| Category | Details |
| Episode Number | 0349 |
| Season | Season 3 (1971-1972) |
| Air Date | February 24, 1972 |
| Main Plot | Oscar's disastrous culinary hire |
| Letters of the Day | U, P |
| Number of the Day | 9 |
| New Roles | Cookie Monster as a Grouch Chef |
| Human Cast | Susan, Tom, Maria, Chris |
| Muppet Stars | Oscar, Cookie Monster, Big Bird, Ernie, Bert, Herry Monster |
| Key Concepts | Help Wanted, Mechanical Repair (Oil Can), Near and Far, Probability |
| Animal Feature | The Walrus |
| Sponsors | P, U, 9 |
Street Scenes
Oscar put up a help wanted sign on his trash can. He wants a personal chef to cook his food. Cookie Monster applies for the job. He's got a hat and apron on. He mixes milk and dough to bake cookies. Oscar's not a fan of the sweet smell. He wanted mud pies or trash stew. It just goes to show how different people have different tastes.
Maria and the kids tell Cookie Monster that cookies aren't the best dinner for a grouch. Cookie Monster cries because his work is rejected. Tom gets back from the store. He needs cookies for his customers. Tom trades a can of sour pickles for the cookies. Oscar likes the pickles because they're sour and unpleasant. Oscar fires Cookie Monster. The monster eats the whole stock of cookies. This shows how a trade can solve a problem for three different people.
Big Bird's got a squeaky door on his nest. The noise bothers him. He tries to fix it with a saw. Then he grabs a hammer. Tom stops him. Tom says the squeak is caused by friction. He shows Big Bird an oil can. Just a few drops of oil will stop the noise right away. You learn that the right tool makes a job easy. Knowing how things move helps you solve mechanical problems.
Maria is sitting on the steps in the evening. She sings a lullaby in Spanish. The song is pretty quiet and mellow. A baby falls asleep. Even Oscar stops complaining and goes quiet. The music sets a peaceful mood for the whole street. It's amazing how sounds can really change the vibe of an area.
Parent's Guide
Harry Monster sees Betty Lou crying. Other kids teased her for not knowing the difference between near and far. Harry picked three boys to show how the idea works. He promises a surprise to the nearest boy. Harry plants a big kiss on the boy. The boys run away until they're far from him. This lesson teaches spatial awareness through action. Distance is basically just a physical relationship between people.
Oscar the Grouch needs a new cook. He even hires Cookie Monster to work at his trash can. Cookie Monster wears a chef hat. He mixes dough and milk to bake cookies. Oscar feels sick because he can't eat sweet food. Tom comes in from the store with an issue. He's totally out of cookies for his customers. Tom trades a can of sour pickles for the cookies. Oscar's a fan of that sour taste. He fires Cookie Monster. The monster eats the rest of the cookies. You learn about subjective preference. One person might find a treasure, while another person might find trash. A trade can satisfy everyone.
There's an animation of a puppy jumping. The puppy stands for the letter P, which is phonetically speaking. You link a familiar animal to a specific letter sound.
Big Bird wants to stop his door from squeaking. He tries to use a saw. He tries to use a hammer. Tom shows him an oil can. He says the squeak is due to friction. The oil makes the door move smoothly. This focuses on logic. You learn to choose the right tool for the job.
There's a cartoon that shows a girl from Mars. She has nine eyes and nine arms. She has nine of every body part. It's just a numerical mnemonic. The strange image helps you remember the number nine by using repetition.
A mouse from the country visits the city. He's worried about the loud music and the traffic. He meets a hungry cat. The mouse goes back to his quiet haystack. His cousin lives in the city and feeds pizza to the cat. This story highlights personal comfort. You see that different people do well in different environments. There's no one right way to live. Pick a place that makes you happy.
