Friends to the Rescue Friends to the Rescue is a " Sesame Street " home video release that originally aired as a series of five episodes in 2001 . These episodes were edited together , removing all inserts , and a number of Street scenes . The Story of the Hurricane . The story begins with Big Bird and Gordon conversing on and about a windy day . They are soon interrupted by a Muppet farmer on the street , who remarks that his chickens quack and his sheep do the cha - cha whenever there is a hurricane . They walk to Hooper ' s Store , where the entire cast is congregated around the television set for a special weather bulletin . Kermit the Frog appears on Sesame Street News Flash to announce the hurricane , before cutting to Al Roker posed in front of a weather map . Telly Monster and Elmo fret about the news , but the human characters detail ways in which they can prepare . Kermit and Al Roker are on location , explaining ways the presence of a hurricane can be noticed . They are soon interrupted by the Muppet farmer seen previously . Kermit interviews Luis and Maria about ways they are preparing for the hurricane . Afterwards , he interviews Alan and Baby Bear , then Elmo and Zoe about the ways they are contributing and cooperating . Big Bird ' s friends help him prepare for the hurricane by helping him place his possessions in a toy chest . Gordon then informs Big Bird that he cannot stay in his nest , and must be indoors during the storm . Oscar the Grouch expresses his pleasure about the weather to Gordon and Bob . They insist that Oscar will need to come inside , but he reluctantly agrees only after his pet Slimey is nearly blown away . They end up carrying his trash can inside , with great difficulty . As evening approaches , Telly and Gabi look out at the storm through their windows . Indoors , Luis and Maria share fish sticks with a pair of penguins . Gina and Zoe converse with each other . Bob is frazzled both by Oscar demanding more peanuts for the elephants in his trash can , and a host of monsters playing a hurricane song on his piano . Meanwhile , Susan gives Big Bird a birdseed milkshake . Susan , Gordon , Miles , and Big Bird are sitting out the hurricane when the lights flicker and go out . Nevertheless , they manage to entertain themselves by playing games and telling a story with flashlights . Big Bird remains worried about his nest , and cannot fall asleep . He walks into Gordon and Susan ' s bedroom and climbs into their bed . The hurricane of the previous day has ended . The human cast begin sweeping and cleaning outside . The camera pans to the stoop of 123 Sesame Street , where Big Bird and Gordon comment on the damage . Big Bird wonders what has happened to his nest . Big Bird walks with Gordon over to his nest . The doors have been blown down , and debris is scattered everywhere , with only Radar and Mr . Hooper ' s picture left intact . Big Bird mourns the loss of his nest and cries , while Gordon comforts him . The human characters are now congregated in Big Bird ' s Nest , surveying the damage and helping clean it up . Big Bird remains mournful , reminiscing about " my nest , my home . " He is assured that his nest can be fixed , but time and effort will be required for that to happen . Luis draws and shows Big Bird a picture of where the doors to his nest will go . Mr . Snuffleupagus walks by and discusses the hurricane with Big Bird . He is sad about the damage , but happy that the storm couldn ' t blow away his friends . While sifting through the debris , Maria comes across a large feathered hat . Big Bird lets her know that it isn ' t his , but a lavender Anything Muppet walks by and gratefully claims it as her own . Snuffy offers to help Big Bird clean up , suggesting that that ' s what best friends are for , and they exchange a hug . We return to Big Bird and Snuffy . Big Bird remarks that it is time to sing " The Alphabet Song " . Gabi and Miles find Big Bird ' s alphabet sign , albeit in two pieces . They reassemble it , and everyone sings the song in accompaniment . Snuffy goes home afterwards to get a Snuffle Snack . Big Bird is hungry himself , but cannot go to his nest for a birdseed snack . Fortunately , Alan intervenes and invites him over to Hooper ' s Store for the same purpose . Big Bird is enjoying his birdseed milkshake in Hooper ' s Store . Elmo and Baby Bear walk in , and Baby Bear shows a picture he drew of his family during the hurricane , in which Goldilocks stayed with them . The characters then sing a lullaby to Big Bird , who promptly falls asleep in the store . Baby Bear and Elmo fall asleep as well , leaving Alan the only one awake . The next morning Big Bird moves to the window to see how the work on his nest is progressing , but is disappointed . To feel better , he decides to draw a picture of himself sitting in his nest . Big Bird compliments Gordon and Susan about dinner and suggests playing with flashlights again . To be prepared for future hurricanes , Telly wears a raincoat , carries all sorts of equipment on him , and has devised an " early - warning system " whereby a hurricane is anticipated whenever his pinwheel turns . Gina is skeptical . As the cast clean up , Big Bird critiques the location of items . They then decide to take a break . Big Bird remains emotional : He expresses anger at the hurricane for wrecking his home ( yelling back in the process ) , and is still sad about the damage . Luis and Maria invite him to stay with them for the night . Telly soon walks into the scene , hysterical in anticipation about another hurricane . Gina explains that his " hurricane - detecting " pinwheel moves only because he waves it around , and there is no such storm coming . Big Bird reminisces about his nest at Luis ' and Maria ' s dinner table , leading to a flashback . Luis gets him a hot plate of sunflower seed souffle . As Big Bird gets ready for bed , he talks to Luis about more memories they ' ve had , such as when Luis hatched a baby Honker in Big Bird ' s Nest , and a friend of his sang " A Little Bit " to a duck . Gabi offers to sleep with Big Bird . Luis and Maria go to bed , exhausted from the previous day ' s work . After they turn out the light , Big Bird walks in to share more memories , including Telly delivering a message from him to Zoe , and Elmo and Ruthie engaged in a sleepover dance . He then invites Luis and Maria to engage in a sleepover dance themselves , although they politely decline . Gabi checks on Big Bird to see how he is doing . He sings " That Good Old Nest of Mine , " with more flashbacks . He looks forward to creating new memories when his new nest is ready , and they turn out the light . Big Bird comments to Radar and the viewer on how the street has been cleaned up and Mr . Snuffleupagus comes along and tells him that Luis says it ' s OK to go home . Big Bird compliments Luis on the new doors to his nest . They believe it to be strong , but Telly has his doubts . The Big Bad Wolf from Huff , Huff , and Puff Construction comes along to test the doors . They hold up very well , but Telly himself gets blown away . After a few finishing the touches on the mailbox , Luis and Maria show Big Bird his newly - cleaned and repaired nest area . A new crisis arises , however , when Big Bird reveals that he doesn ' t know how to build a nest . Big Bird mulls about how to build a nest . I . M . Pig and his two associates from the architectural firm of Pig , Pig , and Pig approach him , however , and solicit ideas for a nest . They then suggest variously ambitious ideas while leading themselves in a song , but as Big Bird reasons , " All I really want is a home . " The three pig architects unveil models of three nests , made respectively out of straws , sticks , and bricks . Two of the models are accidentally blown away . Big Bird is dissatisfied by all of them ; out of spite , the pigs suggest that he should have a bird design it , and storm out to build a new structure . Big Bird hits upon the idea of calling up his granny . Big Bird calls up Granny Bird . She offers to fly over and build her grandson a new nest , but cautions that it would take three weeks for her to get there . For building a nest of his own , she offers simple advice : " Get twigs . " Afterward , he and Maria leave to do just that . The various human and Muppet characters walk into the nest area carrying sticks they ' ve collected . After enough material has been gathered , Rosita and Maria ask Big Bird how to build the nest , but he still doesn ' t think he knows how . Alan suggests that that they simply need to take things one twig at a time , and they all join in on " Twig by Twig . " Even Oscar contributes by donating mud . Elmo leaves near the end of the scene to feed his goldfish , Dorothy . Big Bird ' s Nest is nearly complete , when I . M . Pig comes by to critique the work . He is impressed , and even invites Big Bird to join his firm . Big Bird ' s nest - building work continues the next day , with sticks and mud being applied under Big Bird ' s supervision . He calls up Granny Bird to ask when he should stop building . Her answer : " The final twig . " Big Bird leads the cast in a song , and a child promptly finds the twig to use . Mr . Snuffleupagus has arrived , and the cast hold balloons to celebrate the completion of the nest . Just as Big Bird is about to step into it , however , a whistle blows and the Big Bad Wolf emerges on the spot under the guise of " City Nest Inspector . " He inspects the nest and notes that the mud is still wet . As a consequence he cautions that the nest is unsafe , places a " CLOSED " sign on it , and instructs Big Bird to call him back when the mud dries . Big Bird is upset about the prospect of having to sleep out of his nest for yet another day , when Snuffy suggests that he can help . He takes a deep breath , and with a rush of hot air from his snuffle the nest is soon dry . Big Bird telephones the Big Bad Wolf , who is surprised by how quickly he is called to reinspect the nest . After blowing his way in ( to the unfortunate consequence of Telly ) , the wolf declares the nest dry , and his hurricane test confirms its safety and wind resistance . After placing a new " OPEN " sign on the nest , he inquires how they managed to dry the nest so quickly . To answer him Mr . Snuffleupagus blows him away , highly impressing the wolf , who invites him to join his line of work . With his nest complete , Big Bird is ready to step in . He notes how everyone ' s friendship and cooperation helped speed the process dramatically , and sings " Thank You for Being a Friend . " His friends , in turn , are equally thankful back . Big Bird notes that Radar is missing , but fortunately his teddy bear is immediately found and presented to him . With the last complication resolved , Big Bird sits in his nest , thankful to be home . Now happily situated in his nest , Big Bird reads a bedtime story about the hurricane to Radar . He falls asleep .