Mister Rogers' Neighborhood (TV Series)

1605: Fun and Games (1989)

Fred Rogers: Mr. Rogers, King Friday XIII, Henrietta Pussycat, X the Owl, Daniel Striped Tiger, Lady Elaine Fairchilde

Photos 

Quotes 

• King Friday XIII : [They have formed a team]  We can play any game we want.

  Lady Aberlin : Yes, but what?

  King Friday XIII : Randy Caribou, what game would you like to play?

  Randy S. Caribou : How about Antler Ball.

  King Friday XIII : Antler Ball?

  Bob Dog : How do you play that?

  Randy S. Caribou : Well, you roll the ball with your antlers.

  Lady Aberlin : With your antlers?

  Randy S. Caribou : Yes, like this.

  [Demonstrates] 

  Randy S. Caribou : Ha ha ha ha.

  Prince Tuesday : But there's a problem with that, Mr. Caribou.

  Randy S. Caribou : What's the problem, Prince Tuesday?

  Prince Tuesday : Some of us don't have any antlers. We wouldn't be able to play.

  Randy S. Caribou : Oh, that's right. I forgot. I thought we were all reindeer here for a minute. Foolish of me. Foolish, foolish!

  Ana Platypus : You're not foolish, Mr. Caribou. You just think we're all reindeer because we're all on the same team.

  Randy S. Caribou : Maybe that's it, but we can't play Antler Ball. I am the only one with antlers.

• Randy S. Caribou : [They're a team deciding what to play]  We can't play Antler Ball. I'm the only one with antlers.

  X the Owl : And we can't play wing-ding because I'm the only one with wings.

  Lady Aberlin : Wing-ding? That sounds like fun. How do you play it?

  X the Owl : Oh, you get this ball and you use your wings and you try to keep it up in the air for as long as you can, and if you keep it up for three minutes, you sing "ding ding ding' like that. It's fun, but you need wings for it.

  Lady Aberlin : I was thinking we could play football, but not everybody on our team has feet.

  Bob Dog : Yeah, or Paw Ball. But not everybody has paws.

  Daniel Striped Tiger : We could play hide and seek.

  Randy S. Caribou : What did you say, Daniel?

  Daniel Striped Tiger : We could play hide and seek. It doesn't matter if you have antlers, or wings, or feet, or paws, or anything for hide and seek.

• Mr. Rogers : Games are for having fun with your friends. Lady Elaine found that out and you don't have to turn people upside down to do it.

• Randy S. Caribou : I used to think you had to win to have a good time.

  Daniel Striped Tiger : I did too.

  Randy S. Caribou : And I used to think I'd never get on anybody's team because I act too foolish.

  Lady Aberlin : But you and Daniel started this team.

  Bob Dog : That's right.

  Randy S. Caribou : I know. And even if we didn't play lots of fancy stuff, it's been fun, hasn't it?

  [the rest of the team agrees] 

• Mr. Rogers : You know, some people practice for hours and hours to get to be expert bowlers, and they join teams and are very serious about their bowling, and other people do it just once in a while for fun.

• Mr. Rogers : I know some children who cry when they play hide and seek. I think they cry because they are afraid they won't find the one who's hiding, and they want that friend to come back. There's always a reason when somebody cries at a game., You know, and it's not kind to laugh at someone who is crying. The thing to do is try to understand what's making that person cry. I found that people often cry when they're scared or angry. I know I sometimes do.

• Mr. Rogers : Do you ever feel as if you just have to play? Well, that's an important feeling. Yeah. I'm just going to put things away

  [puts away the figures and models of the Neighborhood of Make-Believ] 

  Mr. Rogers : because when you do play, you put your toys away. But if you feel that you just have to play, you just have to make up some story of your own. That's not bad. In fact, that's very good. It's all right. It's your work of childhood - playing your way. It helps you to grow. Mmm-hmm, helping you to know who you are and who you want to be. That's what games are for. And no matter what game you play, you can be yourself, and that's all you ever have to be. You are you, and that's enough for anybody.

  [walks out of the kitchen and into the other room] 

  Mr. Rogers : And knowing that can give you such a good feeling.

• Mr. Rogers : I'd love to know the kinds of games you'll make up in your life. I trust that they will be good fun for you and for your friends.