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Mariska Hargitay: Hi, everyone, and welcome to the Easter Roll.
I'm Mariska and I want to read you one of my favorite books
ever, it's called, Oh, the Places You'll Go by Dr. Seuss.
Do you have Dr. Seuss at your house?
He's one of my favorites.
You do?
Is it okay if I read it to you?
Thank you.
Okay.
Oh, the Places You'll Go, by Dr. Seuss.
"Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You're off to great places, you're off and away.
You have brains in your head and you have feet in your shoes, and
you can steer yourself in any direction you choose.
You're on your own.
And you know what you know, and you're the guy who'll decide
where to go.
You'll look up and down streets; now look them over with care.
About some you'll say, "I don't choose to go there."
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.
And you may not find any that you'll want to go down, and in
that case, of course, you'll head straight out of town.
It's opener there, in wide open air.
Out there things can happen, and they frequently do, to people as
brainy and footsy as you.
And when things start to happen, don't worry, don't stew, just go
right along and you'll start happening, too.
August, are you going to help me?
Oh, the places you'll go.
You'll be on your way up!
You'll be seeing great sights!
You'll join the high fliers who will soar to high heights.
You won't lag behind because you'll have the speed, you'll
pass the whole gang and soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you'll be best of the best, and wherever you
go, you will top all the rest.
Except when you don't, because sometimes you won't.
I'm sorry to say, but sadly it's true, the ***-ups and hang-ups
can happen to you.
You'll get all hung up in a prickly perch and your gang will
fly on, you'll be left in a lurch.
You'll come down from the lurch with an unpleasant bump, and
chances are then that you'll be in a slump.
And when you're in a slump you're not in for much fun
because unslumping yourself is not easily done."
What happened?
Okay.
This will be a challenge.
Okay.
That's right.
Will you help me?
Come on, little lady.
Do you want to help me?
"You'll come to a place where the streets are not marked --"
Here, do you want to sit down, baby?
Come sit over here.
Here.
Come here, pretty.
There you go, lovey.
You okay?
Okay.
"You'll come to a place where the streets are not marked.
Some windows are lighted but mostly they're darked."
Here.
Thank you, I've got my assistant, it couldn't be better.
"A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin!
Do you dare to stay out?
Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose?
How much can you win?
And if you go in, should you turn left or right?
Or right and three quarters?
Or, maybe, not quite?
Or go back around and sneak in from behind?
Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find, for a
mind-maker-upper to make up her mind."
Hello.
Are you going to help me?
"You'll get so confused that you'll start in to race down
long wiggled roads at break-necking pace.
And grind on for miles across weirdish wild space, headed, I
fear, for the most useless place, the waiting place."
Could they turn that down?
"Waiting place for people just waiting.
August Hermann: Mama, he's waiting for the phone to ring.
Mariska Hargitay: That's right.
"Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come or a plane to go or
the mail to come or the rain to go or the phone to ring or the
snow to snow.
Or waiting around for a yes or a no, or waiting --
August Hermann: Hey, mama, somebody's in there and he's --
Mariska Hargitay: That's right -- "are waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone one is just, what are they doing?
Ausidence: Waiting.
Mariska Hargitay: Yeah.
"Waiting for a fish to bite or waiting for the wind to fly a
kite, or waiting around for a Friday night or perhaps for
their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil or a better break or a
string of pearls or a pair of jeans or a wig with curls, or a
pair of pants, or maybe they're waiting for another chance.
Everyone, they're just waiting.
But oh, no, that's not for you!"
August Hermann: Oh, no, that's not for you.
Mariska Hargitay: Somehow you'll escape all the waiting and
staying, you'll find bright places where boom bands are playing.
August Hermann: Boom bands playing.
Mariska Hargitay: That's right, August.
"With banner flip-flapping, once more you'll ride high!
Ready for anything under the sky, because you're that kind of guy!
Oh, the places you'll go!
There's fun to be done!
There's points to be scored.
There are games to be won.
And the magical things you can do with that ball will make you
the winningest winner of all.
Fame!
You'll be famous as famous can be, and with the whole world
watching you win on TV.
Except when they don't, because sometimes they won't.
I'm afraid that some times you'll play lonely games, too.
Games you can't win because you'll play against you.
All alone!
Whether you like it or not, alone will be something that
you'll be quite a lot.
And when you're alone there's a very good chance that you'll
meet things that scare you right out of your pants."
August Hermann: Yeah.
Mariska Hargitay: "There are some down the road between hither and
yon that can scare you so much you don't want to go on.
But on you will go, though the weather be foul, and on you will
go though your enemies prowl, and on you will go though the
Hakken-Kraks howl, onward up many a frightening creek."
August, sit down lovely love.
Sit down, baby love.
"Though your hands may get sore and your sneakers may leak.
On and on you will hike, and I know that you'll hike far, and
face up to your problems, whatever they are."
August, put your hand -- "You'll get mixed up, of course, as you
already know, you'll get mixed up with so many strange birds as
you go.
So be sure when you step that you step with great care and
great tact "-- Okay, shh, thank you.
Thank you, I love that.
Thank you.
"And remember that life's a great balancing act.
Just never forget to be dextrous or deft, and never mix up your
right foot with your left.
And you will succeed, yes, you will indeed, 98 and three
quarters percent guaranteed.
Kid, you're gonna move mountains!
So, whether your name be Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ali
Van Allen O'Shea, you're off to great places!
So today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting, so, you're on your way!"
Whew!
(cheers and applause)
Mariska Hargitay: Thank you.