Episode 3989
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SCENE 1 | Big Bird is pretending to be a tree and opens with a tree riddle: "How does a tree count? A-one, a-two, a-tree!" Alan and some kids join him in pretending and Alan leads them in singing "Let's Be Trees." Following the song, a quartet of monsters pop up chanting "Monster Time! Monster Time!" |
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Muppets | Robert De Niro explains to Elmo what an actor is, and proceeds in imagining himself variously as a dog, cabbage, and a clone of Elmo. (First: Episode 3978) (Starting with this airing, a revised version of the segment is used where De Niro isn't seen transforming into what he pretends to be.) |
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Muppets | The Number of the Day: 8 Eight bats show up when the Count reveals that 8 is the number of the day. |
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Film | Eight children dance in a colorblock grid. (First: Episode 3115) |
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SCENE 2 | Alan shows off a poster for Prairie Dawn's play, "Little Red Riding Hood and the Oat Bran Cookies," which will be performed today. Ingrid and Baby Natasha are going to attend, but Natasha is slightly apprehensive about it (it's her first theatrical experience). Alan calmly explains what a play is like to help ease her nerves and Natasha shows her appreciation by grabbing his nose. |
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SCENE 2 cont'd | Just when Alan wonders who's part of the cast of the show, Elmo turns up in his costume as the Noble Woodsman (struggling with the weight of his bundle of sticks) and delivers a brief synopsis of the play. Telly enters in his Big Bad Wolf costume, accompanied by a theater-loving duck (John Tartaglia). Prairie calls all the actors to the stage in the yard, including Big Bird who darts by dressed as a tree. |
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SCENE 2 cont'd | The cast gathers with director Prairie, who makes sure her actors not only remember their lines but know how to properly portray their characters. Big Bird launches into a lengthy monologue about being a tree, and Elmo demonstrates his skills at chopping wood ("Hi-ya! Hi-ya! Hi-ya!"). On the other hand, Telly is having a hard time finding his character. With some acting tips from Prairie and encouragement from the others, Telly is able to channel his inner wolf. |
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SCENE 2 cont'd | Gabi arrives to deliver Lulu's costume to play Little Red's grandmother, but Lulu is nowhere to be found. The cast calls out to her when Alan relays a message he just got from Lulu's mother; Lulu came down with a cold and can't perform. The play is nearly ruined, when the duck reveals that she's an actor (having featured in The Wild Duck). Prairie relents and instructs the duck on when to enter, then tells her, "You're going out a duck, but you're coming back a grandma!" The alarm on Prairie's watch goes off, which means it's time for the show to begin! |
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SCENE 2 cont'd | A small crowd gathers for the play. Prairie sings a brief musical intro to the show before assuming the role of Little Red Riding Hood. She is on her way to her granny's house with a basket of oat bran cookies, stating how good they are for her granny's cholesterol. She catches the attention of the Big Bad Wolf, who loves oat bran cookies and wants them for himself. He disguises himself as her granny in the cottage and attempts to take the cookies from her. The Noble Woodsman hears her cries for help and fends off the wolf. The duck misses her cue and needs Big Bird to translate her lines. She has re-written her part (she's also a playwright) so that she brings oatmeal cookies for everybody; Prairie isn't thrilled about this last-minute addition without her consultation. The cookies also attract Cookie Monster, who pops up and begins gobbling them all up; "Me first love - cookies. Me second love - the theatre!" |
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SCENE 2 cont'd | With the duck's revised ending, Prairie improvises a new closing verse for the play. The crowd applauds for the show and the cast encourages Prairie to write another one (preferably one for ducks). |
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Song | "Dressed Up" (remake) (First: Episode 3399) |
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Muppets | Journey to Ernie Big Bird sets off on a Journey To Ernie, heading in the direction of the gate... (First: Episode 3982) ...and finds himself at the circus, where he must cross a tightrope to get to Ernie's box. Luckily, it's only a few inches off the ground. |
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Film | A boy named Anthony and his parents are trapeze artists in a circus. (First: Episode 3579) |
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Muppets | Journey to Ernie Ernie wasn't there, so Big Bird checks behind the statue... (First: Episode 3982) ... where he finds himself in the middle of a discotheque playing a funky version of "Rubber Duckie." He spots a box that sprouts eyes and legs, and encourages Big Bird to imitate its dance steps. We found him! |
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Muppets | Ernie's Show and Tell Rebecca shows Ernie the white wire-like crown she made. Ernie asks to try it on, and suggests that Bert will be envious. (First: Episode 3826) |
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Muppets | Journey to Ernie Big Bird and Ernie say goodbye and an announcer teases, "Come back tomorrow for another game of Journey to Ernie!" (First: Episode 3981) |
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Muppets | Hero Guy: In the Sky - Baby Bear and Hero Guy go on a high-flying adventure. |
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Muppets | The Letter of the Day: K To prevent himself from eating it, Cookie Monster sends the Letter K Cookie away on the Letter K train. However, the train arrives back a few moments later. |
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Muppets | Worms In Space The worms, fearlessly, form the letter K. (First: Episode 3743) |
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Cartoon | Pencil box K/k (First: Episode 2876) |
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Muppets | The Spanish Word of the Day: zapato Professor Grover tries to teach the kids where to wear a zapato (a shoe). |
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Muppets | Elmo's World: Dogs (First: Episode 3852) |
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SCENE 3 | The duck announces the sponsors with Big Bird translating, and adds that she's won a part in the touring company of Cats (as she quacks out the tune of "Memory"). |