[electronic music]
- Norbert: Place fingers along the laces.
As you throw, rotate wrist slightly
in the opposite direction from lateral or pitch out.
Hmm, well, here goes nothing.
It's the last play of the Super Bowl!
The Packers need a touchdown to win!
Niesenden's back to throw!
He's looking.
There's the pass!
And his tight end is in the clear!
[grunts in frustration]
- Mandy: Norby, dinner's in 15 minutes.
- Norbert: I'll be there in a sec.
- Did you learn how to throw a spiral yet?
- I can't understand this dumb book.
I mean, I understand the words,
but I've got to know more about throwing a football
to understand the rest. - Mandy: Can I try?
- Mandy, if I can't throw one, then you--
Holy camoley!
A perfect spiral!
How did you do that?
- If you do the dishes tonight, I'll show you after dinner.
- But I did them last-- okay.
- Remember, dinner's in 15 minutes.
- Lexor: My son, the ring!
The ring, hurry!
- Lexor!
- Hurry, my child!
You are needed in Mojuste immediately
or Thorzuul will claim another victim.
- But dinner's in 15-- - Do not delay!
You will return in time if you do not delay.
[groovy electronic music]
[eerie music]
- Thunder and lightning, trumpets and drums.
Readers rejoice!
A Storylord comes.
[shimmer]
- Tsitra: Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!
[shimmer]
Oh boy, a Storylord!
- Actually, I'm only an apprentice Storylord.
Norbert Niesenden, at your service.
Do you have a problem? - Oh boy, do I ever!
Here, take a look.
- Norbert: Dear Tsi.. Tsi..
- Tsitra: Tsitra, that's my name.
- Norbert: "Dear Tsitra, please paint my team,
"Thorzuul's Bad Guys, playing a game of fudgeball.
"Make sure the bales are stacked,
"and show me doing the Big Waddle
"after making a long-distance call.
"Have it ready by tomorrow or else!
Sincerely, Thorzuul."
- Tsitra: Oh boy, boy, boy!
- This letter doesn't make sense.
What does he mean, doing the Big Waddle?
Or making a long-distance call?
- That's my problem.
I understand what the words mean,
but until I know more about the game of fudgeball,
I'll never understand what Thorzuul wants,
and I've only got until tomorrow!
- Don't worry, Tsitra.
It's not tomorrow yet.
I'll see what I can do.
I'll be back soon, before Thorzuul.
Home.
- Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!
Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!
[gentle music]
- Mrs. Framish: Today, we're going to continue
talking about sound and how sound moves.
Does anyone have any questions
about last night's reading assignment?
Yes, Jason?
- I stopped reading it because I couldn't understand it.
- Mrs. Framish: Did anyone else have trouble?
Yes, Norbert? - What do you do
when you read something and don't understand it?
- That's a very good question, Norbert.
When you're reading something and you realize
you don't understand it, first, do what Jason did.
Stop reading.
Then, think for a moment about what you don't understand.
Next, go back and reread the passage.
To make sure you didn't miss something or misread it.
Jason, will you please reread the passage
that you didn't understand for us now?
- Sounds often happen
when an object moves back and forth very rapidly or vibrates.
Sound waves travel outward in every direction
from a vibrating object.
- Mrs. Framish: What didn't you understand?
- The whole thing.
I don't understand how things moving back and forth
can make sound. - Mrs. Framish: Yes, Angie?
- I couldn't understand it last night either, but now I do.
- Was that because we reread the passage?
- No, because I asked my dad.
He works in a recording studio, so he knows all about sound.
He showed me this.
The ruler is still and there isn't any sound,
but when I make it move back and forth...
[ruler wobbles] See, it makes a sound.
- Very good, Angie.
You asked someone for help.
Where else could we get some help?
Norbert?
- Norbert: You could look in an encyclopedia.
- Mm-hmm.
Jason.
- Jason: Or a book a magazine in the library.
Very good.
And when you get the help you need,
go back to the passage and read it over.
Using your new information to help you understand it better.
You think you can remember all this?
Norbert? - Just say STRARO.
- Mrs. Framish: I beg your pardon?
- It's a word made up
from the first letter of each word on the board.
Stop, think, reread, ask, read over.
- Very good, Norbert.
That would be a handy way to remember today's lesson.
- [thinking] I hope so, for Tsitra's sake.
- STRARO, who's that?
Another Storylord?
- No, it stands for what you do
when you don't understand what you're reading.
I'll show you.
First, you stop reading when something doesn't make sense.
- Oh, boy, I did that.
- Then, you think about what you didn't understand.
You reread to see if you missed something
or didn't read it right.
- I read it right, I just don't understand what it meant.
- Then, you ask someone for help
or look at a reference book or something.
When you've found the information you need,
you go back and read over.
- There's just one teensy-weensy little problem.
I don't know anyone who's seen a game of fudgeball.
- And if someone has,
Thorzuul's probably turned them into statues.
That is his favorite hobby.
- Oh boy, boy, boy oh boy!
- If only there was a book or magazine we could look at.
- Magazine, that's it!
You said the magic word! - I did?
- Tsitra: Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy, here it is!
Take a look at this. - Norbert: I get it.
It's kind of like baseball. - Tsitra: What's that?
- Norbert: It's a game we play
back in the dimension I come from.
- Tsitra: Explain it to me, quick!
- Well, these are the bales.
Let's see, the batter tries to hit a frozen ball of fudge
with a stale loaf of bread.
If he gets a hit, he runs to a bale.
That's these weird-looking things.
The bales are stacked is like saying the bases are loaded.
There's a wizard on every bale.
- Oh, boy, I hope we finish on time!
- Here we are!
Making a long-distance call is like hitting a home run.
Thorzuul is the batter,
and he's hit the fudge ball right out of the park.
You run around the bales backwards when you do that.
That's called doing the Big Waddle.
- Oh boy, I finally understand what his letter meant!
[evil laughter] - And not a minute too soon.
[electronic music]
[motorcycle rumbles]
- Milkbreath: His Royal Badness, Thorzuul!
- Thorzuul: Enough of this idle chit-chat.
I am in the mood to make a statue. [chuckles]
Two statues. [evil laughter]
All right, where is my painting?
Just a formality.
But-- But she's got it!
How?
It's impossible!
- It was easy, really.
When I realized I didn't understand your letter,
I looked up some information in a magazine.
Then I could understand what your letter meant.
- Get the picture?
- You... I'll get you!
I'll... I'll... [exclaims in frustration]
Milkbreath, get me out of here.
[electronic music]