The Crossroads (A Willow Webpage)

CUT SCENES

Singing 'Round the Campfire

This scene occurs as the Nelwyns stop for the night on their way to the Daikini Crossroads. It's not exactly a cut scene, because a portion of it actually made it into the movie. However, the plan originally called for more than what made it onto the screen.
It appears that pacing is the primary reason for the cut. A few seconds of footage provides a dandy shot for depicting the journey of the Nelwyns, but the full scene would have slowed the movie down without helping to develop the plot in any way. The song lyrics make me shudder - they're absolutely ridiculous. If that's really what was filmed, I'm very grateful that it didn't make it into the movie. And Meegosh's concern that the baby is sick enough to die just because she spit up on Burglekutt also seems a tad foolish.

Late Script Excerpt

BURGLEKUTT: She's not sick. Let me see...
He takes the baby, and she throws up on him. Meegosh panics.
MEEGOSH: Oh no! Is she going to die?
WILLOW: She'll be fine if she gets some rest.
Willow takes the baby from Burglekutt.
EXT WOODS - NIGHT - MONTAGE
The Nelwyns sit around a campfire, roasting meat, keeping warm. Meegosh plays a little flute. Willow wipes the baby's forehead and softly sings to her.
WILLOW: (sings) Whuppity bairn deru deru
Whuppity bairn, I love you
Water, earth and sky renew,
Whuppity Willow loves you...
(speaks) You're feeling better, aren't you...
Suddenly, they hear a distant howl. They all sit closer together on the log.

Graphic Novel Illustrations

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Novelization Excerpt

"I told you," Willow said, taking her back. "She's really sick."
"Is she going to die?" Meegosh asked.
"No." Willow cleaned the child with moss and sweet water. "She's just hot and tired and upset by all of this. She'll be fine when she gets some proper rest and food."
But instead of stopping for rest, the group keeps travelling through the rest of the day and all through the night. As in the other versions, they hear Death Dogs howling in the darkness, but there's no singing.

Junior Novelization Excerpt

"She's not sick," Burglekutt said impatiently. "Let me see--" He took the baby out of Willow's pack. The baby threw up on him.
Meegosh pressed his hands to his head. "Oh no!" he cried. "Is she going to die?"
"She'll be fine if she gets some rest." WIllow took the baby back from Burglekutt. This time there were no arguments.
The Nelwyns camped for the night. They roasted a fish, sitting close together on a log by the fire because of the chill in the air. Meegosh played his flute while Willow wiped the baby's feverish face and sang her a lullaby. He held her close, stroking her downy hair, and whispered, "You're feeling better, aren't you?"
The distant howl of something that might have been a wolf - or a Death Dog - made them all look up suddenly. They huddled closer together on the log, closer to the fire, feeling the darkness grow around them.