"The Travelling Jindas" marks the fifth installment of the first season of the animated series Ewoks. This episode, penned by Bob Carrau and brought to life by director Raymond Jafelice, was initially broadcasted on ABC on October 5th, 1985.
Latara is outside her dwelling, charming local fauna with her flute, when her father appears, instructing her to finish her assigned tasks. Beginning her floor-cleaning duties, she feels dejected about missing out on playing her flute. Her companions then appear at her window, inviting her to view Paploo's newly constructed raft. Regrettably, due to her chores, she must decline. She attempts to share a tune she recently composed, but they awkwardly depart. She starts playing her flute solo, but her mother approaches, ordering her to resume her work and to supervise her brother and sister while she runs errands. At that moment, her younger siblings rush in, spilling the water bucket all over her.
Over at King Gorneesh's hut, his spouse Urgah is similarly struggling with unruly children, who are screaming that if she doesn't find a babysitter, then Gorneesh will go without food. This predicament sparks an idea in the King's mind, prompting him to instruct Duloks X and O to abduct an Ewok and bring it back to him.
In Bright Tree Village, Latara and her siblings are gathering berries when X and O notice her and plot to seize her. However, they are nearly trampled by a large beast of burden ridden by members of the Tribe of Jindas, a group of traveling entertainers. They persuade Chief Chirpa to permit them to stay overnight and put on a show. During the performance, Latara's friends realize she is missing and wonder about her whereabouts. Latara, having decided to join the tribe because she felt her music was unappreciated at home, goes to explore backstage.
The following day, Chief Chirpa expresses his gratitude to the Jindas for their performance and bids them farewell. Meanwhile, Latara's friends try to dissuade her from leaving. Having made her decision, she makes them promise to keep her secret and then hides in one of the beast's luggage containers. As the Jindas depart, X and O see this as an ideal chance to kidnap Latara by following the caravan. However, Logray tells Chief Chirpa that they will likely not see them again, as they tend to get lost between performances.
Sometime during the caravan's journey, Latara reveals herself to Bondo, the leader of the Tribe, who assures her of his care but warns her that the entertainment business involves work. Despite this, she remains determined to join them. During their conversation, X and O sneak onto the transport and attempt to seize Latara, but they fall into the water due to the bridge they were crossing.
Back in Bright Tree Village, Latara's friends decide to inform Logray that she has joined the Jindas. He sends them to find her, providing them with a magical seed for use in case of trouble.
As Latara is washing clothes, Bondo mentions their upcoming performance that night, just as they arrive at the location. The energetic leader eagerly checks to see who they are performing for, discovering a herd of tree goats. During the performance, X and O prepare to impersonate tree goats. O is uncertain about the plan's validity, but X dismisses his doubts and proceeds. Bondo then takes the flute Latara has been playing and positions her in front of the tribe's magician, announcing that she will be performing with him that night.
When Latara and the magician take the stage, Latara recognizes that X and O are not tree goats. When the branch they are hanging on breaks, causing them to fall directly in front of her, she sarcastically asks if they are enjoying the show, inadvertently causing their branch to launch them into the air.
The next day, Latara, feeling unhappy because she has not been able to play her flute, decides she wants to go back home. When she tells Bondo, he reluctantly says they are lost, causing Latara to become tearful. Bondo tries to reassure her, saying that she will eventually love being with the Jindas, but this does not console her.
X and O, finally catching Latara alone, capture her in a net just as her friends arrive. They witness X and O carrying her away, and Wicket comes up with a plan to rescue her. They get Bondo and the rest of the caravan to travel to the Dulok village and put on a performance, while Wicket and his friends, disguised as Tribe members, rescue Latara.
The Duloks permit the performance, despite being impolite throughout. Eventually, when the magician takes the stage, he requests a volunteer, suggesting Latara. She declines, but the King forces her to participate, enjoying the show. She goes up, puts on the harness, looks up and sees her friends, poised to pull her up. Eager to escape, she waits to be lifted, and she is lifted slightly, before a knot in the ropes jams the pulley system. To stall, Bondo suggests she play a song on her flute, to which she agrees.
During the song, the Ewoks try to untangle the ropes, but one of them falls, entangled in the rope, and pulls all of the others down. In the chaos, their costumes fall off, and the Duloks become angry upon seeing Ewoks at their show. They chase the Ewoks, but Wicket takes the magic seed Logray gave them and throws it into the swampy ground the Duloks are running on. Suddenly, vines sprout from the seed, ensnaring any living thing nearby, including all of the Duloks, and holding them in place, allowing the Ewoks and the Jindas to return to Bright Tree Village and celebrate.
A mistake in consistency arises within the episode: during the Travelling Jindas' presentation at Bright Tree Village, the Ewoks are depicted with four fingers on each hand, which contrasts with other scenes. According to the majority of Star Wars canon, Ewoks possess only three fingers on each hand: a thumb, an index finger, and a ring finger.
This particular episode was made available on DVD in 2004 as a segment of the Tales from the Endor Woods movie. It can be located on side 2 of the disc.