Picture Segment Description

SCENE 1 Ruthie welcomes the viewer from Finders Keepers and reveals that her friend, the Emperor, is paying a visit to show off his new clothes. Elmo laughs, since he is familiar with the story the Emperor comes from. He and Ruthie giggle as the Emperor (Jerry Nelson) makes a grand entrance wearing (just like Elmo predicts) only his boxer shorts and his crown.

SCENE 1
cont'd The Emperor goes on to describe his elegant wardrobe, while his lackey, the royal "keep the Emperor happy" person (Martin P. Robinson), agrees with him. When Elmo points out what the Emperor is wearing, he becomes humiliated and reminds his lackey to tell him next time: "Do you think it keeps me happy parading around in my undershorts?!" He decides to buy his clothes from Finders Keepers from now on, and gives Ruthie an invisible bag of gold in exchange for a new coat. (Elmo: "Gee, maybe the Emperor needs new glasses.")

Song "Dressed Up" (remake)
(First: Episode 3399)

Animation Isadora's sneakers describe all the fun they've had this past year, as the seasons change.
(First: Episode 2758)

Muppets Grover and Mr. Johnson: Knock Me Out at the Ball Game

Cartoon Three characters try to watch a baseball game over a fence, then cooperate by stacking their blocks.
(First: Episode 0478)

Muppets "Daddy Helps with the Dishes" - three families sing about how they help each other doing chores, cooking and homework.
(First: Episode 2223)

Film Kids dance with the letter T, which is for triangle.
(First: Episode 3271)

SCENE 2 Ruthie finishes assembling a display of letter T's. The Emperor arrives (wearing his real new clothes) holding what he says is a letter T... but Ruthie and Elmo see nothing in his hand. The Emperor considers talking to his royal letter maker, and scolds his lackey for humoring him again. Ruthie gives the Emperor one of the Ts she just got, and he likes it. He goes off to the royal number maker for a number to go with his letter; Ruthie hopes it's one they can all see.

Cartoon Ten tiny T's in top hats do the tippy tappy tango and take tea. (new sound effects added)
Artist: ArtistMike
(First: Episode 3230)

Film Artist/sculptor Milo Mottola teams up with some kids to create a carousel.

Cartoon Lots of bunnies are needed to pull the huge carrot from the ground. (new music and sound effects added)
Artist: Irra Verbitsky
(First: Episode 1473)

Muppets Zoe and Wolfgang demonstrate the concept of zero.
(First: Episode 3386)

Song "Zero Song": A female voiceover sings about the food that keeps being taken away to make 0.
Arist: Jane Aaron
(First: Episode 3003)

SCENE 3 Ruthie finishes putting some zeros on display, and for the third time the Emperor shows up with zero (nothing) in his hand, which Elmo points out. The Emperor chews out his lackey for deceiving him again, but he was only following orders - he agreed to tell him if he didn't have any clothes or letters, but didn't say anything about numbers. He promises to tell the truth from now on, no matter what the Emperor thinks he may or may not have. Ruthie gives him a real zero, and he makes sure it isn't invisible.

Cartoon A Spanish-speaking man seeks agua in the desert. A cowboy gives him a glass, and he uses it to wash his hands. (new music and sound effects added)
(First: Episode 0928)

Muppets Worms in Space form shapes.
(First: Episode 3756)

Song "I Put My Leg in My Pants"
(First: Episode 3402)

Cartoon Gordon's Voiceover 'T/t': Two caterpillars form T and t.
(First: Episode 2223)

Muppets Telly must think of a T word in 15 seconds, and just before time runs out, he remembers what letter his name starts with.

Animation Airplanes carve the capital and lowercase T.
(First: Episode 3230)

Film Nicholas is now old enough to rollerblade, and ride a bike without training wheels.
(First: Episode 3514)

Muppets / Cast Maria, Big Bird, Oscar and the Count sing "Happy Birthday to Me."
(First: Episode 3241)

Animation A kid makes a birthday card for his mom.
(First: Episode 3614)

Song "Say Cheese"
(First: Episode 3146)

Cartoon A cat learns not to be scared of its shadow.
(First: Episode 3747)

Muppets Kermit Lecture: Light and Dark — Grover interferes with Kermit's demonstration of "light" and "dark."

Cartoon Ladies, birds, and fish march forward and backward.
Artist: Karen Aqua
(First: Episode 3083)

Muppets / Celebrity Telly Monster: Up, Down, Fast, Slow — Gymnast Dominique Dawes demonstrates up, down, fast, and slow for Telly.
(First: Episode 3705)

Cartoon Slot-machine legs: Cowboy & horse
(First: Episode 1702)

SCENE 4 After Ruthie re-positions the rack of zeros, the Emperor arrives riding a horse... which, of course, turns out to be non-existent. His lackey didn't tell him because he thought he was pretending, which is a new concept to the Emperor. When he learns how to pretend, he decides to have an imaginary horse race with Elmo in the park.

Animation Horses appear in the clouds as Vivaldi music plays.
(First: Episode 3637)

Muppets Theater in the Park
Grover stars in a production of "Richard the Last."

Cartoon Kids and animals alternate in passing letters over themselves, in an alphabet song.
Artist: Karen Aqua
(First: Episode 3740)

Film Wegman's dogs bake bread.
(First: Episode 3740)

Animation Rorschach ink blob association with a funky jazz soundtrack.
(First: Episode 0777)

SCENE 5 Elmo describes to Ruthie all the imaginary animals he and the Emperor rode today when the Emperor arrives, once again wearing no clothes. The lackey breaks the news to him upfront, but this time, though, the Emperor claims he is wearing pretend clothes! He describes his duds as Ruthie announces the sponsors (which the lackey doesn't see), and reports that Slimey's spaceship is still headed for Sesame Street.

COMING SOON Coming soon on Sesame Street: At WASA Mission Control, Oscar learns that thunder and lightning has caused the Wiggleprise to stray off course, and it is now headed directly for Sesame Street!!