To Save Deej

"To Save Deej" is the fourth episode of the first season of Ewoks. Written by Bob Carrau and directed by Raymond Jafelice, the episode originally aired on ABC on September 28, 1985.
When Deej falls ill due to a rare fungus, Weechee, Willy and Wicket must set out and find the ingredients for a cure to save their brave father.
==Plot summary==
===Deej's sickness===
Wicket, Deej, Weechee, Widdle and Kneesaa are fishing by the river when Wicket wanders off and spots a strange creature playing in the bushes. But before he can discover what the creature is, Deej hooks a giant fish and calls for the others to help him pull it in. However, the fish is too strong for them, and they lose their grip on the rod, falling back. Deej falls backwards into a Rokna tree and cuts himself on its deadly fungus. Just then, the creature that Wicket spots in the bushes arrives and offers his help. But the Ewoks ignore the creature and prepare to return to the village.
At Bright Tree Village, Logray examines Deej as the others describe the strange fungus. Logray, who claims to have seen the illness caused by the fungus before, requires special ingredients, with which he can concoct a medicine to return Deej to health. He tasks Deej's sons to retrieve a star urchin from the land of the Dandelion Warriors, a lantern bird feather, and some eggs laid by a Frosch, and gives them a map to help guide their way. Unfortunately, whilst in the hut, Willy drinks one of Logray's potions, and starts to float about, so Logray uses some stones to weigh him down to the ground.
===Quest for the ingredients===
The three Ewoks split up; Weechee sends Willy and Wicket to find the lantern bird feather and star urchin, respectively, and then sets off to find a frosch egg.
Willy discovers the nest of a lantern bird. He drops the rocks Logray used to weigh him down, and floats his way to the nest. He grabs a feather, but before he can escape, the lantern bird returns and sits on the nest, trapping Widdle.
Meanwhile, Wicket has made his way to the land of the Dandelion Warriors and is searching for an urchin when he hears someone calling for help. He runs through the grass and discovers the creature from the river tied to a tree trunk. The creature was also searching for an urchin when the Dandelion Warriors captured him. Wicket quickly unties the creature, and they make their escapes just before the Dandelion Warriors fire their quills where the two had been standing. Wicket and the creature take cover, and Wicket tells the creature to draw the creatures' fire, whilst he searches for a star urchin. They eventually find one, and escape into the forest.
By now, Weechee has reached the frosch cave, located behind a waterfall. As he ducks down to avoid being seen by a pair of froschs, he ends up covered with frosch eggs, which stick to his fur. As he stands up and tries to remove the eggs from his fur, he is suddenly surrounded by froschs. Weechee jumps into the river, and is carried downstream down a series of waterfalls, eventually grabbing hold of a tree branch.
===A new friend===
Wicket and the creature, who has introduced himself as Mring-Mring, finally make it back to the village. However, before they can make it to Logray's hut, they run into Teebo (literally), who informs Wicket that his brothers have not yet returned. Wicket, Mring-Mring, and Teebo then set off to find Willy at the lantern bird's nest. They find him underneath the giant bird, and the four of them travel to the frosch cave, where Weechee hangs onto his branch for dear life. They toss a vine to Weechee, and pull him to land. However, they are then backed against a cliff by the froschs.
The five of them scale the cliff onto a plateau, and are surrounded by the froschs with seemingly no way to escape. However, Mring-Mring tells the Ewoks to focus their minds and imagine a giant, winged creature that can carry them to safety. Though skeptical, the Ewoks think hard, and Mring-Mring transforms himself into the giant avian. The Ewoks climb aboard his back, and they fly back to the village, where they deliver the ingredients to Logray. Logray uses them to concoct a potion, and pours it over Deej's sleeping body. Deej awakens, and the Ewoks celebrate.
==Legacy==
*This episode was adapted into the children's books Wicket and the Dandelion Warriors: An Ewok Adventure and To Save Deej.
*It was released on DVD in 2004 as part of the Tales from the Endor Woods feature film. It can be found on side 2 of the disc.
==Credits==
==Appearances==
==Sources==
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==Notes and references==
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