About Time/Transcript

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Hurry up, Two! If we don't catch the train, we might miss the talent show.

But it's such a lovely day! Just give me a second.

A second, how long is a second? A moment to start, a beat of the heart. A step on the way A second, stop for a second. The sun is up high, straight up in the sky. Today is my day We'll ride the train to the edge of the sea Where we'll dance together, my best friend and me But for now...

Come on, we have to go!

A moment, I'll only take a moment The day is too fine, so I'll take my time for a moment For time is a train on a one-way track And this is a moment I won't get back.

No, it's nearly 1 o'clock! We have to catch our train!

Oh no, we're too late!

Oh! If I can stop the clock, maybe I can stop the train.

That's not how it works! You...

Whoa!

(The clock display glitches out)

Oh, we missed the train! Is there another one we can catch?

Maybe... but with the clock broken, we can't tell when any train leaves.

Well I broke it, so I should fix it! But how does a clock work? There's these two pointy things...

And lots of numbers! Starting at one and going all the way around to... twelve!

Did someone call? (laughs) Looks like you could use a hand learning how to tell the time! After all, you can't be on time if you don't know what time it is!

Thanks, Twelve! Where do I start?

Well you said you could use a hand! In fact, you can use two! The two hands of the clock!

These are hands? There's a big hand...

And a little one! (giggles)

And as we know, little ones can be very important. The little hand is called the “hour hand”; it shows you what hour it is, (laughs) like this...

(song starts)

It starts at full height and moves around to the right, like the sun in the sky at midday. Like the sun, it won't stop as it moves around the clock, and we count every hour on the way. And now it's one and a bit, one and a bit, it's one and a bit 'til it's two! Two and a bit, two and a bit, it really is that easy to do. Three and a bit, three and a bit, the hour hand is steady, not fast. And now it's four and a bit, four and a bit, the hour is the last big number that you passed. Five and a bit, five and a bit, it's a short hand for telling the time! Six and a bit, six and a bit, halfway 'round and starting to climb! Seven and a bit, seven and a bit, as the day moves on...

...towards night! Eight and a bit, eight and a bit, you can tell the time on sight! Now it's nine and a bit, Nine and a bit! Altogether, call out the hour! Ten and a bit, Ten and a bit! Tell the time, now you have the power! Eleven and a bit, Eleven and a bit! All the way around we have spun! Twelve and a bit! Twelve and a bit!

And a bit more, and we're back to one.

Thanks Twelve...and Twelve!

You're welcome. We could keep this up all day...

...and all night! *chuckle*

Twenty-four hours a day.

The other twelve flies away off to the distance.

So the hour hand is saying the time now is one...

...and a bit!

And that bit, is the number of minutes, which is what the big hand counts!

Hello, Sixty! So, the big hand... is the minute hand?

Yes! And the big thing to remember... is that Sixty is...

...twelve lots of Five!

(song starts)

Roll out the big band to explain the big hand, look close at the clock and you'll see. Between every number are five little marks, so come along and count them with me!

One minute, two minutes, three, four, five! One lot of five is five! Then here come five more, and the big hand arrives at...

Two lots of five are...

...ten! Ten minutes! As we reach number three, it's easy to see:

Three lots of five are...

...fifteen! The secret is counting in fives, that's the key...

Four lots of five are...

...twenty! Whilst the minute hand dances the minutes advance...

Five lots of five...

...twenty-five! You can work out the minutes you need at a glance...

Six lots of five are...

...thirty! Now the hour's half passed, so we move up at last...

Seven lots of five are...

...thirty-five! Counting in fives, you can work it out fast...

Eight lots of five are...

...forty! Keep on and keep going, there's no time for slowing...

Nine lots of five...

...forty-five! Five at a time's how these numbers are growing!

Ten lots of five are...

...fifty! Come on now and rock all the way round this clock...

Eleven lots of five...

...fifty-five! At sixty we stop, 'cause we're back to the top!

Then we start again all over from zero!

While minutes raced around the face...

The hour hand moved on one place...

And if you put both hands together, reading one and then the other. You can tell the time!

Oh! Oh! Yay!

So the little hand - the hour hand tells you what hour it is.

And the big hand - the minute hand tells you the minutes of the hour.

Say the hours, then the minutes, and that's what time it is!

So that big 2 there, for the hour hand means it's 2 o'clock.

Two and a bit.

And for the minute hand means it's 2 lots of 5 minutes. And two fives are ten. So this clock says... ...2:10?

Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner!

I can do it! I can tell the time! Yay!

Well done, Two! I'll get this clock back to the right time.

Twelve adjusts the clock to say 1:14.

And you'd might like to know, there's an express train on Platform 2, leaving at 1:15!

*gasp* An express train? Then we can still make it to the talent contest!

And the time now is 1... 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. 1:14!

Our train leaves in one minute!

(song start)

A minute, how long is a minute? As soon as you begin it, it's ticking away. Each tick and each tock is a second, there's 60 to check on my blocky display!

Fifty, it's time to get nifty, we need to move swiftly, to catch that express!

Let's hurry, come on and let's scurry, I'm starting to worry, we'll have no success!

Sixty seconds in a minute, sixty minutes in an hour.

Twelve hours from midday to midnight, twelve hours from midnight to midday. Halfway!

A minute, how long is a minute?

No matter how you spin it, it isn't that long.

So brief, you can just paint a leaf,

Or eat a small peach,

Or sing a short song!

Together,

Each minute's a treasure,

We're sharing forever,

Whatever the news!

We'll make it!

I know we can take it!

But let's not mistake it, there's no time to lose! *simuntaneously with Two and One's singing* Ten! Nine! Eight! Seven! Six! Five! Four, three, two, one, zero! Twelve hours from midday to midnight, twelve from midnight to midday, sixty minutes in an hour, and now we must get underway!

*sigh of relief, then giggles*

Goodbye!

Sixty and the two Twelves wave goodbye as the train sets off to the place where the talent show happens.

Just in time for the 2 o'clock talent contest!

Great! Now, what shall we sing?

Hmm...*small chuckle, as he pats One on her top*

(song start)

Now it's two and a bit, two and a bit, two lots of 5 is 10! 2:10! Twelve hours from midday to midnight, twelve from midnight to midday, sixty minutes in an hour, and now we're on our way.

Fifteen gives One and Two a trophy. It has a clock.