The Party of the Spirits (Yosei-tachi no Pati in Japanese) is a Halloween-themed episode of the literary drama, anime series, Princess Sara (a.k.a. A Little Princess Sara). It originally aired on November 3, 1985 in Japan.
Plot[]
Everyone at the seminary is preparing for the festivities of Halloween, which is before All Saints Day. A Halloween party is being held for the girls while Amelia looks after them; Sarah and Becky go into town to pick up groceries, and supplies, for the party; Miss Minchin spends the holiday relaxedly and alone; James and Molly have a night out; Lavinia, Jessie, and Gertrude play a practical joke on Lottie, who unknowingly and accidentally causes a fire.
Synopsis[]
On Halloween morning, Sara is scooping up coal and throwing it in a fireplace. In class, the headmistress, Miss Minchin, asks the girls if anyone knows what tomorrow is. The girls raise their hands and one of the younger girls, Lottie, raises her hand eagerly to answer. When Miss Minchin chooses her, Lottie claims she forgot the answer she had and the other girls laugh at her. Sara happens to show up in class and quietly reminds her that tomorrow is All Saints Day. Once Lottie is reminded, she gives her answer and a knowing wink to Sara. Lottie is commended for a reply well-done. Then, Miss Minchin asks the girls if they know what today is. The girls raise their hands again, but this time, Miss Minchin picks Ermengarde, who answers that it's Halloween. Ermengarde is also commended for this right answer. All of the girls are excited about the plans for Halloween night. Miss Minchin then instructs Sarah and her fellow maid friend, Becky, to give the list of items that are needed for the party to James and Molly. When this is done, James complains about the amount of pumpkins mentioned on the list, saying that they cost more than they should and are just wastes. Molly theorizes that the reason so many pumpkins are requested is because it's been a while since there's been a party of this kind and especially of the size it is. Sara and Becky volunteer to do the shopping for them, asking them if they may go to Covent Garden. They allow them, but Molly tells the two girls not to see nor socialize with a boy named Peter while there. Sara and Becky then head off as a Hindu Indian man named Ram Dass and another man named Tom, who was a longtime friend of Sara's late father, Ralph, watch from a window. They want to do something for Sara secretly. The owner of a store, which was visited by Sara and her dad earlier, and where a French doll (who would be named Emily) was sold to Sara, mentions this to them. Ram Dass and Tom let him do his part by preparing a care package. He says he doesn't even need to check her measurements as he knows them by memory well. Tom says it mustn't be known just who the neighbor is that sends her the package.
At Covent Garden, Sara and Becky meet Peter again, and interact with him again as well, despite being ordered not to do so. When they tell him of their situation, he volunteers to help them. Once the pumpkins are gathered, Sara thanks him for it and they go their separate ways. Back at the seminary, several of the girls decorate a tree with paper apples and masks being hung on the branches. Lottie is holding a large stick while Gertrude hangs various items on there. Gertrude tells her to hold it still, but Lottie complains that it's so heavy. Gertrude says they'll never be finished at this rate. Meanwhile, Ermengarde is on a chair near a window and on an elevated area in the room, hanging up the streamers. Lavinia asks Ermengarde if she's finished yet. Ermengarde tells her she's almost got them, but the streamers collapse and land on Lavinia, and Jessie, as the latter complains to her about that. Ermengarde confesses that she's afraid of heights. Once Sara and Becky return with the supplies, the party is all set for the night. The girls decide which pumpkins to take. Among the other girls, Lavinia, Jessie, and Gertrude take the green pumpkins. When the night arrives, Miss Minchin tells the girls that she has left her sister, Amelia, in charge of them and tells them not to go overboard with the fun, and excitement, before departing. They play various games like one that involves a raisin in the middle of a string with each end being chewed on by each of two of the younger girls. Before the raisin reaches either of the girls' lips, the middle of the string lowers and they accidentally kiss each other on the lips. The others are amused by this. Embarrassed, the girls both ask what they will do. In the Bobbing for Apples game, Ermengarde keeps trying to grab the apple with her mouth, but misses. Eventually, she reaches farther into the tub and dives into the water, grabbing the apple with her teeth successfully this time. Sara and Becky are back in the kitchen where Becky tells Sara about how everybody is at the party but them. James and Molly order them to carve out walnuts' shells into the shape of a boat for the next game. The next game has everyone putting part of a lit candle into each of the walnuts. The object of this game is to place the walnuts in water for sailing and whoever has the last walnut shell in the water will have good fortune brought to them, and that will remain for life. Lavinia schemes to sabotage Sara's walnut shell boat by having it sink, conspiring with Jessie and Gertrude, all of whom snicker at this. Lavinia invites Sara and Becky to partake playing the game, which they accept. Lavinia tries to create ripples in the water to make Sara's walnut shell boat fail, but hers ends up failing instead. Sara and Becky's walnut shell boats move towards each other, indicating that they'll have the good fortune of remaining lifelong friends. Lavinia is dismayed by this. Back in Tom's home, he pets his dog and talks to him about his plans for Sara, hoping that it will work. Another game involves a ring hidden in a cake and that whoever bites into it, and finds the ring, will likely get married in the future. As each bites into her slice of cake, none of the girls finds a ring, but when Amelia bites into hers, she feels something strange and hard in her mouth. She pulls the ring out of her mouth, revealing that she is the next one to get married. The girls are happy for her as she blushes. Miss Minchin is in her room in bed, pouring herself a glass of wine or champagne. In the kitchen again, Molly mentions how it's been so long since she and James were given a night off and taking advantage of this, they tell Sara and Becky that they're heading out to a theatre. The girls tell them to have fun and arm-in-arm, they stroll out together. The last game involves making Jack-O'-Lanterns and shining them in dark areas in search of spirits. Sara sees Lottie is upset and when she asks her what's wrong, Lottie tells her she can't carve her pumpkin. Sara helps her with the carving. Once the final game is played and the party is over, Sara and Becky are left to clean up the trash. Sara also escorts Lottie upstairs to her room and tell each other good night.
But Lottie hasn't gone to bed yet. Still up, she decides to go outside into the barn where Sara and her doll, Emily, stay. Lavinia, Jessie, and Gertrude decide to pull a prank on Lottie. They disguise themselves as ghosts with sheets and place the Jack-O'-Lanterns on their heads. Lottie comments on Sara and Emily being placed in the barn and feels for their plight. Once the three, older girls find Lottie in the barn alone, they make their move. Their disguises fool Lottie sure enough and she's scared out of her wits. So much, in fact, that she drops her Jack-O'-Lantern, leaves it behind, and flees. The other girls have a big laugh at this. The Jack-O'-Lantern is still lit, the flame touches the hay and a large fire spreads in the barn. Becky comes out a room and smells something burning. As Sara comes downstairs, Becky asks if she smells it too. Sara realizes where the fire could be coming from, fears that Emily is in danger, and rushes outside while Becky follows. She finds the barn's interior on fire and spotting Emily she goes in to save her. Becky tries to tell her not to go in there, but Sara enters anyway. Becky is forced to stay back outside due to the intense heat and the flames. Sara has Emily, but now they're both trapped as the fire grows increasingly intense and things begins to collapse around them. At this point, whether they escape their fate or not is uncertain.