Twelve Days of Christmas

as performed by (in order)

Cookie Monster (Frank Oz), Hardhead Henry Harris (Roscoe Orman aka Gordon)
Prairie Dawn (Fran Brill), Grover (Frank Oz), Bert (Frank Oz)
Ernie (Jim Henson), Oscar the Grouch (Carroll Spinney)
The Count Von Count (Jerry Nelson), Big Bird (Carroll Spinney)
Smart Tina (Sonia Manzano aka Maria), Herry Monster (Jerry Nelson)
and Aloysius Snuffleupagus (Martin P. Robinson/Bryant Young)

additions to newer version

Elmo (Kevin Clash) and Telly Monster (Martin P. Robinson)

original version from the album "Merry Christmas from Sesame Street"
new version (changes in brackets) from "A Sesame Street Christmas"

spoken parts in these brackets []

Cookie Monster: On the first day of Christmas, my true love send to me ...
One delicious cookie!

Hardhead Henry Harris: On the second day of Christmas, my true love sent to me ...
Two baby frogs [What kinda jive present is that, man?!]

(Elmo: On the second day of Christmas, Elmo's true love sent to him ...
Two baby frogs [Just what Elmo always wanted!])

Cookie Monster: And one delicious cookie!

Prairie Dawn: On the third day of Christmas, my true love sent to me ...
Three footballs

Hardhead Henry Harris {Elmo}: Two baby frogs

Cookie Monster: And one delicious cookie! Ha-hah!

Grover: On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me ...
Four woolly bears

Prairie Dawn: Three footballs

Hardhead Henry Harris {Elmo}: Two baby frogs

Cookie Monster: And one delicious cookie!

Bert: On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me ...
Five argyle socks! {laughs}

Grover: Four woolly bears

Prairie Dawn: Three footballs

Hardhead Henry Harris {Elmo}: Two baby frogs

Cookie Monster: And one delicious cookie!

Ernie: On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me ...
Six rubber duckies

Bert: Five argyle socks! {laughs}

Grover: Four woolly bears!

Prairie Dawn: Three footballs

Hardhead Henry Harris {Elmo}: Two baby frogs

Cookie Monster: And one delicious cookie!

Oscar: On the seventh day of Christmas, someone sent to me ...
Seven rusty trashcans

Ernie: Six rubber duckies

Bert: Five argyle socks!

Grover: Four woolly bears

Prairie Dawn: Three footballs

Hardhead Henry Harris {Elmo}: Two baby frogs

Cookie Monster: And one delicious cookie!

The Count: On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me ...
Eight counts a-counting!
[Ha-ha, I love them all!] {thunderclap}

Oscar: Seven rusty trashcans

Ernie: Six rubber duckies

Bert: Five argyle socks!

Grover: Four woolly bears

Prairie Dawn: Three footballs

Hardhead Henry Harris {Elmo}: Two baby frogs

Cookie Monster: And one delicious cookie! Ha!

Big Bird: On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me ...
Nine pounds of birdseed

The Count: Eight counts a-counting

Oscar: Seven rusty trashcans

Ernie: Six rubber duckies

Bert: Five argyle socks!

Grover: Four woolly bears

Prairie Dawn: Three footballs

Hardhead Henry Harris {Elmo}: Two baby frogs

Cookie Monster: And one DE-LICIOUS cookie!

Smart Tina: On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me ...
Ten wind-up rabbits

{in 1995, the line was sung by Telly and it was "Ten triangles"}

Big Bird: Nine pounds of birdseed

The Count: Eight counts a-counting

Oscar: Seven rusty trashcans

Ernie: Six rubber duckies

Bert: Five argyle socks!

Grover: Four woolly bears

Prairie Dawn: Three footballs

Hardhead Henry Harris {Elmo}: Two baby frogs

Cookie Monster: And one delicious COOKIE!

Herry Monster: On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love sent to me ...
Eleven broken buildings

Smart Tina: Ten wind-up rabbits

{Telly: Ten triangles}

Big Bird: Nine pounds of birdseed

The Count: Eight counts a-counting

Oscar: Seven rusty trashcans

Ernie: Six rubber duckies

Bert: Five argyle socks! {laughs}

Grover: Four woolly bears!

Prairie Dawn: Three footballs

Hardhead Henry Harris {Elmo}: Two baby frogs

Cookie Monster: And one DE-LICIOUS COO-KIE!

Snuffy: On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me ...
Twelve ... uh ... twelve ... uh ... I can't remember.
Ooohhhhhhh deeeeeeeeeear.

{I'm not sure if they used that verse in 1995 or not.
Those who have the new recording, please correct me on it.}

Herry Monster: Eleven broken buildings

Smart Tina: Ten wind-up rabbits

{Telly: Ten triangles}

Big Bird: Nine pounds of birdseed

The Count: Eight counts a-counting

Oscar: Seven rusty trashcans

Ernie: Six rubber duckies

Bert: Five argyle socks!

Grover: Four woolly bears

Prairie Dawn: Three footballs

Hardhead Henry Harris {Elmo}: Two baby frogs

{As the brass pumps away the melody, Cookie Monster is heard voraciously pigging out on the cookie in his traditional gluttonous style.}

All: AND ONE DELICIOUS COOKIE!!!

{The brass plays the melody one more time as Cookie Monster munches away to the big loud finish.
Even after the music finally stops, he is heard noshing a couple more bites.}

Fuzzy, warm memories transcribed by Josh
Elmo's opening line added by CookieCountDawn


originally released on the album

Merry Christmas From Sesame Street

Merry Christmas From Sesame Street (1975)
Children's Television Workshop

also released on the album

Sesame Street Christmas Sing-Along (1984)
Children's Television Workshop (Out of print)

newer version (with Elmo and Telly) available on the CD

A Sesame Street Christmas

A Sesame Street Christmas (1995)


more traditional version available on the CD

John Denver and The Muppets

John Denver and The Muppets: A Christmas Together (1997)


Also available on Cassette and as a Book