The maze is set.
Will he make it across without falling to the bottomless pit?
Ready, set, go.
[groans] Not again.
Can I have a turn now, Karl?
I'm not finished.
I've been waiting forever. That's supposed to be for all of us.
I know, but I'm not finished.
Ah!
How much longer do you need?
A million zillion years.
Karl. Ugh!
[Karl] Oh, no. Again?
[breathes deeply]
[Karl] Aw. No, not in the hole.
-[Karl groans] -One, two, three, four, five.
One, two, three, four, five.
[breathes deeply repeatedly]
What are you doing?
I'm breathing.
That's not regular breathing, Addy.
That's... [breathes deeply] ...breathing.
It's different. Why are you doing... [imitates deep breathing]
Stillwater says if you have an angry feeling inside you,
sit still, close your eyes, and take deep, slow breaths.
[breathes deeply]
It can make you feel better.
Is it working?
Actually, it is.
[exhales deeply]
Are you ready to give me a turn now?
I'm still not finished.
[groans] Why can't he just share?
[sighs deeply]
[discordant wind instrument noises]
What's that sound?
[wind instrument noises continue]
[noises continue]
[swing creaks]
[wind instrument noises continue]
[birds tweeting]
Is that you, little birdies?
No.
[noises continue]
[playing notes discordantly]
[playing resumes]
Hi, Stillwater. What's that thing?
This is a xiao. It's a traditional instrument from China.
I'm afraid I'm not very good at playing it, though.
[chuckles] Yeah. I could hear it from my backyard.
Oh. I hope I didn't disturb you.
Oh, no. I just heard the sound and wanted to know what it was.
-Are you practicing? -Yes.
Though I think panda lips may not be the right shape
to make pretty sounds come out of a xiao.
[toots discordantly]
See? Would you like to try?
Uh... okay. How does it work?
Put your fingers over the holes and blow gently into the mouthpiece.
[toots scale]
Very nice, Addy. I think you're a natural.
I think maybe I need to practice too.
Hmm. Perhaps later.
Now, it is time for me to scoop leaves. Would you like to help?
Sure.
[Stillwater] The wind blows a lot of leaves into my goldfish pond.
Stillwater, if you know you're never gonna be any good at playing the xiao,
why do you keep practicing?
I suppose it's the same as these leaves.
It is?
Every day the wind blows leaves into the pond,
and every day I scoop them out.
Sometimes twice a day. Sometimes three times a day.
Isn't the wind just gonna blow them back in again?
[Stillwater] I like a clean pond.
And so do the fish.
I also like scooping leaves.
This reminds me of a monk I once knew.
She asked a similar question about a scorpion.
Would you like to hear the story?
I love your stories.
[Stillwater] Master Chu was at the river with her young student, Ying.
They were washing their bowls.
Suddenly, Ying spotted something unusual floating past.
Teacher, do you see that floating in the water?
[Chu] A scorpion, it seems.
Well, scorpions do not swim, Master. It must have fallen in the river.
Yes, it seems so.
If we do not help it, it will surely drown.
Yes, we must help.
Oh.
Forgive me, teacher.
Scorpions have pinching claws and a stinging tail.
And you do not wish to be hurt.
Not to worry, my child. I will try.
Ouch. Ooh.
Oh, Master! You've been stung!
The sting of the scorpion can be very painful.
But Master Chu was very brave...
and very strong.
[Chu] I will be fine, my young friend.
The two continued washing their bowls
when Ying noticed something familiar floating past.
Master, the scorpion. It has fallen in again.
Let us hope this time it will be gentle.
-[scorpion stings] -Ouch.
Alas. I was wrong.
Master Chu's student was amazed that her teacher would do the same thing twice.
Teacher, why do you continue to save the scorpion
when you know it is its nature to sting?
Because it is my nature to save it.
Saving a life is surely worth the chance of a sting.
Why didn't Master Chu just use her bowl to scoop up the scorpion?
[laughs] Whoa!
[laughs] I've never thought of that, Addy.
-[Addy chuckles] -I suppose Master Chu was long in kindness
but short in good ideas.
[Addy laughs]
Even though they're kind of scary looking, I'm glad she saved the scorpion.
But I would've tried something different the second time.
I wonder if Karl's still playing that game.
Game?
We got this really fun game as a present.
It's a maze where you have to roll the ball across the top
without it falling into a hole.
Interesting.
Karl's been hogging it all day.
He won't even give me a turn.
That sounds a little bit like the scorpion, doesn't it?
Is it in Karl's nature to share so willingly?
Not really. He's still a little kid.
Maybe I need to try something different.
Hm. Just like the monk should have.
Thank you, Stillwater.
You're welcome, Addy.
Hm. Maybe I need to try something different too.
[groans] Not again! [sniffles]
[Addy] Hi, Karl.
I'm still not ready, Addy.
It's okay.
I'm not trying to take it from you.
You're not?
No, but it looks like you're having a hard time.
The marble keeps going into the holes no matter what I try.
I make it go this way and then this way, and then it falls in.
It's too hard.
Would you like some help? We could maybe do it together.
[sniffles]
Okay.
I'll be this knob. You can be that one.
Okay. Ready?
-Aw. -See?
You're right. This is hard.
Should we go again?
Yeah.
This time, we'll try something different.
The maze is set.
Can Addy and Karl, working together, avoid the bottomless pit?
[lilting xiao music playing]
What's making that music?
I think it's Stillwater.
[music continues]
He must be trying something different too.
Well, it sounds nice.
Keep going.
We're almost there! That's it!
Make it go that way.
[lilting music continues]
[chuckles]
-[gasps] -[vehicle approaching]
[sighs] Just a regular car.
I got it! I got it!
Here, Addy.
-[vehicle approaching] -[gasps]
[sighs] Another car.
-[bicycle bell dings] -[gasps]
Just Stillwater.
[Michael and Addy] Hi, Stillwater.
Hi, kids.
Hello, Karl.
-[Karl gasps] -[vehicle approaching]
Hi, Stillwater.
So, what are you doing, Karl?
Waiting.
What are you waiting for?
This!
-Oh! Cool. -[Michael] Nice robot.
[laughs] That's quite the drawing, Karl.
Well, if you like the drawing, wait until you see it for real.
Mom and Dad helped me order a super awesome toy robot
with all my birthday money.
That super awesome toy robot's coming in the mail today,
and the mail's coming any minute!
It's gonna be 50 feet tall, and can do, like, a million things!
Light beams for eyes.
[imitates lasers firing]
Speak robot talk. [as robot] "You are awesome, Karl."
You're awesome, robot.
[as robot] "We are awesome."
Stomp around with its robo legs.
-Stomp. Stomp. -[stomping]
[Karl] We're gonna go on adventures, and be best friends and save the day.
Octo-squid.
[roars]
Never fear, planet Earth. Team Karl-bot is here!
The Earth is saved. Mission accomplished.
Thanks, ginormous robot.
"You're welcome, best friend Karl."
I think we're all quite eager to meet your giant robot friend now.
Not giant. Ginormous!
[vehicle approaching]
[gasps] It's here!
Thank you, thank you.
Let me help you.
I can't wait, I can't wait, I can't wait!
[gasps]
Aw. You're not ginormous.
[beeps rapidly]
Where are the eye beams?
I'm sure the robo-talk feature will work better than the light-up eyes.
[garbled robotic sounds]
What?
Maybe it can still stomp around?
-With these teeny legs? -[leg squeaking]
I'm sorry, Karl.
This is all wrong!
We were supposed to go on adventures, and be heroes and stuff,
but now we'll never get to save the day.
Poor Karl.
Why don't I try to talk with him?
[sniffles]
My robot isn't what I thought it would be.
And I had so much fun stuff planned.
It's okay to feel disappointed, Karl.
It is?
Of course.
That can happen when things don't go the way we expect.
I expected it to be a whole lot bigger and a whole lot cooler. [sniffs]
You know, something just like this happened to another friend of mine.
They bought a ginormous robot that wasn't ginormous?
[chuckles] Okay, perhaps not just like this.
Would you like to hear about it?
One year, my friend, Dahlia, decided to plant melon seeds.
Come summer, I'll be eating sweet, juicy melon every day.
And have plenty to share with my friends.
I know this is gonna be my best harvest yet.
So out to her garden Dahlia went, with a box full of seeds,
all the while imagining how much she and her friends would enjoy
those ripe, juicy melons.
She planted each seed with care.
She watered, and weeded, and waited.
Dahlia waited weeks and weeks for her melons to emerge,
her excitement growing far faster than the fruit itself.
But when the flowers finally turned to fruit,
Dahlia was in for a big surprise.
[gasps]
Pumpkins?
What happened to my melons?
It didn't take long for Dahlia to realize that she had mixed up her seeds.
[groans] Silly me.
Now the only place I'll be eating melon is in my dreams.
Summer is ruined.
But in time, she decided to give the pumpkins a chance.
[pumpkin squelches]
[exclaims, coughs]
While nibbling on pumpkin wasn't quite as refreshing as eating melon...
it was delicious baked into a pie.
[sniffs] Mmm.
Hi, Dahlia.
She happily shared the pumpkin pie with her friends,
and they loved every bite.
[woman] Mmm.
They didn't even miss the melons they were expecting.
Mmm.
Dahlia didn't get what she was expecting,
but the pies turned out to be a good idea.
If things worked out for Dahlia,
maybe they can work out for me and my robot too.
We can still do lots of fun stuff together,
just in a different way.
Huh. Perhaps you are right.
Perhaps I am.
[garbled robotic sounds]
[beeps rapidly]
Ooh.
Your eyes might not be able to protect us from asteroids,
but they do light up.
[gasps]
No one can hide from my robot's powerful light beams.
Surrender, rock monster.
[as monster] "No, never."
All right, then take this!
[as robot] "Light beam, activate." [imitates laser]
[as monster] "Not light. I give up."
-[chuckles] -[microwave dings]
[sniffs] Smells like pizza bagels.
Our next mission: talk to the chef.
[gasps] Mmm.
[garbled robotic sounds]
That's his robot talk.
Only I can understand him.
[chuckles] Oh, yeah? What's he saying?
[robotic sounds]
He says, [as robot] "We would like a snack."
Here. Tell him we can share.
[robotic sounds]
That means "Thank you."
[all laugh]
Refueling complete.
Ready for more adventures?
[robotic sounds]
[Karl imitating hydraulic sounds]
[imitates engines, lasers firing]
[Stillwater] Whoa.
[chuckles]
[gasps] The octo-squid.
Never fear, Stillwater. Team Karl-bot is here!
[imitates engines, lasers firing]
Whoa. Octo-squid got you good.
Thank goodness you're here, team Karl-bot, to save the day.
It seems like you and your ginormous robot found some fun things to do.
Yeah, and he's the best robot friend ever.
Mission accomplished.
My hero.
["Never Ending Dream" playing]
♪ With our spirits We were floating through the trees ♪
♪ Like creatures, we were soaring high Blowing off some steam ♪
♪ Or a mountain And its effervescent green ♪
♪ A never-ending dream ♪
♪ I found a little bit of honey ♪
♪ And now I'm a little sweeter inside ♪
[singing in Japanese]
♪ It's just a little bit funny ♪
♪ But now I have the world on my side ♪
[singing in Japanese]
[song fades]