The Forgetful Number Eight
by Daniel Errico
Number Eight lived in the Land of Numbers.
He worked every day at the library.
He was always forgetting things.
When the other numbers asked him where a book was, he could never remember.
“Never mind, I’ll find it myself,” they would say.
On his way home, he was always too busy looking at the trees and the stream to remember where he was going.
It once took him three hours to find his house!
Sometimes he forgot how to brush his teeth.
Sometimes he forgot how to make a sandwich.
Sometimes he even forgot how to wear a hat.
One morning Number Five came into the library with a large gold book.
“I don’t remember the last time I saw a gold book,” said Number Eight.
“This is a very special book,” said Number Five.
“I found it while digging in the Land of Words.
You must not lose it.
I’ll be back to check on it tomorrow.”
Number Eight saw that the gold book was very important.
“Oh no,” he said, “Where can I keep this special book without forgetting it?”
He put it inside his desk, but then he thought, “No, I lose things in there all the time.”
He put it between a silver book and a bronze book, but then he thought, “No, I can never find those books when somebody asks where they are.”
He put it in a room for special books, but then he thought, “That’s a bad idea. I forget about that room all the time.”
He had run out of ideas.
“I’ll put it on the very top row of the tallest bookshelf that I have,” he finally decided.
After he put the book on the top row of the tallest bookshelf, he started to climb down the ladder he was using.
Half way down he stumbled and fell, bumping his head.
“Owwwww,” he said.
He couldn’t remember what he was doing on the ladder, but he was sure that it wasn’t worth the bump on his head.
The next morning Number Five came into the library.
“I’m here to see my special gold book,” said Number Five.
Number Eight looked around the library.
He couldn’t see a gold book anywhere, because it was on the top row of the tallest bookshelf.
“Where could the gold book be?” he thought to himself.
He started to scratch his head.
“Owwwwww,” he yelled when he scratched the bump on his head.
“That’s where it is! I bumped my head when I put your gold book away on the top shelf!” said Number Eight.
“Splendid,” said Number Five, “I knew I could count on you.
Number Five came in from time to time to look at his special gold book.
Number Eight learned that if he used tricks, he could remember things, without even bumping his head!
It wasn’t long before Number Eight knew where every book in the library was.
The other numbers used to think that Number Eight was forgetful, but nobody remembers that now.
