Tock
The clock's hands tell you when: the hour and the half-hour
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Tock is a gentle tortoise, and the pattern on Tock's round shell looks exactly like a clock face — numbers around the edge, and two hands, a short one and a long one. Tock is never in a hurry, because Tock always knows when. "The hands point to the time," Tock says slowly. "The short hand tells the hour. When the long hand points straight up, it's o'clock. Straight down, it's half past."
Tock's friend Wex the vole is having a rough day. Wex missed snack time. Then Wex was too early for the story circle and had to wait and wait. "I never know when things happen," Wex groans. "It's like time is playing tricks on me." Wex feels muddled and out of step with the whole day.
"Time isn't tricking you," says Tock kindly. "You just haven't read the clock yet. Look at my shell. Snack is at three o'clock — that's when the short hand points to the three and the long hand points straight up. See? Now you can watch it coming, instead of being surprised." Tock turns slowly so Wex can study the hands.
Wex watches the long hand climb. "It's almost pointing up... and the short hand is near the three..." Wex's eyes go wide. "It's almost three o'clock! Snack is almost here — and I know it!" No surprise, no missing it. Wex can see the time coming, like watching a friend walk up the path.
All afternoon, Wex checks Tock's shell — half past three for the story, four o'clock for the pond. Knowing when makes the whole day feel smooth and steady, instead of jumbled. A calm, in-step feeling settles over Wex, unhurried as Tock itself. And Tock, happy to help, tucks in for a slow and peaceful rest, right on time.
The MeasurePals ensemble
Tock is part of MeasurePals's distributed-narrative cast. Each character embodies a different curricular primitive; together they teach the full subject.
