Half Time Numberjacks

# In an ordinary sofa In an ordinary room

# Are extraordinary heroes who are standing by to zoom

# To wherever they are needed they are speeding out today

# The Numberjacks are on their way

# They will help you with your problems

# They are waiting for your call

# No problem is too big for them

# No problem is too small

# Things may all be going wrong but you can bet it's not for long

# The Numberjacks are on their way The Numberjacks are on their way! #

I'm not sure I like this!

You're fine, Four. My Buddy Blocks are very strong.

I've never been as high as this before. Eight blocks high!

Ohhhhh!

-Well done, Four.

-I think I'll jump down to my Buddy Blocks.

-Four. That's better.

-You're only half as high as you were.

-I'm feeling a lot better for it.

-Jump down again.

Two blocks. Even better! That's only half as high as four.

And half again is one.

To be honest, this is quite high enough for me.

I'll have a go.

One!

Not very exciting.

Two!

Twice as high as one block, but still doesn't do much for me.

-Careful!

-Four blocks!

Pretty good, but I'm going for double that number.

Eight blocks, here I come!

Urrr-oh, yes!

Yes, very nice! But come down now.

OK. Eight.

Four.

Two.

One!

-We both did it!

-Yes!

ALARM BEEPS

Ah! More excitement.

See you later, Four.

We have a call.

Agent 37 here. There's something going wrong.

-But not for long!

-Tell us the problem.

-Have a look at what's happening.

-Putting it on screen.

That bike's going to be hard to ride with only one wheel!

And look at this boy and his car.

What happened?

It had four wheels, but now it's only got two. ..No! Only one wheel.

-Right, this needs sorting out.

-So...

Yes! The Numberjacks are on their way.

-Thank you!

-And the Numberjack who's going is...Number Four!

Oh! Even more excitement.

# We've got a problem What shall we do?

# Who's going out there? Who do we choose?

# We've got a problem to explore

-# Who's going out there?

-Number Four! #

SIREN WAILS

Good luck, Four.

I'm checking everything's clear...

All clear! Off you go.

Four! Three!

Two! One! Zero!

Scanning for a four to land on...

Not yet...not yet...

Found a four!

-Oh!

-Good luck, Four!

-Thank you!

More troubles!

Agent 58 here. There are more things going missing.

On the screen...

Nice pair of earrings!

Oh! Just one now.

And four lovely rings.

Two...

Oh! One! That's strange.

They look nice.

Oh!

What's going on?

Agents, can you help us? Is there a pattern here?

Yes. There's four things, two get taken away and they become two.

And if there are two things,

one gets taken away and it becomes one thing.

OK. Four becomes two and two becomes one.

So we know what is happening. But why?

I think I can hear something. Listen!

ELECTRONIC WARBLING I've heard that sound before!

And I've seen that hat before. The Numbertaker!

All we need to know about him is going on screen.

# Numbertaker, Numbertaker Have you seen the Numbertaker?

# Taking all the numbers he can see

# Picking, nicking Getting, netting

# As mean a Numbertaker as can be

# With his number sucker-upper He's a number mucker-upper

# He's as mean a Numbertaker as can be! #

Be careful, Four!

-You've got to stop him taking things.

-OK.

I think he's heading for the school.

-Four, you've got to get there before him.

-OK, I'll try!

I've got the school on screen.

Four, is there anything that the Numbertaker might be after?

Anything that there are four of or two of?

I think the papers are all right.

There's...

one, two,

three, four,

five, six,

seven, eight!

-Eight things should be all right.

-I hope so.

Oh, no! There were eight, but now there are only four!

Two...

one!

Things are getting worse!

The Numbertaker is making eight into four,

four into two, and two into one.

-I'm sure that reminds me of something.

-What?

-When I was in the gym...

-Putting it on screen!

..I started on eight blocks, then jumped to half as high - four.

Then jumped to half as high again - two. And half again - one.

The Numbertaker is making the number half as big each time.

If he keeps doing that, anything could happen!

Half of two wings is one wing,

and a bird wouldn't be able to fly.

And if the dancing cow had half the number of legs,

that's two instead of four,

and half of two is one,

and she couldn't dance at all!

And a spider might start with eight legs,

then have only half that number -

four -

then half again is two,

and half is one,

and she'd have a terrible time spinning her web.

We've got to stop the Numbertaker making numbers half as big.

-I'll get the Brain Gain going.

-Let's get things back to normal.

# Brain Gain Brain Gain

# To solve the problem Use our brain

# The way to get your brains all linking up together

# Joined up thinking. # Getting brain power now! Brain Gain!

OK. What Brain Gain do we need?

One thing has got to go back to two things.

And two things go back to four things.

And four things go back to eight things.

Oh! I'll TRY to say all that!

One becomes four... No, no, eight becomes two...no!

Two becomes... Oh, I don't know! It's hard to remember.

I'm not sure that's going to work!

Oh! This feels a bit mixed up, this Brain Gain.

Oh, dear!

I think we might be making things worse instead of better.

I'm sorry! One becomes two, two becomes four -

it's very hard to remember, especially when you're jumping.

Is there a quicker way of saying it? Agents, any ideas?

-If the Numbertaker's made numbers half as big as they were...

-Yes...

..we can do the opposite

and make the numbers twice as big as they are! We can double them!

I remember that in the gym.

Eight jumped up, and the number doubled every time.

One doubles to two,

two doubles to four, four doubles to eight.

So the Brain Gain is very simple - double the number!

Make the number twice as big!

I can do that!

Double the number! Twice as big!

That feels better!

Double the number of wheels! Twice as many!

Double the number!

Double!

And double again for the rings!

Double the number of wheels!

And double again!

Double, double!

Double! Two times as many!

Twice as many!

Hooray! Everything is back to normal!

I knew it would all turn out fine.

-Yes, I knew there was no...

-Four!

-Or should I say, Two!

-Wah!

-I don't like being made half my number!

-And it could be half again.

PANTING

Half again! Oh, no!

-Quick, Three, get doubling!

-Double, double, double!

Oh, no! I've been doubled too much!

-Quick! Get the Numbertaker to halve you again!

-What?!

-It's your only chance!

-Oh, dear!

Numbertaker! Bet you can't make me half my number!

Now, THAT is better.

Three! Double the Numbertaker!

Double!

-He hates there being another one of him.

-Oh, yes!

You've done it! Come back now, Four.

One, two,

three, four!

-Well done, Four.

-I hope that IS my number.

Let's see it all on screen.

Everything was being made half the number,

all thanks to the Numbertaker.

We sent Brain Gain...

..but it was too hard to say all those numbers.

So I just said, "Double!"

So things went back to normal.

Except I wasn't very normal.

-I doubled you too much!

-Oh, no! I've been doubled too much!

And I had to get the Numbertaker to halve me.

And everything was back to normal.

Now watch! I can jump up to double my number.

Hup! ..That's six.

Half of six is back to three. Hup!

So what's the matter?

Where is the number that is exactly half of me?

I don't know.

Maybe I'm a very special number.

The Numberjack without a half-number.

I'm not sure.

Can you think of any other Numberjacks

that haven't got a half-number? Or is Three the only one?

Find out and call the Numberjacks!

# The Numberjacks are on their way The Numberjacks are on their way! #