MURRAY: Hi.
I'm Murray from "Sesame Street."
And I'm looking for the word on the street.
What's the word on the street?
GIRL 1: Author.
MURRAY: What does the word "author" mean?
GIRL 2: Someone who writes a story.
BOY 1: An author writes books.
WOMAN 1: Or plays or poetry.
MURRAY: Have you ever been an author of anything?
GIRL 3: In school we make stories.
MURRAY: I wonder if I could write a book.
GIRL 4: You could.
MURRAY: "Author."
That's the word on the street.
The end.
LAUREN: Hi.
I'm Lauren.
GROVER: And I am Grover.
LAUREN: And we are here to tell you
all about the word "author."
GROVER: Yes, the word "author."
Tell them what it means, Lauren.
LAUREN: Well, an author is someone
who writes books and stories.
LAUREN: And my smart and cute friend Lauren
here writes books and stories.
Is that not right, Lauren?
LAUREN: It's true.
I love to write books and stories.
GROVER: And that makes you an author.
LAUREN: It does.
And today, my cute and furry friend, Grover,
is going to be an author too.
GROVER: Yes.
Wait.
What?
How am I going to be an author?
LAUREN: You and I are going to write a book together.
GROVER: But, but I have never written a book before.
LAUREN: Well, don't worry, Grover.
I will help.
Now, how should our story begin?
GROVER: Um.
Let me think.
Uh.
Ooh.
Uh.
Perhaps, it can begin like this.
Once upon a time, there was a dill pickle.
LAUREN: I love it.
I've always wanted to write a book about a pickle.
I love it.
GROVER: What should happen next in our story, Lauren?
LAUREN: Oh.
I know.
The pickle's pickle jar is broken in a terrible deli
accident.
GROVER: Ooh.
Yes, perfect.
LAUREN: All right.
Now, what happens in our book?
GROVER: Um.
The pickle winds up living in a tropical fish tank--
LAUREN: Oh.
GROVER: --and becomes best friends with a clown fish.
LAUREN: Yes.
GROVER: Oh boy, oh boy, this book
is practically writing itself.
BOOK: Wait.
Wait.
If I'm doing the writing, that makes me the author.
ALL: Author.
SINGER: There's a tiger in my book.
And a lion in my book.
There's a sneaky alligator I can spy on in my book.
Sometimes, all I need is a book to read.
There are pirates in my book on an ocean in my book.
There's a sorcerer with secret magic potions in my book.
And to learn where the story will lead, I just read.
On a quiet day, I could go outside and play.
But there's adventure in my book, so exciting in my book.
Turn the pages.
See the pictures.
Read the writing in my book.
Yes, sometimes, all I need is a book to read.
ERNIE: Hey, Bert.
Bert, it's done.
It's done, Bert.
BERT: What?
What's done?
ERNIE: This wonderful short story that I just wrote, Bert.
BERT: Short story?
ERNIE: Yeah.
BERT: You wrote it?
ERNIE: Yes.
You want to hear it?
BERT: Oh wow.
Yes, I do.
Go ahead.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
ERNIE: Because, Bert, this is the best story ever written.
BERT: Oh terrific.
Read it for me.
ERNIE: It's the greatest story in the world, Bert.
BERT: OK.
Go ahead.
ERNIE: OK.
Here we go.
Ready?
BERT: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
ERNIE: OK.
It starts like this-- A, B, C, D, E, F, G-- Now
comes the sad part, Bert.
(CHOKING UP) H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P--
BERT: That's the alphabet, Ernie.
ERNIE: Just a second, Bert.
Now, comes the action part.
BERT: Of course.
ERNIE: Q!
R!
S!
T!
T, Bert.
BERT: Yes.
Yes.
ERNIE: U, V. Now, comes the big finish.
W!
X!
Y!
BERT: Well?
ERNIE: Well, what, Bert?
BERT: Well, finish it.
ERNIE: What?
And tell you how the story ends.
Then, you won't read it yourself, Bert.
MURRAY: What is an author?
GIRL 5: An author is somebody who writes a book.
MAN: An author is somebody that writes books.
MURRAY: Uh-huh.
MAN: Magazines.
MURRAY: There are authors in there.
What else can an author write?
MAN: Poetry.
MAN 2: Someone who writes books or articles.
MURRAY: Have you ever been an author of anything?
GIRL 3: In school we make stories.
MURRAY: You wrote a story in school.
What was your story in school?
GIRL 3: I wrote more than one.
I think I wrote three.
MURRAY: You're an author of three stories.
WOMAN 2: If you're going to be an author,
you need to write with a pencil, a pen, or a computer.
MURRAY: "Author."
That's the word on the street.
Have you ever been the author of anything?
GIRL 6: Yeah.
My character gets lost on the subway.
MURRAY: Oh my.
No.
Oh my gosh.
That sounds like such a dramatic book.
COBY: Hi.
I'm Coby.
GROVER: And I am cute and lovable little Grover.
COBY: Now, we're here to tell you
all about today's word, which is "courteous."
GROVER: Yes.
"Courteous."
And I know all about the word "courteous."