Follow That Bird
Part 1

Big Bird did not know it, but he was in for the adventure of his life! It all began at a meeting of the Feathered Friends Society.
"This meeting will come to order!" said the chairbird. "As you know, our job is to place stray birds with nice bird families." She held up a big picture of Big Bird. "This bird is six years old. He lives all alone with no other birds around.
"Oh, he looks so sad," said an ancient bird.
Mr. Owl said, "That's funny, he looks happy to me."
Miss Finch spoke up. "Nonsence! He can't be happy. He needs to be with a bird family. And I know just the family..."

Big Bird was skating down Sesame Street saying hello to his friends when Miss Finch arrived to find him.
Finally she found him and told him the good news. "You know, Big, you really do need a home," she said.
"But this is my home. I like it here!" said Big Bird.
"But wouldn't you like to be with birds of your own kind?" said Miss Finch. "Wouldn't you be happier in a big birdhouse with a bird family, singing and playing bird games all day long...wouldn't you really?"
As Big Bird listened, his eyelids drooped dreamily. He imagined a big happy bird family, and all of them looked just like him. "Gee...it sounds wonderful," said Big Bird.
The Dodo family of Ocean View, Illinois, is waiting to adopt a bird just like you!" said Miss Finch.
"Wow!" said Big Bird. "When can I leave?"

Meanwhile, outside Big Bird's front door, Susan, Maria, and Telly Monster were eavesdropping. "Big Bird is leaving Seame Street!" Maria said with a gasp. They ran to spread the aweful news.

Everyone on Sesame Street came to say good-bye to Big Bird. His beak began to quiver. Saying good-bye was so hard!
"Come on, Big," said Miss Finch. "You don't want to miss your plane! Just walk away and don't look back."
In no time Big Bird was packed and ready to go.
He went to say good-bye to his best friend, Mr. Snuffle-upagus. Both of them burst into tears.
"You can visit him in Ocean View," Big Bird told him.
"I can?" said Snuffy. "That makes me feel a little better."
Snuffy, please do me a favor. Watch my nest while I'm away, so nothing happens to it, okay?"
"Anything for you, Bird," said Snuffy.

Miss Finch took Big Bird to the airport. He got on the plane with his teddy bear, Radar. Big Bird looked out the window as the plane took off. "Gee, flying is wonderful...I feel just like a bird!" he said.
Big Bird fell asleep and didn't wake up until the plane began to land. He looked out at the farms below. "This sure doesn't look like Sesame Street," he said.

When the plane landed in Ocean View, Big Bird was the first one off. He saw the Dodo family right away-Daddy Dodo, Mommy Dodo, and the little Dodos, Donnie and Marie.
Daddy Dodo walked over to Big Bird and said, "Excuse me, was there a big yellow bird on this plane?"
"Only me," said Big Bird.
"Too bad," said Mommy Dodo. "Maybe he'll be on the next plane."
Big Bird looked puzzled. "Are you the Dodos?" he asked. They all nodded. "I'm Big Bird!"
"No, you're not," said Daddy Dodo. "From now on you're Big Dodo!"
"Big Dodo?" said Big Bird, looking more puzzled then ever.

The Dodos lived a short drive from the airport on Canary Row. From the moment Big Bird arrived at their suburban birdhouse, he found life at the Dodos to be puzzling all around.
Every morning, after a big breakfast of birdseed, Daddy Dodo would call out, "Time for digging for worms!" Then they would all rush out to the front yard and peck and peck and peck...but they never found a worm.
Every afternoon Donnie and Marie went swimming in their pool. They were always careful to wear their life preservers...even though their pool had only an inch of water.
Every evening the Dodos tried to mow their lawn. They had a lawn mower they they could ride, but they always forgot to get on it. So they ran around in circles chasing it...or being chased by it.

One night Daddy Dodo was reading Newsbeak magazine and Mommy Dodo was knitting socks with feet at both ends. Big Bird was bord. He decided to try to play with Donnie and Marie.
"Let's play make-believe!" he said. "I'll be Snow White-"
Donny said, "You're not snow white."
Marie said, "You're bright yellow."
Big Bird continued anyway. "You can be the dwarfs."
"We're not dwarfs," said Donnie.
"We're birds!" said Marie.
Big Bird threw his hands up. "I said make-believe. Pretend. Imagine!"
"Okay," said Donnie. "I'll make-believe I'm Donnie."
"I'll make-believe I'm Marie," said Marie.
"This is fun!" they both said.
Bird Big shook his head sadly.
Big Bird went to his room to write a letter to his friends on Sesame Street. He wanted to tell them that he missed them.
Just then he heard a loud knock on the front door and someone called, "Postcard for Big Bird!"
Big Bird jumped up, banging his head on the ceiling. He rubbed his head and ran downstairs to the door.
The mail carrier handed him a giant postcard. "I hope you don't get any packages from this guy," he said.
Big Bird read the postcard out loud: "'Dear Bird, I am ready to come and visit. Your best friend, Mister Snuffle-upagus.'"
Mommy Dodo said, "What kind of bird is he?"
"He's not a bird," said Big Bird. "He's a stuffle-upagus."
"But your best friend should be a bird," said Daddy Dodo.
"Why?" asked Big Bird.
"Because you're a bird!" said Mommy Dodo. "Soon you'll have a new best friend."
"But I don't want a new best friend. I have a best friend. And I want him to come visit!" said Big Bird.
"Oh, you'll get over that," said Daddy Dodo. He stood up, "Come on, everyone, let's dig for worms!"
"I don't want to dig for worms!" cried Big Bird. "I want to go home!"
All the Dodos giggled. "You are home!" they said.
Suddenly Big Bird realized the truth-he was supposed to stay with the Dodos forever!

That night Big Bird was so homesick, he could not sleep at all. Finally he made up his mind: He just had to get back to Sesame Street.
So as soon as the sun came up, Big Bird left a note for the Dodos, took Radar, and snuck out the door. "Bye, Dodos," he whispered. "Thanks for everything.
"It only too two hours to fly here," he told Radar. "We could walk back to Sesame Street in three hours, easy." And off they went.