Schoolhouse Rock!

"Little Twelve Toes"

Original Air Date

March 10, 1973

A martian (Little Twelvetoes) visits a country boy and teaches him about the multiplication of 12 and briefly discusses the still-uncommon duodecimal system.

"Little Twelve Toes" Lyrics

"Now if man had been born with 6 fingers on each hand

He'd also have 12 toes or so the theory goes

Well, with twelve digits, I mean fingers

He probably would have invented two more digits

When he invented his number system

Then, if he saved the zero for the end

He could count and multiply by twelve

Just as easily as you and I do by ten

Now if man had been born with 6 fingers on each hand

He'd probably count: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, dek, el, doh

"Dek" and "el" being two entirely new signs meaning ten and

eleven

Single digits!

And his twelve, "doh", would be written 1-0

Get it?

That'd be swell, for multiplying 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 call it a dozen

Hey Little Twelvetoes, please come back home

Now if man had been born with 6 fingers on each hand

His children would have them 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

Let me see now:

One times 12 is twelve, 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 12 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"