Episode Title:
The Evil Spirit.
Episode Description:
Pinocchio returns home only to find the house abandoned, while searching the house he finds Nora who explains that Geppetto has been traveling in search of him and that he was there recently and left to continue his search, much to Pinocchio's frustration and disappointment, nevertheless he sets off after his father. Meanwhile a war is about to break out nearby and the local lord plans to have a nearby forest of Cedar trees cleared to be used to make warships, despite the villagers' protests that the trees prevent landslides and that the forest is protected by a large tree containing an evil spirit. That night Pinocchio stops to rest in the forest where the trees implore him to try and save them as they don't want to be used for war, the puppet refuses saying that he needs to continue searching for his father and that the other humans won't listen to him anyway, though the trees remind him that even if he were to become human his Mother will always be an Oak tree, thus he has a responsibility to try and help them. He runs into a cabin to sleep, but is later attacked by carpenter ants, the Oak Fairy saves him but explains that he behaved badly and needs to develop compassion, which he sets to work doing that night. The next day he tries to speak with the local lord on behalf of the trees but fails, and instead plans to drive the soldiers away from the mountain by having the trees drop some of their old branches, though this plan buys them another day more is needed to save the trees. Pinocchio becomes frustrated that the spirit tree won't help, even though he's supposed be their guardian, but soon realises that the tree is dehydrated from being too far from the river and, together with Jack and Willie, sets to work making a water wheel to revive it. The water wheel breaks under the strain but they succeed in reviving the tree who fights off the soldiers (though the English dub omits a scene where the spirit tree catches fire along with part of the forest). Unfortunately the army imprisons Geppetto, who they've learnt carved Pinocchio, and plan to send him to Devil Island as a sorcerer, while Pinocchio is depressed over how things turned out the Oak Fairy lets him know that she's proud of what he did but that he is of no help to his father if he just sits there feeling sorry for himself. The next day Pinocchio and his friends see Geppetto being led out of town and the puppet resolves to free his father before he can be sent to Devil Island.
