Episode 3774

	Sesame Street
	Ruthie's birthday
Air date	April 30, 1998
Season	Season 29 (1997-1998)
Written by	Sonia Manzano
Production	November 20, 1997
Sponsors	Z, 11

Picture	Segment	Description
	SCENE 1	Ruthie opens Finders Keepers and is surprised at the amount of mail she has today. She opens a few birthday cards, telling the viewer that it's her birthday today. She then decides to close the shop and take some time off for herself when Oscar enters. Upon learning that it's her birthday and she's closing the shop, he asks her if he can grab a few things upstairs. He wastes her time and makes a mess of the place as he tosses his purchases below, then changes his mind at the last minute. Ruthie gets very angry with Oscar, which is just what he wanted - that's how Grouches like to celebrate birthdays!
	Song	John Pizzarelli sings about feeling "happy and proud" on your birthday. (First: Episode 3421)
	Muppets	Ernie and Bert: Bert Is Locked Out — Bert speculates on why Ernie has asked him to stay out of the apartment. (First: Episode 0461)
	Film	Girls sing a jump-rope rhyme about naming a puppy. (First: Episode 3279)
	Cartoon	Three characters try to watch a baseball game over a fence, then cooperate by stacking their blocks. (First: Episode 0478)
	Celebrity	Big Bird and some kids have run out of ideas for a game to play. Jason Alexander shows them a fun game, causing him to miss his bus. (First: Episode 3557)
	Cartoon	Three scribbles exercise. Artist: Fred Garbers (First: Episode 1579)
	Film	Kids dance around at gymnastics to "Rockin' Robin." (First: Episode 3147)
	Animation	A television reveals many Z words. (First: Episode 3699)
	Muppets	Telly and Zoe display things that begin with the letter Z. Telly brought such things as a (horse dressed like a) zebra, a zucchini, a zipper, and even a zydeco band, but Zoe only brought herself. (First: Episode 3420)
	Cartoon	Birds pop balloons of all the letters of the alphabet, making them lowercase. (new music added) (First: Episode 2552)
	Cast	"Between You and Me" (Gina and Savion) (First: Episode 3133)
	Cartoon	A mouse demonstrates between by squeezing between two elephants. (First: Episode 2750)
	SCENE 2	Oscar notices Miles, Gabi, Gordon, Susan, Maria, Luis, Baby Bear, and Papa Bear gathered on the steps, and accidentally informs them that it's Ruthie's birthday today. Luis decides they should give her a surprise party, though Oscar thinks Ruthie closing the shop will make it inconvenient for them to do so. They disagree, and they plan to surprise her at Finders Keepers instead. Everybody divides up jobs (including getting a cake from Mazzarino's Bakery), and Baby Bear learns that his job is to stall Ruthie and keep her in the store. He tells his Papa bear he can handle it, but second guesses himself once he leaves.
	Song	"It's Fido's Birthday" - a song about a birthday party for a goldfish. (First: Episode 3609)
	Animation	Five goldfish, take away 2, leaves 3. (new music added) (First: Episode 2252)
	Muppets	The Count, dressed up as Elvis, sings "You Gotta Count My Blue Suede Shoes." (First: Episode 3231)
	Cartoon	Footprints move over to the tune of "Here Are Some Things". (First: Episode 0505)
	Insert	"Professor Television" (Bill Irwin) tries to demonstrate open and closed, but his efforts backfire. (First: Episode 3637)
	Cartoon	CLOSED (sheep running through door) (First: Episode 3743)
	SCENE 3	Baby Bear is disappointed when he finds the store closed. He sees Ruthie inside and does the best he can to keep her inside the store by asking her for a sandwich, to dance with him, arm-wrestle, etc. He then "feels" a hibernating nap coming on and falls asleep in her arms, which makes it hard for Ruthie to move around. She calls Papa Bear and tells him her problem, but Papa tells her to make Baby Bear as comfortable as possible. She and Baby Bear lie down on the couch.
	Song	Joe Raposo sings "Everybody Sleeps" (re-filmed version) (First: Episode 3026)
	Cartoon	Z doesn't like its sleepy Z image -- Z can also be zany, and zip and zoom. Artist: Fred Garbers (First: Episode 3607)
	Film	Kid jungle explorers sight a wild letter Z. (First: Episode 3496)
	Cartoon	The Typewriter: Z for Zoo (First: Episode 0776)
	Muppets	Snuffy sings "Bubble on My Snuffle." (First: Episode 3338)
	Film	Jerry Nelson, Roscoe Orman and Fran Brill narrate "Great Moments at the Sink," in which mud-pie champion Sasha Smith washes her hands. (First: Episode 3665)
	Cartoon	"Big Kid Photo Album" (First: Episode 3441)
	Song	"Do the Jelly" with Celina (First: Episode 3160)
	Animation	Amelia likes to pretend she can fly. (First: Episode 2902)
	Muppets	Two-Headed Monster: Listening — Kermit the Frog explains the importance of listening, using the monster as an example. (First: Episode 1767)
	Cartoon	Pinball Number Count #11 Artist: Jeff Hale (First: Episode 0988)
	Film	Milo Counting: 11 (First: Episode 3585)
	Animation	Clown Honking #11 (First: Episode 3196)
	Muppets	Zoe, Herry, Grover and Elmo sing "Fur."
	Animation	Stop-motion representation of "Happy Birthday," with balloons, gummi bears, glitter, etc. (extra sound effects muted) (First: Episode 3358)
	SCENE 4	Baby Bear wakes up, and notices that Ruthie has fallen asleep. He gives the signal and everyone (now joined by Mama Bear) quietly enters the store and hides behind the furniture. He wakes her up, and everyone pops out and yells "Surprise!" and then sings "Happy Birthday to You." Ruthie shows them the cards she got from her family; everyone says they count as her family, too, and she should tell them important things like when her birthday is. Oscar announces the sponsors and reports the status of Slimey's spaceship (wishing he would hurry), and everyone treats themselves to a big birthday hug courtesy of Papa Bear.
	COMING SOON	Coming soon on Sesame Street: Gordon offers Alice the choice of either blocks or a puzzle to play with. She chooses the blocks, but right when Snuffy chooses the puzzle, she decides she wants that instead.