02x07 - The Didgeridoo

[bunniefuu]

But why can't I go swimming?

You don't want the bunyip to get you.

In the billabongs throughout Australia

lurks a monster so vile.

Nasty, big, pointy teeth.

Scales and feathers.

A beast made up

of the parts of many animals,

all more terrifying than the last.

Its loathsome call shrieks!

Leaving listeners chilled to the bone.

On dark, moonless nights just like

this one, the dreaded creature prowls.

And that is why

you never swim alone at night.

Come on, Ma.

There's no such thing as bunyips.

You reckon?

If you say so.

The vivid scent of the outdoors.

You have a fine vista

of nature's sun-kissed foliage.

Alas, something we sorely lack

in the Restricted Wing.

And what have we here?

Bird feeder, but not one bird.

The whole point of this assignment is

to show how humans interact

with nature in a positive way,

and I need some birds to interact.

I'm the animal whisperer in the family.

This should be easy for me.

Look how I tricked out Linda's terrarium.

She loves it.

Alex says failure is part

of the scientific process.

- What was that?

- It's a bird!

See? It was just a matter

of time before one showed up.

What's it doing?

Red eyes! We've seen that before.

This bird appears to be cursed.

Excuse me.

Now I'll have to repair this hole.

Run!

What's going on?

Where's it going?

And what is that sound?

The bird is responding to

the sounds of this didgeridoo.

Which, apparently,

is somehow playing by itself.

Then we need to stop it.

Try stuffing it.

With what? Everything in here is cursed.

Stanley's cleaning kit in the hub.

Give us a hand, Russ.

I'm tingling.

My whole body is vibrating

from the sound of the didgeridoo.

Come, my feathered friend.

I will set you free.

There's broken briar here.

The didgeridoo is clearly Australian.

It says here Cornelius acquired it

from an art dealer in Queensland.

Its curse is to make birds attack.

Yeah, we got that.

I knew I'd seen this symbol before.

In Indigenous cave paintings.

It's the symbol for water.

What's this wacky-looking bird one?

I'm not sure, but the other

marking looks like a crocodile.

I'll send photos to my friend Inala.

She's Indigenous Australian

and studies their folklore.

I'm so pumped to go Down Under.

I too am Pumped, is it?

I am 100% ready to join you

on this probably very dangerous adventure.

You are?

Do not worry. I have my explorer pack.

Are you sure that's a good idea?

Alex, I wasn't there when

the black ribbon attacked you.

This time, I will be there to protect you.

It is my duty, as keeper of

the Restricted Wing and this family.

You could have another blackout, Dad.

And I have to stay behind

for my biology finals.

Gotta work the system, bro.

Ms. Lee is giving me extra credit

on my assignment for the trip.

I can't go because I'm so behind

with the exhibit.

And Stanley really does look

like an inanimate object to others,

as long as he acts inanimate.

I'm up to that task.

Stanley, you okay?

I cannot talk.

I am an inanimate object.

- Fine. Stanley can come.

- Thank you!

You won't regret it.

Don't worry, Stanley.

I reinforced the lining just in case

the stuffing falls out.

Is that what we're returning this time?

Looks harmless enough.

This is what we're returning.

This is someone new for you to meet.

This is Stanley, our friend.

Keeper of the Restricted Wing.

You can stop being inanimate now.

Greetings and salutations.

Am I the only human friend you guys have?

Researching aircraft travel

and actually experiencing it

are very different.

Are we there yet?

What's happening?

Just a little turbulence, folks.

Oh, no.

Really?

Bird!

Red eyes. Red eyes!

Now, I don't wanna panic anyone,

but if one of those birds goes

into an engine, it could down the plane.

How does that not make me panic?

Hold on.

Stanley!

Everyone okay back there?

We're fine. Great flying, Margie.

Nice parkour skills, Stanley.

I'm still working on my landings.

Is everything all right, Sky?

You seem distracted.

I'm fine. Excited for the exhibit.

Are you?

I know the Throne of Sargon

is about to arrive.

That's got to be a lot of stress.

No, it's not that.

To be honest, someone broke into

the house and stole some items.

I'm worried about my family.

How awful.

You do have a lot of desirable artifacts

people would want.

I wonder

if it's connected to the theft here.

I'm sure it's not.

Tell you what, I'll send one

of our security personnel over.

We take care of our own here.

I'll speak to him now.

This is a really long drive.

This country is bigger than I thought.

Okay, inanimate object.

- Remember.

- Not a sound. Not a motion.

Hey, mate. Welcome to Aus.

I wish I could be there,

but I'm at the Blue Mountains.

You know they're blue because

The oil of the eucalyptus trees

disperses in the air.

Wow, you've out-nerded me again.

This is my daughter, Pandora.

Hey, Inala. Cool necklace.

Thank you, Pandora.

In our culture, a personal

totem animal is assigned at birth.

That animal is yours

to protect and learn from.

Mine is the kangaroo.

It embodies the duality of

superior strength with nurturing softness.

A formidable leader that never,

ever gives up.

Sounds like someone else I know.

Did you get my directions?

Yes. Thanks. We are on our way

to the billabong now.

The markings point to

this Queensland tribe.

All their didgeridoos

are made of the woolly butt tree

from the middle of their billabong.

It's quite lovely. You'll see.

Well, here we are.

Wow. This is a land

of immense natural splendor.

Is the whole world this beautiful?

In its own way.

Russ did make a point

of reminding me Australia's also

home to the largest collection

of deadly creatures in the world.

Which is awesome!

That's certainly

a glass-half-full way of looking at it.

What are you doing?

I can feel this connection with nature.

It's what I hear and feel.

The movement of the water.

The sounds of the animals.

It's vibrating through my body.

You don't hear it?

No, but I'm not of the wood variety.

Inala said all their didgeridoos

are from this tree.

Seems like a good place to start.

Magnificent woolly butt,

we return to you the cursed didgeridoo.

Okay. I'm taking it out of the case.

Please be ready to shut it quickly

if we get attacked again.

Okay, this isn't working.

But we brought it home.

Well, apparently that's not the answer.

I can throw it in the water.

Get back!

What was that?

Stay close.

What is that thing?

Car, run!

Help!

Pandora!

Just get to the car!

Look out!

We need the sound to stop immediately.

Where is the monster

that tried to grab Stanley?

I cannot see through these birds!

Got it! Seat belts on.

Dad!

Yikes!

It's very exciting

out in the field, isn't it?

The theft of a piece of cuneiform tablet

from a local auction house comes

on the heels of another stolen tablet

from a museum in Rajasthan, India.

I wonder

Here it is. The notebook Dad's been

recording his blackouts in.

Let's see.

Oh, no.

This is bad.

Caparaz, Paxton Museum security.

I know who you are.

Georgia said she was sending someone.

I understand you've had a break-in.

Mind if I take a look around?

It was like two freaky dinosaurs

squished together.

What you're describing sounds

like a bunyip, but that can't be.

Bunyips are mythical creatures.

I can assure you,

the thing chasing us was not mythical.

My mother told me stories

around the campfire as a child.

I thought they were tales

to keep kids safe around the water,

but through my work,

I learnt the folklore of the bunyip.

It's a story about the connection

between all things in nature.

The tale begins with two friends,

Monti and Jiemba.

Together,

the friends crafted a didgeridoo.

The water symbol represents

the source of life.

The animals, their personal totems.

The cassowary bird for Monti is loyal

to its group, even at its own peril.

The crocodile for Jiemba is a creature of

primordial wisdom, stealth and ferocity.

When Monti played,

it attracted beautiful songbirds,

and it was seen as a blessing

by the tribe.

But when Jiemba played,

it called crocodiles that caused

fear amongst the tribe.

Jiemba was told to never play

the instrument again.

This angered Jiemba because

even though crocodiles are feared,

they're an important part

of nature's balance,

as the circle of life

requires both predators and prey.

Jiemba wanted Monti to experience

what he felt,

so he put a curse on the didgeridoo.

Now when Monti played,

birds were aggressive and attacked,

just like Jiemba's crocodiles.

Monti fell into a deep sadness

and refused to speak to Jiemba.

Everything fell out of balance.

Jiemba, realizing his selfishness,

cried so hard,

it created a billabong

that swallowed him up.

Seeing this, Monti dove

into the billabong to save his friend.

When they emerged from the water,

they had been transformed into a creature

that represented their combined

totems, a cassowary bird and a crocodile.

The bunyip, the living embodiment

of nature's connectivity.

Is there anything in the story

about breaking the curse?

The story goes that, to break the curse,

you have to play the song of the bunyip,

Monti and Jiemba's songs together,

representing the harmony of nature

they had forgotten.

Great. What is it?

Sadly, like much of our history that

is handed down orally, it has been lost.

Good luck.

I can't wait to hear how this story ends.

Neither can we. Thanks, Inala.

Stanley, that tune you're playing,

that's the same one you were humming

at the billabong.

I've been feeling vibrations.

I know this sounds strange,

but these vibrations line up

with the sounds I heard at the billabong.

They were a combination of the birds,

the crocodiles and the water.

The birds

the crocodile

and the water.

All markings on the didgeridoo.

And the things that made the bunyip.

Seems like you do have a connection.

I feel like the didgeridoo

and the sounds I hear and feel,

it's trying to tell me the bunyip song,

the unifying song Inala spoke of.

And if these sounds are the bunyip song,

then it should break the curse.

We have to go back.

I will play what I hear on the didgeridoo.

The breathing technique is

like my harmonica.

How hard can it be?

That'll be all.

I didn't see any evidence of a break-in,

but she was on me like glue

the entire time.

Something's fishy.

Are we sure this is the best plan?

Stanley, you won't have

any way to protect yourself.

It is a risk I am willing to take.

I've been called.

It is my duty,

and it is something I must do alone.

- You got this.

- Into the fray.

I got it.

Okay, I was wrong.

It's actually quite hard to play.

We have to trust him.

- That's enough!

- Pandora!

Pandora, stop!

I must do this.

It's working!

That was legit amazing!

I do believe

the balance of nature is restored.

This curse is broken.

Stanley, you were so brave!

Fine work. One for the books.

Possibly also the type of event

people write folk songs about?

Certainly.

Another artifact returned.

Sure am glad to have you home, mate.

Place wasn't the same without you.

It's good to be back.

I should be ready to head out again,

though, in about another 100 years.

Come on. You don't have, like,

a thousand questions about Australia?

We need to talk upstairs.

Did Dad have any blackouts

while you were away?

No, he was fine. Why?

A bunch of artifacts have been stolen

from around the world.

So?

I think Dad's the one doing it.

And I have proof.

What in the

I'll take it from here, Alex.