“Here comes Bert,” alisema Big Bird. “I bet he will play catch with me.”
“Hi, Bert!” alisema Big Bird. “Let’s play catch.”
Bert kept on walking.
“Not today,” alisema Bert. “Ernie is waiting for me.”
Big Bird looked surprised.
“Oh,” he said.
Just then Grover ran out of his house.
He had a shiny new truck.
“Hi, Grover!” alisema Big Bird. “That’s a nice truck. Let’s play with it.”
Grover kept on running.
“I am sorry, Big Bird, but I am giving it to Ernie,” alisema Grover.
Big Bird looked sad.
“Oh,” he said.
Then Big Bird saw Cookie Monster.
He had a big box of cookies.
“Hi, Cookie! Want to play?”
Cookie shook his head.
“Me bring Ernie cookies,” alisema Cookie.
Big Bird looked mad.
“Nuts!” he said.
“No nuts!” alisema Cookie Monster. “Cookies!”
Big Bird sat on the steps.
He felt terrible.
“Nobody cares about me!” he cried. “Just Ernie, Ernie, Ernie!”
Just then Betty Lou came by.
“Why are wewe so mad?” she asked Big Bird.
“Nobody will play with me. Everybody wants to play with Ernie,” he said.
“Oh, Big Bird, didn’t wewe know? Ernie is sick!” alisema Betty Lou.
Big Bird looked surprised.
“Oh!” he said. “Well, I am sorry that Ernie is sick, but I bet he is having fun.”
Betty Lou took Big Bird’s hand.
“You are silly. It is not fun to be sick,” she said. “Come on. Let’s visit him.”
“Okay,” alisema Big Bird.
Ernie was in bed.
Bert was trying to feed Ernie some soup.
“How do wewe feel?” asked Big Bird.
“Terrible,” alisema Ernie. “I have a bad…a-A-ACHOO!”
“You have a bad cold,” alisema Betty Lou.
“I know,” alisema Ernie.
He blew his nose.
“Gee, Ernie,” alisema Big Bird. “Bert made wewe some good soup. Grover gave wewe a new truck. Even Cookie was nice to you. wewe are so lucky to be sick.”
Ernie blew his nose again.
“Lucky?” alisema Ernie. “I feel AWFUL! I feel too sick to eat and too sick to play. Being sick is no fun!”
But Big Bird was not so sure.
Later that siku he sat in his nest and alisema to himself, “Everybody cares about wewe when wewe are sick.”
And then he got an idea.
“I will PRETEND to be sick!”
Just then Little Bird came kwa to visit his friend.
“Oh, I am SO sick!” alisema Big Bird.
“That is too bad,” alisema Little Bird. “I will try to make wewe feel better.
Big Bird smiled.
And Little Bird got busy.
He filled a hot-water bottle.
He swept out Big Bird’s nest.
He told Big Bird a bedtime story.
Then he said, “Go to sleep. I will stay with you.”
Big Bird sighed happily.
The inayofuata morning Ernie came to Big Bird’s nest.
“Wake up, Big Bird!” he called. “I am all better. Want to play?”
Big Bird slowly opened his eyes.
“I am sorry, Ernie,” alisema Little Bird. “But Big Bird can’t go out today. He is sick.”
Big Bird jumped out of his nest.
“I am not sick!” he said.
“But wewe were SO sick last night,” alisema Little Bird.
“Well, I am not…a-A-ACHOO!…sick now,” sneezed Big Bird.
“You sound sick. How do wewe feel?” asked Ernie.
“Sort of hot and cold and funny in the tummy,” alisema Big Bird.
“Get into your nest,” alisema Ernie. “I will get Doctor Getwell.”
Soon Big Bird felt really sick.
He was glad to see Doctor Getwell.
The doctor felt Big Bird’s tummy.
He listened to Big Bird’s heart.
He looked in Big Bird’s mouth.
“You have a cold,” he said.
“I know,” alisema Big Bird.
The doctor told him to drink lots of juisi and get lots of rest.
“Get well,” alisema Doctor Getwell.
Lots of Big Bird’s Marafiki came to visit him.
Bert made him a bowl of soup.
Grover gave him a Yo-Yo.
Cookie gave him cookies.
“Gee, thanks,” alisema Big Bird. “But I feel too sick to eat and too sick to play.”
Big Bird slept a lot that day.
That night, he alisema to Little Bird, “Ernie was right. Being sick is no fun. I feel terrible.”
Big Bird sneezed.
“You will feel better soon,” alisema Little Bird.
And Little Bird was right.
In a few days Big Bird felt fine.
He ran to the park.
“I am all better! Isn’t that great?” he alisema to his friends.
“It sure is, because it is no fun to be sick,” they said.
“Boy, wewe can say that again!” alisema Big Bird.
And they all alisema it again!
