NARRATOR: The American Revolution, a mini series
starting all your friends from Sesame Street telling the
story of how the United States of America was
born, more or less.
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
[HITTING MALLET]
JUDGE: Come to order.
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
JUDGE: Come to order.
Oh, come on, guys.
Come to order.
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
ELMO: Is it lunch yet?
THOMAS JEFFERSON: I'm sorry, excuse me.
JUDGE: Now, because the United States of America is about to
become a new country, we've got to pick our national bird.
THOMAS JEFFERSON: Whatever that means.
OSCAR: Who cares?
ELMO: A good idea, but what's a national bird?
JUDGE: The National Bird is the bird who gets to have his
picture on our new coins and stamps, and other neat things
like government letters.
OSCAR: Whoa.
JUDGE: OK, so does anybody have any idea what our
national bird should be?
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
JUDGE: [HITTING MALLET]
Order, order.
We will do this the democratic way.
JOHN ADAMS: What's that mean?
JUDGE: Which means everybody gets to have their turn.
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN: Oh OK, wait, can I go first?
JUDGE: Yes, yes, Mr. Franklin.
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN: Oh, me, me, me.
Oh, thank you.
Thank you, sir.
Well, maybe you won't agree, and who knows, but I think our
new national bird should be the turkey.
OSCAR: Oh no, not the turkey.
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN: That's right, the turkey.
And I'll tell you why.
The turkey was here to welcome our pilgrim forefathers when
they first got here, but the most important--
well, I think turkeys are nice.
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
JOHN ADAMS: I like turkeys.
I like the drumstick--
OSCAR: We don't want any turkey, you turkey.
JUDGE: [HITTING MALLET]
Order, order.
Yes, Mr. Thomas Jefferson.
THOMAS JEFFERSON: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
[CLEARS THROAT]
I think our national bird should be the pigeon.
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
THOMAS JEFFERSON: Yes, yes, yes, yes.
Well, listen to my argument, please.
Pigeons love all the simple things that are going to make
America great, things like statues and curbs, and, well,
let's not forget windowsills.
So that is why I say let our national bird
please be the pigeon.
JOHN ADAMS: Well, wait a minute.
It's not a very colorful bird, you know.
OSCAR: I say phooey on pigeons.
THOMAS JEFFERSON: What?
OSCAR: Yes.
I say let's make the national bird the cockatoo.
THOMAS JEFFERSON: The cockatoo?
Are you putting me on?
JUDGE: OK, come on.
Order, order, order.
There are no cockatoos in this country.
OSCAR: Well, then, let's bring them in.
Why, we could teach them to say neat things, like "scram"
and "beat it." And they'll make enough noise so the
British will just want to go home.
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
JUDGE: Order.
Order.
All right, any other birds?
Yes, Mr. John Adams?
JOHN ADAMS: Yes, yes.
Thank you, thank you.
Gee, I would like to see the bald eagle, the bald eagle
become our national bird.
The bald eagle.
OSCAR: Some bird with a toupee?
JOHN ADAMS: Let me tell you about the bald eagle.
OSCAR: All right.
JOHN ADAMS: The eagle is a handsome bird.
It can fly higher than any other and glide way up in the
sky watching peacefully over town and prairie.
So let's give, let's give--
folks, let's give the eagle a chance.
Huh?
What do you say?
The eagle.
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
JUDGE: Order!
Order!
All right.
I think we're ready to pick our national bird.
THOMAS JEFFERSON: How do we do that?
JUDGE: So let's take a vote.
THOMAS JEFFERSON: A vote.
JOHN ADAMS: Everybody vote for the eagle.
ELMO: Excuse me.
Excuse me, sir.
A vote is a great idea, but what is a vote?
JUDGE: A good question.
ELMO: Thank you.
JUDGE: When I mention the bird of your choice, so signify by
saying, "Aye." That is your vote, and the bird with the
most votes wins.
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
JUDGE: All right.
First of all, all those in favor of the turkey say Aye.
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN: Aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye,
aye, me, me, aye.
JUDGE: All those in favor of the pigeon say aye.
THOMAS JEFFERSON: Aye.
Yes.
JOHN ADAMS: I'm sorry, Bert.
JUDGE: All those in favor of the cockatoo, say aye.
OSCAR: The cockatoo, yeah.
Aye.
Huh?
Oh.
JUDGE: All those in favor of the eagle say eye.
ALL: Aye.
JOHN ADAMS: Wonderful.
Thank you all for your votes.
JUDGE: And the eagle is the winner.
NARRATOR: And so our national bird became
the American eagle.
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
[KNOCK ON DOOR]
BIG BIRD: Wait, wait, wait.
You chose the eagle?
Well, thank you very much.
[MUSIC PLAYING]