Death on the Street

EXT. SESAMAE STREET - DAY

Big Bird gives everyone pictures that he drew of them.

				BIG BIRD
		And last but not least, ta-da!

Big Bird shows everyone a picture of Mr. Hooper.

				BIG BIRD
		Well, I can't wait till he sees it!

A moment of awkward silence.

				BIG BIRD
		Say, where is he?  I wanna give it to him.  I 
		know!  He's in the store.

				BOB
		Uh, Big Bird.  He's...he's not in there.

				BIG BIRD
		Oh.  Then where is he?

				MARIA
		Big Bird, uh, don't you remember we told you? 
		Mr. Hooper died.  He...he's dead.

				BIG BIRD
		Oh, yeah. I remember.  Well, I'll give it to 
		him when he comes back.

				SUSAN
		Big Bird, Mr. Hooper's not coming back.

				BIG BIRD
		Why not?

				SUSAN
		Big Bird, when...when people die, they don't 
		*come* back.

				BIG BIRD
		Ever?

				SUSAN
		No, never.

				BIG BIRD
		Well, why not?

				LUIS
		Well, Big Bird, they're dead.  They...they 
		can't come back. 

				BIG BIRD
		Well, he's *gonna* come back.  Why, who's gonna 
		take care of the store?  And who's gonna make 
		my birdseed milkshakes and...and tell me 
		stories?

				DAVID
		Big Bird, I'm gonna take care of the store.  Mr. 
		Hooper, he left it to me. And I'll make you your 
		milkshakes and...and we'll all tell you stories, 
		and we'll make sure you're okay.

				SUSAN
		We'll look after you.

				BIG BIRD
		Hmmm.

Another awkward moment of silence.

				BIG BIRD
		Well, it won't be the same.

				BOB
		You're right, Big Bird. It's...it's...it'll 
		never be the same without him. 

				BIG BIRD
		Mmm.

				BOB
			(crying)
		But you know something?  We can all be very 
		happy that we had a chance to be with him and
		...and to know him.  And to love him a lot when 
		he was here.

				BIG BIRD
		Yeah.

				OLIVIA
		And Big Bird, we'll still have our *memories* 
		of him. 

				BIG BIRD
		Well, yeah...yeah...our memories.  Right.  Why, 
		memories, that's how I drew this picture.  From 
		memory.  And we can remember him and remember 
		him and remember him, as much as we want to! 
			(beat)
		But I don't like it. It makes me sad.

				DAVID
		We all feel sad, Big Bird.

				BIG BIRD
		He's *never* coming back? 

				DAVID
		Never.

				OLIVIA
		No.

				BIG BIRD
		Well, I don't understand!  You know, everything 
		was just fine!  I mean, why does it have to be 
		this way?  Give me one good reason!

				GORDON
		Big Bird, it has to be this way... *because.*

				BIG BIRD
		Just because?

				GORDON
		Just because. 

				BIG BIRD
		Oh.

Big Bird looks at his picture of Mr. Hooper.

				BIG BIRD
		You know, I'm gonna miss you, Mr. Looper.

				MARIA
			(crying)
		That's *Hooper,* Big Bird, *Hooper.*

				BIG BIRD
		You're right.

Everyone gathers around Big Bird for a hug.







				THE END