"Knight of the Clover Bandit" is episode twenty-four of Season 10. It formerly tied into B1K3's series, The Tale of the Clover Bandit, which is no longer active.
Synopsis[]
The episode starts with Johan patrolling the streets of the kingdom by himself. All of a sudden he notices a shadowy figure jumping from house to house until it disappears, so he runs through the maze of buildings to catch up with them. After several minutes he stops to find a green robber with a bag of glinting gold coins heaved on his back.
Johan commands, "Halt, theif!" and draws his sword as he approaches carefully, but the robber pays him little mind. He thrusts his blade at the figure's legs several times, but they swiftly dodge each attack. At a pause in motion, they sprint into another street; Johan is about to give chase, but they seem to vanish into thin air.
Disappointed at himself for letting them go, he puts away his sword and returns to the castle where he finds Peewit in the kitchen, munching away on a loaf of bread. The jester hails him and insists that they need to visit the Smurfs.
"I heard they're throwing a party and where there's a party, there's bound to be a feast! I can't miss it, Johan, I just couldn't! It wouldn't be polite to skip a celebration with the Smurfs," he explains. Johan sighs and tells him about the green robber, but it doesn't seem to mean much to the boy. Realizing this, he agrees to his request with the intention of visiting Papa Smurf while they're there.
They ride through the forest and stop at a Smurfberry patch; Peewit calls out for the Smurfs and, sure enough, a few arrive and happily escort them to the village. Once inside, Johan asks to see Papa Smurf while his friend "helps" with preparing the celebration dinner - Hefty leads him to the lab.
When Papa steps outside, Johan kneels down and reiterates his encounter with the rogue. To his advantage, the Smurf has seen them before and knows a few things: (1) he is the self-proclaimed "Clover Bandit," a young man not too many years older than Johan is, and (2) possesses strange powers, which seem to manipulate his environment.
Intrigued and hopeful about catching the bandit, Johan asks if he and Peewit may stay in the village overnight and Papa agrees, happy to have them over. With that said and done, he stands and goes to Peewit (and stops him from eating all the food that's on the long table) and tells him about his plan. The jester obliges and so they are able to celebrate Tracker Smurf's birthday the rest of the evening, and upon night's arrival they fall asleep with Bayard and Biquette at the village limits.
The next day they set out to return to the castle, but along the way they spot a dark figure running in the opposite direction they're travelling in. Johan recognizes him as the Bandit and commands Bayard to pursue him, telling Peewit he'll meet with him later; Peewit isn't so sure at first, but decides it's better than tagging along. Johan follows the Bandit into a thicket, but before he gets close enough to see more of his face, Bayard gets tripped up by a thorn bush and sends his rider to the ground. He gets up and tries to catch up on foot, but comes across a trilateral pathway; he realizes he's lost the Bandit and returns to his horse to help him out of the bush. He decides to stay in the area and try again later.
For several days he plays a game of cat and mouse with the Bandit - sometimes he'd almost stop him, but every attempt somehow ends with something standing between them, allowing the Bandit to elude him. Johan becomes so frustrated that he gives up, knowing that his rival's magical powers must be given him the advantage, and returns to the King's castle. When Peewit asks why he was gone so long, he brushes past him and simply says, "I'll tell you later, Peewit. Let me rest now." The jester huffs and replies, "Later - always later," before scurrying away.
The next day he spends his time practicing his offensive sword maneuvers in the courtyard and manages to spare half an hour helping Princess Savina improve upon her own skills. They joust until Peewit appears nad warns them about Dame Barbara's approach, at which point they respectively conclude the lesson and part ways. After this, Johan retires to his personal chambers to clean his sword and allows Peewit to join him (having insisted that he show off his latest tune).
That night when everyone in the castle is asleep, Johan is awakened by the sound of scuffling footsteps in the hallway, so he gets up and investigates. He throws on his cape and takes his sword, following the noise until it leads him to the King's treasure vault; then he realizes that it is being raided. He enters and demands the intruder reveal themselves, but the shady figure across the room charges the moment he sees him. Johan bravely stands in their way and is pushed back - he grabs the end of the long jacket, which causes his rival to fall on his back and he discovers that it's the Clover Bandit.
"Engard, scoundrel!" he shouts, drawing his sword. The Bandit pulls out a blade of his own and engages with him in battle; they fence passionately, each trying to succeed over the other, but finally Johan slashes the front of his rival's shirt open and he trips and falls. He stands over the Bandit and takes a closer look at him, keeping the tip of his sword at his neck. Curiously enough, he looks somewhat like him: the hair, the build, the eyes, so he asks, "Who are you?" to which the Bandit replies, "What's it to you, kid?"
Johan sternly says, "I can't help feeling like I know you from somewhere. Have we met before?" The Bandit pushes the sword away and stands up, brushing himself off as he studies the knight, equally amazed. He admits that they may know each other and snaps his fingers.
"Did you have an older brother that you were separated from?" he asks. Somewhat suspiciously, Johan nods, so the Bandit continues with, "I was separated from my little brother years ago. Did you grow up here or were you born elsewhere? Do you remember?"
Johan tells him he was brought to the King's castle, but can't remember how he arrived or who set him up there. The Bandit's eyes light up as he reveals a most interesting fact: "You and I were parted, my brother." For a minute neither one speak - Johan is so astonished by this that he must think first. He realizes that it's the truth and wonders why his brother became a villain while he became a knight. The Bandit is about to explain when several of the King's guards arrive and grab him; they take him to the dungeons immediately.
Johan debates between going back to bed or following the guards, and ultimately decides to see his long-lost brother in the morning where he will have a better chance of recieving an explanation. He makes his way up a few steps in the staircase to the tower when he overhears a clattering of swords and men shouting, and then sees him dash across the courtyard.
Without hesitation, Johan gives chase, but the Bandit makes it across the drawbridge and swiftly disappears into the night, leaving no trace behind. Disappointed, Johan sighs and returns to his room and hopes that one day their paths will cross again. Should it ever come, he believes, his questions will be answered and perhaps their relationship will strengthen.
Trivia[]
- This episode summary was a collaboration between Numbuh 404 and B1K3; the basic plot line was done by BK, and was elaborated by 404.
- It took over two weeks for the page to be deemed "finished." However, since the Sealed Away Smurfs series was discontinued, this is now considered the "lost episode" of Season 10.
Continuation[]
- Episode 23 -- "The Crooner Nymph"
- Episode 25 -- "Beyond the Mirror's Reflection"