King of Eight

King of Eight (or King of 8) is a 1970 stop-motion animated short film produced, created, and animated for Sesame Street by Jim Henson. It features an animated king (voiced by Jim Henson) named The King of 8. He lives in a land where everything exists in denominations of the number eight. The opening narration lines are spoken by William (Rosko) Mercer.

The narration lines go like this:

Narrator: Once upon a time in the Land of 8, there was a castle very great. And eight flags were waving in the air. For the King of 8 had put them there.

After the narration lines, the King of 8 opens the castle door and reveals himself towards the camera and screen.

The King (the King of 8), speaking in jazzy rhyme, presents an inventory of his domain - eight flags, eight guards (who each call out their number as they appear one by one during the count), eight windows on the castle, and eight princesses. The princesses (in the lyrics) say their numbers after the King says that in the windows lives his daughters and then tells them to show themselves. The princesses (one by one during the count) appear and they (one by one) call out their numbers as they come out. Each princess have a silver with eight jewels on it. One of the princesses (the blonde princess; revealing to either be Princess #3 or Princess #6) appears. It reveals to be Princess #3 or Princess #6 as both of them are the two princesses out of eight to have blonde hair and red walls for their bedroom windows in the castle. She then lowers her head so both herself and her other seven sisters (for the eight total princesses) can count the jewels on her crown. After the princesses count the 8 jewels on the princess's crown, an interruption (announcement) is made by the court jester (also voiced by Henson). He informs his majesty of an unexpected addition (to the King of 8 and his family) which serves as the punchline and it is about the Queen (the King of 8's wife). The important news is that she (the Queen) has a new baby. It reveals to be a 9th child (princess) for the King of 8's family.

The ending is spoken like this:

Jester: The important news comes from the Queen, a new baby! And I have seen, that she is well and doing fine.
King: Good grief! That's princess number nine!

The King of 8 gets surprised when he says this ("GOOD GRIEF! That's princess number nine!").

As a result of the fact that the king soon is having a 9th child (Princess #9), the number 8 on the exterior front top of the castle falls down to the ground (destroying the castle). Then the exterior (which has the number "8" on it) unfatally crushes the court jester.

References

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