The Phantom Tollbooth Page #5

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TRY TO LOOK AT THE BRIGH SIDE OF THINGS, MILO.

I DON'T KNOW WHICH SIDE

OF ANYTHING TO LOOK AT.

EVERYTHING:

IS SO CONFUSING,

AND ALL YOUR WORDS

ONLY MAKE THINGS WORSE.

HOW TRUE.

WORDS SEEM TO HAVE

LOST THEIR MEANING.

BUT THERE MUST BE SOMETHING

YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT.

COULDN'T YOU PASS A LAW

OR SOMETHING?

WE HAVE ALMOS AS MANY LAWS

AS WE HAVE WORDS,

BUT THE LAWS DON'T MAKE

ANY SENSE EITHER.

PERHAPS YOU MIGHT ALLOW--

I MEAN...

BECAUSE YOU ARE A WISE AND

RIGHTEOUS AND JUST KING,

YOU MIGHT ALLOW...

RHYME AND REASON TO RETURN?

HOW NICE:

THAT WOULD BE.

NO!

NO, NEVER!

NOT WHILE THAT STUBBORN

BROTHER OF MINE...

THINGS ALWAYS DID

GO VERY WELL:

WHEN THEY WERE HERE.

I WON'T ALLOW IT!

WHY NOT?

WHY NOT?

WHY NOT, INDEED!

YES...WHY NOT?

MY BOY,

I CANNOT TELL YOU

HOW IT WOULD SOLVE

ALL OUR PROBLEMS

IF YOU COULD BRING BACK

RHYME AND REASON.

"ODIOUS WASP," EH?

"DIDACTIC DRONE."

HA!

"PARSIMONIOUS WORD MISER,"

IS IT?

PERHAPS SOMEONE ELSE

AMONG MY FAITHFUL COUR WOULD VOLUNTEER TO JOIN

THIS BRAVE BOY:

IN HIS EFFORTS TO RESCUE

RHYME AND REASON.

NO VOLUNTEERS.

[SNORING]

"INSECTIOUS HUMBUGIOUS,"

EH?

WE'LL SEE.

WONDERFUL...

A VOLUNTEER!

CONGRATULATIONS.

THAT'S GREAT.

WITH THE HUMBUG'S HELP,

I KNOW WE CAN DO IT.

GOOD-BYE, MY BOY.

HERE, IN THIS BAG,

ARE ALL THE WORDS

AND IDEAS I KNOW.

WITH THEM, YOU MAY ASK

ALL THE QUESTIONS

WHICH HAVE NEVER

BEEN ANSWERED:

AND ANSWER:

ALL THE QUESTIONS

WHICH HAVE NEVER

BEEN ASKED.

ALL THE GREAT BOOKS

OF THE PAS AND ALL THE ONES

YET TO COME:

ARE IN THAT BAG.

GO NOW,

BUT REMEMBER--

USE THESE WORDS:

WELL:

AND THERE IS:

NO OBSTACLE:

YOU CANNO OVERCOME.

GOOD-BYE.

GOOD-BYE.

GOOD-BYE.

AND THANK YOU.

GOOD-BYE.

GOOD-BYE.

AAAAHOOHHHH!

[MILO]

WOW, WHAT A MESS!

HOW WILL WE EVER

GET THROUGH THAT?

IT IS OF NO USE, ME LAD.

THE WALL:

IS ABSOLUTELY IMPENETRABLE.

HOWEVER,

YOUR HEROIC EFFOR SHALL NO BE UNREWARDED.

OUR ETERNAL GRATITUDE

WILL BE YOURS.

SHALL WE START BACK?

NOW, LOOK HERE,

MR. HUMBUG,

IF YOU THINK:

FOR ONE MINUTE--

I SAY, YOUNG MAN,

WHAT SEEMS TO BE

YOUR PROBLEM?

WHO ARE YOU?

MY ANGLES ARE MANY,

MY SIDES ARE NOT FEW.

I'M THE DODECAHEDRON.

WHO ARE YOU?

WHAT'S A DODECAHEDRON?

AS I REMEMBER IT,

IT'S A 12-SIDED

MATHEMATICAL SHAPE.

SEE FOR YOURSELF.

I USUALLY USE:

ONE AT A TIME.

SAVES WEAR AND TEAR.

BY THE WAY, WHA WAS YOUR PROBLEM?

WE HAVE TO GET TO DIGITOPOLIS

TO ASK THE MATHEMA--

THE ONLY WAY:

TO GET THERE:

IS THROUGH:

THE NUMBERS MINE.

NUMBERS MINE?

BUT WE CAN' GET THROUGH THERE.

THE ENTRANCE:

IS BLOCKED TIGHT.

MILO, YOU REMEMBER

HOW YOU GOT US OU OF THE DOLDRUMS?

YEAH! MAYBE WE CAN

THINK OUR WAY THROUGH.

CAN YOU REMEMBER

ANY MATHEMATICS?

LET'S SEE.

THINGS THAT ARE EQUAL

TO THE SAME THING

ARE EQUAL TO EACH OTHER.

[CRACKING]

0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5,

8, 13,

IS KNOWN AS THE...

FIBONACCI SERIES.

VECTORS HAVE:

BOTH MAGNITUDE:

AND DIRECTIONS.

SCALARS:

HAVE ONLY MAGNITUDE.

WE DID IT! WE DID IT!

YES. YES, WE HANDLED THA BRILLIANTLY, MY BOY.

'TIS A GOOD THING

WE KNEW:

THE FIBONACCI SERIES, EH?

HEH HEH. HEH HEH HEH HEH.

YES, INDEED.

GOLLY! AND I USED TO THINK

THAT NUMBERS WEREN' IMPORTANT OR VALUABLE.

NOT IMPORTANT?!

NOT VALUABLE?!

IT'S--IT'S

THE MATHEMAGICIAN.

BY THE 4,827,659

HAIRS ON MY HEAD,

I'LL TELL YOU

WHAT'S IMPORTANT!

YOU COULDN'T HAVE 1 FINE DAY

WITHOUT THE 1

COULD YOU?

YOU COULDN'T HAVE TEA

FOR 2 WITHOUT THE 2

COULD YOU?

YOU COULDN'T HAVE

3 BLIND MICE WITHOUT THE 3

SO YOU SEE:

NUMBERS ARE THE...

WONDERS OF THE WORLD

IF YOU HAD A BIG PLAN,

HOW WOULD YOU KNOW HOW BIG?

NUMBERS:

IF YOU HAD A HIGH HOPE,

HOW WOULD YOU KNOW HOW HIGH?

NUMBERS:

IF YOU HAD A DEEP THOUGHT,

HOW WOULD YOU KNOW HOW DEEP?

IF YOU HAD A CLOSE CALL,

HOW WOULD YOU KNOW HOW CLOSE?

IF YOU HAD A WIDE CHOICE,

HOW WOULD YOU KNOW HOW WIDE?

NUMBERS:

NUMBERS, THAT'S HOW

NUMBERS CAN BE DECIMATED,

VERIFIED, MANIPULATED

CARRIED FORWARD, BACKWARD,

AND REPLACED:

NUMBERS CAN BE ADDED TO,

SUBTRACTED FROM:

DIVIDED INTO,

MULTIPLIED BY, CROSSED OUT

AND ERASED:

BUT NOT WITH WORDS

YOU'RE STUCK WITH WORDS

WORDS ARE THINGS

YOU HAVE TO KEEP

HAVE TO WATCH,

HAVE TO WEIGH:

HAVE TO MIND,

HAVE TO KNOW, HAVE TO SAY

BUT IT'S AMAZING

WHAT A DIGIT OR 2 CAN DO

WHY ANYTHING:

YOU CANNOT FIGURE OUT

THEY FIGURE OUT FOR YOU

AND WHEN TROUBLES MOUN AND THEY BECOME

TOO MUCH TO BEAR

NEVER FEAR:

JUST DIVIDE THEM...

AND DIVIDE THEM:

AND DIVIDE THEM:

AND DIVIDE THEM:

AND DIVIDE THEM:

AND DIVIDE THEM:

AND DIVIDE THEM...

UNTIL:

THEY DISAPPEAR.

NOTHING COUNTS LIKE NUMBERS,

NUMBERS:

NUMBERS, WONDERFUL NUMBERS

THOSE DEWEY DECIMAL

DEARIES:

SQUARE ROO AND MIXED IN A SERIES

THEY GIVE THE HEAR INSPIRATION

NO WORDS CAN BRING

SUCH ELATION:

1 TO 9, THEY'RE THE MOST,

POUR THE WINE, DRINK A TOAST

TO NUMBERS:

WELCOME:

TO MY WORKSHOP.

VERY IMPRESSIVE,

YOUR MAJESTY.

BUT COULD YOU:

SHOW US:

THE BIGGEST NUMBER

THERE IS?

THAT WILL:

GIVE HIM SOMETHING

TO FIGURE OUT.

VERY WELL, SIR HUMBUG.

WHAT'S THE BIGGES NUMBER YOU YOU CAN THINK OF?

9,999,999,000,999...

AND...

9/10.

VERY GOOD.

NOW ADD 1 TO IT.

ADD 1?

NOW ADD 1 TO THAT.

ADD 1 AGAIN.

ADD 1 AGAIN.

ADD 1 AGAIN AND 1 AGAIN.

BUT HE'D NEVER

BE ABLE TO STOP THAT WAY.

NEVER.

FOR THE NUMBER:

YOU HOPE FOR IS ALWAYS

AT LEAST 1 MORE

THAN THE ONE YOU HAD.

AND THAT'S SO LARGE

THAT IF YOU STARTED

SAYING IT YESTERDAY,

YOU WOULDN'T FINISH

'TIL TOMORROW.

I HOPE THAT'S CLEAR.

NOTHING'S

VERY CLEAR TO ME,

HERE OR:

IN DICTIONOPOLIS.

RIGHT!

IT'S ALL THE FAUL OF THAT WRETCHED

BROTHER OF MINE--KING AZAZ!

EVER SINCE:

THE LITTLE PRINCESSES LEFT,

NOTHING MAKES SENSE...

AND IT'S ALL HIS FAULT!

AHEM!

IF YOU PLEASE, SIR,

WE'D LIKE TO RESCUE

RHYME AND REASON.

RESCUE RHYME AND REASON?!

RESCUE RHYME AND REASON?

WHAT A WONDERFUL IDEA!

WAIT! HAS AZAZ

AGREED TO IT?

YES, SIR,

HE HAS.

THEN I DON'T.

WE'VE NEVER AGREED

ON ANYTHING AND WE NEVER WILL.

AND IF I CAN PROVE

OTHERWISE,

CAN WE HAVE PERMISSION

TO GO?

OF COURSE.

OF COURSE.

VERY WELL, THEN.

NOW, IF AZAZ AGREES

WITH SOMETHING,

THEN YOU DISAGREE.

CORRECT?

CORRECT.

AND ANYTHING AZAZ

DISAGREES WITH,

YOU AGREE.

IS THAT CORRECT?

CORRECT.

THEN EACH OF YOU

AGREES:

THAT HE WILL DISAGREE

WITH THE OTHER. RIGHT?

RIGHT.

THEN YOU ADMIT THA YOU DO AGREE WITH AZAZ

ABOUT SOMETHING.

YOU AGREE:

ABOUT DISAGREEING.

I'VE BEEN TRICKED!

AGAIN,

I WANT TO THANK YOU

FOR SHOWING ME:

HOW FOOLISH:

AND STUPID I'VE BEEN.

BUT THIS GIF CAN SUPPLY YOU

WITH ALL THE NUMBERS,

THEOREMS, EQUATIONS,

AND MATHEMATICAL IDEAS

THE WORLD:

HAS EVER KNOWN:

OR EVER WILL KNOW.

USE IT WELL:

AND THERE IS NOTHING

IT CAN'T DO FOR YOU.

THANK YOU.

GOOD-BYE

AND GOOD LUCK.

GOOD-BYE.

GOOD-BYE.

GOOD-BYE!

TOCK, LOOK.

IS THAT A DEMON?

QUICK,

LET'S GO BACK.

NO, NO, NO.

THAT'S THE MAN

I TOLD YOU ABOUT.

THAT'S CHROMA THE GREAT,

THE ONE SANE MAN LEF IN THIS COUNTRY.

YOU MEAN THE ONE

WHO CONDUCTS RAINBOWS

AND SUNRISES AND SUNSETS

AND THINGS?

RIGHT. WE'RE LUCKY.

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