The Children's Corner: Episode 4098

Broadcast Date: Undetermined

Josie has a bag of jelly beans which she shares with Daniel. Daniel pretends to be a squirrel who stores the jelly beans in his clock for the winter. This corresponds to the visitors from the zoo that Josie has announced will be coming, including "a real live, honest to goodness squirrel." Josie and Daniel call each other different names before introducing each other correctly and briefly playing peek-a-boo.

Josie wonders if King Friday likes jelly beans and phones Calendarland at 1-3 to make an appointment. At Calendarland, the king clearly wants a jelly bean, but informs Josie that he is "not permitted to partake" (it is not considered royal to eat jelly beans). After reciting "the pledge to the flag in Latin," King Friday suggests that he could at least hold the "very royal" paper bag. Josie offers to take the jelly beans out and give him just the bag, but the king insists that removing the jelly beans would make the bag unroyal. After leaving the bag with King Friday for a moment, Josie peaks back into Calendarland to find the king with his head in the bag eating the jelly beans.

After an introduction by Josie, the program transitions to the Animal Alphabet segment. Mrs. Merchant (the host of the segment) talks about pets and then greets Mr. Zoo who has brought a fox squirrel. Mr. Zoo and Mrs. Merchant mention several things about fox squirrels and other rodents, give the squirrel a towel (for a nest), and feed the squirrel peanuts and an apple. They emphasize that squirrels do not make good pets. Mr. Zoo has also brought Guinea pigs and they note the different colors the Guinea pigs are. They mention that Guinea pigs make much better pets and talk about how one would take care of Guinea pigs, before Mrs. Merchant encourages viewers to "talk to Mother about" getting a Guinea pig.

Back at the counter, Josie has found the now empty jelly bean bag and hopes King Friday enjoyed the jelly beans. Lady Elaine arrives with a bouquet of "middle-of-the-season pussy willows" which she has picked along the highway while walking the heel-toe method from California. After Josie mistakes Lady Elaine's newest "chapeau" for a swim cap, Lady Elaine shows off her "new" dress before departing.

At the Oak Tree, Josie encourages X to give Henrietta the pussy willows. With a little help from Josie, X gives them to Henrietta and mentions he wishes he could see them on her dinner table. Flattered, Henrietta invites him to a potluck of sauerkraut at her place.

Josie and Daniel chat for a moment before Josie concludes with the So Long Song.

Screenshots

Appearing In This Episode

In order of appearance

• Josie Carey
• Daniel Striped Tiger
• Josie's mother (mentioned only)
• King Friday XIII
• Lady Elaine Fairchilde
• X the Owl
• Henrietta Pussycat

Cast

• Josie Carey
• Fred Rogers

Guests

• "Mr. Zoo"
• "Mrs. Merchant"

Locations

• Josie’s counter
• Cuckoo Clock
• Calendarland
• Animal Alphabet set
• Window
• Oak Tree
• Schoolhouse

Songs

• Why Hi Song
• So Long Song

Notes

• Chewing a jelly bean, Josie instructs Daniel to greet the viewers and "say hello while I chew." Daniel consequently turns to the viewers and repeats "Hello while I chew" before realizing what she meant.
• The wrong names Josie and Daniel call each other include George, Sam, Bula, and Michelle (Daniel) and Mary Lou, Janet, and Rosalie (Josie).
• During Daniel's introduction, we learn that Josie is the "amanuensis" (which means "secretary") of both the Children's Corner and the Tame Tiger Torganization.
• While introducing Josie, Daniel fails to recall anything she is "noted" for, and Josie reminds him that she is "noted for lots of things," including "singing off key," "eating jelly beans," and "teasing."
• Josie mentions that her mother likes jelly beans.
• Josie has green, white (peppermint), orange, yellow, purple, and red jelly beans, but no black ones (because she ate all the black ones - they are her favorite).
• The "pledge to the flag in Latin" recited by King Friday is the U.S. Pledge of Allegiance translated into Latin.
• Josie Carey (the real person) noted in an interview quoted in a 1971 dissertation, "It's a wonder we survived - that people continued to watch us what with the German lessons' [film breaking] all the time, and the Noisy Party, and the zoo man who would take as much time as he pleased. Some days it would be ten minutes, and some days it would be twenty-five or thirty, and he'd drone on. He loved snakes. We had more snakes on our program that first year. So it's a wonder people continued to watch. But they watched and they liked us. And they put up with these other segments until finally through the mail... mothers would write, 'Gee, we wish you were on longer and we'd have a little less of the snakes the Noisy Party.'" [quoted in Clark, R. K. (1971). Misterogers' Neighborhood: An historical and descriptive analysis. The Ohio State University. p. 77-78]
• In a statement that feels very akin to "Fredish" statements from later Mister Rogers Neighborhood, Mr. Zoo and Mrs. Merchant emphasize (in a rather scripted-seeming manner) that a child must consider where they live before getting a pet and that some kinds of pets (e.g. cats, dogs, and squirrels) would not work well in a city apartment, however there are different kinds of pets that would work in every kind of home. This contrasts rather blatantly with Mrs. Merchant's more candid-seeming closing comments encouraging viewers talk with their parents about getting a Guinea pig of their own.
• It took Lady Elaine only three minutes to walk from California, picking pussy willows along the way. She will be returning to Hawaii in the evening (a 2 hour trip walking/swimming).
• Lady Elaine explains that she made her dress (which looks anything but "new") out of some odds and ends.
• Bidding Josie and friends farewell, Lady Elaine says "ta ta!" (perhaps an early form of what later became her signature "toot toot!" upon departing).
• X and Josie briefly recite the first few lines of the song I Give a Hoot for You.
• We learn that X likes sauerkraut and carrots.
• X concludes that he's "the bravest owl that ever gave any pussy willows to a pussycat."
• After Daniel warns her that they only have one minute left, Josie wonders "What does happen to the time?" and Daniel speculates, "I guess it goes off to Latrobe." Latrobe, PA, (Fred Rogers' hometown) is a small town approximately 40 miles east of Pittsburgh where The Children's Corner was produced.
• Daniel refers to Lady Elaine simply as "Elaine" when talking with Josie.
• As usual, Josie and the puppets are all wearing TTT pins.
• Just before concluding, Josie gives Daniel three pats and he returns three pats to her, which she says means "I like you" on television.
• The moment where Daniel gives Josie her pats looks very similar to one of the widely-used Children's Corner promo photos:

Episode Credits

The Childrens Corner [sic]
With Josie Carey
Produced by Fred Rogers
Directed by Carl Freeborn
Technical Supervision: Larry Flavin

From WQED -- First in community television
A presentation of the Educational Television and Radio Center
National Education Television