us about it.”

Olmec narrates:
“Farmers tracked their own oxen by putting bells on them. In this game, you’ll be putting bells on Okpara’s ox. When Kirk gives the signal, shinny up the ox’s backbone—but be careful: like any ox, she’ll be snorting at you on your way up, so you’ll have to hold on tight! When you reach the top, place the bell on her neck, run back down, grab another bell and do it again. The team with the most bells at the end of 60 seconds wins.”

“Be careful, teams,” says Kirk mysteriously. “All right, let’s put 60 seconds on the clock!”

The clock slams down into the corner of the screen. “On your marks, get set… GO!” Kellie seems to have the right technique and moves up the post quickly, while Justine goes for a method where she hugs the pole and edges her way up slowly. “It’s kinda hard to move,” explains Kirk, “when you’ve got a spitting ox at you…” This gives the Orange Iguanas a clear lead, Kellie attaching her first bell with 46 seconds to go. “Purple Parrots seem to be having a little trouble!” commentates Kirk. “Oh, look at the Orange Iguanas—they’re just zooming up that pole!” [0:24] It’s now 3 – 1 Orange, and the Purple Parrots show no sign of catching up—and Kellie attaches yet another bell. “Purple Parrots gonna have to really hurry…” yells Kirk over the audience shouting—and just like that, TIME IS UP!

“Stop right there, stop right there…” The players climb over the pole and race back down to Kirk. “The Orange Iguanas got four bells, and the Purple Parrots only got one… The Orange Iguanas get the half-pendant of life! That gives them a half-pendant apiece; we’re going into the third and final game—it’s worth a full pendant—Olmec, tell us about Temple Game #3.”

Olmec continues:
“According to legend, Ramses increased taxes just to make himself richer… but of course, not by himself. You’ll have to roll in his riches for him. When Kirk gives the signal, grab a money bag, lie down on the pathway and grab the rope. At the same time, your partner will pull you across on the rope. When you reach the other side, place the money bag in your bin, then tag your partner who will then go to the other side and lie down on the path. The team to bring the most money bags across the path at the end of 60 seconds…wins.”

“This is for the temple!” reminds Kirk. “Let’s put 60 seconds on the clock!”

The clock slams down into the corner of the screen. “On your marks, get set…GO!” The Orange Iguanas get a good rhythm right away; Graham pulls Kellie along at a steady speed. John and Justine, on the other hand, are a little bit slower. “This game takes communication and teamwork!” says Kirk, “as well as strength… Orange is doing a great job; Purple’s gonna have to catch up!” [0:33] The score is now 2 – 1 Orange, and the Purple Parrots have fallen behind slowly but more and more noticeably when the Orange Iguanas get a two-bag lead with their fourth money bag. [0:15] With time ticking, the Purple Parrots go for a mad dash; John  pulling Justine across as quickly as possible with the elastic cord—but we’re OUT OF TIME!

“That’s it!” says Kirk as the audience cheers. “That’s it guys, come on down here… Come on over, all four of you!” He runs to the two bins and begins throwing money bags out onto the stage. “Let’s count up: we’ve got one… two… three… four… five here on the Orange Iguanas, and… two for the Purple Parrots—the Orange Iguanas are going to the temple!” Kirk delivers his last line quickly, but is still interrupted by Kellie’s high-pitched shriek of excitement as the audience goes wild.

“Great job!” Kirk yells to keep his voice over the roar of the audience. “But that means that we’ll have to say goodbye to the Purple Parrots… You guys gave it a great effort—it came down to that last temple game—we’re not going to send you away empty handed. We’ve got a great gift for y’all, and here’s what it is…”

Dee reads the prize:
“It’s a $200 savings bond from Reebok, because on Planet Reebok, there are no limits. Reebok—the official shoe of Legends of the Hidden Temple!”

“They came back in the temple games,” continues Kirk, still shouting over the cheering, “but we’ll see if they can make it through Olmec’s temple… retrieve that Broken Plow of the Egyptian Farmer… right after this!” The camera zooms out over the Moat, rapidly flies towards the audience, and closes up on a wall mural before fading out.

[The Bamboo Forest]

The camera quickly moves across the top floor of the temple to the heavily-misted Jungle Crevice, then fades to Kirk with his hands on the Orange Iguanas’ shoulders.

“Welcome back to Legends,” he says. “The Orange Iguanas have proven themselves worthy and now have earned the right to enter Olmec’s temple. But first, Olmec’s going to give them some information to help them retrieve The Broken Plow of the Egyptian Farmer.”

Olmec begins his rundown:
“You could start by climbing through the Tigers' Den and climbing down into the Jungle Crevice. Crawl through the pit, then race into the Treasury of the Monkeys. Find the right bunch of bananas, and you could choose to go up into the Anaconda's Sanctuary, or into the Grand Marsh. Open the crocodiles’ mouths to find the tongue, and you might have a chance to enter The Forest… of a Thousand Dragons. Reach into the dragon’s mouths and find the key—but be careful: one of the dragons might be inhabited by the spirit of a Temple Guard! If they grab you, you’ll have to give up a Pendant of Life. Next, plow through the wall and into the Lion Cage.

“There, ride the elevator up, and into the Catfish Cove. Find the correct bucket, and open the door to the Shriiiiine…of the Silver Monkey—where you can grab the Broken Plow of the Egyptian Farmer. Assemble the statue, and you may be headed for the Vine Drop. Pull the vines to open the doors, and race up to the Wildebeests' Hideout. Turn the correct horn, and swing on the vine across the Jungle Crevice. Then, pass thru the Room of the Tropicana Birds, race down the stairs, and back through the temple gates. The choices are yours and yours alone. You won two pendants in the temple games. Who's going first?”

“I am!” yells Kellie.

“Very well, Kellie!” replies Olmec. “When Kirk gives the signal, you'll race through the gates into the temple, and make your way towards the Broken Plow. Hidden inside the temple are temple guards assigned to protect three specific rooms. 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 will be Graham’s turn to enter and try his luck. Hidden inside the temple is the other half of your pendant. If you can find it, and you’re carrying the other half, you will earn an extra life. If you can reach the Broken Plow, all the doors of the temple will instantly unlock and the temple guards will vanish. Return through the gates with The Broken Plow of the Egyptian Farmer in three minutes, and you will both be handsomely rewarded—and here's how!”

Dee reads the team’s prizes:
•   For just going into the temple, you’ll both receive a set of encyclopedias! The latest edition of World Book includes over 20 volumes packed with information and illustrations for school and family use alike. World Book—the number-one selling print encyclopedia in the world.
•   If you can grab the Broken Plow before three minutes is up, you’ll also receive a Diamondback bike! This all-terrain mountain bicycles come with lightweight aluminum bodies and 24 speeds. From Diamondback.
•   And if you can bring the Broken Plow out of the temple before three minutes is up, you’ll be going to Cancun! You’ll be staying at Krystal Cancun, the resort for beach lovers. With excursions to the Mayan ruins; it’s rich in history and rich in pleasure, from Krystal Cancun.

“Let’s see if we can get them to Cancun!” comments Kirk. “Let’s get in position… and set the clock for three minutes—”

The clock slams down in the corner of the screen. “Olmec, lower your gate!” The gate lowers as Olmec moans and the lights around him switch off. “On your marks, get set…GO!”

The music begins to play as Kellie is seen running up the stairs and— “Tripping and falling!” says Kirk. “She’s all right, she’s picking herself up… and she’s going into the Tropicana Birds Room…” [2:53] Kellie pushes down the first beak, right as the first TEMPLE GUARD emerges from the back door, giving her a scare! “Give him a pendant,” explains Kirk. “That’s it, now she can move on…” She hits a second beak, and then the stage-rightmost beak… but the only door that opens up is the downward door to the Tiger’s Den. “All right, down into the Tiger’s Den…” comments Kirk. “She going to have to move a little bit faster now…”

Kellie scrambles through the upper part of the Den and crawls along the top crawl tube to the top of the Jungle Crevice with 2:38 left on the clock. She grabs the vine on the right side of the room to pull herself up into a standing position, then reaches for the middle vine and swings across. “Nice move by Kellie!” commentates Kirk as she hits the actuator and slides open the door to the Wildebeests’ Hideout. “Up she goes, to the top of the temple!” says Kirk. “Now she has to find the right horn and then see if the door will open.” [2:25] She spins both horns at once slowly, opening up only the door to the Anaconda’s Sanctuary. “Looks like she’s going down… into the Anaconda’s Sanctuary room—still got plenty of time left, though,” says Kirk as Kellie descends downward. Finishing her climb down, she looks lost a few seconds before she grabs the snake off the front railing and tries to curl it into the rocky walls of the room. “You’ve got to find the right hole, Kellie…” explains Kirk. “You’ve got find the right hole…” She finally sees the hole among the darkly-colored wall and feeds the snake inside. Smoke erupts from the hole—wrong one!

[2:04] She walks over to the other side of the room and tries the second hole. This time, a noise is heard and the door to the Treasury of the Monkeys opens up. “Down again!” says Kirk. “She’s not going the easy way, folks… Well…” His voice trails off as Kellie keeps climbing down. She knocks the three bunches of bananas off the ladder on her way to the ground level, but the moments she sets foot, crouching behind a barrier of plants emerges a TEMPLE GUARD, taking her out of the temple with 1:47 left on the clock!

“Oh, no!” yells Kirk. “Temple guard came out… now it’s time for Graham to take over! Go, Graham, go!” Graham is seen running up the stairs of the temple and then entering the Room of the Tropicana Birds. He descends into the Tigers’ Den, then enters the top crawl tube. Re-emerging from the door; he grabs the vine and swings across the Jungle Crevice. “He’s got to make up some time here, now, folks,” narrates Kirk. [1:30] Graham is met with two open doors, but chooses to head up into the Wildebeest’s Hideout, before making his journey down into the Anaconda’s Sanctuary. “He’s not going the easy way…” says Kirk. Graham keeps going downward, eventually reaching the dusty floor of the Treasury of the Monkeys with 1:13 left on the clock. “He’s really gonna have to move now!” says Kirk; Graham is then seen searching the floor, grabbing a bunch of bananas and placing it on the altar without looking. With both hands, he grabs the other two bunches and bring them to the small table and places them on. The lights switch off all but a glowing green light in the altar, and the door to the Grand Marsh opens.

[0:54] “He’s into the Grand Marsh…” narrates Kirk. “Oh, sometimes they never get out of the murky swamp in there! He’s got to find the tongue now…” Graham forces open the rubberized mouth of the alligator—but no tongue to be found there. He moves over to the stage-right one, finding the tongue inside. [0:45] “Pull on it!” shouts Kirk. “Pull on the— Go, GO! The door’s open!” True enough, a low rumbling is heard and green light fills the room as Graham climbs through the fallen netting and into the Forest of a Thousand Dragons. “You’re just one room away!” says Kirk. “Come on, Graham!” [0:38] He enters the room, sliding to the floor, but picking himself up and turning around to search the first dragon’s mouth—nothing. He searches the ones in the left side of the room, time ticking away, but with no luck. “You might wanna try the other ones,” advises Kirk, “or bust through the wall!” [0:17] Graham keeps searching the mouths on the left, then moves to the three dragons nearest to the stone wall. “Go through the wall!” says Kirk. After searching one more mouth, Graham crashes sideways through the wall—but we’re OUT OF TIME!

“Oh, your time is up,” says Kirk. “They were just one room away! I cannot believe it… They still get the encyclopedia… They’re outta breath, I’m outta breath, and we’re all out of time—check us out next time for another great Legend of the Hidden Temple. Buh-bye!” On his last word, he high-fives Kellie and turns to wave to the audience.

The credits begin to scroll as various ending scenes are shown: Graham returning to Kirk and Kellie, the mass of twisted wood that made the Broken Plow resting in the Shrine, and a shot through three open doors on the top floor of the temple. Finally, the camera fades out, and the light bulb-Nickelodeon logo is shown as an electric buzzing noise is heard.

[The Bamboo Forest]

Artifact Name: The Broken Plow of the Egyptian Farmer
Location: The Shrine of the Silver Monkey
Result: Ran out of Time
Time Remaining: N/A
Pendants Won: 1.5
Diagram:



Summary:

The episode did start off on a funny note with Olmec's small performance, and the Moat crossing was probably the most intense I've ever seen. All six teams were virtually dead even, but the first four teams to hit their gongs - just edging out by milliseconds - were the Silver Snakes, the Purple Parrots, the Orange Iguanas, and the Red Jaguars. The legend itself was pretty entertaining, with Olmec finishing with another one of his famous "Shriiiiiiine of the Siiiiilver Monkey" pronunciations when revealing the artifact location. The Steps of Knowledge, however, were completely dominated by the Purple Parrots and then the Orange Iguanas.

The boringness continued in the Temple Games. None were new, rare for a late mid-Season 2 Wild Jungle episode, but at least the first game was KINDA even... the Orange Iguanas pretty much dominated the Temple Games, with Kellie obviously much better than Justine in the second temple game and the Orange Iguanas scoring three more bags than the Purple Parrots.

On to the Temple Run... I must say that maybe it wasn't the central shaft trek that screwed the run up, but the players pretty much decided their fate. The layout would have probably been similar to "The Silver Horseshoe of Butch Cassidy" back in 1994, but Kellie chose the upper door - perhaps she thought that she could go across the top floor? Anyhow, this was not to be as she was forced down the central shaft and was taken out from The Treasury of the Monkeys with just 1:47 to go. Graham wasn't much faster, and he didn't try the first possible shortcut (going straight into the Tiger's Den). However, it was ultimately his wanting to take a different shortcut later on the run that ruined his chances of getting the second prize. Once again, a key could not be found in The Forest of a Thousand Dragons, with Graham even giving up before finishing his search - he only tried four mouths. Time ran out shortly after he busted through the wall. The Forest of a Thousand Dragons, in my opinion, really does separate the men from the boys, and the early Season 2 layouts from the later ones.

[The Bandit King]

AWESOME G&R reference at the beginning. Rock on, Olmec!

[The Ancient Warrior]

Second'd. I loved it.

Nice job!