Shrinking Of The Treehorn, The

[Applause] [Music] something very strange was happening to treehorn the first thing he noticed was that he couldn't reach the Shelf in his closet that he'd always been able to reach before the one where he hid his candy bars and bubble gum then he noticed that his clothes were getting too big h my trousers are all stretching or something said treehorn to his mother I'm tripping on them all the time that's too bad dear I do hope this cake isn't going to fall and my sleeves come down way below my hands so my shirts must be stretching too think of that I just don't know why this cake isn't Rising the way it should Mrs abil's Cakes are always nice they always rise h treehorn started out of the kitchen he tripped on his trousers which indeed did seem to be getting longer and longer at dinner that night treeh Horn's father said do sit up treehorn I can hardly see your head I am sitting up this is as far up as I come I think I must be shrinking or something I'm sorry my cake didn't turn out very well it's very nice dear said treeh Horn's father politely by this time treehorn could hardly see over the top of the table sit up dear I am sitting up it's just that I'm shrinking what dear I'm shrinking getting smaller if you want to pretend you're shrinking that's all right as long as you don't do it at the table but I am shrinking said Treon don't argue with your mother treehorn he does look a little smaller maybe he is shrinking nobody shrinks said treeh Horn's father well I'm shrinking look at me tree Horn's father looked at treehorn why you're shrinking look Emily treehorn is shrinking he's much smaller than he used to be oh dear first it was the cake and now it's this everything happens at once I thought I was shrinking said treehorn and he went into the den to turn on the television set treehorn liked to watch television he lay on his stomach in front of the television set and watched one of his favorite programs he had 56 favorite programs during the commercials treehorn always listened to his mother and father talking together unless they were having a boring conversation if they were having a boring conversation he listened to the commercials now he listened to his mother and father he really is getting smaller what will we do what will people say well they'll say he's getting smaller I wonder if he's doing it on purpose just to be different why would he want to be different treehorn started listening to the commercial the next morning treehorn was still smaller his regular clothes were much too big to wear he rummaged around in his closet until he found some of his last year's clothes they were much too big too but he put them on and rolled up the pants and rolled up the sleeves and went down to breakfast treehorn liked cereal for breakfast but mostly he liked cereal boxes he always read every single thing thing on the cereal box while he was eating breakfast and he always sent in for the things the cereal box said he could send for today on the cereal box was a very special offer of a very special whistle that only dogs could hear treehorn did not have a dog but he thought it would be nice to have a whistle that dogs could hear even if he couldn't hear it even if dogs couldn't hear it it would be nice to have a whistle just to have it he decided to eat all of the cereal in the box so he could send in this morning for the whistle his mother never let him send in for anything until he had eaten all of the cereal in the Box treehorn filled in all of the blank spaces for his name and address and then he went to get his money out of the piggy bank on the kitchen counter but he couldn't reach it I certainly am getting smaller thought treeart he climbed up on a chair and got the piggy bank and shook out a dime you know how I hate to have you climb up on the chairs dear treehorn put the piggy bank in the bottom kitchen drawer that way I can get it no matter how little I get he thought he found an envelope and put a stamp on it and put the dime and the Box stop in so he could mail the letter on the way to school the mailbox was right next to the bus stop it was hard to walk to the bus stop because his shoes kept slipping off but he got there in plenty of time shuffling he couldn't reach the mailbox slot to put the letter in so he handed the letter to one of his friends Moshi and asked him to put it in how come you can't mail it yourself stupid because I'm shrinking I'm shrinking and I'm too little to reach the mailbox that's a stupid thing to do you're always doing stupid things but that's the stupidest [Music] when treehorn tried to get on the school bus everyone was pushing and shoving all the way back in a bus step all the way back let that little kid on treehorn was helped onto the bus you can stay right up here next to me if you want to cuz you're so little it's me treehorn said treehorn to his friend the bus driver you do look like treehorn at that only smaller treehorn isn't that little I am treehorn I'm just getting smaller nobody gets smaller you must be treeh Horn's kid brother what's your name treehorn said treehorn first time I ever heard of a family name in two boys the same name treehorn said nothing when he went into class his teacher said Nursery School is down at the end of the hall honey I'm treehorn said said treehorn if you're treehorn why are you so small because I'm shrinking I'm getting smaller well I'll let it go for today but see that it's taken care of before tomorrow we don't shrink in this [Music] class after recess treehorn was thirsty so he went down the hall to the water bubbler he couldn't reach it and he tried to jump up high enough [Music] he still couldn't get a drink but he kept jumping up and down trying why treehorn that isn't like you jumping up and down in the hall just because you're shrinking it does not mean you have special privileges what if all the children in the school started jumping up and down in the Halls I'm afraid you'll have to go to the principal's office treehorn so treehorn went to the principal's office I'm supposed to see the principal said treehorn to the lady in the principal's outer office it's a very busy day please check here on this for the reason you have to see him that will save time be sure to put your name down too that'll save time and right clearly that will save time treehorn looked at the form there were were many things to check but treehorn couldn't find one that said being too small to reach the water bubbler he finally wrote in [Music] shrinking the principal looked at the form and then he looked at treehorn then he looked at the form again I can't read this it looks like uh shering you you're not shering are you treehorn we can't have any shers here you know we're a team and we all have to do our very best it says shrinking said treehorn I'm shrinking oh uh shrinking e well no I'm very sorry to hear that treehorn well you were right to come to me that's what I'm here for to guide not to punish but to guide to guide all the members of my team to solve all their problems but I don't have any problems I'm just shrinking well I um want you to know that I'm right here when you need me treehorn and I'm glad I was here to help you uh a team is only as good as its coach goodbye torn uh if you have any more problems come straight to me and I'll help you again a problem isn't a problem once it's solved right by the end of the day treehorn was still smaller at the dinner table that night he sat on several cushions so he could be high enough to see over the top of the table he's still shrinking heaven knows I've tried to be a good mother oh maybe we should call a doctor I did I called every doctor in the Yellow Pages but no one knew anything about shrinking problems maybe he'll just keep getting smaller and smaller until he disappear no one disappears said treeh Horn's father positively that's right they don't but no it shrinks see there finish your carrots [Music] treehorn the next morning treehorn was so small he had to jump out of bed on the floor under the bed was a game he' pushed under there and forgotten about he walked under the bed to look at it it was one of the games he'd sent in for from a cereal box he had started playing it a couple of days ago but he hadn't had a chance to finish it the game was called the big game for kids to grow on treehorn Sat under the bed to finish playing the game where had he left off he remembered he just had to move his piece back seven spaces on the board he was so small now that the only way he could move the spinner was by kicking it so he kicked it it stopped at number four that meant he could move his piece ahead four spaces on the board the only way he could move the piece forward now was by carrying it so he carried it it was pretty heavy he walked along the board to the fourth space it said congratulations and up you go Advance 13 spaces treehorn started to carry his piece forward the 13 spaces but the piece seemed to be getting smaller or else he was getting [Music] bigger well I don't want to get too big thought treehorn so he pulled the game out from under the bed and moved the piece ahead slowly from one space to the next getting bigger with each space until he was his own regular size again then he put the spinner and the pieces and the instructions and the board back in the box for the big game for kids to grow on and put it in his closet if he ever wanted to get bigger or smaller he could play it again even if it was a pretty boring game treehorn went down for breakfast and read the new cereal box it said you could send for a hundred balloons don't put your elbows on the table while you're eating dear look said treeart I'm My Own size now my own regular size that's nice dear it's a very nice size I'm sure and if I were you I wouldn't shrink anymore be sure to tell your father when he comes home tonight he'll be so pleased that night treehorn was watching TV as he reached over to change channels he noticed that his hand was bright green he looked in the mirror that was hanging over the television set his face was green his ears were green his hair was green he was green all over I don't think I'll tell anyone if I don't say anything they won't notice do turn the volume down a little dear your father and I are having the Smedley over to play bridge do comb your hair before they come won't you dear [Music] [Music]