▁were ▁people ▁like ▁Dr . ▁L ester ▁Fish er ▁of ▁Chicago ' s ▁Lincoln ▁Park ▁Z oo ▁and ▁J . ▁Bruce ▁Mitchell ▁of ▁the ▁Museum ▁of ▁Science ▁and ▁Indust ry ▁whose ▁vis its ▁were ▁both ▁fun ▁and ▁inform ative . ▁Thomas ▁also ▁had ▁a ▁Hob by ▁Cor ner ▁feature ▁where ▁children ▁would ▁talk ▁about ▁and ▁display ▁things ▁they ▁were ▁interested ▁in . ▁ ▁There ▁were ▁also ▁subt le ▁moral ▁messages ▁when ▁Thomas ▁needed ▁to ▁explain ▁to ▁Gar field ▁why ▁something ▁he ▁had ▁done ▁or ▁wanted ▁to ▁do ▁was ▁wrong . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁hol id ays , ▁Thomas ▁sang ▁" J ing le ▁B ells " ▁in ▁Latin , ▁teaching ▁the ▁words ▁and ▁their ▁meaning ▁to ▁his ▁television ▁audience . ▁Children ▁and ▁their ▁parents ▁were ▁invited ▁to ▁write ▁for ▁a ▁copy ▁of ▁the ▁words ; ▁it ▁took ▁Thomas ▁weeks ▁to ▁mail ▁all ▁the ▁rep lies . ▁On ▁occasion , ▁Thomas ▁would ▁take ▁his ▁Jew ' s ▁har p ▁from ▁his ▁pocket ▁and ▁begin ▁to ▁play . ▁ ▁His ▁go ose ▁friend ▁would ▁respond ▁to ▁the ▁music ▁by ▁either ▁retre ating ▁to ▁another ▁part ▁of ▁his ▁castle ▁or ▁hitting ▁Thomas ▁on ▁the ▁head ▁with ▁his ▁be ak . ▁He ▁also ▁visited ▁local ▁schools ▁to ▁perform ▁magic ▁shows . ▁ ▁The ▁Chicago ▁chapter ▁of ▁the ▁National ▁Academy ▁of ▁Television ▁Arts ▁and ▁Sciences ▁did ▁not ▁begin ▁award ing ▁local ▁Em mys ▁until ▁ 1 9 5 8 ; ▁Thomas ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁winner ▁of ▁the ▁award ▁for ▁Male ▁Best ▁Children ' s ▁Per former , ▁and