Simple Solutions

The young monks may have started out with a little difficulty, but they were starting to get along with each other. True, they all came from different places, but now that had to be set aside. They did need to come together with their task of defending the world from evil.

Today's training lesson was passing through dangerous obstacles to rescue a dog. They were just simple contraptions and the dog was a stuffed animal. Omi beat Raimundo's record by eight seconds. It was Clay's turn, but rather than fight through the obstacle course, he picked up the stuffed animal and gave it to Emily. He didn't think the obstacle course was worth the trouble.

Before Emily could take her chance through the obstacle course, Master Fung appeared. Omi accused Clay of cheating, but Master Fung reminded his students that there was more to being a Xiaolin monk than running and jumping. "Being a Xiaolin monk also means seeing the world in a different way."

"That is true," Emily said, placing the stuffed animal on the platform. "No matter how difficult the task, there's more than one solution. And in life, it's all about your point of view."

"Indeed, Emily," said Master Fung, admiring her own wisdom. "Finding simple solutions to complicated problems can be unexpected and change everything." So Clay was praised for demonstrating that wisdom as well.

Dojo came before the monks, alerting them that another Shen-Gong-Wu was at large. This time, it was the Fist of Tebigong. This treasure packed a mighty punch; quite literally.

Beneath the temple was a shrine where the collected Shen-Gong-Wu was stored. Master Fung led his students below the temple and gave them the treasures they acquired so far. Raimundo wanted to use the Eye of Dashi, but Omi protested that he should be the one to use it for winning it in the Xiaolin Showdown. Master Fung had a better suggestion. Clay would be the one to use it for his practical display on the obstacle course. Raimundo was given the Mantis Flip Coin and Kimiko was given the Two-Ton Tunic. Omi was outraged, but Emily was patient. She promised him there would come a time. Besides, no one said they couldn't take turns.

Of course, Jack hadn't given up on gathering Shen-Gong-Wu either. With Max's help, he got a new treasure called the Third Arm Sash. They were having breakfast in France, only to be annoyed by a mime. Jack was annoyed, but Max figured the mime could be useful.

Dojo brought the monks to a mountainous area, only to meet up with their enemies. It came to no surprise that Jack would order his robots to attack, but the monks were ready. Even Max knew he would try this maneuver, whick was why she sent the mime to take care of these troubled pests. Everyone was occupied, but Dojo and Clay got knocked over and were tumbling down the hill.

The monks read the mime's movements, thinking he was trapping them in a prison. They laughed about it, but as they tried to walk on, they couldn't. It turned out they really were trapped. They began to panic. Jack and Max laughed and proceeded to find the Fist of Tebigong.

Clay managed to get back on the top of the hill. His friends cried out to him, but the walls of the trap made it soundproof. Clay couldn't hear what they were saying. Raimundo tried to explain by playing charades, but Kimiko used her PDA to create a message, telling him what happened. Clay understood the message and went off to follow the enemy's trail while the others tried to figure out how to escape.

As Dojo continued to guide Clay to the Fist of Tebigong, they came across the mime that trapped their friends. As Clay moved around, he noticed that the mime was mimicking his every move. But he had an idea on how to stop this enemy. They both held up their fists and placed them close to their own eyes. "Now, feller, I reckon this is gonna hurt you more than it'll hurt me," Clay warned. And they both puched themselves in the eye. Clay didn't feel hurt, but the mime was going to have a lingering headache.

Jack and Max were still ahead, tearing down the trees in their path. Wuya alerted them that the Fist of Tebigong as very close. Dojo agreed. He tumbled down the hill and landed on the Shen-Gong-Wu they were looking for. Jack tried to seize it, but Clay rescued Dojo by using his weight against the boy. He picked up the Shen-Gong-Wu and began running back to his friends.

Max used the power of the Third Arm Sash to recover the Fist of Tebigong. "Too slow, cowboy," she said, wiping her brow. "Too slow." Now Clay and Dojo were surrounded by robots.

"You've come far, Clay, but you didn't count on the magnificently evil mind of Jack Spicer," Jack said and cackled. Max rolled her eyes and groaned. He was gloating when she did all the work.

The confinement of the trap was beginning to drive the prisoners crazy. "People aren't meant to be boxed up like caged animals," said Emily. "It does things to you."

"Go figure," said Kimiko.

Raimundo tried calling out to the mime. As he was waving the Mantis Flip Coin against the wall, his friends heard an irritating sound. It sounded it was being waved against prison bars. This was confusing because the walls were solid and yet, they were surrounded by bars. Then it started to make sense. Raimundo imagined there were prison bars and that brought them forth. Omi wondered the same idea. He thought if he imagined there was a door, one would appear. He felt a knob materializing and heard a clicking sound. It worked. The monks managed to free themselves. It was true. Simple solutions to complicated problems are the best solutions. And now that they were free, they could regroup with Clay and Dojo.

Clay had enough of Jack's nonstop gloating. He used the Eye of Dashi to attack Jack and Max, causing them to lose their grips on the Fist of Tebigong. Clay and Jack raced to retrieve it, but when they both touched the Shen-Gong-Wu, it started glowing. It was time for them to engage in a Xiaolin Showdown.

Jack made the call and since he was the challenger, he got to declare the game. The challenge was to catch a robin. Whoever could do it first would win not only the Fist of Tebigong, but also the Eye of Dashi and the Third Arm Sash. Clay accepted the challenge and the match was set underway.

Catching the robin was like a game of cat and mouse to Jack. He chased the bird around the arena while flying around with his heli-pack. But even the Third Arm Sash couldn't catch the bird. Once again, Clay decided to do go for the simplest approach. He went to a field of sunflowers and began gathering seeds and placing them in his hat. As Jack crashed into a tree, the robin perched itself on Clay's hand and began eating the seeds. And just like that, the match was over. Clay's method was unexpected, but it was also practical.

"Well done, Clay," Emily said proudly. "You were a real hero today."

Clay was flattered. "You're makin' me blush."

"Hey, Clay, can I give the Eye of Dashi a try?" Raimundo asked politely.

"Sure thing, Rai," Clay said, handing it to him. Omi began fighting over it with Raimundo again, protesting to be the one to use it first. Kimiko warned them that if they didn't settle down, she would use the Third Arm Sash on them.

Clay knew how to calm them down. "I think we all learned a little something today."

Emily agreed. "There certainly is a moral to this chapter."

"Never lose faith in a friend?" Kimiko guessed.

"The value of simple solutions?" Omi asked.

"Omi can't speak slang?" Raimundo teased.

All true pieces of wisdom they all acquired. But Clay agreed that everyone hates mimes. Just like how everyone has a common hate for clowns. They all laughed at what they learned. The funny thing is, in any given situation, for some people, something so easy is just too difficult for them to comprehend. For others, anything difficult can be as simple as you make it.