It’s time to prepare for an opera in the Neighborhood. Mister Rogers brings in a synthesizer and shows how many different sounds of instruments it can make. Visiting storyteller Jay O’Callahan tells a story of “Bubble Trouble.” In the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, John Reardon and King Friday decide to make an opera about bubbles. Lady Elaine wants to be a hummingbird in the opera. Daniel Tiger and Francois Clemmons talk about how people are different on the outside, but similar on the inside.
There are so many different ways to make a sweater. Mister Rogers shows some of his sweaters that his mother hand-knit for him. It was a way of her showing her love. In the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, Lady Aberlin helps the school children learn about knitting, and all the Neighbors greet Reardon. Everyone is thinking about what character they want to be in the opera. There’s a factory film about “How People Make Sweaters” and a visit to Trow’s Workshop to see how a knitting machine and works.
Mister Rogers brings in masks of a hummingbird and a porpoise. He explains that even though a person has a mask on, they are still the same person. In Brockett’s Bakery, Chef Brockett shows how to make different things with bananas. In the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, the Neighbors are busy creating and making costumes for the upcoming opera. Lady Aberlin and Reardon go to the school and tell the children how they got started making operas. They talk and sing about some of the operas they have made.Mister Rogers helps children see some of the ways that creating together is different than playing alone.
Mister Rogers shows different kinds of fans and explains that even though we don’t see the wind, we can see what it does. He visits a weather station where they release a large weather balloon. In the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, the Neighbors make last-minute preparations for the “Windstorm in Bubbleland” opera. Handyman Negri decides that he wants to be the wind and Lady Elaine decides that she will be Hildegarde Hummingbird, stronger than the wind. Mister Rogers shows a film about hummingbirds. He talks about their habits and how strong they are.
It’s opera day in Make-Believe: “Windstorm in Bubbleland.” There is never any trouble in Bubbleland until a windstorm threatens to destroy all the bubbles. Hildegarde Hummingbird, the smallest creature of all, tries to warn everyone, but her warnings go unheeded. The “Wind” flies, sweaters are magically knitted, and the newsman keeps everyone up-to-date. This fanciful fun-filled story told in song reminds us that by working together, trouble can be overcome.