Land of the Lost: The Test

"The Test"
Written by Tom Swale
Directed by Bob Lally
Original airdate: October 4, 1975

This page last updated 5/29/2020

Cha-ka must undergo the Pakuni rite-of-manhood ritual.

Read the complete story summary by Nels Olsen

Didja Notice?

During the Pakuni manhood ceremony at the beginning of the episode, you can see the same Pakuni cooking pot used in "Stone Soup" being used in the ceremony. Smoke is emitting from it.

At 7:32 on the DVD, when Cha-ka moves to steal Big Alice's egg, there are old portions of egg shells of the same size nearby, indicating previous hatchings of Allosaurus.

At 7:48 on the DVD, there is a strange background noise occurring. Possibly it's supposed to be some kind of bird call or animal howl but it sounds more like a person yelling. The sound occurs again throughout this episode. Weird. Listen: strange howl (I later found this same sound in many later episodes during both second and third seasons.)

Is it just me, or does that look like the cave at High Bluff in the background on the left-hand edge of the matte painting? (From the scene starting at 8:11 on the DVD). I don't think it's meant to be High Bluff, it's depicted too close to the Lost City.

During the scene of Cha-ka stealing the egg, it's neat how Alice slinks down like a cat stalking prey as she approaches the thief in action. Between this and the moment she is about to eat Cha-ka, this is the scariest Big Alice has ever been! (And, arguably, scarier than Grumpy has ever been.)

When confronted by Alice, Cha-ka throws down some black, shiny "magic rocks" from his pouch. They don't seem to have much effect on Alice. Are the rocks a primitive attempt by the Pakuni to mimic the effects of the power crystals that, when thrown together, may cause a flash or explosion that would scare off many predators?

Alice makes some strange sounds while she is looking in puzzlement at the magic rocks. She sounds like a cross between a whale and a Wookiee! Listen: whale or Wookiee?

The scene of Will reflecting light into Alice's eyes from his signal reflector is similar to the one on one of the Land of the Lost lunchbox panels.

At 11:27 on the DVD, Kathy Coleman appears to almost take a spill while stepping over a log or something on the ground. She saves it though without breaking character.

The scene at 12:21-12:29 is kind of amusing for the animation of Big Alice blinking, shaking her head, and making googily eyes as she tries to recover from the bright light.

At 13:43 on the DVD, Alice appears to be fighting off sleep in the background. It even looks and sounds like she yawns!

I like the scene at about 15:35. Alice chases Will, Holly, and Cha-ka towards the Old Temple and the screen nearly fills with her head as she shoves it through the pillars and brings her jaws down with a loud chomp, attempting to grab Cha-ka.

Pakuni translations
Time on DVD	Pakuni	English
1:27	Ta and Sa chant, "Nu abu om abimi. Abu abimi. Mu achi om anungi."	"Steal, child, (om) man. Child, man. Mu achi om anungi." "Om" is not in any known glossary; in this context it may mean "become." The meaning of the phrase "Mu achi om anungi" is unknown.
2:08	Ta says, "Aguga hiroshi ashisu."	hiroshi=marking, ashisu=test. "Aguga" is not in any known glossary.
2:57	Will says, "Me tobi ye."	"I greet you."
2:58	Holly says, "Me tobi, Cha-ka."	"Greetings, Cha-ka."
2:59	Cha-ka says, "Me tobi yeni."	"I greet you."
3:13	Will says, "Sa efi?"	"What (is this)?"
3:15	Cha-ka says, "Oganza bimichi."	"Big man magic."
3:30	Will says, "Sa efi?"	"What (is happening)?"
3:32	Cha-ka says, "Hiroshi ashisu."	"The mark of the test."
3:41	Will says, "Sa efi ye shi?"	"What is that?"
3:44	Cha-ka says, "Me de ashisu."	"I do the test."
3:54	Cha-ka says, "Efurami abimi."	"Man ceremony."
4:12	Will says, "Sa efi ye ding shu?"	"What do you have to do?" Will translates his own sentence here; "ding" and "shu" are not in any known glossary.
4:13	Cha-ka says, "Me ding ra echichi abobo."	"Without help, I have to take an allosaur egg." This is an approximate translation; Cha-ka uses the word "ra" for "help" but it would seem he means "without help."
4:28	Will says, "Sa ejiju?"	"Whose?"
4:30	Cha-ka says, "Echichi Alisa."	"Alice's egg."
7:10	Cha-ka says, "Abobo Alisa."	"Alice the allosaur."
7:34	Cha-ka says, "Echichi abobo. Echichi Alisa."	"Allosaur egg. Alice's egg."
9:01	Cha-ka says, "Abobo Alisa!"	"Alice the allosaur!"
9:16	Cha-ka says, "Oganza bisasa. Ye be abobo."	"Very big magic. You (be) allosaur." "Be" is not in any known glossary.
9:29	Cha-ka says, "Oganza bisasa. Oganza ashisu. Mechi."	"Very big magic. Test magic. Please."
10:00	Cha-ka says, "Oganza bisasa? Oganza bisasa."	"Very big magic? Very big magic."
10:21	Holly says, "Wam! Wam!"	"Run! Run!"
11:41	Cha-ka says, "Ye ku!"	"You go!"
13:17	Cha-ka says, "Echichi me!"	"My egg!"
13:22	Cha-ka says, "Abobo!"	"Allosaur!"
15:08	Cha-ka says, "Ting! Ting!"	"Push! Push!"
15:21	Cha-ka says, "Ting! Ting!"	"Push! Push!"
15:46	Cha-ka says, "Echimi me, abimi me!"	"My egg, my man(hood)!" Cha-ka says "echimi" but I think he means "echichi" (egg). Either Phillip Paley flubbed the line or Cha-ka did, being understandably nervous!
16:46	Cha-ka says, "Echichi Cha-ka wachi. Echichi me!"	"Cha-ka's egg now. My egg!"
17:18	Cha-ka says, "Echichi me...ego me."	"My egg...my place."
18:57	Holly says, "Wam! Wam!"	"Run! Run!"
20:00	Cha-ka says, "Ta! Sa! Abobo! Ta? Ta...echichi me."	"Ta! Sa! Allosaur! Ta? Ta...my egg."
20:09	Ta says, "Echichi? Abu. Cha-ka nooo abimi."	"Egg? Child. Cha-ka not man."
20:47	Cha-ka says, "Ta como ego chini obimi me."	"Ta (como ego chini) my beads." Holly translates the meaning as Ta stole his beads. The known verb to steal, "nu", is not used here though.
21:07	Sa says, "Abobo!"	"Allosaur!"
21:08	Ta says, "Abobo! Ye...ye wan fushachi!"	"Allosaur! You...you run quickly!"
21:11	Sa says, "Fusachi! Abobo!"	"Quickly! Allosaur!"
21:30	Cha-ka says, "Ta, Sa. Yeni wu amundi."	"Ta, Sa. You afraid of it."
21:40	Ta says, "Ta wu o nooo amundi."	"Ta is not afraid of it."
21:47	Will says, "Abobo abu."	"Baby allosaur."
21:52	Will says, "Ejiju Cha-ka."	"Cha-ka's egg."
22:49	Ta says, "Eno aguga ye abimi."	"(Eno aguga) you man." "Eno" and "aguga" are not in any known glossary.
22:52	Ta says, "Meni ku pa."	"We go now."

Notes from the Audio Commentary by Phillip Paley and George Balen (DVD Extras Co-producer)

Phillip says he got to keep the spear Cha-ka carries in this episode. As a kid, he used it to chase his brother and sister out of his room and around the house.

Phillip also has the shiny rocks that Cha-ka throws to distract Big Alice.

Memorable Dialog

Declaration of Independence.wav
steal one of Big Alice's eggs.wav
rite of manhood.wav
just a girl.wav
great white hunter.wav
keep it up.wav
Junior on the inside.wav
lady dinosaur.wav
manhood beads.wav
man and monkey.wav

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