Alexander Has A Good Day (1969)

[Music] [Applause] [Music] It's morning. Time for Alexander to get up. He had a good rest. Now, he can begin the day. And Alexander always has a good day. Skipper is up, too. He's Alexander's dog. Now, why would a dog wear a sailor's cap? Well, just take a look at Alexander's room. [Music] Alexander wants to be a sailor when he grows up, and Skipper is his first mate. Skipper is a master who takes good care of him. And care of himself, too. Takes time to make sure he's neat and clean. He always combs his hair. Sometimes it's hard to do. But the most important health habit Alexander has learned is to eat a good breakfast every morning. For energy. [Music] He needs energy to get to school and to learn his lessons. Ah, it's the beginning of another good day for Alexander. And mother is so proud of him. But it wasn't always a good day for Alexander. Why, mother remembers a time, not too long ago, when Alexander never had a good day. Why, Skipper had to get him out of bed every morning. [Music] Poor Alexander, never had time to do anything in the morning. Never had time to wash. [Music] Never had time to eat his breakfast. [Music] Never had time to listen to his parents. They wondered what kind of a sailor Alexander would be. Probably a very small, tired one. Or maybe a mean man of the sea, cranky and dirty. Alexander was impossible. He would trudge along to school, walking as slowly as a snail. [Music] His friends would have a good day, skipping and jumping along on their way to school. Alexander never could do that. No energy. Alexander was too tired. Oh-oh. Join the Navy. Oh, if Alexander only could. This was his fondest dream. What adventures he might have. He might harpoon a whale. Or use a telescope. Or discover his very own island. [Music] Always daydreaming about being a sailor. He thought of nothing else. Not even a traffic light. Or a car. Watch out, Alexander. That was a close one. Alexander was never careful. And it seemed he never learned. He daydreamed in school, too. Sometimes he imagined Miss Fisher, his teacher, as the captain of a big ship, a ship sailing to Africa, or maybe Japan. Do you wonder why Alexander never had a good day in school? Miss Fisher felt sorry for him. She thought, "How can he have a good day? He never gets proper rest, good food, or learns his lessons." No one liked to listen to him read because he did such a poor job. Why, he even had trouble writing his name. Of course, it is rather long. But he could have done it if he had really tried. [Music] And when Miss Fisher asked a question, most everyone knew the answer. Except Alexander. He never had a good day. [Laughter] And what did Alexander do after school? Did he play, study, read? No. He had just enough energy after dinner to watch television. One night, Alexander was so tired and sleepy that he didn't even know what program he was watching. It looked like a little boy on a raft. He had to blink to make sure. His eyes could hardly stay open. Why, it was a little boy. It was Alexander, shipwrecked and all alone on the ocean. Look, an island. Never before had Alexander seen such a place. Health Land. What kind of a place was Health Land? It was here he met Captain Goodlife, a fine man who knew all about the things that make up a good day. Captain Goodlife had many sailors under his command. And they were all bright and healthy. They were learning all the things that made up a good day. Doing their work well was part of a good day. Some painted the ship, while others swabbed the deck. Being safe was part of a good day. [Music] Getting plenty of rest was part of a good day. And they certainly got more rest than Alexander. And when the bosun's whistle blew in the morning, the sailors jumped out of bed to begin their day promptly. Neatness was part of their day. And cleanliness was part of their day. They ate in the largest dining room Alexander had ever seen. The sailors all began their day with a good breakfast. Going to school was part of their day, too. A school for sailors? Yes. Here they learned problems about ships and the sea. They learned how to keep a log, a record of everything that happens on a ship. Alexander never studied this hard in school. After school, the sailors had time for play and exercise. Fun was part of their day, too. The gym in Health Land had almost everything, from a large swimming pool to ropes for climbing. When Alexander tried it, it was hard for him to climb up, but easy for him to get down. [Music] A sailor and the captain helped Alexander up. The captain said he was a good sport. When it was time to go, Alexander didn't want to leave. He had spent a good day in Health Land. But he knew he had to go back to his parents, to Skipper, and to school. [Music] Where was Alexander now? Watching television? Yes. Why, it must have been It was. Alexander's visit to Health Land was only a dream. But Alexander still hated the idea of going to bed. Couldn't he remember what he learned in Health Land? [Music] But the next morning, he did wake up by himself. A good way to start the day. Now, he had more time to eat breakfast. But he still hadn't bothered to comb his hair. [Music] But mother and dad were pleased that at least Alexander was eating a good breakfast. And good food gave him more energy, energy that always helps to start a good day. Safety is part of a good day, too. But he But he still daydreamed in school. [Music] But the next day he didn't, and he missed only one arithmetic problem. Miss Fisher couldn't believe it. Was Alexander improving? Alexander even did well at show and tell. He showed how a sailor swabs the deck, how a sailor salutes an officer. Little by little Alexander's days began to get better. He played with his friends every day after school. What fun Alexander began to have. At dinner he would tell his parents what he did in school during the day. At last it seemed that every day was a good day for Alexander. Now after a busy day, he's always ready for a good night's rest. Because a good night's rest is the best way to start another good day.