Episode 0439

Sesame Street
“Smart” Alex beats Big Bird
Air date	December 28, 1972
Season	Season 4 (1972-1973)
Production October 9, 1972 Sponsors O, S, 3

Picture	Segment	Description
	SCENE 1	At Hooper's Store, Big Bird tells David that he's been practicing adding and subtracting. A new kid in the neighborhood, Alex (nicknamed “Smart Alex”) approaches and befriends the two. He asks for an orange, and David tells Big Bird that this is a good opportunity for him to solve a subtraction problem. He asks what four take away one is, but Alex beats him to it. Alex goes to get his orange as Big Bird (still trying to come up with the answer) worries that David might like “Smart Alex” better than him.
	Cartoon	King Minus and the Disappearing Dragons (First: Episode 0345)
	SCENE 2	Big Bird muses that he may not be good at math, but he's at least good at running. He practices a little (comparing himself to Superman) when Susan reintroduces him to Alex, who claims to be pretty fast himself. Susan suggests a race between Big Bird and Alex, and Big Bird rushes towards the Fix-it Shop at the end of the street... where he spots Alex nonchalantly reading a book, wondering what took him so long. The others congratulate him as Big Bird worries further about Alex taking away all his friends.
	Muppets	An Anything Muppet boy teaches "forward" and "backward" with a group of Muppets who keep running over the boy when his back is turned. (Spanish soundtrack) (First: Episode 0385)
	SCENE 3	Big Bird muses that at least he's taller than everyone. Just then, Gordon comes along with Ingrid and asks for help getting their frisbee down from a tree. Big Bird is very eager to assist given his high stature ("Eight feet two, and I'm only six."), but the frisbee's too high for even him to reach. Alex comes through once again by climbing the tree and getting the frisbee down, making Big Bird feeling much less needed.
	Muppets	An Anything Muppet boy teaches "forward" and "backward" with a group of Muppets who keep running over the boy when his back is turned. (First: Episode 0069)
	SCENE 4	Big Bird packs his things in a bindle, then announces he's running away from Sesame Street. The adults and kids gather around him and reassure that they still love him whether or not Alex is better at some things. Even Alex doesn't want him to go, telling him how special he is. He apologizes for making him upset before, and he and Big Bird become friends.
	Cartoon	Superman demonstrates the letter S and some of the words it stands for. (First: Episode 0136)
	Film	Mad Painter #3 (First: Episode 0343)
	Cartoon	Christopher Clumsy jumps over a hole and says that he fooled the viewer. He then walks into a wall. Artist: Cliff Roberts
	Muppets	Ernie & Bert — Lefty the Salesman wants to sell Ernie a painting of a tree, which he says is a picture of four elephants. Ernie doesn't see the four elephants, so Lefty offers to show him the elephants if Ernie will buy the picture for a nickel. Lefty points out the elephants, which are actually spaces in the tree's branches. Ernie shells out for the picture. Ernie wants to pull the same trick on Bert, but Bert notices the elephants right away. (First: Episode 0292)
	Cartoon	Christopher Clumsy jumps over a hole, and falls into another hole. Artist: Cliff Roberts
	Celebrity	Pat Paulsen demonstrates "forward" and "backward". (First: Episode 0069)
	Cartoon	Would you mind closing our OPEN? (First: Episode 0438)
	SCENE 5	Susan sings "Here Are Some Things" with the kids using pictures of foods and a pencil.
	Cartoon	S - Snake: A snake charmer irritates the snake. (First: Episode 0063)
	Cartoon	S - Serpiente (First: Episode 0382)
	Muppets	"The Story of the Boy and the Girl and the Jellybeans (Part 1)" A boy loves jellybeans and comes across a girl who's sad because she lost hers. The boy shares his bag of jellybeans with the girl, but now he has none. Will he get his jellybeans back? Stay tuned... (First: Episode 0016)
	Cartoon	A cowboy tries to lasso a rolling letter O. (First: Episode 0286)
	Muppets	"The Story of the Boy and the Girl and the Jellybeans (Part 2)" The boy who gave his jellybeans away finds the girl again. This time she's afraid of a monster, but the boy assures her that if the monster comes around, he'll be there to help out. Rewarding his kindness, she gives the boy back his jellybeans. All is well until the monster shows up and the girl reveals the reason the monster was bothering her was because he wanted the jellybeans. Now the boy has them, so she's no longer afraid. The monster eats the entire bag of jellybeans and gives the boy a kiss. Our hero is no longer afraid, but he still doesn't have jellybeans. Stay tuned.... (First: Episode 0016)
	Cartoon	Olga y la letra O (First: Episode 0338)
	Muppets	"The Story of the Boy and the Girl and the Jellybeans (Part 3)" The boy is mad because he has an empty bag and no jellybeans, and the girl is mad because she found her jellybeans, but she doesn't have anything to put them in. They decide to share, and the girl puts her jellybeans in the boy's bag. A happy ending with jellybeans for all! (First: Episode 0016)
	Song	Joe Raposo sings "A Little Bit." (First: Episode 0160)
	Cast	"David the Daring" does his famous forwards and backwards trick.
	Cartoon	Rocket countdown: The rocket doesn't go off until a few seconds after the countdown commences. (First: Episode 0148)
	Film	A bearded skier walks in the snow to create the word "ME." Music: Joe Raposo (First: Episode 0294)
	Film	"Three Song (Song of Three)." (First: Episode 0001)
	Muppets	"Sammy the Snake" (First: Episode 0278)
	Cartoon	Superman demonstrates the letter S and some of the words it stands for. (repeat)
	SCENE 6	Kate looks at a kid's bicycle and sees that one of the tires is flat. She asks Oscar to ask Susan if she still has the bicycle pump she lent her, but Oscar passes it to Susan in much grouchier terms. Kate pushes Oscar down back into his trash can, preferring to tell Susan herself.
	Cartoon	Donnie Budd sings about three trios of animals who live on a fat lady's lap. Artist: Bud Luckey (First: Episode 0299)
	Muppets	Muppet & Kid Moment — Grover asks Brian to explain which of them is "you" and which is "me." (First: Episode 0294)
	Cartoon	A girl inflates a balloon in the shape of an S. (First: Episode 0414)
	Film	Number Three Ball Film: A red ball follows a rollercoaster-like track through checkpoints (each, a set of three) that are counted in voiceover. At the end, the ball is ground up into a powder. (First: Episode 0254)
	Cartoon	Rocket countdown: The director's hat blasts off instead. (First: Episode 0148)
	Film	A figure skater illustrates forward and backward.
	Cartoon	A cowboy tries to lasso a rolling letter O. (repeat)
	SCENE 7	Kate plays the guitar and sings “I Live in the City,” with the kids joining in the chorus.
	Cartoon	S - Snake: A snake charmer irritates the snake. (repeat)
	Song	Joe Raposo sings George Gershwin's "Funny Face." (First: Episode 0006)
	Muppets	Kermit smells smoke. An Anything Muppet girl tells him that there's a fire "over there", and Kermit screams for the fireman. Grover comes along wearing a white coat and a stethoscope; then carrying a pitchfork, and talking about his cows, chickens and the barn. Kermit reminds him that a fireman puts out fires. When Grover finally arrives with a hose, they discover that the fire is coming from the girl toasting marshmallows over a small campfire. (First: Episode 0348)
	Cartoon	Kids around the world say "ME." (First: Episode 0389)
	Film	Ten hats on a hatrack
	SCENE 8	Kate and the kids continue their song as Susan announces the sponsors.
	CLOSING SIGNS	Roosevelt Franklin and his mother hold the Sesame Street sign, and David holds the Children's Television Workshop sign.

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