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| Japanese Stories | |||||
| First Appearance | Episode 0346 | ||||
| Broadcast | February 21, 1972 | ||||
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In ancient Japan, the Evil Prime Minister rules over the empire in the midst of a power vacuum, leaving the citizens very unhappy. The only way to find a new emperor to replace him is if someone can come to the palace with something truly one of a kind. Subjects approach the Prime Minister with items such as a fan and a hat, but he's got matches for each.
When all seems lost, a poor, tattered girl enters the throne room with something unique - herself; there's nobody like her in the kingdom or anywhere else. The Prime Minister protests to the storyteller that she cannot be emperor; he clarifies that she will be an empress. Upset with this ending, the Prime Minister calls the storyteller a "big mouth" and bashes his head with a mallet, causing him to ring like a gong.
Cast[]
- Jerry Nelson as the Japanese Storyteller and Purple subject
- Jim Henson as the Green subject
- Frank Oz as the Prime Minister
- Marilyn Sokol as the Lavender woman and little girl (voice only)
Alterations[]
- The airings in season nine cut the ending short, omitting the Prime Minister's act of physical violence against the storyteller.