The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles

I was born July 1st, 1899.

I don't remember a whole lot about it

but I guess my parents were pretty pleased to see me.

They decided to name me after my father.

So I'm Henry Walton Jones, Jr.

I grew up in Princeton, New Jersey, at an exciting time,

the very beginning of the Twentieth Century.

I started to walk at a pretty early age.

Everyone in the house got pretty excited about it.

- Junior! - I'm not sure why,

but I've always wanted to see what was out there over the next hill.

I like exploring.

Look what we have for you.

At an early age, I met my very best friend in life.

Isn't he cute?

You know how it is when you really like someone

the first time you ever meet them?

I mean, really like them.

Well, that's how it was with me and Indiana.

We were buddies straight up.

My dad teaches at Princeton.

He's a professor of medieval studies and a very smart man.

He wrote a book about chivalry.

My mother adores him.

She's the sweetest, smartest, most wonderful woman who ever lived.

I'm not crazy about school.

It's not so much that I don't like the lessons.

I just hate sitting still the whole time.

Yeah. Come.

It's more fun with Indiana,

and I learn a whole lot more,

like how far a ball can travel,

how to beat gravity.

If that balloon hadn't sprung a leak,

Indiana would've been the first dog on the moon.

But then I guess he would've been pretty lonely up there all by himself.

One time, we set out to break the land speed record.

Round about here, I learned something really important:

Wherever you are and whatever you're doing,

always keep a sharp lookout behind you.

Hey, faster! Faster!

I'll never forget when I discovered how electricity works.

Indiana was a great help.

One night, father and mother came into my room,

and what he said changed my life.

Listen carefully, Junior.

Darling, we're going on a journey around the world.

His new book was such a big success

that he'd gotten invitations to speak at all kinds of schools and universities.

So, Princeton had given him a leave of absence.

The only sad thing was saying goodbye to Indiana.

- Bye. - Goodbye!

Bye! Take care of Indy!

We boarded a giant steamship that sailed across the Atlantic Ocean.

Our first stop was England where we visited London

and then went on to Oxford where my father had gone to university.

He said he had a surprise for me.

Some surprise.

You think your teacher's tough?

Let me tell you, she's a pussy cat compared with Miss Helen Seymour.

Tutor supreme.

Stand up straight, Henry, dear.

Young man, how old are you?

Nine.

And are you anxious to learn?

Depends.

Depends?

Depends? On what?

On what's being taught.

You may go.

I'm sorry, it's impossible. He's far too young.

Your son needs a governess. I'm not a governess, I am a teacher.

You're the best there is. That's why he needs you.

Dear Professor Jones, he is a child.

I'm used to teaching young gentlemen twice his age.

It's quite out of the question.

I hate her. She's a witch!

Darling, listen.

Miss Seymour is very highly regarded in academic circles.

She tutored your father when he was at Oxford.

He thinks a great deal of her.

Then let him go with her and we can go back home.

Which seemed pretty much like the end of it.

Or so I thought.

And like I said, my father was a very smart man.

I know how much you've always wanted to travel.

It's the chance of a lifetime.

Don't say you're going to turn your back on it.

I'm sorry, Professor Jones,

but I won't go a single mile with that boy.

Not even to see the Great Wall of China?

The gardens of Kyoto?

The Taj Mahal by moonlight?

Sunset over the pyramids?

It took nine days to sail across the Mediterranean Sea.

I guess my mother and father had quite a good time on the voyage.

I didn't get to see too much of it, though.

Miss Seymour didn't let up on me for one bit of a minute.

Math, literature, history... It was like nothing could stop her.

Not even the ocean.

Oh, my goodness.

Heavy weather, Captain.

A bit lively, Bishop.

Hope it's not spoiling your enjoyment of the voyage.

No, no, not at all.

We British are a hardy island breed, what.

Well, young fellow, how are your studies progressing?

- I learned about mummies, sir. - Mummies?

Yes, sir.

About how the ancient Egyptians turned people into mummies

when they died.

Really?

How did they go about that?

Well, first, they scooped out the brain. They took it out through the nose.

Of course, they had to break it first.

Here.

They used a metal hook and kind of teased it out.

Excuse me.

They took a stone knife, cut open the left side of the corpse,

reached in and pulled out all the lower organs.

They put them in four separate jars.

One for the liver, one for the lungs,

one for the stomach and one for the intestines.

They tied all the toenails and the fingernails with string...

So they wouldn't fall off.

They plugged up the nose and stuck little bits of cloth under the eyelids.

And this is really interesting.

Sometimes they used little onions instead.

That completed the first stage, sir,

the embalming.

Then they had to wrap the whole body in bandages.

Didn't always work, though.

Most often the mummies leaked.

I believe that I'm wanted on the bridge.

That was an interesting speech, Junior.

Thank you, Father.

Now, eat your tripe.

We landed at Alexandria

and then made our way up the Nile river

to the ancient city of Cairo.

I had never seen anything like it.

Everything was so wonderful, strange and exotic.

Henry.

As soon as we had settled in,

my father started his lectures at Cairo University.

Mother was busy helping him out on the social side

with afternoon teas and things,

so I was left to the tender mercies of

the wicked witch.

From time to time, I was able to explore things on my own

but, for the most part,

the goddess of knowledge kept my nose stuck in a book.

- Have you finished? - Almost.

Good.

Well, when you're done,

we'll take an expedition out to see the monuments.

- You mean the pyramids? - Yes.

- And the great, mysterious Sphinx. - Oh, boy.

The Great Egyptian Sphinx was built around 2500 BC.

Wow!

Now, why don't we have a real adventure

and climb one of those pyramids?

Why did you only give him 10 piastres?

Ten piastres are entirely sufficient for his services, Mr. Jones.

But he wanted 30.

These people expect to barter. It is part of their nature.

You'll see. By the time we get down, he will be perfectly content.

I don't know, Miss Seymour.

He looks pretty mad to me.

Nonsense, Mr. Jones.

Now, when was that pyramid built?

Over 4,000 years old by King Cheops.

It's one of the largest constructions ever made by man

and one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

Very good.

Why can't we climb to the top of the biggest pyramid?

I should be more than happy to get to the top of this one, Mr. Jones.

Now, let's get on.

Jeez, Miss Seymour, must have been great to be a pharaoh.

Look, Miss Seymour.

Oh, my goodness! He's taking our camels!

- Hey, wait! - Wait! Wait! Come back!

Hey, wait!

- Wait there! - Wait a minute!

Come back!

Wait!

Come back!

Wait a minute! Come back!

Come back with our camels!

Wait!

Wait a minute!

Guess he wasn't too content after all.

- What on earth shall we do? - I don't know, Miss Seymour.

- Do we have to walk? - It's much too far.

Besides, it will be dark soon.

- What if we're attacked by bandits? - Oh, nonsense.

Or tomb robbers? They're supposed to be real scary.

Henry, there's absolutely nothing, nothing to be afraid of.

Look.

Someone's coming.