Monday, August 23, 2010

Off, or back, to school



[King Friday XIII and Queen Sarah Saturday watch anxiously as Ana Platypus and Prince Tuesday head off to Someplace Else for their first day of school. Lady Aberlin (Betty Aberlin) is carrying the children’s pencil boxes: Ana’s has a parrot; Tuesday’s, a pirate. Daniel Stripèd Tiger will follow, walking with Lady Aberlin. Daniel’s pencil box will have a tiger. From an episode of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood that first aired on August 23, 1979, thirty-one years ago today.]

YouTube has bits and pieces of four of the five August 1979 Mister Rogers’ episodes about going to school. These episodes are sentimental favorites in my neighborhood (by which I mean “family”). The fifth, missing episode is the one in which the children sit at desks in the newly-finished school as Lady Aberlin, François Clemmons, and Joe Negri sing:

Ana, Prince, and Daniel,
Ana, Prince, and Daniel,
Ana, Prince, and Daniel are near.

Daniel, Prince, and Ana,
Daniel, Prince, and Ana,
Daniel, Prince, and Ana are here.

Schooldays, schooldays, schooldays.
Happy schooldays, schooldays, schooldays to all.

Other Neighborhood posts
Blaming Mister Rogers
Fred Rogers and Pittsburgh
Joe Negri on All Things Considered
“Lady Aberlin’s Muumuu”
Lady Elaine’s can

comments: 4

Ben said...

So much to choose in the world!

Michael Leddy said...

What a memory!

Other Elaine said...

The day Mr. Rogers died, our daughter phoned from college--something she rarely did. She heard the sad news when one of her fellow students (male) burst into class, distraught, and announced it. Isn't it wonderful to think how much his life's work meant to so many?

P.S. He was equally helpful re Going to the Hospital.

Michael Leddy said...

It’s a shame that PBS has scrapped the show and that Family Communications has not made the operas available on DVD. We need Mr. Rogers, in all seasons.