Once upon a time there was a very talented man. He was an accountant and a very good one. That was because he loved numbers. He loved adding and subtracting them and writing them in his ledger, one column after another. So in the end everything came into balance. This gave him great satisfaction.
One day while daydreaming he wondered what else numbers could do. Then in his mind’s eye he saw numbers in spirals, numbers walking away, disappearing into a hat. They have, each one, little feet. They can actually walk! Sometimes they join together and hold hands. “Is this really possible?” he wondered. It felt almost magical. Suddenly all the numbers cried out “Have you ever heard of numbers walking before and playing with each other?!” they asked. “No” said the man “That is magic indeed! I never thought of that before”.
“Well, we can do other things too” said the numbers. “We can sing!!! When we sing we start to float around, to fly. How’s that for magic?!” “ Incredible” said the man.
“We each have a story too you know” they said. We’re great story tellers.” “Can you tell me a story now one of you” asked the man. “Of course” all the numbers said in unison. “Number 4 how about you go first” said Number 1 who seemed to be in charge.
“Ok” said Number 4. “Hello I’m Number 4. I live right beside Number 3 and Number 5. I kind of keep them grounded. Number 3 is dreaming all the time and doesn’t get much work done. And Number 5 keeps changing what it’s doing. So I offer them stability, keeping them on track, helping them to be the best they can be. You see, I’m all about balance. I have one foot on the ground and one foot in the air, seeing up and seeing down. Sometimes I run into my cousins and we become 44 or 444. And, at a family reunion we can make 44444444444. That’s really something when that happens! You see how much magic one number can create!
My sound is like the wind. When you speak my Number 4 it’s like a gust of wind that wants to blow forward. Try it pho pho pho pho. Do you get the picture? I like to say, what else? This OR what? Can you hear it? So my story is balance and moving 4 ward. See?”
“Thank you Number 4. You can sit down now” said Number 1.