Episode 1477

Topic: Divorce
Air Date: February 17, 1981
Previous Episode: 1476 - Divorce
Next Episode: 1478 - Divorce
Purchase/Stream: Amazon

Mister Rogers arrives with a bag of pretzels and shows their various sizes. After singing Look and Listen, Mister Rogers visits a place where pretzels are made.

In the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, Lady Aberlin helps the Trolley make a delivery to Corney as she sings I Like to Take My Time. Unfortunately, as she arrives outside the factory, the container she is delivering flies away. Corney reveals that his new machine is making something to eat and Lady Elaine reveals that the missing container can be found at her Museum when Corney is ready to reveal what he is making.

Meanwhile, a sales representative from Air and Land Vehicles Incorporated arrives to make a presentation to King Friday about a new jet plane - the XIII Special. While King Friday is very interested in the new plane, Queen Sara is against the purchase of this jet. Their disagreement leads Prince Tuesday to worry that his parents may be headed for divorce. Prince Tuesday feels like his parents' dispute is his fault and he runs away from the castle to stay with Daniel Tiger.

Back at the house, Chef Brockett stops by with a snack made out of vegetables and pretzels.

Notes

Fred Rogers' religious foundation becomes apparent in this episode as he hears an explanation of what a pretzel represents: Originally, pretzels were "given to children for knowing prayers" in Germany. As they are made, pretzels are first shaped "like a great big U. Take one [side] and cross it over the other. This is to represent children's arms praying to God. Then we take one and fold over the other. That represents your parents -- mom and dad. We pick up the ends and fold them on back." When Mister Rogers asks if there always has to be three holes in a pretzel, he is told that the three holes represent the Holy Trinity.

Unlike other episodes from the post-1979 era, the opening does not show text of the week's topic.

You can read more about the Julius Sturgis Pretzel House at www.juliussturgis.com.

The segment of this episode where Mister Rogers visits a pretzel factory is included among the extra features on the A Day at the Circus DVD.

This episode is included on the DVD collection Mister Rogers Meets New Friends.

The scene where King Friday watches the airplane presentation is very obviously filmed out of order. Notice the purple/blue panel in the left side of the first image below. That panel does not open until the very end of the presentation (screenshots below are taken in order).

Appearing In This Episode

Guests

Barbara Tshudy
Clyde Tshudy
Michael Tshudy

Songs

Images

Episode Credits

With Fred Rogers
Neighbors: Betty Aberlin, Charles Altman, Don Brockett, Gail Grate, Barbara Tshudy, Clyde Tshudy, Michael Tshudy
Special Thanks to Julius Sturgis Pretzel House
Executive Producer: Fred Rogers
Produced and Directed by Hugh Martin
Associate Producer: Cathy Cohen
Music Director: John Costa