Fractions

          Once upon a time, in the realm of math, there lived a young lad named ¼.  ¼ was a very jolly lad.  He appreciated everyone and everything.  He was knowledgeable in the study of math.  But, ¼ didn’t know everything.  He wondered about many things.  He was partially depressed.  The day he met 1/2, he was very depressed.  ½ was very large; two times the size of 1/4.  ¼ wanted to meet, but still had never met anyone smaller than him.

            “Why can’t I meet anyone smaller than me?” wondered ¼.

“I know,” exclaimed ¼, “I shall set out on an adventure to find a fellow smaller than I am!”

            But there was one glitch to his plan.

            “Hmm, I shall need a companion on my journey,” exclaimed ¼. “Yes!  I shall see if 25% will help me,” said ¼ with joy.

            25% was ¼’s best friend because they were equivalent in size.  25% and ¼ were very similar.  They almost looked like identical twins.

            “25%,” said ¼, “Will you help me on my journey to find a fraction smaller than I?” 

            “Yeah! I mean yes!” exclaimed 25%.

            “Okay then, let’s go!”

They were off on their long journey, unaware of what was in store for them.

            ¼ and 25% walked and walked and walked.  It seemed as if they had been walking for an eternity.

            “Are we there yet?” whined 25%.

            “I wish!” complained ¼.  They had walked 57 miles without any sight of civilization.  They were in the middle of nowhere.  They trudged through the woods nearing a river.  They stomped over a bridge in pure rage not knowing what lied below.

            “Hey, who’s there?” shouted a sour-toned voice. 

            25% and ¼ tip-toed over 1/3 of the bridge before the fractions from below appeared.  It was the mighty ogre twins.  These two fearsome brutes were the most wanted fractions in the whole kingdom; 1 ½ and 3/2.

            “Oh-no!” exclaimed 25%.  They weren’t able to get over the last third of the bridge, because the ogres were in their way.

            “What shall we do?” wondered 25%.

            Now, ¼ wasn’t dumb, he had gone to school.  He knew that 3/2 and 1 ½ were equivalent (or the same.)  He would trick them into believing they were both 3/2 (true) and then they would argue and eventually brawl.  As they did this, 25% and ¼ would escape.

            “Hey 3/2 and 3/2,” said ¼ bravely.

            “Silly fraction!  I’m not 3/2.  I’m 1 ½!” bellowed 1 ½.

            “Well it doesn’t look that way to me,” improvised ¼.

            “HMM,” 1 ½ had a quizzical look on his face. “How could that be?” asked 1 ½. 

“Well, I’m just saying you look exactly the same,” said ¼ courageously. 

            1 ½ looked down at his “2” in 1 ½ and then he looked at the “2” in 3/2.  “You’re right’” exclaimed 1 ½.

            “No, you’re 1 ½ not 3/2,” said 3/2.

            “No you fool, we’re the same!” bellowed 1 ½.

            “Did you just call me a fool!” exclaimed 3/2 flabbergasted.

            “Oh yeah I did!” confessed 1 ½.

            “My plan’s working,” thought ¼. 

As the two beasts began to brawl, ¼ and 25% crept away.

“Yes!” exclaimed ¼ joyfully.

            The two skipped along looking for any sight of civilization.  25% eyed a cave and revealed it to ¼.

            “Look!” said 25%.  They were nearing the cave.  As they got closer, they saw smoke. 

            “Numbers!” shouted ¼ excited.  They turned a corner to see an intense inferno with several fractions sitting around it.  ¼ and 25% examined the fractions.

            “Uhhggg!” murmured ¼, “they’re all bigger than me.”

            Right at that very moment 1/12 walked out of the cave. 

            “Uhhh,” ¼ gasped, “finally, someone I can boast to.”

            1/12 glared at ¼.

            “Hey what’s your name?” said ¼ in a sly voice

            “1/12,” answered 1/12.

“Well, teeny tiny 1/12,” chuckled ¼.

“Hey, I’m bigger than you because 12 is bigger than 4,” yelled 1/12.

“Dummy,” muttered ¼, “I’m bigger than you because if you imagine two identically sized pies and cut them into slices; one has 12 equal-sized slices and the other has 4 equal-sized slices, each slice from the pie with 12 slices will be smaller than each slice from the pie with 4 slices.”

1/12 was getting enraged. 

“Yeah, well, well…..  You’re such a fatty!” squawked 1/12.

“What did you just say?” asked ¼.

“You heard me,” exclaimed 1/12.

“Why, I oughta….” ¼ headed toward 1/12, fist clenched; an intense glare in his eyes.

“Wait!” interrupted 25%, why are you fighting.  Both of you are important,” explained 25%

“He’s not.  He’s just a midget,” screamed ¼. 

“Stop!  You two are both important because you both are fractions.  Fractions are the parts of the number, without you we would not have tons of things.  Without you two there would not even be a fair currency. You guys make up so many things.  Imagine math with no fractions.  Scary, I know.”  Explained 25%

1/12 and ¼ were lost for words. 

“I, I’m so sorry,” apologized ¼.

“Me too,” agreed 1/12.

They then hugged and ¼ and 1/12 saw the realm of math from a different perspective.  Everyone was important.