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 Keyboard
Five, four, three, two, one! Ready or not here we come!
And where is he hiding this time?
Tom Thomas! You-hoo!
Tom Thomas!
You didn't forget about your grandma’s birthday, did you?
No!
Oops! I did.
We found you this time!
Hey, that's not fare! It was my mom that found me, not you!
Then go and hide again!
Not now.
I have to draw a birthday card for... oh...
...my grandmother.
So!
We need one clean sheet of paper.
When's your grandma’s birthday?
- Tomorrow. - But your card won't get there on time!
Oh.
Then what can I do?
Come on, and use your noggin!
Pick up the phone and give her a ring!
Your grandmother will be really happy to hear your voice.
No, we've got a tradition - we send each other birthday cards.
And what's the Internet for?
Why don't you send off an electronic card to her?
Simka, that's genius!
Oh! This one's cool!
Now go ahead and type your message!
The letter “D” isn't working.
How can I write “Dear Grandma” without D?
Just let her be a plain old Grandma without the dear.
But the letter “G” isn't working either!
It looks like we could use a pack-o-mat here.
A pack-o-mat? What for?
To clean off the keyboard's contacts that got all dirty.
What contacts?
A key on a computer keyboard works pretty much the same way as a doorbell does.
When we press on the button of a doorbell,
the contacts inside touch,
which lets the electricity flow that makes the bells ring.
And when we press a letter on a computer keyboard,
an electrical current runs from the keyboard to the computer
and that letter appears on the screen.
But if there's dirt between the contacts that stops them from touching,
then the current can’t flow.
Tom Thomas, what did you drop in here that is so sticky?
It's probably the soda I was drinking.
And so you shared it with the keyboard?
Here's the reason why it's not working.
Where did so many crumbs come from?
Ah... They fell of my sandwich.
What in the world is this red stuff down here?!
That must be the sauce from my mushroom pizza.
Oh, Nolik.
Well, now it looks like we’re going to be out picking mushrooms.
The Fixies are always ready to help people out.
But there are some people we really don’t feel like helping.
I remember when I was working as a Fixie back in one house.
It was a disaster!
One day, the owner spilled coffee on the remote for the TV.
As I was running to clean the remote he starts pounding the TV with his fist
because the channels won’t change!
So now the TV is broken too.
Well, with no TV, he decides to listen to some music,
and he carelessly pulls the music center onto the floor.
So he tries to fix that himself and manages to break it for good!
And then he sits down on top of his telephone and breaks that to bits!
Meanwhile I’m still busy trying to clean the coffee off of the remote!
There wasn't a minute of rest with this guy around!
In the end I couldn’t take it any longer.
So I got out of there! And now I am here, teaching kids.
Tom Thomas, why are you eating food at your computer?
Yeah! They don't feed you in the kitchen or something?
Now I know it. It's not allowed.
You said it!
Now write your message.
And write the address on there too!
Uh-huh.
Mom! Do you know what the e-mail address for grandma is?
Grandma doesn’t have an e-mail address!
So what, we went ahead and fixed that keyboard for nothing?
I still need it! And my grandma…
I’ll give her a ring on the phone!
You said you had a tradition of writing each other cards!
And what? Grandma will be happy to hear my voice.
That's some original idea, ah?
Fixies have a special sign I happened to discover.
They hold three fingers in the air And flash it to each other.
They send their greetings to you, They sing them and they shout.
But if you meet a Fixie, please, Don’t let their secret out!
The Catapult
What was that? Ah?
Hm, strange.
Tom Thomas isn't here.
There's no way these toy soldiers could have shot it themselves!
Now that was a good shot!
It wasn't real long. And not high either.
And off target.
It was pretty awful!
It was good but awful.
I got it.
So, what do we do?
We need to raise it up a little higher.
Hey, Fire! Nolik!
Why in the world would you shoot at a Fxie?!
Fixies? They supposed to be in school right now.
Actually, I'm on my way to school.
How about you, Fire? Why aren't you in class?
Because there it's totally boring!
But here, look at what a cool shooter we found!
Huh! What did you call it?
You've got no idea what this is!
It’s called a catapult, guys!
A cat with gold eyes?
It isn't a cat with gold eyes! It's a catapult, guys!
Catapults are ancient propulsion machines.
They were used to shoot stones, heavy arrows, or barrels with burning tar.
The main part of a catapult is a special piece of rope.
It is twisted very very tightly, like a spring!
The rope is then wrapped around a big spoon.
And then, if you pull this spoon back, put a stone in it and let it go,
the catapult fires a shot!
And the stone flies far, far away!
Alright, so here we go.
Came up short!
What do you mean short? What are you aiming at?
You’ll see.
The spoon needs to go further back. Just a little.
Guys, you’re gonna break the glass!
Nolik!
Now push!
Alright.
Yes!! Right on target!
Now let's fly out into space.
Wait, what space?
What kind of flying? Who’s gonna fly?
I’m gonna fly!
Right out the window!
Right up to the Moon!
First Fixonaut in the world Nolik!
Are you ready for your flight into space?
Yes, Sir!
Nolik, get out of the spoon now!
I'll be the first Fixie on the Moon! Yeah!
Nolik, enough of this!
What kind of joke is this?
It's not a joke at all! He’s gonna fly into space!
And how come it's not you?
Because he's lighter.
Hold on!
Humans didn't go straight into space themselves, they sent dogs out there first!
Neh. Chewsocka's not gonna fit in here.
Simka, why don't you go and let us finish.
Fine, I will go.
But only after Nolik finds himself a helmet.
You're right about that!
I’ll go find a helmet!
The catapult was invented in ancient times,
but people still use them today.
Only now instead of launching stones,
catapults are used to launch jet airplanes.
You see, the runway on an aircraft carrier is quite short,
so catapults are used to help the planes move fast enough to take off.
Catapults can also be used to save the life of a pilot.
When an airplane has an accident, a catapult activates in the cabin.
The pilot is shot into the sky and comes back to the ground with a parachute.
A plain old slingshot is also a kind of catapult, it's just a very little one.
But be careful with this toy!
It can be dangerous to others and to you too.
As for us Fixies, the only time that we use catapults is on a peaceful mission.
Papus! Hurry!
Our Nolik's getting shot to the moon with a catapult!
What?!
And if I meet new Fixies up there?
What should I say to them?
"Hi there!"
And you can ask them to launch you back.
So?
Let's do it!
Fire, launch it!
Stop!
Don't!
Simka!
Nolik!
I’m not getting out!
We're alive.
Hurrah! He flew all the way!
Who flew away?
To the moon?
Nope. Just a bit short.
It’s not our fault.
You’re just heavier than Nolik and that’s why you came up short.
Papus, maybe we can try it one more time?
What?!