海角大神

The gentlest of giants is taking his final bow.

Caroll Spinney, better known as Big Bird, is retiring this week from 鈥淪esame Street.鈥� His last day of filming is today 鈥� for the 50th anniversary episodes of the show.

Mr. Spinney, who also played Oscar the Grouch 鈥� fan of all things dirty, dingy, and dusty 鈥� has been with the show from the very beginning, when he was recruited by creator and visionary Jim Henson. It was Spinney鈥檚 idea to make Big Bird a child, who would learn alongside the children watching TV. The sweet nature of the flightless yellow bird with the big orange feet became the soul of the show.

鈥淏ig Bird has always had the biggest heart on 鈥楽esame Street,鈥� and that鈥檚 Caroll鈥檚 gift to us,鈥� Jeffrey Dunn, the president and chief executive of Sesame Workshop, told .

As the sobbing audiences of grown-ups who turned 鈥淲on鈥檛 You Be My Neighbor?鈥� into the biggest bio-documentary of all time this summer know, a childlike spirit and unfailing kindness are rare and worth celebrating. Fred Rogers and Spinney were both puppeteers who thought children鈥檚 feelings were important and worth protecting.

So thank you, on behalf of generations of kids, for a half-century of sunny days.

Now, for our five stories of the day.