There are obviously many things that we feel nostalgic about now that we’ve come of age, but it’s hard to find something that brings us back to the wonder and joy we felt as children quite like suddenly seeing a character from Sesame Street .
And while part of that has to do with the fact the show has been beloved for generations, it also helps that its spent most of its time on the air trying to make special memories for as wide a variety of children as possible.
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So while it was hard not to feel weirded out and kind of amused when a very expensive Big Bird costume was stolen , it’s understandable that we would feel re-invested all over again when we learned that the costume has actually been returned with an honestly adorable apology note.
Back in April, a traveling circus known as the Sesame Street Circus Spectacular was touring Australia.
And among its collection of instantly recognizable costumes was this sophisticated Big Bird suit, which the Australian Broadcasting Company reported cost the equivalent of $120,000 because it was specially made in New York from ostrich feathers.
And for a time, that value was suspected to be a major motivation for a group of thieves who ran away with the costume on April 18.
Although they left a trail of feathers while they were making their escape, Insider reported that police weren’t able to apprehend all three suspects until mid-July after security footage showed a female accomplice traveling with two men who had been captured in late June.
But before any of that took place, circus director Keith Brown would suddenly discover that he had his Bird Bird back.
Just two days after the incident, two men were spotted running from the circus early in the morning.
And when the circus was searched, the Big Bird costume was found leaning against an electrical box with all of its sound and electrical equipment intact.
As Brown said, “Yesterday, the telephones didn’t stop. I think this is the only reason that we got the costume back, because everybody’s got behind us.”
Curiously, the two men confirmed their involvement in the theft with a note they left behind, saying, “We had no idea what we were doing, or what our actions would cause.”
Judging by this note, it seems that the costume’s value was unknown to them and that they stole it simply to cheer themselves up during a rough period in their lives.
But of course, the most endearing part comes near the end, where they wrote, “We had a great time with Mr. Bird, he’s a great guy and no harm came to our friend. Sorry to be such a big birden.”
Yet while they weren’t arrested for that pun, the trio behind the incident now face charges for theft and for unlawfully being on-premises. So it looks like their tough times aren’t over quite yet.
h/t: Insider
