That evening, back on Sesame Street, Bob was cleaning up Hooper's Store. The evening news was on TV.
"...and now for our final story," the newscaster said, "a runaway with a difference. This runaway is an eight-foot yellow bird."
Bob whirled to look at the TV set. Sure enough, there was a picture of Big Bird. Bob ran to the window.
"Hey, eveyone! Come here! Big Bird's run away! It's on TV!"
The Count in his castle saw the news story on his TV set too.
The TV newscaster continued, "With further details, here is our Sesame Street correspondent, Kermit the Frog."
"Hi, ho, Kermit the Frog here, in Ocean View, Illinois, with the thank-you note that Big Bird left saying he was running back to Sesame Street. And here is the family he left, the Dodos."
"Are we on television?" asked Daddy Dodo.
"Um, yes," said Kermit.
"Goody!" said Mommy Dodo. "Let's go in and watch!"
All the Dodos ran giggling into the house.
"Hey, wait!" said Kermit. "Your interview isn't over."
"Oh, well," sighed Kermit, "so much for the Dodos. Now let's here from Miss Finch of the Feathered Friends Society. Miss Finch, you sent Big Bird to the Dodos. What are you going to do now?"
"I will find Big Bird," Miss Finch declared, "And I will bring him back to the Dodos where he belongs."
And with that she drove off in her van, leaving Kermit in a cloud of dust.
Meanwhile, far away from Ocean View, Big Bird was watching the whole newscast in a TV store window.
"Oh, no!" he said, looking around nervously. "Radar, we'd better split up."
He put a tag around Radar's neck and marked it "Bear Mail."
"This will throw them off the track," said Big Bird. He kissed Radar and dropped him into a mailbox. "See you on Sesame Street, Radar."
On Sesaem Street things were moving fast. Everyone gathered in Hooper's Store to figure out a way to save Big Bird. Bob had a big map.
"We have to find Big Bird before Miss Finch does," said Bob. "There are three roads Big Bird might be on. All three roads meet in a town called Toadstool. This is the plan: We split up into three groups. If none of us finds Big Bird first, we'll meet up in Toadstool."
"Yay!" yelled Oscar. "I love wild-goose chases. Let's go get lost!"
The Sesame Street gang was read to go!
The Sloppy Jalopy was first, followed by the Volkswagen and the Countmobile.
Ernie and Bert were going by plane.
"Ernie, are you sure you know how to fly this?" asked Bert.
"Trust me," said Ernie as the plane took a nosedive.
Grover was flying too. "This is a job for Super Grover!" ehe cried.
And far away from Sesame Street and Ocean View-after an uncomfortable night sleeping in a cornfield-Big Bird was walking...and walking...and walking.
"Sesame Street is a lot further than I throught," he said. Just then he heard children's voices coming rom a farmhouse near the road. "Kids!" he said. And he ran to find them.
A boy and a girl were at the water pump. They were amazed to see Big Bird. "He's the bird we heard about on the evening news, the one that ran away!" said the boy.
"I didn't run away," said Big Bird. "I'm going to my real home on Seame Street." Then he told them about the Dodos and Miss Finch and how hungry he was.
"We'll help you," said the girl. "I'm Ruthie and this is my brother, Floyd." She gave Big Bird a big bowl of birdseed. Big Bird thanked them and hungrily ate it up. Then he helped Ruthie and Floyd feed their chickens.
Big Bird had never been on a farm before. It was so different from the city. Instead of cars honking, there were geese. And there were more animals then people!
Big Bird liked helping the children with their chores. After they fed the chickens, they brought fresh hay to the barn for the horses and cows.
Then they went to the orchard to pick pears. The children needed a ladder but Big Bird did not!
On the way back form the orchard Big Bird caught sight of a familiar red van coming down the road. "Miss Finch!" he whispered. He was in a panic. "What do I do?"
"Quick! Hide! In the hayfield," said Ruthie, pointing across the road.
Big Bird was off like a shot.
In a moment the red van had stopped and Miss Finch stuck her head out the window. "Have you seen an eight-foot yellow bird?" she asked the children.
"No-o-o," they said innocently. But Miss Finch was not looking at them. She was looking at a yellow feather on the road.
She quickly got out of her van and stomped across the road into the hayfield. "I'll find that bird if it's the last thing I do!" she said.
Suddenly there was a rustle behind her. She whirled around. "Did that haystack move?" she said. She stared at it for a moment. "Impossible," she mumbled, and walked away.
In the distance a haystack with striped legs stood up and ran as fast as it could.
Meanwhile, the Sesame Street gang was getting closer to Toadstool. The Count was zooming along and counting. Ernie and Bert were flying-sometimes upside down.
The yellow VW-minus the fender that Cookie Monster ate-was chugging along. Even the Sloppy Jalopy, after several of Oscar's wild-goose chases, was finally on the right track.
"Birdie, here I come!" yelled Super Grover. But the yellow spot far below was not Big Bird. It was the VW. Grover crashed through the roof!
Big Bird was getting closer to Toadstool too. At last he saw a big sign: "Welcome to Toadstool, the Mushroom City. Today!! The Annual Tournament of Mushrooms Parade!"
Big Bird loved parades. He hurried to the center of Toadstool. He got there just in time to see the parade start-and just in time to see Miss Finch park her van!
"Oh no! Where will I hide now?" thought Big Bird. He tried to look small that was impossible. So he started to run and ran right into the middle of the Toadstool Marching Band. Miss Finch ran after him.
When the band turned down one street, Big Bird turned down the other and ran as fast as he could.
Just then the entire Sesame Street gang arrived in Toadstool.
"Look! It's Big Bird!" yelled Maria from the Sloppy Jalopy.
But Big Bird did not hear Maria or see Maria. He was too busy running from Miss Finch.
