| Madeline and the Magic Carpet | |
|---|---|
| Vital Statistics | |
| Season | 2 |
| Writer(s) | Katie Shelly |
| Original Release | September 30, 1995 |
| Previous Episode | Madeline and the Dinosaur Bone |
| Next Episode | Madeline and the Treasure Hunt |
Madeline and the Magic Carpet is the fourth episode of the second season of Madeline animated series.
Summary[]
Madeline and Pepito take a magic carpet ride, but Panchito also ends up tagging along at the last second--much to Madeline and Pepito's annoyance.
Plot[]
The Girls attend a party at Pepito's house for visiting diplomats from all over the world. The Spanish Ambassador greets them and Pepito serves them cookies. Meanwhile another server has his plate of cookies picked clean by Pepito's cousins Paquito and Pablito. When the youngest of the cousins Panchito tries to do the same, he realizes there are no more cookies. The Girls laugh at his failed act of troublemaking, so he steals Madeline's cookie. The Ambassador scolds the boys, sending them to their room because they can't learn to share the cookies with the guests. Madeline remarks that there's no changing the boys, they are bad hats.
One of the guests is a storyteller from Persia. He tells the guests a fantasy story about a mighty genie, a magic lamp and flying carpets which the Girls enjoy. Later as the guests are toasting, Pepito discretely tells Madeline that he knows of a magic lamp just like from the story. Madeline is skeptical, so Pepito takes her up to the attic where his father keeps a collection of antiquities and other unique items from his global travels. Unseen to them, they are followed by the Cousins. Pepito finds the lamp resting on an old carpet. He tries rubbing the lamp to make a genie appear, but nothing happens. Madeline dismisses it as a story.
Just then the cousins announce themselves. They laugh at Pepito for believing that the lamp had magical properties. They snatch it from him and play keep away while mocking him. Pepito retakes the lamp, now humiliated that he was wrong. He runs outside and throws the lamp in the trash in frustration. Madeline advises him to put it back in the attic. Just then Ms. Clavel appears and tells Madeline that it's time to leave. Madeline complies, but feels uneasy about leaving the lamp in the garbage.
Later that night, after everyone has gone to sleep, Madeline is awakened by someone softly calling her name. She looks down the side of her bed and realizes that the carpet from Pepito's attic is there, and speaking! He introduces himself as MC and demonstrates that he doesn't just talk, he flies! He tells Madeline that he needs her help and invites her aboard. She climbs on the carpet, careful not to awaken the other Girls. They fly out of the window into the night sky.
MC explains that he is trying to find the old brass lamp that Pepito removed from the attic. He was unable to prevent Pepito from taking it earlier as his powers are only active at night. He regularly uses his power to protect the Genie that resides in the lamp. MC says that the Genie's name is Jeanette and she is the littlest of all the genies. Unfortunately, a thousand years ago an evil magician trapped Jeanette in the lamp and she can only be set free by a true friend.
Madeline directs MC to the alley behind Pepito's house where the trash is kept. However the trash can has been emptied. MC fears the worst, but Madeline assures him they can retrieve the lamp. They fly up to Pepito's window and Madeline knocks on it to wake him up. She also wakes up Panchito who spies on them from a nearby window. Pepito comes to his window groggily and does not at first register the oddity of Madeline floating outside. Madeline asks where the lamp is, but Pepito reiterates that the lamp is useless. MC cries in despair and Pepito is finally realizes in amazement that Madeline is standing on a magic carpet.
Pepito reasons that because it's trash day the lamp must have been taken by the garbage truck. Madeline insists Pepito join them on the search for the truck. As Pepito boards MC, Panchito jumps on after him. He's excited for an adventure without his older brothers spoiling his fun. Pepito demands that Panchito buzz off, but Panchito threatens to yell and wake everyone up, potentially compromising the whole mission of finding the lamp. Pepito covers Panchito's mouth to silence him while Madeline pilots MC up away from the house.
There's some disagreement over who's in charge of MC's flight. Panchito asks him to fly faster, but Pepito wants Panchito to be taken back to the house. After some back and forth manuevering, Madeline puts her foot down and takes command of MC to find the garbage truck. Along the way they marvel at Paris' landmarks from the air including the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triumphe. Madeline then spots the garbage truck crossing a bridge over the River Seine. Panchito is already distracted, suggesting they instead look for an ice cream truck.
They accelerate to catch up to the garbage truck. The sanitation worker has seen a lot of strange things in his years working the deserted nightly streets of Paris, but never a flying carpet with three children onboard! He skids to a stop and gets out to inquire what's going on. Madeline and MC explain the situation and ask if they can search the truck for the lamp. The worker explains that he found the lamp earlier and gifted it to Madame Croissant, a proprietor who serves him coffee and pastries every night near the Seine River. Madeline recognizes the address and the quartet departs for the shop. The worker wishes them luck in their search, then remarks how Paris at night is so unpredictable before continuing his rounds.
MC and the children arrive at Le Petit Cafe. By now Panchito is beginning to fade in exhaustion. Madeline instructs him to stay on the sidewalk with MC. Panchito asserts he's not sleepy, but starts to nod off. MC kindly wraps him so he can sleep soundly. Inside the coffee shop Madame Croissant informs Madeline and Pepito that she has regifted the lamp to her brother who is a barge captain. He's due to leave Paris down the Seine at dawn. She tells them the name of his barge is Le Poisson and it is berthed at Pier 345. Madeline and Pepito run outside to fly to the Pier, only to see MC flying away from them!
Pepito assumes Panchito has stolen MC leaving Madeline and himself stranded at Le Petit Cafe with no way to get to the barge or even back home. The two brew over the situation, calling Panchito the worst of the bad hats. Just then they spot MC flying back towards them. MC explains that Panchito merely fell asleep so he brought him back home. Madeline instructs MC to fly to Pier 345. Time is short as the dawn is approaching and MC will lose his powers without the night.
They fly fast over the Seine (scaring a local fisherman in the process). They arrive at Pier 345 to find it empty, but Madeline spots Le Poisson down the river. They land on the wheel house, surprising the captain. As boarding a vessel without permission is frowned on in maritime law, he demands to know why they are there. Madeline and Pepito explain that Madame Croissant sent them there to retrieve the lamp. The Captain says that he is going to use the lamp as a tea pot and offers to brew some tea for the children. MC flies in and knocks the lamp from his hands. Madeline catches it.
The Captain is quite flabbergasted to see a flying carpet. Madeline explains that a genie resides in the lamp. The incredulous captain still does not believe such a fantastical assertion. MC says they can demonstrate as Madeline can free the genie. Madeline's surprised by this, as she recalls MC said that only a true friend could free Jeanette, but MC says that never in a thousand years has anyone cared to rescue her. Madeline has already done so much to help Jeanette despite never having met her, making her a true friend. MC instructs Madeline to rub the lamp and recite an incantation to free Jeanette.
Madeline follows his instructions, causing the lamp to glow before erupting in a puff of smoke. The Genie appears from the lamp as a flame before transforming into her human form. Jeanette is overjoyed to be free of the lamp and back in the world. She hugs MC, glad to see her old friend. The Captain is amazed at this outcome. Jeanette uses her magic to craft him a new tea pot set as she and the children fly away.
As they fly back to Madeline and Pepito's homes, Jeanette uses her magic to make all kinds of wonderful things happen. They take the time to help the fisherman they accidentally knocked in the Seine earlier. They also leave birdseed for the pigeons on the Arc de Triumphe. Jeanette says she is very happy to have found friends in Madeline and Pepito. They drop Pepito off at his house before leaving Madeline at hers. Jeanette gifts Madeline the lamp as a souvenir to remember their adventure. Madeline says she will remember her and MC forever. The two then fly off into the night for parts unknown as Madeline goes to bed with the lamp close by.
The next morning as the Girls are going out for their walk, Madeline stops by Pepito's house to talk about the previous night. However, Pepito is very confused as to her describing their adventure. Despite Madeline's insistence, Pepito has no idea what she's talking about. The Cousins then walk by and Madeline asks Panchito if he remembers the magic carpet. Panchito starts to mock her with some ridiculous story about aliens much to her annoyance. Pepito suggests the adventure may have very well been a very vivid dream.
That night as the Girls are going to bed, Madeline decides bittersweetly that the experience was just a very nice dream. She then notices that one of her slippers is missing so she looks under the bed. To her surprise, she finds the old brass lamp under her bed. Madeline ponders how the lamp got there as it shimmers in the darkness.
Trivia[]
- This episode shares a lot of similarities to the book Madeline's Christmas, as Madeline meets a magician in that story who can summon magic carpets.
- This episode takes a lot of inspiration from One Thousand and One Nights, a collection of medieval Middle Eastern folklore that was first introduced to Europe in the 18th Century by French translator Antoine Galland. The episode combines elements from many of the stories, but most closely follows Prince Hussain's acquisition of a magic carpet from India in the hopes of marrying a princess. It also follows the more well known story of Aladdin's Wonderful Lamp. Many of the stories are set in Persia as well as other locations in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia.
- This is one of the few episodes in which the other Girls and Ms. Clavel are barely featured.
- Madeline's sleepwear in this episode is more similar to her pajamas she wore at the hospital in the original special than her usual nightgown.
- It could be assumed that the CD-ROM game Madeline: European Adventures drew inspiration from this episode because once the game is complete, Madeline and Genevieve fly back to Paris on a magic carpet.