Episode 4038

	Sesame Street
	Big Bird writes a story
Air date	April 16, 2003
Season	Season 34 (2003)
Written by	Emily Perl Kingsley
Production	October 29, 2002
Sponsors	G, 15
Syndication	PBS Kids Sprout

Picture	Segment	Description
	SCENE 1	Telly, Zoe, and Baby Bear (quickly downing his porridge in Hooper's Store) rush over to the yard to hear Big Bird read a story he's written and illustrated, which he's promised to have completed today. Big Bird is a tad hesitant to start, but proceeds to read his story titled "The Penguin Who Wouldn't Sing." A penguin also joins to listen after hearing the story is about penguins.
	SCENE 1 cont'd	The story begins with a penguin who loves to sing, delighting folks of all over with his "beautiful" voice. One day, the penguin is summoned to the palace to sing for the king (played by Alan), but for an unexplainable reason, the penguin just won't sing for the king. This makes the king sad, and by extension, everybody else in the kingdom. The monarch has a sudden idea on how to get the penguin to sing, but...
	SCENE 1 cont'd	Unfortunately, this is where Big Bird lost inspiration and was unable to finish the story by the time his friends arrived to hear it. They explain the situation to Alan, who tells them that this typically happens to writers. Zoe suddenly gets an idea for how the story should end...
	SCENE 1 cont'd	Back in the palace, the Royal Dancing Princess proposes that she dance for the penguin, and the tune will be so endearing that he'll have no choice but to sing along. Telly and Baby Bear accompany her dance on tuba and porridge-container bongos, and the penguin starts to sing along, making everyone in the kingdom happy. Big Bird is satisfied with this ending, but Telly and Baby Bear have their own idea, where the Royal Handsome Furry Monster and Royal Brave Little Bear play their music for the penguin to sing to. Big Bird is now inspired to come up with a new ending as well, where the Royal Very Tall Bird "la-las" along with the music and dancing.
	SCENE 1 cont'd	Everyone loves the different endings to the story, especially the penguin, who sings in celebration.
	Cartoon	Wilma Wiggins makes the very best of a very silly situation by hiccoughing her way through an opera. (First: Episode 2963)
	Muppets / Celebrities	Garth Brooks, Herry Monster and a band of cowboy hat-wearing monsters sing "Together We Make Music." (First: Episode 3814)
	Muppets	The Number of the Day: 15 The Count sings as he tries to get to the number of the day, and a penguin presents him with a number 15. (First: Episode 3995)
	Cartoon	Abstract count to 15 (First: Episode 2851)
	SCENE 2	Big Bird finishes telling his story a second time, this time, with Gina and some kids listening. Zoe wonders if penguins like to dance as much as they do, so Gina leads the kids into a little song-and-dance routine called "The Penguin Dance." The song attracts a flock of actual penguins.
	Film	A hip-hop dance class learns some moves. (First: Episode 3917)
	Muppets	Journey to Ernie: Old MacDonald's Farm — Big Bird searches for Ernie on the farm of Old MacDonald by asking questions to the animals there. (First: Episode 4032)
	Muppets	Ernie sings "The Honker-Duckie-Dinger Jamboree." (First: Episode 1920)
	Muppets	Global Grover: Alaska: Inuit words Grover has returned from Alaska on a dog sled. He says that winter in Alaska is very cold and is called “ukiuq.” The live-action sequence is a song sung by an Inuit Alaskan girl. (First: Episode 2360) After the video, Grover announces that he is ready to go and rest, but his dog tells him that he wants to go back to Alaska immediately, and he pulls Grover back towards Alaska
	Cartoon	Global Thingy Lizard Thingy frightens a small bird while making funny faces and the others cheer him up
	Muppets	The Letter of the Day: "G" Part 1: Cookie Monster discovers there is no cookie for him ("That funny--propman here usually hand it to me") until a giant one lands into his paws. Trying to sustain himself, he eats the giant cookie. (First: Episode 4011)
	Song	"Big G and Little G" (First: Episode 3397)
	Muppets	The Letter of the Day: "G" Part 2: After eating the giant cookie, Cookie Monster grows larger and starts naming G words like "gassy". (First: Episode 4011)
	Cartoon	G For Giggle (new sound effects added) (First: Episode 0357)
	Muppets	The Spanish Word of the Day: libro Professor Grover can't remember what a libro is, despite the fact that he's holding one. (First: Episode 3990)
	Muppets	Elmo's World: Wild Animals
	SCENE 3	Big Bird announces the sponsors while the penguin holds a really long note as the sponsors flash on the screen. Big Bird is impressed with the penguin's singing skills and exclaims, "Give it up for Shivers!"