Elmo wants to hear a story, but all of the adults are too busy to spend time with him. Bob is teaching clarinet lessons, Alan is swamped with lunch orders, and Maria has too many toasters to repair. Maria encourages Elmo to make up his own story, so he imagines that he's the Royal Elmo, who's never too busy to help his friends on Sesame Street. But as the story continues, the Royal Elmo gets tired of all the requests, and he's too busy to play.

Finally, all of the adults are finished with their jobs, and they want to tell Elmo their stories. Elmo has to rush off and feed Dorothy, so he leaves Big Bird in his place.

Segments

• Little Richard sings "Rosita," a song about feelings, to Rosita. (EKA: Episode 3265)
• Ernie and Bert: Ernie can't sleep, because he's afraid of dark shadows and spooky things. Bert comforts him, and the two sing "Imagination" before falling asleep. (EKA: Episode 3912)
• Grover: Prairie Dawn gives Grover fifteen seconds to say an S word, but Grover thinks that he needs more time. (EKA: Episode 3723)
• Song: Leon Redbone sings "What Do They Do When They Go Wherever They Go?" (EKA: Episode 3665)
• Film: A visual representation of the nursery rhyme "To Market" with Wegman's dogs (EKA: Episode 3697)
• Elmo's World: Books (EKA: Episode 3822)