Episode 1591

Topic: Kindness and Unkindness
Air Date: May 2, 1988
Previous Episode: 1590 - Nighttime
Next Episode: 1592 - Kindness and Unkindness
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As Mister Rogers is demonstrating the harmonica he brought with him, Mr. McFeely delivers a film about how people make harmonicas.

Always in a hurry, Mr. McFeely rushes off to his next delivery before Mister Rogers realizes that the wrong tape has been delivered. Content to learn about new things, Mister Rogers watches the film anyway and learns about how people make gardening hoes.

A distraught Mr. McFeely returns promptly to retrieve the tape and tells Mister Rogers that the customer it was intended for had angrily reprimanded him. Mister Rogers reassures Mr. McFeely by singing You Are Special.

After singing, Mister Rogers talks with viewers about hurt feelings and the imporantance of making people feel good about themselves: "Did you ever have anybody hurt your feelings? Did anyone ever say anything to you that made you feel really small and not very lovable? That feels awful, doesn't it? But isn't it nice when somebody helps you feel good about who you are? I mean, if you look for it, you'll probably find something fine inside of everybody."

In the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, King Friday is angry and belittles Miss Paulificate when she mistakenly delivers garden hoes instead of garden hose. Neighbor Aber arrives at the castle and strokes the King's ego by singing Walking Mockings -- a song about the majestic King and his pet mockingbird, Mimus Polyglottos.

An offended Miss Paulificate returns with the watering hose and sings Sometimes People are Kind with Neighbor Aber (a variation of Sometimes People are Good). At the school, the children are learning about math and music by singing One and One are Two when Neighbor Aber stops by with a variety of rhythm instruments.

When King Friday finds out that Prince Tuesday is playing instruments instead of learning "international diplomacy," he decides that some changes in schooling are in order.

Back at the house, Mr. McFeely returns to watch the film about how people make harmonicas.

Notes

The two films shown in the episode were made in association with Wm. Kratt Company (harmonica film) and the Union Fork and Hoe Company (hoe film).

Betty Aberlin is credited in this episode but does not appear on camera.

As they add "hoes" in the Neighborhood of Make-Believe school, the lyrics of One and One Are Two are changed to "Hoe hoe hoe are three..."

Appearing In This Episode

• Ana Platypus
• Daniel Striped Tiger
• Harriett Elizabeth Cow
• King Friday XIII
• Mimus Polyglottos
• Miss Paulificate
• Mister Rogers
• Mr. McFeely
• Neighbor Aber
• Prince Tuesday

Songs

• It's Such a Good Feeling
• Mimus Polyglottos is My Pet
• One and One Are Two
• Sometimes People Are Kind
• Walking Mockings
• The Weekend Song
• Won't You Be My Neighbor?
• You Are Special

Images

Episode Credits

With Fred Rogers
Neighbors: Chuck Aber, Betty Aberlin, Lenny Meledandri, Carole Muller, David Newell, Audrey Roth, Bob Trow
Special thanks to: Wm. Kratt Co., Union Fork and Hoe Co.
Executive Producer: Fred Rogers
Producer: Margaret Whitmer
Director: Paul Lally
Associate Producer: Adrienne Wehr
Music Director: John Costa

Produced in association with WQED/Pittsburgh
A production of Family Communications
© 1988 Family Communications, Inc.