Episode 1203

Air Date: March 1, 1972
Previous Episode: 1202
Next Episode: 1204

Mister Rogers arrives with a red tea kettle and explains how it whistles when the water inside is heated. Taking the kettle to the kitchen, he fills it with water and begins to heat it on the stove. While he waits for the water to boil, Mister Rogers shares that he never learned how to whistle and talks about things he likes to do while he waits.

In the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, Robert Troll blows a whistle which draws the attention of several Neighborhood friends. Gathering at the Museum-Go-Round for a ball game, they are disappointed to find that Robert Troll has forgotten the ball. Waiting for Robert Troll to return with a ball, Handyman Negri, Lady Aberlin, and Lady Elaine Fairchilde practice with a pretend ball.

When a whistle blows at the factory, they hurry over in hopes of finding Robert Troll with a ball. Instead, Corney is airing out the whistle from his factory. Meanwhile, at the clock, Daniel lends Robert Troll his only ball and the others eagerly come running to play when he blows his whistle.

Back at the house, the kettle begins to whistle and Mister Rogers pours some of the hot water into the sink to show steam. He makes a call to Mr. McFeely to ask if he has any films about steam engines. Although he does not have any such films, he invites Mister Rogers to his house to see something else.

At the McFeely house, Mister Rogers waits on the porch while Mr. McFeely makes some final preparations. While he waits, Mister Rogers talks about making faces, snapping fingers, and other things a person could do to pass the time. On her way out to the store, Mrs. McFeely gives Mister Rogers a glass of orange juice to enjoy as he continues waiting. Finally, Mr. McFeely comes outside with a steam machine and demonstrates how it works.

Notes

When Robert Troll leaves to find a ball, he suggests he might look for a football. The ball he borrows from Daniel is a round ball with a foot on it -- a foot ball. When the others join Robert Troll to play, Lady Elaine remarks, "Not the kind of football I ever saw."

Appearing In This Episode

Songs

Tomorrow
Won't You Be My Neighbor?

Images

Episode Credits

With Fred Rogers
Neighbors: Betty Aberlin, W.P. Barker, Betsy Nadas, Joe Negri, David Newell, Bob Trow
Music Director: John Costa
Directed by Bob Walsh

Produced by Family Communications, Inc. in association with WQED, Pittsburgh

The people who gave the money to make this television visit are the people of The Sears Roebuck Foundation and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting