16x05 - The Carousel

[bunniefuu]

♪ Reading rainbow ♪

♪ Butterfly in the sky ♪

♪ I can go twice as high ♪

♪ Take a look ♪

♪ It's in a book ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ I can go anywhere ♪

♪ Friends to know ♪

♪ And ways to grow ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ I can be anything ♪

♪ Take a look ♪

♪ It's in a book ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ Reading rainbow ♪

[Hoofbeats]

[Horse neighing]

[Carousel music playing]

[Horse snorts]

Have you ever seen
a carousel

When the horses
are sleeping?

Well, maybe not
sleeping exactly,

But certainly resting.

This carousel has been
closed for the winter,

But tonight the doors
will be thrown open,

The music will be
cranked up,

The platform wheel
will spin,

And these horses
will start their ride,

Round and round,
up and down.

If you close your eyes

And let the wind blow
on your face,

You can almost imagine
that these horses are alive,

Whinnying
and clomping their hoofs.

For the brief moments
that you ride a carousel,

You feel that
anything is possible.

Here's the story
of 2 sisters

Who rode the carousel
one misty, rainy night

And found a part
of their lives

They thought
they had lost.

It's called the carousel.

The time my sister and I
saw the horses,

She picked me up
after her band practice,

And we walked into the park
through a ring of old oak trees.

It began to drizzle,

And I thought my sister
would head for home.

Instead, she took my hand
in one hand

And swung her flute case
in the other.

"The horses are asleep,"
she said in a whisper.

I smiled

Because that was something
our mother used to say,

That the carousel horses
slept all winter long

And woke in spring.

But our horses had been broken
a long time.

We heard the raindrops striking
the swings and slides.

The canvas over
the carousel pavilion

Flapped in the wind.

And then
we heard a strange sound,

A long whinnying noise.

We hurried closer
to the carousel

And pulled the heavy
white canvas aside.

Inside, the carousel horses
were moving around,

Clomping their hooves.

Their harnesses chimed
like christmas bells.

I recognized my favorite horse
right away,

The silver-gray mare.

I jumped on her back

The way I had
a hundred times before.

"Wait!"
My sister called to me,

But we were off.

My sister climbed on
a black-and-white-striped zebra

And rode after us.

The mare broke into a run
as soon as she reached the air.

Higher and higher
we flew,

Faster,
and a little more reckless.

The others galloped
close behind.

They threw back their heads
and snorted.

They started running
harder and wilder.

One stallion kicked over
a park bench.

Another sent a trash can
spinning through the air.

We both watched
for a minute.

"They're wild
because they're broken,"

My sister said.

"Maybe mom's tool kit?"
I asked.

Our mother had been someone
who could fix anything.

Her red toolbox was still kept
out in the garage,

Along with her bicycle
and some of her old clothes.

"I--i'll go,"
I said quickly.

"We'll all go,"
my sister said.

The toolbox
was covered with dust,

But the tools inside
were still shiny.

"Take good care of your tools,"
my mother had said,

"And they'll take
good care of you."

[Thunder]

Lightning flashed
close by.

A few of the horses
reared up,

Panicky, ready to bolt.

"Hurry," my sister said.
"Hurry!"

We raced back
to the park.

Thunder rumbled
all around us.

Inside the pavilion,

I worked till I had
the carousel machinery

Laid out in pieces.

At last,
I found something,

A bolt that had fallen
into the machinery.

I worked it loose
and held it up in the air.

"The carousel
will work now."

But the horses
had gone mad.

They ran wild.


Over a paper bag

Filled with leftover
lunch food,

Slashing at each other
through the air.

My sister sat tall and straight
on the zebra.

She was watching
the horses

The same way
she sometimes watched me.

Then she took out
her flute

And began to play.

She played claire de lune,

The song my mother
used to play

When we couldn't sleep
at night.

The horses moved
slower and slower,

Almost in a dance.

One by one,

They jumped up onto their places
on the carousel.

Each knew
exactly where to stand.

I buried my face
in the mare's silvery neck.

She smelled like
new-mown grass

And my mother's
old wool coat.

Father's car
was pulling into the driveway

Just as we reached
the house.

He was tired and worried.

"What were you girls
doing out so late?"

My sister and I
exchanged glances.

"We walked to the park,"
she told him.

"Your mother used to say

That the park was magical
in the rain."

He put up
his big black umbrella,

And we stood there for a minute,
all 3 of us,

Safe inside the umbrella.

For the girls
in the story,

The carousel
brought back

Memories of their mom,
who d*ed,

Someone they missed a lot.

They remembered all the things
their mother had left them--

Her laughter and music,

Her tools,
and a talent for fixing things.

These were the legacies
from their mom

That they carried
in their hearts.

How about you?
Do you have a legacy,

A treasure
that someone you loved

Left especially for you?

My grandmother
loved to sew,

And she loved to sew

These beautiful,
elaborate dresses for dolls,

And I think
she passed that on to me

Because that's one of the things
we used to do together,

And I love to do that.

My grandfather
has a love of sailing.

In fact,
he owns a sailboat,

And he's really passing down
that love of sailing to me

By teaching me
how to sail

And by taking me
sailing a lot.

My grandfather
loved to write poetry,

And he used to read his poems
to his children,

And I thought, "why don't I
try to write poetry?"

This is a picture
of my grandfather, sol kaplan,

And he was a composer
on the piano,

And he played
on a steinway baby grand,

Which I now have
and I play on.

But whenever I see
a sheet of music

Or a piano
or somebody playing on the piano

And really
enjoying themselves,

I think of my grandfather.

I get my love of reading
from my mother.

That's her legacy to me.

Every time I pick up a book,
I give my mom a nod.

A legacy
is a special gift

That a parent or friend
gives you

That stays with you
forever.

Peggy hartwell's legacy
is quiltmaking,

Passed down to her
from the women in her family.

Peggy, voice-over: I remember
first sleeping beneath a quilt

Made by someone
in my family.

It was such
a warm feeling.

Since I was always
around people sewing,

I started quilting.

It was a natural thing
for me to do.

Most of the quilts that I make
are autobiographical.

They tell a story about
something that happened
in my childhood.

Now, this is one of
my favorite quilts

Because this scene depicts
my cousin and myself

Climbing a tree.

It's reminiscent
of my childhood.

I learned to sew
as a child,

And now my grandniece jocelyn
is interested in quilting.

I've just begun
to introduce her

To my world
of thread and fabric.

Look at all these
wonderful fabrics.

What we need to do is try
and match up these 2 colors.

So do you see
anything you like?

I like this
over here.

Peggy, voice-over:
it's wonderful
sharing this with her,

Teaching her
what I know,

Watching her make
choices of her own.

Let's see how this
is going to look.

Now, you see that?

Mm-hmm.

Now, this is a good
color selection here.

So does this match
with all of these?

It matches with this,

But I think this one
is the better choice.

It goes with all
of them, right?

Yes. Mm-hmm.
See? Straight across.

Like that.

Woman: ah.
You decided, huh?

Yes. I would like to
have this cut, please.

Peggy, voice-over: quiltmaking
is everything to me.

It's a way for me
to express myself.

It is my legacy to pass on
this to jocelyn.

Use these colors...

Peggy, voice-over:
since jocee's just beginning,

I'm starting her on
a traditional patchwork quilt.

To help her understand
how colors work together,

We'll use paper squares
to represent the fabric patches.

Jocelyn:
is the fabric
the same as this?

Well, if it's not,
it would be almost
the same.

It would be
the same color.

Peggy, voice-over:
I will teach her what I know,

But I want her to feel
the freedom that I felt

So that she can express herself
in her own way.

Jocelyn: I like to
not just buy things from stores,

But I like to do things
by hand

And say,
"well, I did this myself,

And I didn't buy it."

Peggy, voice-over:
I will show her the technique,

But she is so bright
and so creative

That she will take it
beyond the technique.

Does it look
like fall to you?

It is very important
for me

To pass on quiltmaking
to jocelyn

Because I feel that
I'm passing on a tradition

That goes way back
in my family.

When the sisters
in my family

Get together
around my mother's table,

We have such a grand
old time.

Today we had


My mother is the oldest,

And jocelyn
is the youngest.

Woman: this is pretty.

There's too many
dark colors over here.

When we get together,

We try to pick out
fabrics.

In this case,
today what we did was

We had many
different fabrics

As far as colors
are concerned.

Peggy:
this is not good.

Jocelyn:
how about this one?

That looks better.

This is my personal
piece of fabric.

Woman:
oh, that's beautiful.

It reminds me
of springtime.

Jocee,
did you bring a piece?

I brought this.

It reminds me of a baby's
birthday party

With the bears
and the balloons,

With the little puppy
inside of the present box.

Oh, yes.
That's beautiful.
It's very colorful.

Where would you like
to put it?

Right here.

Ok. That's perfect there.

Peggy, voice-over: to sit
with the women in my family

And create a quilt

Is such a fulfilling
feeling.

It's one
of total togetherness,

Like one person
making a quilt.

Jocelyn:
should that be there
and this be here,

Or should that be here
and that be there?

Peggy:
leave that there,

But something needs
to happen down here.

Peggy, voice-over:
when I think of my family,
I think of one big canvas.

I think of each relative
as a separate quilt

Or a separate painting.

What we do is art.

That doesn't look
too bad.

Peggy, voice-over:
my whole family has been
very inspirational to me.

I feel that I'm passing on
a tradition

That goes way back
in my family.

Wouldn't you feel good
if you got up
in the morning

And you were covered
with the quilt
that you made?

Mm-hmm.

That would
make you feel great.

Peggy, voice-over:
my secret wish

Is that jocee will
teach her daughter

As my mother and grandmother
taught me.

She'll be a part
of a beautiful tradition.

This carousel was built
over 80 years ago

By a master carver
who lived right here
in brooklyn, new york.

He's gone now,
but his work is still creating
wonderful memories

For all of us
who ride his carousel.

Now, whenever I ride
a carousel,

I have some
pretty serious rules.

First, I have to be
in the outside ring.

That's where all of the horses
ride like the wind.

Now for my horse.

I always have to choose my horse
very carefully.

Some people like a prancer,
like this one;

Or a stander,
like this deer.

Now, they're nice to look at,

But pretty tame
as far as I'm concerned.

I like a jumper.

A jumper is a horse
that goes up and down
while the carousel spins,

And this one, well,
she's a beauty.

Just look at her carvings
and decorations.

Even standing still,
you can tell she's
a fantastic ride.

Hey, let's take her
for a solo flight

Before everybody gets here.

Hey, lucio,
can I take her for a spin?

[Ding]

[Carousel music playing]

Thanks, lucio.
Great ride!

A carousel can be
an important part
of the community

And is a place that has
special meaning

For the artists
who created it.

This empty carousel house
stands in the community
of harlem, new york city.

Soon, it will be filled
with jumping, prancing animals.

Artist milo mottola is bringing
this unique carousel to life

With a little help
from the neighborhood kids.

Milo, voice-over:
I conducted many workshops

At schools in harlem.

I would ride in
on a sponge rubber
costume horse...

[Milo imitates
a horse's snort]

Hi, everybody.
My name's milo.

Class: hi, milo.

Milo, voice-over:
and ask them if they would
help me build a carousel.

I'm going to make
one of these carousels--
another carousel--

But I can't do it alone.
I need your help.

Will you help me?

Milo, voice-over:
and then I would set up these
what I call work stations,

Which are basically a collage

Of 30 different pictures
of an elephant

And 30 different views
of a lion, and so on.

...monkeys,
and elephants.

What I'd like you
to do is go around
and find an animal

That you'd like to draw,

And use that
to inspire you
for your picture.

Or else you could
use an animal
from your imagination.

Milo, voice-over:
working with the kids was
very enjoyable for me.

What I would try to inspire
is a beautiful drawing

That's not inhibited
by a sense of, like,

Oh, that doesn't look like
the animal.

What I'm really looking for
is an image that inspires me

To sculpt it

And go through all
the various processes necessary

Into making it
into a ridable carousel figure.

The winners
of the carousel contest,

Whose figures I use
on the carousel,

Get free rides forever.

Each of the drawings
that I chose for the carousel

Were projected
onto a huge foam board

And then traced very carefully.

I lay the big slab of foam
with the kid's drawing
on a table,

And I cut it out
with a jigsaw.

After I cut out the figure
with the jigsaw,

Then I have to break off
the pieces that I don't want

To reveal the shape
of the animal.

The foam is
a very soft material,

And it won't support the weight
of a kid or an adult,

So I just use a piece of pipe.

That actually supports
the weight of a person
riding on the carousel.

I actually end up
cutting out 2 pieces

And sandwiching the pipe
in between.

This gives it
the support it needs

And allows it to be mounted
on the carousel.

Now we're ready
to actually get into
the sculpting part

Of the process.

This is the part
I enjoy the most.

You shave away the pieces
you don't want

To reveal the image
within the foam,

And it's quite a bit of fun,
just going back and forth

And cutting off pieces
of this material.

The figure is revealed
almost instantly,

And that's something I like.

One thing that's important
to remember

Is that this is
a work in progress,

But even at this point,
you begin to see

The personality come through.

My workshop is a fun
and wacky place to be for me

Because it's filled
with all these carousel figures

In various stages
of completion,

So everywhere I look,
there's some wonderful thing

Around each corner.

A carousel like this takes
about a year to build,

And I'm about halfway done
right now.

To my knowledge,

There's never been a carousel
designed by kids.

It'll be up forever,

And the kids will come back
and bring their grandchildren

And ride the figure
that they drew.

That carousel is a legacy

That the children of harlem
will share with the community.

Their children will ride
the carousel,

And their children's
children will, too.

It's a gift that
will be passed on
to each new generation.

Well, here are 3 gifts
that I'll share with you,

And like the carousel,
these stories will spin you

Into magical journeys
you'll want to take
over and over again,

But you don't have to take
my word for it.

Hi. Here's a beautiful
and touching story

About a girl and her love
for her grandma.

Let me tell you more
about this book,

The long silk strand.

One day, yasuyo notices
that grandma is taking
strands of silk

And tying them together.

Each strand of silk is
a memory.

As the days pass,
the ball gets bigger and bigger.

One morning,
yasuyo's mom tells her

That grandma d*ed
in her sleep.

Yasuyo is brokenhearted,

But she has an adventure
that brings her grandma to her

In a magical way.

My name is kaye estioco.

I loved this book.

It helped me understand

That even when
someone you love dies,

You can keep them with you
in your heart.

Hi. My name is matthew,
and I just read a book called

The always prayer shawl.

It describes
how things are passed down

From generation to generation.

This story is about
a young jewish boy
who grew up in russia,

But there was a w*r in russia,

And adam had to move
to a different country.

His grandfather gave him
a prayer shawl

To remember him by.

When adam grew up,
he put on his prayer shawl
every saturday.

When adam grew old,
he gave his prayer shawl
to his grandson.

This book was very well written,

And the pictures made me feel
like I was really there.

I really liked this book,
and I think you will, too.

Do you have a memory
of a carousel ride?

Well, this story
will make you feel

Like you're
on the back
of a painted pony.

It's called
up and down on
the merry-go-round.

This book is a poem
about a carousel.

The painted horses
are beautiful,

But that's not all.

See? There's a prancing pig.

Look at that dancing bear.

The music of the carousel
rings out:

♪ Oom-pa-pa, oom-pa-pa,
oom-pa-pa, oom-pa-pa ♪

I'm rashad,
and I recommend

You go gliding,
striding, and riding

To find this book,

Up and down on
the merry-go-round.

Well, it's almost time
to open up.

You know,
a carousel is a circle.

It has no beginning
and no end,

And a legacy
is like that, too,

Whether it's a special memory,
a talent, or a way of life

That's passed
from one person to another

Or one generation to another.

And if you're lucky enough
to receive a legacy,

Well, then you'll have
a chance to pass it along

And keep the circle going.

[Bell rings]

Yay!

Woman: come on,
everyone.

Child: dad!
Look! Dad!

Come on, everybody!
Come on in!
Find a seat!

Hey, are you two looking
for a horse to ride?

Have I got
a horse for you.

Why don't I pass along
my favorite horse

To this little girl
right here?

Ok. Here we go.

[Ding]

See you next time.

[Carousel music playing]

Today's reading rainbow books
are:

The carousel,
by liz rosenberg,

Illustrated
by jim lamarche,

Published by harcourt
brace & company;

The long silk strand:
a grandmother's legacy
to her granddaughter,

By laura e. Williams,

Illustrated
by grace bochak,

Published by boyds mills press;

The always prayer shawl,
by sheldon oberman,

Illustrated by ted lewin,

Published by boyds mills press;

Up and down
on the merry-go-round,

By bill martin jr.
And john archambault,

Illustrated by ted rand,

Published by henry holt
and company.