"Little Twelvetoes" is a song from Schoolhouse Rock!, which can be seen in Multiplication Rock. The song teaches us how to multiply by twelve.
Lyrics[]
Now, if man had been born with six fingers on each hand, he'd also have twelve toes, or so the theory goes. Well, with twelve digits -- I mean fingers -- he probably would've invented two more digits when he invented his number system. Then, if he'd saved the zero for the end, he could count and multiply by twelves just as easily as you and I do by tens.
Now, if man had been born with six fingers on each hand, he'd probably count: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, dek, el, doe. "Dek" and "el" being two entirely new signs meaning ten and eleven. Single digits. And his twelve, "doe", would've been written 1-0. Get it? That'd be swell, to multiply by 12.
Hey Little Twelvetoes, I hope you're well.
Must be some far-flung planet where you dwell.
If we were together, you could be my cousin.
Down here we'd call them a dozen.
Hey Little Twelvetoes, please come back home.
Now, if man had been born with six fingers on each hand, his children would have 'em too. And when they played hide-and-go-seek, they'd count by sixes fast. And when they studied piano, they'd do their six-finger exercises. And when they went to school, they'd learn the golden rule and how to multiply by twelve easy: just put down a zero. But me, I have to learn it the hard way.
Lemme see now...
One times 12 is 12
Two times 12 is 24
Three times 12 is 36
Four times 12 is 48
Five times 12 is 60
Six times 12 is 72
Seven times 12 is 84
Eight times 12 is 96
Nine times 12 is 108
Ten times 12 is 120
Eleven times 12 is 132, and twelve times 12 is 144.
WOW!
Hey Little Twelvetoes, I hope you're thriving.
Some of us ten-toed folks are still surviving.
If you help me with my twelves, I'll help you with your tens.
And we could all be friends.
Little Twelvetoes, please come back home.
Trivia[]
- The voices of Little Twelvetoes' children counting by 6s fast are Bob Dorough's voices sped-up. The piano during one part is also sped-up.
- This song did not air as often because it was suggested that the duodecimal system was a little too complex for grade school children to comprehend. Along with "The Good Eleven", this song was left off the original 1987 ABC Kidavision Schoolhouse Rock! videos with Cloris Leachman.
Goofs[]
- When the hand picks an apple from the tree, the hand only has five digits when it should have six.
- When Little Twelvetoes counts on his fingers and reaches six, the numbers one to six end up moving to the left a bit.
