Mister Rogers' Neighborhood (TV Series)

1528: Work (1984)

Fred Rogers: Mr. Rogers, King Friday XIII, X the Owl, Daniel Striped Tiger, Cornflake S. Pecially

Photos 

Quotes 

• Daniel Striped Tiger : What is it that you're doing, Ana?

  Ana Platypus : Well everytime a big shovel of dirt is moved, I move all the little stones that are left over.

  Daniel Striped Tiger : Good for you, Ana.

• Bob Dog : [They're digging a hole for a swimming pool]  The water's already here, your highness, and we're not finished digging.

  King Friday XIII : Why... It's too soon! It's too soon!

  Ana Platypus : Is it time to go swimming already?

  Lady Aberlin : Oh no, dear, this water is coming unexpectedly.

  Daniel Striped Tiger : Oh, are we going to drown?

  King Friday XIII : Of course not, Daniel, but we must not waste this water.

  Lady Aberlin : What?

  King Friday XIII : Not a single drop. This is Neighborhood water. It must be saved.

• Ana Platypus : [while digging a hole for a swimming pool, they accidentally broke water pipes; Daniel and Ana are collecting the water in buckets]  It's all too gushy!

  Daniel Striped Tiger : It is, but we've got to try.

  Ana Platypus : I'm trying, but I can't do this, Daniel. It's too hard!

  Daniel Striped Tiger : But if you cry, you'll make more water, Ana.

• Cornflake S. Pecially : [X the Owl is renting tools from Corny]  The buckets are 6 for 1. Shovels 6 for 4. Buckets 6 for 1.

  X the Owl : Um, how am I supposed to rent all these different things at once? I mean, it's confusing.

  Cornflake S. Pecially : Well, first you think about it, and then if you need help I'll be right here to help you figure it out.

  X the Owl : I think that buying is a lot harder than selling, Corny.

  Cornflake S. Pecially : Well it takes very careful thinking.

  X the Owl : All the same, I wonder if it wouldn't be easier if people just gave each other the things they need instead of buying all the time and selling all the time.

  Cornflake S. Pecially : Well in some places, it's like that, X. But in most places, people earn money for work and then pay that money for what they need.

  X the Owl : Like shovels and buckets.

• Mr. Rogers : You know, we've been pretending that there's going to be a swimming pool in the Neighborhood of Make Believe, and something very important I want to mention to you before we have our make believe: water and pools are NOT for children to play in by themselves. When you're near a swimming pool, you must NOT go in without a grown-up around. That's very important to remember.

• Bob Trow : I'm just fixing this old shovel handle here.

  Mr. Rogers : What happened?

  Bob Trow : It broke.

• Bob Trow : That Phillips screwdriver there ought to do the trick.

  Mr. Rogers : Why is that called a Phillips screwdriver?

  Bob Trow : I understand that a man by the name of Phelps invented it. And over the years it just became Phillips.

• Mr. Rogers : I was just thinking. You know, work changes things, and children can change things by doing a good job, like changing the way a room looks by picking up your toys when your play is over, or changing the way your plate of food looks by eating your food. Good work can make good changes and can give a good feeling.

• [King Friday and Handyman Negri have just started digging the hole for the swimming pool] 

  King Friday XIII : Just think of the money we have saved already.

  Handyman Negri : Well, sire, I'll tell you. We may be saving money, but we're not saving on work. Somebody's got to do it.

  King Friday XIII : Quite right you are, Handyman, but it is difficult to think about it in those terms.

• Mr. Rogers : In our make-believe, King Friday did not have enough money for a company to build a pool, until the neighborhood decided to dig the hole for the pool themselves. If they did that much work, then they'd have enough money for the rest of it.

• [the neighbors are digging the hole for the swimming pool] 

  Daniel Striped Tiger : You know, things surely look different down here, King Friday.

  King Friday XIII : Indeed they do. I never dreamed our work would change things so.

  Lady Aberlin : So for the better. Don't you think, Uncle Friday?

  King Friday XIII : Yes, that was my desire, Niece Aberlin. All work should change things for the better.

• Lady Aberlin : Is something bothering you, Daniel?

  Daniel Striped Tiger : I guess so.

  Lady Aberlin : We can talk about it if you want.

  Daniel Striped Tiger : Everybody is all excited about digging this hole, Lady Aberlin, but I'm *not*.

  Lady Aberlin : That's okay, Daniel. Work doesn't always have to be fun and exciting. Sometimes it's just plain hard and tiresome, and that's that.

  Daniel Striped Tiger : Do you think it's going to be fun?

  Lady Aberlin : Well, it's going to be very different for me. I think I'm going to like it a lot.

  Daniel Striped Tiger : Well, I'll do it, but I think it's just going to be hard, and what was the other word you said?

  Lady Aberlin : Tiresome.

  Daniel Striped Tiger : Hard and tiresome... and dark.

  Lady Aberlin : Oh. Oh, well it can get dark down in that hole, but that's why we're going to be wearing hats with... flashlights on them. See?

  [turns on the flashlight on her hat] 

  Daniel Striped Tiger : Oh.

• [the neighbors are trying to save water coming from a broken pipe as they were digging the hole for the swimming pool] 

  Ana Platypus : Boy, everything went wrong.

  Daniel Striped Tiger : And we were trying to do things right.

  Lady Aberlin : Even when you do your very best, sometimes things seem to go wrong.

  Ana Platypus : I wish I could make everything all dry again.

  Lady Aberlin : So do I, Ana. So do I.