[THEME MUSIC]
-[SINGING] It's a beautiful
day in this neighborhood,
a beautiful day for a neighbor.
Would you be mine?
Could you be mine?
It's a neighborly day
in this beautywood,
a neighborly day for a beauty.
Would you be mine?
Could you be mine?
I have always wanted to have
a neighbor just like you.
I've always wanted to live
in a neighborhood with you.
So let's make the most
of this beautiful day.
Since we're together, we might
as well say, would you be mine?
Could you be mine?
Won't you be my neighbor?
Won't you please?
Won't you please?
Please won't you be my neighbor?
Hi, neighbor.
Glad we're together again.
Television neighbors.
I just saw Joe Negri
a little while ago,
and he invited us to come over
to his place in a little while
to meet a mandolin player.
Yes.
Somebody who plays a mandolin.
But before that, I want
show you something.
One of my wooden blocks here.
This is an idea I had and
wanted to tell you about.
When I was a little boy, I
would watch my dad and my uncle
and my granddad shave,
and I could hardly
wait until I got old
enough to shave, too.
But I used to take a block like
this and pretend I was shaving.
But sometimes I'd do
it in the bathroom.
Come with me.
Right over here, I'll show you.
Hi, fish.
Here.
I would just stand right in
front of the mirror and zzz---
pretend that this was
my electric shaver.
Ooh.
Did you ever look at
yourself in a mirror?
What do you suppose
people think when
they look at
themselves in a mirror?
Let's go back in here.
Let's get the Trolley and
have some make-believe.
[TROLLEY BELL]
-Trolley?
[TROLLEY BELL]
-Yes, I was looking
in the mirror
and pretending
that I was shaving.
Last time, we were pretending
that Lady Aberlin say
King Friday and Queen Sara
and Prince Tuesday all angry,
and she's been thinking
about it ever since.
Also, Lady Elaine and her
play director, Mayor Maggie,
are getting ready to
do their soap opera.
So let's think
about those things
as the Trolley goes into the
Neighborhood of Make-Believe.
Ready, Trolley?
All right.
[TROLLEY BELL]
[BASS VIOLIN MUSIC]
-Ah, Niece Aberlin, I presume.
-Correct as usual, Uncle Friday.
-Ah, would you like
to hear me play
something on my bass violin?
-I would, but I didn't
think you approved
of playing anything these days.
-Oh, hello.
Hello, dear.
-Hi, Aunt Sara.
-Hello, Friday.
-Oh, hello there, Sara.
I was just about to play
something for our niece.
-Oh, that'll be lovely.
-Ah, would you like to listen?
-Oh, I would, dear.
-Very well.
I shall begin.
[BASS VIOLIN MUSIC]
-Oh, that's just beautiful.
You get better every year, dear.
-Oh, thank you, Sara.
Now, did you like
it, Niece Aberlin?
-Oh, yes, of course.
It's just I'm a
bit confused today.
-Something bothering you, niece?
-I'm not quite sure.
-Would you like to talk
with us about it, dear?
-Not just now, thanks.
I-- I'll see you later.
-Very good.
In the meantime, Sara,
I'm ready to help you
with that Food for
the World report.
-Oh, thank you, Friday.
-Hey, Lady Aberlina.
How in the world are you?
-Oh, hi X. I'm-- I'm fine.
I wonder, though,
if you would try
to answer a question for me.
-I'll try my very best.
What kind of question is it?
-A hard question.
-Well, I'll still try my best.
What is the question?
-What is love?
-What is love?
-That's my question.
-Oh.
What is love?
Let me see.
Well, love is a feeling you
have when you love somebody.
-Yes, but that doesn't
tell what it is.
Does it?
-Hmm.
Let me think.
Love, love, moon above.
Love, love-- hmm.
Wait a minute.
Surely Benjamin Franklin
knows the answer to this one.
There.
-What an impressive book!
-Uh-huh.
-"Benjamin Franklin Speaks."
-Oh, yes.
I read it all the time.
Ben Franklin's my hero.
-I know.
But does he say
anything about love?
-Well, he says that love is
good, and love is wonderful.
But he doesn't
explain what it is.
-Oh.
For a moment there, I thought
we might have found the answer.
-Oh, Lady A, you
know what love is.
It's when you feel
it, you know it.
-You may be right,
X. It's just--
I'm trying to find a little
more about it than that.
-Like what?
-Well, that's the problem.
I don't know what to ask.
-Pretty hard to ask important
questions, isn't it?
-It's hard to even
know what I'm asking.
-Well, I sure hope you find
out whatever it is you want.
-Oh, me too.
Thanks, X. Oh--
you know something?
-What?
-I love you, X the Owl.
-Well, thanks, Lady
A. That's the best
thing I've heard all day.
-Somehow, I think it's the
best thing I've said all day.
-I sure do wish
you happy flying.
-You, too.
-Thanks.
-Thanks.
-Hi!
-Oh, hi, Robert Troll.
-Isn't this is a beautiful
day? [INAUDIBLE] the sky
and the sun and everything.
-Yes.
Oh, it really is
a beautiful day.
-Yeah.
-And I have a very important
question I'm trying to ask.
-Oh, well, ask me.
Ask me.
Sure.
I know I know the answer.
[INAUDIBLE] just ask me.
What is it?
-Oh, OK.
Ready?
-Yeah.
Yeah, I'm ready.
-Robert Troll, what is love?
-What is love?
-That's what I'm
wondering about.
-Oh, boy, that's a tough one.
What is love?
Would it be, maybe,
when you hug and kiss
and everything like
I've seen [INAUDIBLE]?
Maybe?
-Well, um, not necessarily.
Because I love X the Owl,
but I don't hug and kiss him.
-Uh-huh.
Well, how about--
but is it-- maybe
it was-- when you get married.
That's love.
Isn't it?
-I don't know.
I mean, I love Uncle
Friday and Aunt Sara,
but I won't be marrying them.
-Yeah, well, that's true too.
I think love is a feeling, then.
Yes, love-- you
have to feel love.
That's it.
And you know what else?
-Oh, what?
-I'm going to be an
usher in a soap opera.
-Is that something
you want to do?
-Oh, yes.
Ever since I was a
little troll, I always
wanted to be an usher
in a soap opera.
-In a soap opera?
-Yeah, well, in
anything, really.
Because I just love doing it.
That's why.
-Oh, and there's so many people
who love you, Robert Troll.
-Aw, Lady A. You sure
make a troll feel good,
and I thank you.
Doot!
-Doot to you, Robert Troll.
-OK, Lady A.
-Doot!
-"As the Museum Turns," its
major heartthrob welcomes you.
Hey, why are you looking
so serious on such
a beautiful day?
-Oh, Lady Elaine, I'm trying
to find out what love is.
-What love is?
Well, you've come to
the right place, toots.
-You know what love is?
-Sure.
That's easy.
I look into my
mirror and it's love.
-I'm serious, Lady Elaine.
-So am I. You can't
love anybody else
if you don't love yourself.
-I hadn't thought
of it that way.
-You ought to talk
with your Aunt Sara.
She'll tell you all about it.
-Do you think so?
-I know so.
She and Friday are
crazy about each other.
-Really?
-Of course they are.
Don't you see how angry they
can get once in a while?
And how lovey they are, too?
That's all part of it.
-You know something?
-What?
-You can be such a big help.
-Any time, toots.
I'm the one everybody's in
love with in the soap opera.
-I should have guessed.
-There will be plenty of
parts as the season rolls on.
Whenever you want to be in it.
-"As the Museum Turns."
-Yes.
And we're going to do a
game show someday, too.
-Oh, what are you
going to call it?
-"When the Museum Turns."
-Oh!
That's the one
I'd like to be in.
-OK.
You can be the Chief Turner.
-Oh, Lady Elaine, I love you.
-Me too, toots.
See you.
-See you.
Aunt Sara?
Aunt Sara?
-Oh, Lady Aberlin, I'm so
glad you came back, dear.
-Oh, Aunt Sara, I
should have asked
you my question in
the first place.
-What question?
-What is love?
-My.
What an important question.
-I know it's an
important question.
I can feel how important it is.
-What do you think
love is, dear?
-Well, I used to think
that if you loved someone,
they always made you happy
and never made you angry.
-Never made you angry?
-Well, almost never.
And I thought that the
more you loved someone,
the less possible it would
be to be angry at them.
-Did you know that
Friday and I got
angry at each other yesterday?
-I did know that, Aunt Sara.
-We weren't very happy about
each other at the moment,
were we?
And yet, you know, anyone
who has ever been loved
is able to feel love.
-But how can you feel it
if you don't understand it?
-I don't know.
But I do know that I love
Friday and Tuesday and you
and X and Lady Elaine and all.
-And we love you, too.
-But we all get angry sometimes.
-And we all get happy sometimes
and sad and everything.
But the love doesn't go away.
-That's true.
And that's one
reason it's the most
important thing in the world.
-But if you don't understand
it, what do you do?
-Just go right on loving,
whether I understand it or not.
-Oh, I do love you, Aunt Sara.
-Oh.
And I trust that you know
that I love you, too, dear.
And that's something we
can always talk about.
Yes, let's go inside.
Friday and Tuesday will both
have ideas about this to share,
I'm sure.
-Good.
[TROLLEY BELL]
-Oh, how right you are, Trolley.
[TROLLEY BELL]
-That was a hard question
Lady Aberlin was asking.
Do you ever talk about love
with somebody you care for?
I hope you do.
People who make each
other angry can often
still love each other very much.
And we'll think more
about the soap opera
they're planning
the next time, too.
But now, I want you
to meet Joe Negri's
friend, the mandolin player.
Yeah.
I could just use my
block to be a mandolin.
Put this back so we can go
over to Negri's Music Shop.
Come along.
-Oh, hi!
-Hi, Joe.
-Have you ever heard a mandolin?
-Oh, I have, and
I love that sound.
-Oh, well, go on right back.
He's waiting for you, and
I'll be in a little later,
because I love the
play along with one.
-Good, I will.
Thank you, Joe.
-All right.
See you later.
[MANDOLIN MUSIC]
-Peter, it's Fred.
-Oh, Fred.
It's good to see you.
-Glad to see you.
-Well, thank you
for dropping by.
I'm really happy and lucky that
Joe had the space available
for me to rehearse tonight.
As you know, we're doing
a concert this evening,
and I've been sitting here
running through a few pieces.
-I just love the way you play,
and I like the mandolin, so--
-Well, thanks.
I was just trying to
remember the words
to a Ukrainian lullaby
that I'm trying
to get ready for tonight.
I don't know if you know this,
but Ostroushko, my last name,
is Ukrainian.
My parents immigrated
to this country.
And, like a lot of Ukrainian
names, it has a meaning.
In Ukrainian, it's
pronounced os-tro-oosh-ko.
-Os-tro-oosh-ko.
-Yeah, you have
to be able to roll
your Rs in the
Ukrainian language.
Re.
-Re.
-Yeah.
Os-tro-oosh-ko.
And it literally
translates as sharp ears.
-Sharp ears?
-Yes.
And I'd like to think of
it in a musical sense.
-Peter Sharp Ears.
-Yes.
That's right.
-I'd like to hear what
you were talking about.
-Well, this is a little
lullaby, and quickly, there's
a-- in the Ukrainian language--
a word for that place right
before you go to sleep
called the [UKRAINIAN WORD].
There's that R again.
[UKRAINIAN WORD].
-[UKRAINIAN WORD].
-And [UKRAINIAN WORD].
Which is dream in the
Ukrainian language.
And they're walking
down the road together,
and they find this house
and look inside the window,
and decide that they're going
to spend the night there,
because they see this beautiful
little girl laying in a crib.
And they're going to go
in and rock her to sleep.
So, hopefully I can get through
all the words here for you.
-Mm-hmm.
[SINGING IN UKRAINIAN]
-Oh, what a beautiful song.
-It is a beautiful song.
I'm glad I was able
to remember the words.
-I am, too.
It can just make you
go right off to sleep.
-Well, I hope I don't do that
with the concert folks tonight.
But, you know, I was trying
to think of some other tunes
that I got from my parents.
I learned a lot of my music
when I was first growing up,
when I was just a wee
little person like this,
from listening to my parents.
My mom doesn't
play an instrument,
but she loved to sing.
You know, she used to sit around
the house when she was thinking
about what meals to cook for
the evening supper, you know.
And then as she started
cooking the meals and stuff,
she would start
singing these songs,
and I would sit there
and listen to her.
One of her favorite
songs goes like this.
[MANDOLIN MUSIC]
[SINGING IN UKRAINIAN]
-Makes you want to dance.
-Yes, it does.
It has lots of words to it.
A fun song.
But I learned a lot of the old
Ukrainian folk songs from her,
and my dad played the
mandolin and guitar
and other instruments.
But he didn't like
to sing too much.
But he loved to
play dance tunes.
A polka, for instance.
[MANDOLIN MUSIC]
-So you were filled
with music from the time
you were a little boy.
-Well, you know, I've had
so many people come up to me
and ask me, where did
you learn how to play?
I'm pretty much self-taught.
And I did it basically by
when my dad was at work,
I'd sneak into his bedroom
and take his mandolin that
was hanging on the
wall down, and I
would just start by
making sounds on it.
I would hit a note, and hit
another one, until I found
a series of notes that
sounded good to my ear,
and that's the way I learned.
I'd try to mimic what I
was hearing on the radio,
or even just sounds out
in the yard or whatever.
I would hear music and I would
try to play it on the mandolin.
And usually, like
on Saturday nights,
my parents would invite
all their friends over,
and a lot of them
played music, too.
None of them played
professionally, for money,
but they just would come
over and the women would make
these big meals and we'd
eat lots of food featuring
sour cream and cabbage
and all these things.
And then they would sit and
play dance tunes for hours.
And as a child,
I would sit there
and I would just
look at that and they
weren't outside
playing baseball.
They were inside, playing.
And you know, at
one time I thought
all dads played the mandolin.
Because that was my experience.
All the adults that I
knew played the mandolin,
and I would watch them
having a good time
and it seemed the
most natural thing
in the world to
want to play music.
-And now you're a dad.
-And I'm a dad, too.
And like a true dad,
I've got the pictures
with me to prove it.
-Oh, I want to see.
-I introduce you to
Anna Kim Ostroushko.
-There she is.
What a beautiful child.
-She loves to listen
to music, too.
I can sit on the couch, and I
put her down in front of me,
and I'll pick up my
mandolin and just play tunes
and she's so fascinated by it.
And sometimes, she'll
want to sing along.
-Ooh-ooh-ooh.
-Yeah.
Yeah.
She finds a certain note, and
sometimes I'll follow her,
and sometimes she follows me.
We kind of-- what we musicians
call-- we jam together.
-Sure you do.
-We make up music together.
-Well, you're living together,
and what a wonderful thing
to be able to grow
together through music.
-This is the best thing
that could have happened.
-You play sometimes
with Joe Negri?
-Yes, I've asked Joe this
evening to come and play
a few songs with me this
evening, so we're actually--
we're thinking about
rehearsing a little bit.
-Could I go get him?
-Please do.
-And maybe you do a
little duet with him?
-Sure.
-Peter!
How's it going?
-Oh, great.
Great.
-How about a duet?
-Oh, I'd love to.
Love to.
-Fred wanted to
listen to us rehearse
for this evening's concert.
-OK.
Which one would you like to try?
-Ah, how about the
trees, trees, trees one?
-All right.
-How do you say
"tree" in Ukrainian?
-You're going to have to
roll your Rs again, Fred.
OK.
-This is [UKRAINIAN WORD].
-[UKRAINIAN WORD].
-[UKRAINIAN WORD].
-[UKRAINIAN WORD].
-Yeah.
So technically, it will
be [UKRAINIAN WORD].
-[UKRANIAN WORD].
-You're a natural, Fred.
-Here we go.
[UKRAINIAN WORD]
[GUITAR AND MANDOLIN MUSIC]
-Oh, I hope you'll play
that for Anna Kim someday.
-I'll tell her I
played it just for you.
-And give her a hug for me, too.
-I will, Fred.
-It was great to
be with you, Peter.
-Thanks for stopping by.
-Peter Sharp Ears.
-See you later.
-Bye-bye, Joe.
Thank you.
Hey, David.
-See you later, Mr. Rogers.
-Goodbye.
-Peter Sharp Ears.
That little daughter
of his, Anna Kim,
will have lots of
music in her life.
Lots of music mixed
with lots of love.
Love seems to be something that
keeps filling up within us,
and the more we give away,
the more we have to give.
[SINGING] It's such a good
feeling to know you're alive.
It's such a happy feeling,
you're growing inside.
And when you wake
up ready to say
I think I'll make
a snappy new day.
It's such a good feeling,
a very good feeling,
the feeling you know that I'll
be back when the day is new.
And I'll have more
ideas for you.
And you'll have things
you'll want to talk about.
I will too.
You always make each
day a special day
by just your being yourself.
That's right.
I like being with you.
And I'll be back next time.
Bye-bye.
[THEME MUSIC]
23x09 - Episode 9
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Rogers speaks directly to the viewer about various topics, taking the viewer on tours of factories, demonstrating experiments, crafts, and music, and interacting with his friends.
Rogers speaks directly to the viewer about various topics, taking the viewer on tours of factories, demonstrating experiments, crafts, and music, and interacting with his friends.