Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat

Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat is an American/Canadian PBS, CinéGroupe animated television series based on the children's book of the same name, centering on a cat residing in a Chinese palace.

Episodes

Cat Burglar / Sagwa's Good Deed [1.05]

[Sagwa was late for dinner even though she had promised to be on time. Mama Miao and Baba Miao are angry and disappointed because Sagwa broke her promise.]

Mama Miao: There you are!

Sagwa: Where are the others?

Mama Miao: Well, they (Dongwa and Sheegwa) were on time for dinner! So they had finished eating!

Mama Miao: As I recall, you promised to be on time for dinner! But since you broke your promise, you eat what is left! Plain rice!

Sagwa: [flustered] PLAIN RICE!? THAT IS IT!?

Mama Miao: Well, if you were on time, you could have had steamed fish and bok choy! Now eat your dinner!

Harvest Festival Race / The Foolish Magistrate's New Robes [1.06]

[Dongwa is not pleased that he gave up his snack for their grandparents' anniversary special]

Sagwa: What a disaster...

Dongwa: Yeah, all that wasted shrimp.

Fur Cut / Magistrate Loses His Post [1.07]

Baba: Oh, no need dear. I've-I've already attended to my grooming.

[Pan on Baba's messy back, with Sheegwa laughing.]

---

Sagwa: [about her fur cut] I HAVE ESCAPED GREAT DANGER! I AM LUCKY TO HAVE ANY FUR LEFT AFTER WHAT I HAVE BEEN THROUGH!

---

Dongwa: What? Rain spirit dragons don't spit fire.

Sagwa: Well- well this one did!

The Foolish Magistrate's Aching Tooth / Sheegwa and the Blizzard [1.10]

Fu-Fu: Me?! You go after him!

Dongwa: Oh no, you go. I'll wait here so I can pounce on him when he comes out. [headbutts Fu-Fu towards the room and laughing slyly] Works every time.

Sagwa Rules / Ciao, Meow! [1.15]

Sheegwa: [to Jet-Jet] HUNTING?! But...! [Insert gibberish words here]...!

[Dongwa sneaks behind Sheegwa. Then he --as if also picking on Sheegwa-- puts his paws/hands over his sister's nose and mouth/lips to get her to be quiet. Sheegwa --in reaction-- sulks sadly because her brother Dongwa has his paws/hands over her nose and mouth/lips.]

Jet-Jet: [turns to Dongwa] SHOULDN'T YOU ALL BE BACK IN THE PALACE...?! ...AND RAIDING CHERRY BLOSSOMS IN YOUR HAIR!?

---

[Dongwa, Sagwa, and Sheegwa are all soaked because Sheegwa had disobeyed the rules. Dongwa and Sagwa glare at Sheegwa for disobeying the rule about the alley walls. The scene first cuts to Sagwa. Dongwa and Sagwa are glaring at Sheegwa. Then Sagwa, she says to Sheegwa...!]

Sagwa: SHEEGWA? WHAT (ON EARTH) WERE YOU THINKING!? YOU KNOW THAT YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED ON THE ALLEY WALLS!

[The scene cuts to Sheegwa --who is soaked.]

Sheegwa: I am sorry.

[Sheegwa --after saying this-- is too stuffy to talk. That is, as she sneezes instead.]

Sheegwa: [sneezes] Ah-choo!

[Sheegwa --from the cold water in the pond-- her nose and sinuses hurt too. The scene cuts to Sagwa. Sagwa holds back anger and becomes concerned about Sheegwa's cold. Sheegwa, she has a cold. In fact, all the kittens --Dongwa, Sagwa, and Sheegwa-- are soaked and have colds.]

Sagwa: [she --Sagwa-- also has a cold] We have to get her inside. She is catching a cold.

[The scene cuts back to the palace. And the kittens --Dongwa, Sagwa, and Sheegwa-- enter the palace with colds and all three of them sneezing. And it was from the pond when Sheegwa fell into the pond from the alley wall and her two older siblings --Dongwa and Sagwa-- tried to rescue them but got themselves cold and wet in the pond too.]

Sheegwa: [sneezes a big sneeze] AH-CHOO!

Sagwa: [in between sneezes] Shh! Sheegwa? Mama cannot see us like this.

[Mama Miao sees the kittens having colds --which was from getting cold and wet in the pond-- and becomes concerned about this.]

Mama Miao: [to the kittens] Oh my poor dears! What happened?

Sheegwa: [in between sneezes] It is all my fault I should not have climbed on the alley wa...wa...! [sneezes an even bigger sneeze]...walls.

Mama Miao: Let's get you (three) all dried up and to bed.

Explorer's Club / Time for Everything [1.16]

Baba: [to Mama] DONGWA KNOWS HOW IMPORTANT THIS DAY IS! HE HAS BEEN TRAINING FOR WEEKS!

[Before the scribing week.]

The Foolish Magistrate: [to Mama Miao and Baba Miao] I HOPE YOU CATS ARE READY TO WRITE! BECAUSE I HAVE A LOT OF RULES! RULE NUMBER 1! THERE IS GOING TO BE NO FISHING ON FRIDAYS!

[Mama Miao and Baba Miao look at each other. The Foolish Magistrate continues his rules.]

The Foolish Magistrate: AS I WAS SAYING, (RULE NUMBER 2)! THERE IS GOING TO BE NO BASKET WEAVING ON TUESDAYS!

[Baba Miao angrily glares at the "no anything" rules from the Foolish Magistrate. Since it scribe season, the entire cat family is going to be scribes. So --for the whole scribe season-- there is no fishing on Fridays nor basket weaving on Tuesdays. In the meantime, the scene goes back to Baba Miao.]

Baba: [to Mama Miao] CAN YOU STALL?! I AM GOING THERE! AND I AM GOING TO SEE WHAT WAS SO SPECIAL THAT DONGWA WOULD MISS AN IMPORTANT RITUAL!

---

Baba: [to Dongwa] YOU ARE LETTING YOUR SISTER DO YOUR WORK!?

Dongwa: I ya...! I err...!

Baba: [turning to Sagwa] AND YOU! YOU ARE HELPING YOUR BROTHER TO DECEIVE ME! THAT IS NOT LIKE YOU!

[Baba turns back to both Dongwa and Sagwa and chews them out for Sagwa helping her brother to deceive him and Dongwa making his sister Sagwa do his work.]

Baba: [then to both the kittens --Dongwa and Sagwa] WHAT DO YOU TWO HAVE TO SAY TO YOURSELVES?

[Dongwa and Sagwa are shocked into silence. And they do not have an answer at the moment. Baba is not pleased.]

Baba: WELL, UNLESS YOU CAN COME UP WITH AN EXPLANATION ABOUT THIS, YOU ARE BOTH CONFINED TO YOUR QUARTERS (FOR A WEEK)!

[Baba Miao asks Dongwa and Sagwa what they both say for themselves. And when they --Dongwa and Sagwa-- do not have an answer, he --Baba Miao-- tells both of them that they are confined to their quarters for a week until one of them comes up with an explanation for this. Dongwa tries to argue back.]

Dongwa: But Baba...! Tomorrow is the...!

Baba: AND THAT IS FINAL! (NOW BACK TO YOUR SCROLLS AND NO MORE MAKING SAGWA DO IT!)

[By the saying of Baba, Dongwa is confined to his quarters for a week. And when Baba says, "AND THAT IS FINAL!", he threatens to take away the outside privileges on both his and Sagwa's and confine them both to their quarters for a year, a lustrum, a decade, a century, or a millennium. In the spite of that, Dongwa complies and resumes back to his Chinese writing on his scrolls.]

Comic Opera / Not-So-Purrfect Patient [1.17]

Sheegwa: Are you all right, Dongwa?

Dongwa: I don't know.

Sagwa: Don't move. Sheegwa, go, get Mama. Quick!

Sheegwa: I like the way cook wrapped your paw. Does it hurt?

Dongwa: A little.

Mama: It's just a little.

Dongwa: All right. Thanks, Mama.

Sagwa: I'm sorry. It's all my fault.

Dongwa: What?

Sagwa: If I hadn't moved out of the way. You wouldn't have crashed into the barrel.

Dongwa: That's true.

Sagwa: Can I do anything to make you feel better?

Dongwa: Well, I am little hungry. I think I saw cook putting away some leftover shrimp last night.

Snagged by a Thread / Master of Mistakes [1.19]

[When Sheegwa becomes a scribe, her stubby tail makes the Chinese character --on the Chinese scroll-- sloppy.]

Sheegwa: [to her stubby tail] WHY CAN YOU NOT BE MORE LIKE SAGWA'S TAIL!?

NOTE: On KCTS 9, "Master of Mistakes" was the first segment and "Snagged by a Thread" was the second. But in reality, "Snagged by a Thread" was the first segment and "Master of Mistakes" the second. They never fixed it.

Precious Gift / Lord of the Fleas [1.24]

[Sheegwa --in the spite of the fact that the jade on Tai-Tai's jade necklace got broken-- is forced to return the jade necklace to Tai-Tai. That is, as the scene cuts to the Magistrate and Tai-Tai's room. Tai-Tai --on the other hand-- unnoticed at first, she is seen at her dressing mirror.]

Sheegwa: But...! But...!

Sagwa: There really are no "buts"! It is hers (Tai-Tai's). I know it is hard, Sheegwa. You can do it.

Sheegwa: [thinking] Maybe I should leave it here. Then Tai-Tai would not notice that I broke it.

[After a few seconds.]

Sheegwa: [thinking] No. It is my job to make sure that she gets it back. Broken or not, it is hers.

[Sheegwa lets out a "meow" to get Tai-Tai's attention. Despite the fact that the jade on Tai-Tai's jade necklace is broken, Sheegwa's thought is she should still give back Tai-Tai her jade necklace. That is, even if the necklace broken makes her --Tai-Tai-- upset. Because no one likes being fooled.]

Tai-Tai: My necklace!

[Tai-Tai she leans down and sees her necklace. Then she feels touched when Sheegwa brings back her jade necklace.]

Tai-Tai: My necklace! My necklace is found!

[She looks at her jade necklace. And she notices that it is now broken in half beyond repair. That is, the jade --green gemstone/jewel-- on her necklace.]

Tai-Tai: [continues looking at the necklace] It might no longer be whole. But even a piece of it brings back many of the memories it whispers to me.

[Finally, she reveals her now-half necklace --the now-half jade on her necklace-- and it shows a flashback of Tai-Tai as a young child with her father. It is true. Even though her jade necklace might not be in one piece, even only part of it brings her back the memories it whispers to her. That is, according to her saying.]

Tai-Tai: Thank you, Sheegwa.

[She happily nods. Then Tai-Tai puts the jade necklace back in the treasure chest.]

Luck be a Bat / Tea for Two Monkeys [1.26]

Sagwa: Can't you fit through the bars?

Fu-Fu: [opens robe, reveals Balloon Belly] Nah, too many dumplings.

All Grown Up/The Cat and the Wind [1.34]

[The scene takes place in the attic. Sagwa and Dongwa are setting up an old kite. The kite --which the viewers see-- is depicted as a dragonfly.]

Sheegwa: I really wish that Baba would take us to that treasure hunt. Should we ask again?

Dongwa: Not now. We are fixing this old kite. You want to watch us fly it?

[Sheegwa gets jealous because she never gets to spend time with her siblings --Dongwa and Sagwa-- or any of the big Siamese cat children.]

Sheegwa: [to Dongwa and Sheegwa] I always have to watch! Why can I not hold the string?

Sagwa: [tauntingly] You are too little, silly!

[Sagwa pats Sheegwa on the head. Then she and Dongwa both laugh and run away with the kite. This was obviously not what Sheegwa wanted to hear. But Dongwa and Sagwa prove to Sheegwa that the kite is not a game. And if Sheegwa holds the string and messes up the kite, they --Dongwa and Sagwa-- might have to start all over again. That is why they --Sagwa and Dongwa-- do not want Sheegwa to use the string.]

Sheegwa: That is not true! I am not a baby anymore!

[Sagwa and Dongwa --Sheegwa's older siblings-- try their best to ignore her.]

Mama Miao: [from offscreen] Sheegwa? Time for your nap!

Sheegwa: I can't wait to grow up!

---

Baba: [takes a piece of grass] It's a duck call. [quacks]

Dongwa: Oh, sure Baba. Like a duck is ever going to think that's real.

[A real duck shows up, with Dongwa getting startled and hanging onto Sagwa]

---

[In the middle of Mama Miao's story, the scene cuts back to Sagwa, Dongwa, Sheegwa, and Mama Miao. And Sagwa is seen hugging Mama Miao and snuggling on her back.]

Sagwa: [snuggling on her mother's back] What happened to Ming Miao?

Mama Miao: That is a very interesting question. I suppose that he could have remained at the emperor's palace where he could have ruled China. Couldn't he?

Dongwa and Sheegwa: Mm-hmm.

Mama Miao: And he would've used his art to control the people.

Sheegwa: Mm-mmm.

Dongwa: No way! Ming Miao never would've used his art for evil! He never would have done that!

Mama Miao: My goodness, Dongwa. You have been paying attention. And yes, you are right. Ming Miao would have never used his art for evil.

Sick Day / The Name Game [1.36]

Dongwa: Come on! Help me out. There must be something we all have to do.

[Sheegwa jumps on to Dongwa and lands on his belly and gets in his face and she laughs. Dongwa laughs because Sheegwa --on his belly-- tickles him.]

Sheegwa: [thinks] Hmmm?

[Then she gets into Dongwa's face.]

Sheegwa: A story.

Dongwa: Oh no.

[Sheegwa laughs and jumps up and down on Dongwa's belly like a trampoline. Then she moves in closer and closer to Dongwa's face --begging him to tell her a story.]

Sheegwa: A story, a story! That is what Mama always does when I am...! [sneezes] ...sick. Please?

The Return of the Rat/Great Balls of Fire [1.38]

Sheegwa: Find them all? But there is a rabbit, and a pig, and an ox, and a dog...! That's a lot!

Nai-Nai: That is the fun part.

[Nai-Nai assigns the teams.]

Nai-Nai: [to Sagwa and Fu-Fu] Sagwa and Fufu? You two are one team. [turns to Dongwa] And Dongwa? You and Sheegwa are the other.

[It is a 2 vs. 2 game. The first team is Sagwa and Fufu. The second one is Dongwa and Sheegwa. So, it becomes Sagwa and Fufu vs. Dongwa and Sheegwa.]

Dongwa: Oh great!

[Sheegwa sticks out her tongue at Dongwa because she is his partner. She taunts him --by sticking her tongue out and blowing a raspberry-- because he --Dongwa-- is stuck with her.]

Nai-Nai: Now, here is a hint. You find the wooden animals like how real animals in nature would be. Well, at least some of them. [chuckles]

---

[The Rat tries to take a bite out of the clay "cookie" thinking it was a real almond cookie. He bites into the clay cookie and yelps in pain.]

Rat: [in pain] OW! WHAT IS THIS!?

[That is, his reaction after biting into the clay cookie which Ba-Do made from clay.]

Sheegwa: [in a teasing smile] I've tried to tell you! It's not a real cookie! Ba-Do made it out of clay!

Rat: CLAY?! IS THAT ONE OF THE FOOD GROUPS?!

[Sagwa pawns off the game looking for Sheegwa. She finds Sheegwa and catches the Rat.]

Sagwa: YOU...?!

[The Rat sees Sagwa.]

Rat: [turns to Sagwa] Oh, hello there. Great to see you again. It has been so long.

[Sagwa glares at him. The Rat shakes her paw.]

Rat: [laughs] Well, so long!

[He tries to run away, but Sagwa steps on his tail with her paw.]

Sagwa: I KNOW YOUR TRICKS, RAT! YOU STOLE THIS COOKIE!

Cha-Siu Bow Wow / Mutt That Would Be King [1.40]

Dongwa: Oh boy! Cha Siu! It is great having another boy around here! For once, I am never again being outnumbered by girls!

[As Dongwa says this, he wishes that Sagwa and Sheegwa would disappear. That is, if he any has boy cats --or dogs-- part of his family at any capacity. When Dongwa says this, Sagwa and Sheegwa look at Dongwa angrily.]

Sagwa and Sheegwa: [together] WHAT!?

Baba Miao: DONGWA...!? (THAT IS NO WAY TO TALK TO SAGWA AND SHEEGWA!)

Cast

• Sagwa Miao (voiced by Holly Gauthier-Frankel)
• Sheegwa Miao (voiced by Jesse Vinet)
• Dongwa Miao (voiced by Oliver Grainger)
• Baba Miao (voiced by Arthur Holden)
• Mama Miao (voiced by Ellen David)
• The Foolish Magistrate (voiced by Hiro Kanagawa)
• Tai-Tai (voiced by Khaira Ledeyo)
• Ba-Do (voiced by Kathy Tsoi)
• Luk-Do (voiced by Leanne Adachi)
• Huang-Do (voiced by Rosa YeeRosa Yee)
• The Cook (voiced by Raugi YuRaugi Yu)
• The Reader (voiced by Russell Yuen)
• Fu-Fu (voiced by Rick Jones)