Can you believe that Fixies are Such itty-bitty creatures?
Even when they’re magnified It’s hard to see their features.
They’re tiny, infinitesimal, So small it makes you doubt.
But if you meet a Fixie, please, Don’t let their secret out!
The Compass
Pipe all hands on the deck!
Ay-ay, maties! Shiver me timbers!
Simka, Nolik, what are you doing here?
We’re not Simka and Nolik.
We are courageous pirates!
Yeah, pirates!
And today we leave home for the sea! Are you with us?
- Yes I am! - Hurrah!
You mean no? No hurrah?
Oh, yeah!
You can't join us without a test!
Go and find a special thing.
Something no sailor should ever sail the sea without!
I can do it! But how?
With a map!
And it’s over... there!
I've never seen a map that's this puny!
What are you talking about puny?!
That took us a half hour to make!
From where you're standing now…
Uh-huh! From here you mean!
He guessed it right!
First head to the North
until you will find...
Hold on! But where is the North?
It’s where the North Pole,
ice, and polar bears are!
But how do I know which direction that North Pole is?
By compass, of course!
A compass is a special tool that helps sailors and pilots know in which direction they’re traveling,
whether in the air or on the sea.
Our planet is like a big magnet that has two poles –
the North Pole and the South Pole.
These magnetic poles help the needle in the compass find its way.
The needle is magnetized so one of its ends will be attracted to the North magnetic pole and point at it,
while the other end will always points towards the South.
That I know, but there is no compass around here.
Then let's make one by ourselves!
Out of what?
We can use a needle! We just have to magnetize it.
And how is it supposed to turn around?
In a saucer of water.
Well, there you go!
Now one end is pointing in the direction of North and the other - to the South.
But which points where? Well, there is the window.
So that can't be the right way. Then North is there!
I'm really liking this sharp little fellow we've got here!
You're calling me a little fellow?
No, it's just the way us pirates talk.
Alright then. North we go!
First head to the north until you see…
… a sleeping monster.
Maties, ahoy! Monster on the horizon!
Let him do it himself!
Now turn to the left and go three hundred paces more.
- Three hundred!? - Exactly! I counted them myself.
OK. Then that means I'll go…
One,
two,
three.
Now straight ahead until you get right up to the giant tree.
You call that a tree?
Wow, amazing!
I can't believe my eyes! It's a real ship compass!
It's also called a marine compass.
The first compass was invented more than a thousand years ago in ancient China.
With its help, the Chinese were able to travel across the desert.
And about two hundred years later the compass appeared in Europe.
Whether the Europeans came up with the idea for the compass themselves
or took it from the Chinese isn't clear.
But one thing's for sure - we Fixies remember how those early compasses were built.
The first compasses were made with a magnetized needle on top of a floater inside a bowl of water.
Later the needle was put on top of a pin that let it spin freely.
And it started to look like the ones we use today.
Since the needle of a compass always points to the north,
a sailor can easily figure out which direction he needs to turn his ship.
If he wants to go north, he follows the needle north.
If he wants to go south he goes in the opposite direction.
Your dad brought it home with him late last night from his work.
You were asleep.
Hold on!
I want to check something.
What's up?
Yeah! They line up together!
Of course, they line up.
If not, how else would you have gotten here?
We're done with the needle. It has to go back.
First head south six hundred paces!
Six for you, matie!
I almost caught one yesterday, I chased him but he fled.
But if I told my dad he’d say, “It’s all inside your head!”
You really cannot catch them, Or find their whereabouts.
But if you meet a Fixie, please, Don’t let their secret out!
The Washing Machine
Look at that, Simka!
They're showing Titanic on the television!
Hey, Nolik! That's not a television!
That a machine for washing laundry.
No way!
Yeah, it's just a plain old washing machine, Nolik, don't you know!?
Nuh-uh! Tell me about it.
You’re such a great explainer!
Inside of a washing machine is a big drum.
People put their dirty laundry in there and add a special kind of soap called detergent.
When they turn the washing machine on,
the drum fills with water and then the motor starts to spin the drum.
That makes the laundry rub together,
forcing the soapy water in and the dirt out to make your clothes clean.
After that, all that's left is to get out the water by spinning the drum really fast
and sending the water down the drain.
Thanks a lot, Simka!
I always wondered why would you want to put laundry inside a television!
Are you joking with me?
Uh-huh!
I'll show you a funny joke!
Get over here!!
Shh! It’s Tom Thomas’ mother!
She's got headphones on, we're safe.
She doesn't hear anything except the music.
Now she'll come back, add the soap,
turn on her television and watch the second part of the movie.
Again with the jokes?!
This time I'm really gonna let you have it!
Nolik, just do what I say.
I came up with a plan.
What's your plan?
To run away!!!
Who is here?
Hello!?
There are a lot of things to keep in mind with a washing machine to use it right.
For example, do you know what can happen if you wash red and white shirts together?
Well, the white one might just turn pink.
No, it's not because it's embarrassed!
But because some of the color from the red shirt happened to get onto the white one.
Another important thing to remember is to empty your pockets before you wash your clothes.
Things like keys, nails and chewing gum might not only ruin your clothes,
but they can destroy the washer too!
And this is only about little stuff.
Big things like music players and mobile phones
have managed to find their way into the washing machine.
Oh sure, these things look nice and clean after a good washing,
but they certainly don't seem to want to work anymore!
And never ever put a pet inside of a washing machine!
That's just no place for a living thing!
You know what, Simka, I've never been laundered in my entire life!
We better get out of here, Nolik, right now!
And the faster, the better.
Come on. Lets get going.
And what about Chewsocka?
What about Chewsocka?
Let her get washed up a little in there.
Maybe it will make her nicer.
But she could drown, the poor thing.
I don't think we can do this alone.
We should get help from Tom Thomas’ mother!
One, two… Stop!
What?!
She moved out of the way!
And three!
Pull it!
Huh? What is that?
Oh!
Oh, my goodness!
Oh, my sweet little baby!
How did you get in there?
You wait right here in the tub and I'll go get you a towel.
So, you wild little beast!
Looks like we saved your life.
We're friends now?
Nolik, it sure doesn't look like she wants to be our friend!
So what do we do now?
Same old plan! Run!!!