A Cartoon Date

In memory

Jerry Nelson - the voice of the Count von Count

July 10, 1934 - Aug. 23, 2012

His elegant deep lavender nose curved down his elegant lavender face. 

Black eyebrows were knitted together wondering about his blind date 

this evening. Count von Count was wearing his favourite and most elegant cape with purple silk lining, his top hat perched rakishly on his head, and his silver headed cane ready to point and count. 

Ah Ah Ah AAh! How many restaurants would they dine in? 

one restaurant?

two restaurants? 

three restaurants?  

Ooh, if his blind date ate too much she would look like Miss Piggy before the Jane Fonda Workout tapes that she used! Maybe he was supposed to be blind?  He was so nervous!

And then he saw her. Her delicate mauve skin graced with a gently curving nose and shiny satin-black hair. Her cape – ah, her cape – it was as fine and elegant as his own. Black and lined with the same mauve silk.

One cape!  

Two capes 

Ah Ah Ah AAh!

She also wore a black silk top hat and gracefully carried a silver headed cane.  

One top hat!

Two top hats!

One cane!

Two canes!

Ah Ah Ah AAh!

They would be perfect together. They could count together.  

He just knew that she could count. “Let me introduce myself. I am the Count von Count!” He bowed low. Low enough, so she could not see his lavender skin flush to a deep plum.  

“And I,” she said, "am the Countess.”  

"How many restaurants we are going to?”  

One restaurant?

Two restaurants?  

Three restaurants?

Four restaurants?  

Her squeaky Muppet voice tinkled in his pointy lavender ears.  

At last someone to count with. 

“Well my dear, we will go to

one restaurant

two restaurants

and then to the Petting Zoo 
where we can count all the animals.  
We will count 

fourteen goats

two alpacas and

many, many rabbits.  Ah Ah Ah AAh!

After that we will go to the train station. The old train station."  

“Ooh, the old train station! Can I guess what we will do there?”  The countess laughed and laughed "Ah Ah Ah AAh!"

“Yes, my dear. You have 

one guess

two guesses

three guesses”  

“One guess - we will ride on one train.”

"No. No. No."

Two guesses - we will buy two tickets to ride on one train.

"No. No. No."

"Three guesses – we will sit on 

one park bench where we can see 

one train, hold our 

two hands and 

count all of the cars on every train coming in!"

"Yes! Yes! Yes!"

"Ah Ah Ah AAh!       Ah Ah Ah AAh!"

As the evening darkened and settled quietly, all that could be heard in the surrounding town was a faint train whistle and ‘Ah Ah Ah AAh!’ floating on the warm summer’s breeze. The Count and the Countess counted the train cars until it was too dark to see and the evening had faded to black. 

*****

Thanks Jerry!  You infused the Count's character with your wonderful gift of voice!

“The human voice is the organ of the soul.”

~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow