FABLES of the GREEN FOREST
Today's episode: "The importance of Paddy's dam"
What's going on?
Jerry, his small head cocked to one side, is roaming
back and forth along the bank of the Laughing Brook.
What is he thinking about? What could be wrong?
What?
Funny, sure funny!
Strange, strange...
Jerry, what's so strange?
Oh, Johnny!
These eyes of mine, please see if there's something wrong with them!
Something happened to your eyes?
Nothing's wrong with them.
No-no, what I want to know is whether or not
my eyes can distinguish objects clearly or not.
Here, do you see that pace on the bank, over there?
Johnny, my eyes, my head too is become funny!
That's not so!
It's just like he said, the river water is diminishing, is rapidly going down!
That's right! What is it all about?
Terrible! This is awful!
Huh, sure is sultry!
It's times like this that I envy those of the Smiling Pool,
for they can quickly cool off in the water.
Well, good morning all of you of the Smiling Pool!
Hey...
Grandfather Frog, what is this?
If this isn't a dream, the world is turning topsy-turvy, I don't know what's what!
- Hey...! - Grandfather...
- ...all gone, the water's gone from the lake! - What is this?
I can't understand it.
Even during midsummer, when the forest streams dried up
there's never been a time when the water of this lake has ever disappeared!
Grandfather... Grandfather...
How was it over there at the Big River?
Nothing wrong there.
So the water is dissappeared only from the Smiling Pool and the Laughing Brook.
And in these conditions, there's no alternative but to move to the Big River, right?
Are you moving?
Poor me, my house is visible, my secret underwater pass can be discovered,
I can't live here anymore!
Wait, wait, you can't simply throw away your homestead of many comfortable years!
- We can't live in a waterless lake or river! - No...
Keep calm everyone!
Before rushing off, the thing to do is to determine why the water disappeared!
Right, that's right!
Thanks to the water disappearing, we can see the bottom of the pool!
This is amusing!
Jerry, what are you looking for down there?
I thought maybe there might be a hole at the bottom of the pool!
Can't be a stupid reason such as that!
And Grandfather, you'll figure it out?
Well...
I'm giving it a good think over here in my head...
Hmm...
Hmm... Johnny, what's the matter, what's the reason?
Hmm...
What do you mean by that?
That's it!
The reason is the Laughing Brook!
The Laughing Brook?
Get this: the water running from the Laughing Brook makes up the Smiling Pool, you see?!
That flow of water stopped. That's why there's no water in the pool!
That's it!
Something like this, why didn't I notice it sooner?
That's right! Paddy's dam is located up river...
Maybe...
Johnny, Johnny!
- What's up, Sammy? - What happened?
Grandfather has started out with the four others!
- Started out? - Are they moving to the Big River?
They've gone up the Laughing Brook to see Paddy.
If they meet with Paddy, they'll find out the reason, according to Grandfather.
- Johnny? - That's Grandfather alright!
They should be climbing about the old log bridge about now.
Spotty should be the tail end, but this race seems to become interesting!
My-my, here they come!
For these five, to be in the water would be easy and a pleasure,
but today, they must walk uphill along the waterless riverbed, so it's quite a job.
In the lead, the slim but nimble Harry.
Next, Joe the Otter with legs so short that he almost doesn't seem to have any.
Behind him comes Jerry, the muskrat.
At swimming, he's a real expert.
And then leaping along, Grandfather Frog.
And now... oh my, the slowest one is poor Spotty the Turtle,
walking along with his house on his back.
And he just can't go very fast.
Hey, Harry, don't rush so!
Joe, you're the one who should wait a little!
Jerry, do you intend to leave this old one behind?
I'm getting out of breath!
Well, they're trying, they're really trying, believe me!
At times like this, if only I had wings!
OK, everyone! Buck up, Spotty! Don't loiter, keep on moving!
I'll be back to cheer you all again!
Grandfather, we heard from Sammy.
So if it's Paddy you're going to see,
we'll go and meet him for you, if you like.
Sure we'll go for you.
Appreciate your concern, but this matter concerning the brook and the pond
we decided it should be settled by the five of us.
Hey, Jerry, walk a little slower!
Oh, water, how nice!
Oh, is that all?!
Grandfather... better not overdo it!
Are they coming?
At that rate it's quite a struggle.
The riverbed is like a heavily pebbled road, isn't it?
They're all just probably puffing along.
Let's go ahead and look for them!
Alright, let's do that!
You think they're alright?
They're all strong in the water, but to climb a dry riverbed, you know...
We're about half way to Paddy's dam, aren't we?
Yeah, can't see anyone yet...
Although Grandfather Frog had said that they would settle their own problems themselves,
still, Johnny and Polly were worried.
Now, our resolute five climbing along the dry riverbed
still had not come even half way to Paddy's dam.
Uh-huh? Oh, yeah, somebody's coming!
Yeah, somebody's coming! It looks like Spotty!
But... but Spotty shoud've been the slowest!
Where are the others?
Anyway, my feet hurt, and Spotty isn't here, so I...
...I'll just take one quick snooze.
Spotty?
Oh... Go ahead, OK, you go first, I'll easily catch up to that slowpoke.
These shellfish are so delicious!
Pretty soon now!
- Oh, that's Paddy's dam! - Paddy's dam?
Oh, this dam, this is a new dam, where is the old dam?
What's the matter?
- It's over there! - Oh! That's right!
Well, if it isn't Johnny and Polly together!
I haven't seen you two in a while!
Actually, Paddy, we beg you...
You've got time, haven't you?
How's this one: this dam's gonna be a really fine one!
I nearly 60 % completed now, and in one more haul, I'm going to take a break,
so why don't you go and sit over there?
So that's it! The new dam is the reason!
That's why the Laughing Brook's water has been stopped up, you see!
So now we know the reason.
Paddy the Beaver, when he found a spot that he liked,
would build and rebuild a dam just like this.
Johnny, we must inform Grandfather Frog about this!
No one... What's this?
What's the matter?
- It's Spotty! - That's right, Spotty!
Spotty, you're the first to arrive!
Well, I'm simply amazed!
So slowpoke Spotty is number one, eh?
Sammy, what are the other guys doing? Have you seen them?
The energetic guys are still downriver playing, sleeping and generally wasting their time.
Hmm, nothing we can do.
They sure were energetic in the beginning!
Why, look, over there, Paddy is building another new dam!
Well, what a nice one this is!
We can't just be admiring it! Because of that, the water to the Laughing Brook has stopped!
I thought for sure that I'll be here first!
Who cares about such a race?
More important, we found out the reason for the stopped up Laughing Brook!
That Paddy, he's a mean guy!
He built a new dam and made it so the water wouldn't flow down our brook!
Oh, Paddy!
Hi, Harry, Joe and Jerry! Altogether now!
Paddy! You-you're a meanie!
Because of you doing this, do you realize how much
the people of the Laughing Brook and Smiling Lake have suffered all around here, huh?
Such a thing! I didn't know that I was doing anything wrong!
Don't try to fool us!
Because you built this new dam,
the water has disappeared from the Laughing Brook and the Smiling Lake, you meanie!
Oh, things aren't that bad...
There's enough water! It was turned off just for a minute!
Nothing to get so mad about!
Break the dam and let the water out!
That's right, break it right away!
Paddy, it's everyone's request. Now, please listen to us.
I won't!
You big bum!
No!
Paddy, do you mean to say that you don't care
what happens to the people of the Laughing Brook?
I'm not saying that! In three days the dam will be filled!
The water will spill over, and the Laughing Brook will flow as before!
- We can't wait three days! - That's right!
Why don't you say something, Paddy?
If the Laughing Brook is a necessity for you people,
the dam is a necessity for me!
For me, to protect myself against Reddy and Coyote
a house inside the dam is a must.
Unless the water level outside the dam is not constant,
the rooms inside will always be soggy.
That's why when building a dam, the water level is maintained at a constant height.
Such stuff doesn't concern us!
That's right! This brook doesn't belong to you alone!
Now hurry and break it up!
You break up the dam!
J-J-Jerry!
If you want to build a dam, that's up to you!
But if the water stops running in the Laughing Brook
because of that the Smiling Lake will disappear!
Paddy... if that happens,
everyone must abandon their beloved lake and move to the Great River!
Paddy, can you really understand that?
No...
What?!
Jerry, I'm bigger than you are and I have strength too!
If I say that I'm absolutely against breaking up the dam,
what can you do about it?
Well, I think...
Huh, what about it?
OK, Jerry.
Even if I say absolutely not, do you still intend to break up the dam?
Well, you're big and strong, so you can do what you like,
but we've lived for a long time in this forest,
and we have to abandon our beloved lake and everything else and move away!
Well, I probably won't be able to do a thing and lose to you,
but there comes a time when you got to stand up for what is right,
and what you're doing is unfair, it's unfair
the most unfair thing I ever heard of!
So right now, I want the water in this dam let loose!
Jerry, you are indeed my dear cousin!
Oh, I lose!
No, I feel fortunate to have such a dignified cousin.
I understand now.
I'll break up the dam, let the water run free,
and I'll be satisfied with the old dam.
You mean that? Really?
Yeah.
Paddy...
That's it, it's wonderful, for a moment there I wondered what was going to happen!
Isn't it wonderful, Jerry?
Yeah, Paddy is my cousin.
He'll listen to reason. After all, for his size, there's no more valiant guy.
This guy...!
Hey, Spotty, there's no need to hide your head in the corner anymore!
OK! I'm off to let the forest people know about this joyful news!
News, I've got news! Water-water, the water is ready!
Water! Water's come back to the Laughing Brook!
Thank you, Paddy!
Hereafter, no matter how much it may storm or rain,
I'll be here, regulating the waters of the Laughing Brook!
You don't have to worry from now on!
Thank you!
Spotty, now let's go home!
- Everyone seems so happy! - Yeah!
Grandfather, this time was easier, hey?
Yeah, but I can't swim nearly as fast as Harry or Jerry can swim, you know?
Well, now the Laughing Brook is laughing all over!
Now it's really the Laughing Brook, it really is the Laughing Brook!
Going up on foot we had sore feet, but going back with water,
that's not going to happen!
Hey, on the return trip, let's make a friendly trip together!
No racing! Don't leave the elderly!
Hey, the current is too strong!
Can't... flow... myself...
I'm gonna... hit... that... rock!
Oh... my goodness!
Oh... help... save me!
Oh... someone!
Spotty...! You... you saved me!
Beavers are never satisfied with building just one dam,
but must be building dams continuously throughout their life.
From parent to child, from child to grandchild continuously adding on,
until there is even one dam almost 600 meters long.
After seing everyone off, Paddy the Beaver realized
that the next time he build a dam
he must be careful not to stop the flow of the water completely.
Subtitle: South Wind Subs