Episode 1197

Air Date: February 22, 1972
Previous Episode: 1196
Next Episode: 1198

Mister Rogers uses a small bar of white soap and a dark pencil to do some secret writing.

Mr. McFeely stops by to use Mister Rogers' phone so he can let his wife know he's running late. As he talks to his wife, Mr. McFeely uses a secret language he and his wife made up. Mister Rogers then shares his secret writing with Mr. McFeely. As he leaves, Mr. McFeely invites Mister Rogers and his viewers to come to his house to watch a special movie.

In the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, Mr. McFeely attempts to make a delivery to X the Owl but there is a "do not disturb" sign on X's door. Lady Elaine is intrigued by X's call for privacy as he writes poetry and heads off to talk with King Friday about his secrecy. At the castle, King Friday denies Lady Elaine's request to spy on X the Owl. King Friday invites X to share his poetry with the kingdom "tomorrow at one and a half past."

Back at the house, Mister Rogers talks about how sometimes people just like to be alone. He then takes viewers to the McFeely's home. As he arrives, Mrs. McFeely shows Mister Rogers a kitten. Inside the house, Mrs. McFeely shows a film about dolphins and their "secret language." After the film, Mr. McFeely returns home with a box full of baby chicks.

Returning to his own house, Mister Rogers makes a dolphin puppet out of paper before wrapping up for the day by talking about different ways people tell secrets, and singing Tomorrow.

Notes

X the Owl mentions that he writes his best poems on yellow paper. It is well documented that Fred Rogers often wrote speeches, song lyrics, scripts and other notes on yellow legal pads.

Appearing In This Episode

Songs

Tomorrow
Won't You Be My Neighbor?

Images

Episode Credits

With Fred Rogers
Neighbors: Betsy Nadas, David Newell
Film courtesy of Sea World
Music Director: John Costa
Directed by Bob Walsh

Produced by Family Communications, Inc. in association with WQED, Pittsburgh

The people who gave the money to make this television visit are the people of The Sears Roebuck Foundation and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting