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"The Enchanted Quill" is an episode that appeared in Season 6 of the Smurfs cartoon show.

Characters[]

Synopsis[]

The Smurflings' survival test gets exciting when Gargamel and his new apprentice Scruple show up in a search of the enchanted quill.

Plot Summary[]

Grandpa Smurf takes the Smurflings out into the forest to teach them about the different types of tracks that animals make and how to tell them apart. Slouchy sees tracks that were made by deer, and Snappy sees those that were made by raccoons. Sassette sees tracks that were made by bullfrogs, and Nat sees those that were made by a family of skunks. Snappy sees what he thinks are more skunk tracks, but Grandpa corrects him by saying that the tracks are cat tracks. Nat says that the tracks aren't made by any cat, but by Azrael, which makes Grandpa wonder how the young Smurf could tell. Snappy points out to a series of big human footprints next to the cat tracks, saying they can only be made by the "biggest skunk" of all -- Gargamel.

Nearby, Gargamel is digging a hole in the ground with his cat Azrael watching him, saying that it will make the perfect Smurf trap. Grandpa Smurf and the Smurflings creep quietly past a family of skunks to find out what the evil wizard is doing, but soon Azrael spots them in the bush and Gargamel commands his cat to get them. Azrael dives into the bush after them, but then immediately dives back out and runs far away really fast. At first, an angry Gargamel cannot understand what could make his cat run away like that, that is until he dives into the bush himself to be sprayed upon by the skunks who had been awakened from behind it.

Back in the Smurf Village, Papa Smurf hears from the Smurflings about the fun they had with their wilderness training, with Grandpa Smurf saying that they're ready for their big test. Papa Smurf says that to pass their survival test, they must spend one night all alone out in the forest, which makes the Smurflings cheer, saying that this test sounds like fun.

Meanwhile, in the classroom of the Wizard's School, one student is complaining about his test not being fun. His name is Scruple, a young brat who is more interested in tormenting his fellow students than getting good grades on his test. His teacher catches him in the act and, despite the young student's brazen attempt to look innocent, sternly tells him that they will talk about it after school. This only makes Scruple determined by irritate his teacher by causing his potion experiment to blow up in his face. The teacher brings the matter up before Mordor, the Dean Of Wizards who is reluctant to expel Scruple on the grounds that it would tarnish the reputation of the school. However, he is more willing to find a suitable sorcerer who would take the young boy on as an apprentice, but the teacher says nobody would be that stupid to have Scruple. Dean Mordor, on the other hand, can think of somebody who is.

Gargamel and Scruple 1

In Gargamel's castle, the evil wizard is busily washing himself of the skunk stench when he hears a chariot and horses pulling up outside. He gets out of the tub to get rid of the skunky bathwater, but ends up splashing it on Dean Mordor, who is there with a proposal from the Board Of Wizards. He presents Gargamel with the young boy he has delivered to his doorstep, Scruple, for whom he would become his mentor. Mordor says that Gargamel may have a position on the Board if he helps Scruple pass his re-entrance exam. The Dean snickers as he leaves the boy with the wizard, wishing Gargamel good luck, adding under his breath that he's going to need it.

Scruple isn't pleased with the idea of being stuck with Gargamel, even as he gets stuck with doing maid's work while his mentor is busy working on an important formula. Scruple asks what the formula is being made for, and Gargamel says it's for catching Smurfs, creatures that Scruple thinks are big, horrible monsters, but turn out to be small, cute, and relatively harmless by Gargamel's description of them. Scruple thinks Gargamel is really batty, but nevertheless offers to go get some rotty rock fungus for the wizard to complete his formula, if only to be away from him for a time.

Meanwhile, Papa Smurf and Grandpa Smurf take the Smurflings out into the forest to find the campsite where their survival test will take place. Accompanying them are Smurfette and Brainy, with the latter being the part of the survival test that the Smurflings will find the hardest. They come across a young boy sleeping by a tree and wonder who he is when they hear Gargamel's voice calling out his name, Scruple. The Smurfs go off into hiding while the boy awakens and makes it look like he's been busy searching for rotty rock fungus. Gargamel scolds at the youngster, saying that one doesn't find rotty rock fungus on the ground, but on rocks. He takes the boy inside a nearby cave that the Smurfs are hiding in to show how to get the fungus. While the boy is busy trying to pay attention to his master, the Smurfs try to quietly make their way out when Brainy ends up making noise with his backpack.

Gargamel spots the Smurfs and chases after them as they try to find a way out of the cave. They see a light up ahead and slip out through a hole that Gargamel gets his foot stuck in. He yells for Scruple to get him out, which Scruple does -- by kicking his master in the behind so that he pops out the other side of the hole. Gargamel lands on the tree that he sees the Smurfs running upon to get away from him and continues his chase after them when Brainy gets himself and his backpack stuck between two twigs. Papa Smurf and Grandpa Smurf both pull to get Brainy through the gap when Gargamel catches up to them, only to have the backpack fly and hit him in the face, knocking him off the tree. Scruple finally comes out of the cave to meet with his master and finds himself perplexed by his mention of Smurfs again, which makes Gargamel upset that his young apprentice doesn't believe a word he says about them.

Back in his castle, Gargamel punishes Scruple by having him dust not only every single book, but also every single page in every single book. Scruple grumbles about the long and tedious task his master has him doing, but during his dusting he comes across something in one of the books called the Enchanted Quill that captures his attention. He wakes up Gargamel from his sleeping on a chair and shows him that the quill never makes a single mistake, and that with it he can pass his exam. Gargamel grabs the book and tells Scruple that the quill is kept in the ruins of Castle Quill, which is protected by fire-breathing griffins. Gargamel isn't willing to risk his life just to get Scruple out of his receding hair, but Scruple tells him that with the quill, he just might be able to catch the Smurfs after all, since he could ask the quill to draw a map to the Smurf Village. Gargamel thinks the idea is brilliant, and so tells Scruple to go tell the Dean Of Wizards that he will be taking his re-entry exam tomorrow because tonight they will go quill hunting.

By nightfall, the Smurflings are all set for their survival test, which the adult Smurfs leave them to begin after they set up their sleeping bags. They think that spending the night by themselves in the forest is going to be easy, but as they see an owl passing by, a swarm of bats crossing the night sky, and a gopher burrowing out of the ground, they begin to wonder fearfully. Soon enough the Smurflings fall asleep, but then they are awakened by Gargamel as he and Scruple cross through the forest at night, with the evil wizard telling the young lad to be quiet because the Smurfs are listening. The Smurflings run for safety into a gopher hole to escape, leaving Gargamel to deal with Scruple's disbelief in the existence of Smurfs.

Gargamel, Azrael, and Scruple proceed onward to their destination: Castle Quill. Outside, they can hear the griffins already stirring, so they enter cautiously inside with the Smurflings also carefully following after them. One of the creatures is soon seen approaching the terrible trio, causing them to hide and let it pass by them, but as they continue down the same hallway, they bump into what they think is a pile of smelly feathers, but is in fact another griffin that they accidentally awaken. The griffin gives chase to the two humans and the cat, knocking over the vase that the Smurflings are hiding in and causing it to roll down a staircase until it breaks. The Smurflings find out that they are in the room where the Enchanted Quill is located, with the selfsame quill telling the young Smurfs what it is and that Gargamel is after it.

But then, they hear Gargamel approaching and so they hide behind a sheet on the lectern while the evil wizard bars the room from the griffins, buying him and his two companions some time and safety until they can find a way out. Scruple sees the Enchanted Quill, and Gargamel says that with it, the Smurfs are as good as his. Scruple asks the quill what the safest way is out, and the quill draws two doors with a left arrow on the left door, showing that one of the doors nearby is a secret door. Gargamel takes the quill with him as he, Azrael, and Scruple exit the room through the secret door and the Smurflings narrowly escape through it before it closes, and the griffins burst into the room. Outside the castle, the Smurflings see that Gargamel is using the quill in order to find a way to reach the Smurf Village, so they have to return to the village and warn Papa Smurf.

By morning, Papa Smurf wakes up to Smurfette worrying about leaving the Smurflings out in the forest, but just as Brainy was saying that they wouldn't last a single night, they come running into the village to warn Papa Smurf about the quill and that Gargamel has it. Papa Smurf knows about the Enchanted Quill, which makes him worried, and it also makes the other Smurfs worried as they gather around Papa Smurf's laboratory while he makes up another quill that he says will make mistakes. Then Harmony's horn sounds off, alerting them to Gargamel's presence. Papa Smurf, Grandpa Smurf, and Poet fly on Feathers over Gargamel to soak his map with a bucket of water, causing the ink to wash off the parchment. Gargamel tries to show the Smurfs that with the quill he's unstoppable, but just before he has the quill draw him another map, the Smurfs swoop down from the trees and cover him, Azrael, and Scruple with sacks while the real quill is swapped for the fake.

After the Smurfs leave with the quill, the terrible trio remove the sacks from themselves and Gargamel has the fake quill draw him a map to the Smurf Village. He follows the map to a cave where it says is on the other side of. Scruple notices the position of the sun in the sky and realizes that he needs the quill now to pass his exam, and so Gargamel gives him the quill while he follows the map inside the cave, which he finds out is a nest of griffins.

Back in the village, Papa Smurf rewards the young Smurflings for passing their survival test and saving the village with special medals. Nat asks if they are going to keep the Enchanted Quill, and Papa Smurf says that they will find a way to return it to Castle Quill. In Gargamel's castle, the evil wizard is soaking his feet in a tub of water, disappointed by the quill's results and hoping that it will be the last he will ever see of Scruple -- until the boy shows up and says that because of the quill, he has missed every single question on the test. Gargamel groans as Scruple says that it looks like they will be stuck with each other for a long time.

Trivia[]

  • This is the episode that introduces the character of Scruple, who becomes an important sidekick character of Gargamel for a few more seasons.
  • Ray Walston, who was the voice of Scruple's teacher, was also Jeff Spicoli's teacher in Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

Videos[]

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