Once upon a time, in a land filled with numbers, there lived five good friends named Eighty-One, Ninety-Two, One Hundred and Ten, One Hundred and One, and Eighty-Two. They lived in a big house and always played together, trying to outdo each other with their cleverness and wit.

One day, they heard that there was a big number contest being held in the next town over, and whoever could come up with the best number tricks and jokes would win a prize. Eighty-One, Ninety-Two, and One Hundred and Ten were so excited, they immediately set out to practice.

Eighty-One was a silly fellow, who loved to make people laugh. He tried all sorts of jokes, like pretending to be Eighty with a tiny '1' on top of his head, or pretending to be One Hundred and One with a tiny '1' on his bottom.

Ninety-Two, on the other hand, was more serious. He practiced doing magic tricks with numbers, like making Ninety disappear and reappear, or making One Hundred appear out of nowhere.

One Hundred and Ten was the smartest of the three, but also the most absent-minded. He kept forgetting his own tricks and making mistakes, much to the amusement of his friends.

Eighty-Two and One Hundred and One decided not to participate in the contest, as they were too busy exploring the world and having adventures.

On the day of the contest, Eighty-One, Ninety-Two, and One Hundred and Ten stepped onto the stage, eager to show off their skills. The crowd was amazed at the silly jokes of Eighty-One, the magic tricks of Ninety-Two, and the intelligence of One Hundred and Ten, who finally managed to remember all of his tricks.

When it was time to announce the winner, the judges were having a hard time deciding, as all of the numbers had been so good. But then, they remembered Eighty-Two and One Hundred and One, who were exploring the world and having fun, and they decided that the best number was the one who was having the most fun.

And so, Eighty-Two and One Hundred and One were declared the winners, and everyone cheered and clapped for them. From that day on, all of the numbers learned that having fun was more important than winning any contest, and they all lived happily ever after.

The end.

Reflections

1. Who were the five friends in the story?
2. What was the big number contest about?
3. Who were the participants in the contest?
4. Who won the contest in the end?
5. What did the judges learn from the contest?
6. What was the lesson that the numbers learned from the contest?
7. What would you do if you were one of the numbers in the story?
8. How did the characters in the story show that having fun is more important than winning?