The Adventures of the Young Marco Polo - Episode 23 - Kids Cartoon Animation Series

We follow in his footsteps, my two best friends and me. Cutting its way through the heart of China is the mighty Yellow River, so named for the yellow mud it carries eastwards. To continue on, I must cross the Yellow River to the city of Lanzhou, a stop on the Silk Road, a trading center, and home of the Cricket Festival. What's a Cricket Festival? A festival about crickets. What else? But they're just bugs. Crickets are amazing bugs, Luigi. They sing, they race, and they make awesome pets. Crickets? Pets? Yeah, they're really popular in China. And I thought having a pet bat was weird. Koofoo, don't get me wrong. I'd rather have a pet bat like you than a silly pet cricket. Crickets, please. You need a cricket to get on the ferry. A cricket? You mean as in bug cricket? Yes. Crickets are the ferry payment on Cricket Festival Day. No cricket, no ride. There's gotta be crickets here. I hope so. With a little luck, we'll find some. Did someone say luck? I know something that'll help us with that. Oh, please, Luigi. You really think because you've got some silly lucky amulet, we're all of a sudden gonna find a cricket? Whoa, whoa, come back here. Gotcha! Aha! Clover, now that's really lucky. What you need is a cricket. Give it to me, Koofoo. That's my cricket. No, give it to me, Koofoo. Got him! Hey, wait for me. Don't leave without me. So, what do all these people do at a cricket festival? They trade cricket stories, buy cricket things, and watch the competition. There's a competition? There's a whole cricket culture, Marco. About 600 years ago, people started keeping crickets in cages so they can enjoy their songs in their homes. They were soon seen as pets, and size, shape, and color became important qualities in choosing a cricket. There are fancy ceramic pots for them to live in, and traveling containers made from hollowed-out gourds. So, you can take your cricket anywhere, like cricket festivals. When a cricket rubs its legs together, it makes a sound called the cricket's song. Aw, he's singing, and it is beautiful. Every cricket should have a traveling container, shouldn't they, Hercules? Hercules? You named him? Suits him, don't you think? Um, aren't you the guy who thought a pet cricket was silly? Well, yeah, an ordinary cricket, but Hercules is an ordinary. Are you entering that cricket in the competition? Uh, no, we're just passing through. Oh, good. I mean, I see. Well, in that case, are you interested in selling it? I'll give you two gold pieces for it. Sure. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Hang on, Marco. I don't know if I want to sell Hercules. He's my new buddy. What about your old buddy who could use this nice man's money to speed up our journey? Three gold pieces? Three gold pieces is nothing. A cricket like that would have a good chance at winning, I should think. Win? With Hercules? What is the grand prize? The grand prize this year is that boat. And, of course, you also win the gold in cricket. Ooh, the gold in cricket? Wow. That boat? Double wow. Think how much faster we could travel. It sure would be a nice break from walking. Do we have a deal? He's not for sale. He's not? No, we're entering the competition. Ah, well, I won't wish you good luck. Your clothes are brown. Very unlucky. Whoa, what's got him so bummed? Your bug. He knows it might beat his cricket. You're new here, aren't you? Our cricket pots gave us away, right? Gao has won the competition for the past 10 years. 10 years? What a lucky streak. Funny you should say that. Gao would agree with you. He is obsessed with luck. He always wears red because it is a lucky color in China. He always carries jade and he's probably wearing his lucky socks, too. He's the most superstitious man ever. Ha, sounds like Luigi. Ha, sounds like Gao has just met his match. The festival tent is in that direction. Good luck if you choose to enter. Are you going to the cricket festival, too? Oh, you just might see me there. I'm mistaking what this festival is about. And there's no mistaking what that delicious smell is. A food cart. That's serving bugs? Wow, barbecued crickets. I haven't had these for ages. Free for all contestants. Help yourself. Awesome, thanks. Have one. They're amazing. Whoa, they are amazing. What do you do? Just toss them in a little salt and pepper? You gotta try these, Marco. Sounds like things are starting. Phew, saved by the gong. I'm really hungry. Are you ready, Herc? It's showtime. Good luck, Luigi. Ha, you can count on it. Uh, the old string of garlic, huh? I think he's trying to outluck me, Herc. How about I add my lucky rabbit's foot? Oh, he knows we mean business. Ladies and gentlemen, as the official competition judge, I welcome you to Lanzu Cricket Festival. We honor the best contestant and the best cricket with the best prize. This year, the winner receives a luxury boat along with our usual fabulous grand prize, the Golden Cricket. Get the golden glorious prize in all of cricket culture. Contestants, get ready for the best cricket appearance. Hey, whoa, stop. Oh, lovely reflective shell. Honey brown hues. Confident pose. Very good. Come on, you've got to pose better than that. There you go. Oh, dear. What can I say but eliminated. Be right back. Just a sec. Almost there. Gotcha. Quite the champion jumper, huh? I'm sorry. A poorly trained cricket has no place in the Lanzu Cricket Festival. Eliminated. I guess it's all up to Luigi now. Yeah, if whatever I saw Gao doing doesn't mess him up. Salt? Psst. Luigi. Yikes. Spilling salts, bad luck. I need pepper to throw over my shoulder to stop the bad luck. You can't be serious. I'm seriously serious. Please, Marco, find some pepper before the judge gets here. Hurry. Pepper, please. Just pour some in my hand. Why in your hands when you can have it on a delicious cricket? I don't want a cricket. I just want the pepper. You don't know what you're missing. Why, in many parts of the world, insects are a delicacy. Crickets, cockroaches, and centipedes. There's over a thousand kinds of insects you can eat. Barbecued, stir-fried, baked into bread, dipped in honey, or squeezed in a nice refreshing juice. So what will it be for you today? Just the pepper, please. Who is this? I'm Luigi. I meant him. Oh, uh, he's Hercules. Hi, Luster Shell. Exquisite coloration, but the posture's a little lacking. I'm afraid I can only rate that a common posture. Uh-oh. Pepper. Ah-choo. Oh, that's better. Let's change that to noble posture. Ah-choo. Ah, even better. Regal posture. Hey, Gal's looking worried. He should be, because, uh, I'm about to sneeze three times, and, uh, three sneezes is really, really, ah-choo. Lucky. I'm awarding this cricket the highest mark possible. Heroic posture. First place in the best appearance category goes to Hercules. Woo-hoo. Only four contestants left. We're getting closer to the golden cricket. Next category, best cricket song. And now we will wait for the first cricket to sing. Who's? Feng shui coins. Ancient Chinese good luck symbols. Take that. Take that. Oh-ho, the Chinese character Ji. Very lucky. Watch out. Let me guess. Another good luck symbol? You got it. Ooh, Luigi's good. Where did Luigi get a horseshoe? From a horse. We have our first singing cricket. Yes, another. Come on, Hercules. For me? Just in case? Hercules, my brave little buddy, please. I knew that you were going to be a great singing star, but you really have to sing now, please. Too much vibrato. Scratchy upper register. Long on tremolo. Short on confidence. Beautiful melody. Delightful harmonies. Strong, sustained, magnificent bass. Best cricket song competition is gal's cricket, Yangtze. Oh, no. I know, Hercules. I thought you were the best, too. Ladies and gentlemen, we have just two crickets left, Yangtze and Hercules. Loosen up, buddy. You and Hercules have got this one in the bag. You can do it, big guy. And now, going for the grand prize of the luxury boat and the golden cricket, I'm... Hercules, go. You. Me? Oh, dear. I was locked and spilled out of your horseshoe. Oh, that's low. Faster, Hercules. Number in China. It's a banish. It's a battle of superstitions. They're not even watching the race. You're in China, where the bat is supremely lucky. You don't say. Congratulations on winning the boat. And now, enjoy the golden cricket. It's all yours. Uh, sorry, but how do I enjoy the golden cricket if you don't give it to me? You're already holding it. The golden cricket is the winning cricket of the festival. And you get to eat it. Eat Hercules? Yes, you lucky boy. It's tradition. Eating the golden cricket brings incredible good luck. Our chef will prepare it for you in the most delicious way. I can't eat, Hercules. But what about the good luck? What about tradition? As winner of the Lanzu Cricket Festival, I'm starting a new tradition. The winning cricket wins his freedom. Wow, what a great new tradition. Thanks. I hope I don't lose any good luck by not eating him. Luigi, give it a rest, would you? You won us the boat. And you did it with the best cricket, not because of any silly superstitions. Yeah, I hate to tell you, but all that crazy stuff you and Gal were doing during the race, it didn't make one bit of difference. Let's climb aboard our new boat and be on our way. I knew it. Oh, dear. How unfortunate. That's going to take several weeks to fix, I should think. A few weeks? We can't wait a few weeks. Looks like we're walking after all. See, now if I'd eaten Hercules. Oh, Luigi. Please, Luigi, stop. Not that I would have eaten him, but just saying. And so, leaving Lanzu and the great cricket festival behind us, we journey eastwards. I'm not sure about the whole good luck, bad luck thing, but I would eat a thousand crickets if it meant I would find my father faster. Somewhere up ahead, just over the horizon.