Mary Mary Quite Contrary walks along Sesame Street and dumps a pile of dirt outside Oscar’s trash can. Gordon explains that she can not leave the dirt; she is making a mess! Mary Mary insists that she is going to grow a garden with silver bells and cockle shells. Gordon tries to tell her that silver bells and cockleshells aren’t alive. Gardens need to have things growing in them, like vegetables, fruits or flowers. Mary Mary decides she will grow flowers in her garden by using dirt, sun, and water.
Later, Alan and Gina walk by Oscar’s trashcan and comment on the beautiful garden. But Oscar doesn’t like it! He wants Mary Mary to move her garden.
As Mary Mary plants more flowers, Oscar decides to have his elephant, Fluffy squirt water at her. Maybe that will get her to move? But as Mary Mary explains, the water helps her flowers to grow. Oscar doesn’t know what to do! He sends over Hairy Hairy, from the Grouch nursery rhyme, with stinky weeds and moldy seeds and three pigs, but even that doesn’t get rid of Mary Mary and her garden. Suddenly, Oscar changes his mind. He likes the horrible smell from the stinky weeds and loud noises from the pigs. It’s a Grouch paradise! Mary Mary finds this out and decides to move the garden. She likes to be contrary and do the opposite of whatever anyone wants her to do. Mary Mary moves her garden while Gordon happily cleans up the remaining dirt!
