Big Bird disappeared down a side street and headed out of town. Just outside of Toadstool, he saw a sign that said "Sleazy Brothers Funfair."
"A carnival! Maybe I can hide here," said Big Bird.
The ownersw of the carnival noticed the big yellow bird reading their sign. "Look!" said Sid Sleaze to his brother, Sam. "It's the eight-foot runaway bird. We gotta catch him!"
"Yeah," said Sam. "People will pay millions to see that bird."
They strolled over to Big Bird. "You look worried. Maybe we can help you. We own this funfair."
"I'm being chased," said Big Bird breathlessly. "Can I hide in your fair?"
Sam and Sid smiled wickedly. "Be our guest," said Sam. "We have just the place-our hiding cage. You'll be safe there."
They led Big Bird to their Invisiable Gorilla cage and Big Bird went in. Then they slammed the door and locked it.
"They'll never find you here," Sam told Big Bird.
"Thanks," said Big Bird.
The two men left and did not come back for several hours.
"Can I come out now?" asked Big Bird when they returned.
Sam laughed. "Don't you like your new cage?"
"My cage?" cried Big Bird. "Let me out! Help! Help!"
Sid turned to Sam. "Listen, everyone's looking for a yellow bird. We have to disguise him. And I have just the idea...."
Later that evening when the crowds began to arrive, Sam stood by the tent selling tickets to see the Bluebird of Happiness. "Eight feet of feathered fun!" Mobs of people poured into the tent.
And there, inside, was Big Bird-dyed bright blue, and singing a very sad song, "No Wonder I'm Blue."
After the show, two children peeked through the curtain.
"Are you real?" said the girl to Big Bird.
A big tear rolled down Big Bird's beak.
"He must be real," said the boy. "He's crying. What's the matter, Bluebird?"
"I'm in big trouble," whispered Big Bird. "Please, would you do me a favor? Call Hooper's Store on Sesame Street and tell my friends where I am!"
Then Sam's head appeared at the tent flap. "Hey, kids! Keep away from the talent."
The children ran outside and found a roadside telephone. "Hello, operator?" said the girl. "Can you tell me how to get to Sesame Street?"
Rrring! A phone rang on Sesame Street...the message got through!
Later that night another call came to Sesame Street from the Sesame Street rescuers.
"What?" said Maria. "Big Bird in a cage? He's blue? At a canival?...The Sleaze Brothers!...Just outside Toadstool. We'll be right there!"
Big Bird was asleep in his cage on the back of the Sleaze Brothers truck. The Sleaze Brothers were asleep nearby-clutching piles of dollar bills and smiling.
Suddenly and silently the Sesame Street gang appeared in the tent. They were shocked at what they saw.
"One blue Big Bird locked in a cage!" cried the Count.
They all crept toward the cage. Maria gently woke Big Bird and put her finger to her lips. "Shhh," she said. "We've come to rescue you. Be very quiet."
"This is a job for Super Grover," whispered Grover. He tried to bend apart the bars of the cage, but they would not budge.
"Do you know where the key is?" Linda asked Big Bird in sign language. He pointed toward the sleeping Sleaze brothers.
Linda crept over to snoring Sam. She reached for the keys that were dangling from his hand, but he pulled them back in his sleep. Linda plucked a dollar bill from the pile on his bed and lightly tickled Sam's nose with it. He sneezed and opened his hand. Linda grabbed the keys, but before she could unlock the cage, Sam woke up.
"Hey! The bird!" he yelled. "Let's get out of here!"
The Sleaze brothers were out of their beds and into their truck in a flash. Linda had just turned the right key in the lock when the truck roared off, taking with it Big Bird in his cage on the back!
"Help!" yelled Big Bird, clutching the bars.
"Don't worry, Big Bird," Gordon shouted. "We'll rescue you!" Then he and Olivia jumped into the VW.
The chase was on! Olivia pressed the gas pedal all the way to the floor. She had never driven so fast in her life. The beat-up VW began to shake, but slowly it caught up to the Sleaze brothers truck. Finally it was right behind the truck.
Gordon climbed out and carefully crawled over the front of the VW. He yelled to Big Bird, "Jump! I'll catch you!"
"Gordon, I'm not allowed to jump from a moving truck!" Big Bird yelled back.
"You have my permission!" Gordon said. "Now jump!"
And Big Bird did. He jumped right onto the VW and into Gordon's arms.
Big Bird couldn't wait to tell everyone back home about his exciting rescue and how the Sleaze brothers were arrested for birdnapping.
When they finally got back to Sesame Street, Susan rushed up to Big Bird and gave him a big hug. She also gave him Radar, who had arrived safe and sound in the mail. Everyone was waving and cheering and Big Bird waved back joyfully-until he saw, right there in the crowd, Miss Finch!
She made her way through the crowd. "Hello, Big," she said. "I'm sorry the Dodos weren't right for you. But I can find another bird family."
"He has a family, right here on Sesame Street," Maria told Miss Finch.
"But he would be happier with his own kind!" said Miss Finch.
"We're happy here and we have evey kind!" said Maria. "We've got people, monsters, birds, honkers, cows, horses, grouches, frogs...."
Miss Finch looked around. She was quite impressed. "Well, he does seem to have a lot of friends who care about him." And then she said, "I've done it again: placed another stray bird in a good home. All right, Big, Sesame Street is your home."
Big Bird looked around at all his friends and said, "You bet it is!" Then he remembered Mr. Snuffle-upagus had promised to watch his nest. "Oh, excuse me, everbody, I have to tell Snuffy I'm back!" And he ran to his nest.
"Snuffy!" said Big Bird.
"Bird!" said Mr. Suffle-upagus.
The two friends hugged each other.
"I'm glad you're back, Bird," said Mr. Snuffle-upagus.
Big Bird said, "It's so good to be home!"
