Episode 4015

	Sesame Street
	Telly becomes Gina's vet assistant
Air date	March 22, 2002
Season	Season 33 (2002)
Written by	Luis Santeiro
Directed by	Ted May
Production	October 10 & 12, 2001
Sponsors	U, 3

Picture	Segment	Description
	SCENE 1	Big Bird has a great joke to tell you. All you need is a banana and an elephant. An elephant arrives just in time to hear Big Bird's kneeslapper-- "What's the difference between an elephant and a banana?" Horatio doesn't know the answer. "You cannot peel an elephant!" The elephant loves the joke so much that he stomps away to tell it to his mommy. Meanwhile, Big Bird hears clapping and decides to go check out where it's coming from.
	SCENE 1 cont'd	Big Bird joins Gordon and the kids as they begin to sing a "Simple Clapping Song." As the song comes to a close, a group of monsters stampede by to announce "Monster Time."
	Muppets	Monster Clubhouse Today's Furry Feeling of the Day is Surprised, and a duck arrives to play a flapping dance. (First: Episode 3969)
	Muppets	The Number of the Day: 3 Papa Bear, Mama Bear, and Baby Bear show up after learning that the number of the day is 3. (First: Episode 3981)
	Film	Song: It's number 3 (on trike/on hike) (First: Episode 3136)
	SCENE 2	Telly and Baby Bear have a play date scheduled, but Baby Bear arrives feeling noticeably under the weather. The two friends try to go "bear-back" Pogo jumping, but Baby Bear sneezes himself off of Telly's back. Baby Bear says he isn't feeling much like Pogo jumping, so Telly suggests a game of football. Baby Bear goes long but sneezes at the last second and gets nailed in the head by the football. Telly finally notices Baby Bear isn't feeling up to par. He sounds kind of funny and doesn't really look like he wants to play today. Telly and Baby Bear realize that Baby Bear is sick, but Baby Bear doesn't want to let Telly down by canceling their play date because of his cold. Telly tells Baby Bear he wants him to get better even more than he wants to play and convinces Baby Bear to see the doctor, although he isn't so keen on him seeing Gina because she's a veterinarian--that's an animal doctor! Telly warms up to the idea when Baby Bear points out that he is in fact a bear, which is an animal.
	SCENE 2 cont'd	At Gina's office, Gina listens to Baby Bear's chest with her stethoscope and checks his throat. Eager to help, Telly chimes in twice showing Baby Bear how to take deep breaths and how to say "Ahhh", but Gina assures him he's helping simply by being there for Baby Bear. Gina diagnoses Baby Bear with the 12 Hour Bear Flu, a really big cold that bears get. Baby Bear feels bad that he has to cancel his play date with Telly, but Telly is understanding and says they can play another day. After a somewhat prolonged farewell, Baby Bear heads home and Telly starts to miss his friend. Seeing how sad Telly is, Gina invites him to be her veterinarian's assistant for the day. Telly happily accepts.
	SCENE 2 cont'd	The elephant, named Mr. Tuskinini, arrives for his tusk checkup. He's been brushing with his special tusk paste and needs some more. Gina is fresh out, but a package with some more tusk paste has just arrived at the mailing shop. Sounds like a job for the Veterinarian's Assistant! As Telly heads off to fulfill his first task, Mr. Tuskinini starts to tell Gina the joke he heard from Big Bird.
	SCENE 2 cont'd	Telly asks Luis to help him find the tusk paste package, just as he's taping together a package of his own. Luis goes to the mailing shop to find the package while Telly holds a roll of tape. Telly gets distracted by his aspirations as Veterinarian's Assistant and winds up taped to a pickle package! Telly fears that his predicament is costing him valuable time, but Luis helps Telly get untangled and Telly heads back to Gina's, package in hand.
	SCENE 2 cont'd	Telly's delivery is a success, and Mr. Tuskinini leaves to tell the banana joke to his friends at the monkey house at the zoo. Gina tells him to try not to peel any elephants. Patient number two is Mrs. Penguin (Alice Dinnean), who is feeling very hot. Gina prescribes some ice, and Veterinarian's Assistant Telly heads off to Hooper's store to pick up a bag. On his way out, Gina asks for a few more things--bird seed for Chirpy and fish food for Toto. She offers to write it down for Telly, but he insists he can remember everything.
	SCENE 2 cont'd	Telly arrives at Hooper's Store and forgets what he was supposed to get. He begins to panic, but Alan helps Telly to calm down and try to think back to when he was in Gina's office. He recalls the animals he saw and slowly remembers the three things Gina wanted--a bag of ice, fish food, and bird seed. Telly thanks Alan for his help with a kiss on the head.
	SCENE 2 cont'd	Another successful delivery! Telly decides he wants to be Gina's assistant forever and ever. Just then, Baby Bear calls and says he'll be all better by the next day. Telly asks Gina if he can take that day off from work, and she says they can work that out.
	Film	Elmo talks about Dorothy, and kids talk about their pets. (First: Episode 3985)
	Muppets	Journey to Ernie Big Bird sets off on a Journey To Ernie. First, Big Bird looks for Ernie's box across the tightrope. (First: Episode 3983)
	Film	Wegman's dogs play an eye doctor and his patient. (First: Episode 3739)
	Muppets	Journey to Ernie Big Bird looks for Ernie's box by repeating a clapping pattern. (First: Episode 3984)
	Cartoon	Hop, hop, shake your head, and sway like an elephant.
	Muppets	Journey to Ernie Big Bird looks for Ernie's box at the supermarket. We found him! (First: Episode 3982)
	Muppets	Ernie & Bert — Bert tells Ernie not to eat cookies in bed, because he might get crumbs in the bed, and then he'll get crumbs in his pajamas, itch, and not be able to sleep. Ernie decides to eat cookies in Bert's bed instead. (First: Episode 0282) Come back tomorrow for another Journey to Ernie.
	Muppets	The Letter of the Day: U Cookie Monster puts the letter of the day, U, on a rocket and sends it away, but it comes back. (First: Episode 3994)
	Film	The letter U dances at the beach. (First: Episode 3529)
	Muppets	Spanish Word of the Day: gato A cow tries to help Rosita by illustrating gato, but she isn't a cat. Suddenly Little Murray Sparkles comes by and Rosita replies that this is what gato is. (First: Episode 3985)
	Muppets	Elmo's World: Pets (First: Episode 3918)
	SCENE 3	Big Bird announces the sponsors and Mr. Tuskinini returns to tell Big Bird the same joke he told him earlier. Mr. Tuskinini decides he'll tell all his friends in "Tusk-aloosa" and stomps away laughing.