Author's Note: The content of this story may not be suitable for young children. Some gory imagery is included, being that this is the nature of the show.


The calendar with the date '19 June' is stuck on the wall. The three friends are sitting on the sofa watching a television programme, just as the last scene is playing. The narrator's friendly voice concludes,

"And the moon fell down from the sky and lived happily ever after!"

In the television, a white smiley face falls into a river with a splash.

The three friends shout,

"Hooray!"

The words "The end" appear on the screen, and the television fades black.

"That was fun!" comments Yellow Guy.

"That was exciting," Red Guy says in his monotonous voice, nodding.

"But what do we do now?" Duck Guy asks in his raspy voice.

The three friends turn to stare at the television screen. The blackness stares back at them.

"I guess we just have to wait for our next show," suggests Red Guy.

"Good idea!" Duck Guy agrees.

They sit and wait in silence as seconds tick by. Suddenly, a book falls off from the bookshelf, and climbs up to the top of the TV, shouting,

"Does anybody love to read?"

The three friends answer in unison,

"NOOO!"

The book starts singing,

"Well that's a shame! Because...

Books are better than TV

Novels better than movies

If you don't agree then you're silly

Because books are better TV"

"But why?" protests Yellow Guy, "TV is-"

"TV's bad for your eyes

TV's bad for your mind

It's better if you believe me

That books are better than TV."

"Books sound really boring," remarks Red Guy.

The book glares at Red Guy.

"You will be the first to taste a page!"

One of the pages from the book tears itself out, crushes itself up, and flies into Red Guy's face.

"Ow."

Suddenly, pages start floating down from the ceiling, and the three friends find themselves in a library!

"Wow! It's a library!" exclaims Duck Guy.

"Lovely!" says Yellow Guy.

The book is pleased.

"That's right! Let's go on a tour!"

The book leads the friends through the different sections, singing,

"The library's for the book readers

There's not a single TV here

You can stay in the library

If you just pick up a book!"

"But which one should I choose?" Red Guy asks.

Duck Guy: "There's comics and mystery, ancient history!"

Yellow Guy: "Books about oceans! Books about space!"

Duck Guy: "Rows and shelves and shelves and rows!"

Book: "Close your mouth or get out of the place!"

Duck Guy looks down and says sadly,

"I have a beak."

The book continues his tour,

"Before choosing, everyone must know that books are divided into two main groups!"

"There are two main sections

The fiction and the non-fiction

The latter's good for revision

While fiction's bad for your brain."

Yellow Guy gasps.

"But I like White Face's Adventures In The Sky!"

Another book on a table opens and closes itself repeatedly, saying, "Bad for the brain! Bad for the brain!"

"Now you heard my friend!" says the book,

"Reading brings knowledge and fills up your mind

Has all the answers you're wanting to find..."

Red Guy: But all of this is true for TV.

Book: That's what you think now, but you will soon see...

"Books are better! Taste another page!"

Another page from the book crushes itself up and flies into Red Guy's face.

"Ow."

"And among the non-fiction

There's just one restriction

Grab the oldest edition

And all the rest are just trash."

Yellow Guy: What?

"TV's bad for your eyes

Books are good for your eyes

That is no surprise

Because TV's bad for your eyes."

"But Mr Book..." Duck Guy begins.

"Books are better than TV"

Yellow Guy: No!

"Novels better than movies"

Duck Guy: Wrong!

Meanwhile, the book on the table continues, "Bad for the brain! Bad for the brain!" Red Guy flings it onto the floor and steps on it. The book bleeds.

The singing book passes them an empty book each and makes them sit down.

"Now sit on the couch and just pick one!

It's going to be a lot of fun!

You will enjoy it, but if that's not true,

Just keep on staring until you do...

Until you do... Until you do..."

The three friends sit there staring at their empty books. Ages go by, and the whole library starts to vibrate. Yellow Guy's eyes bleed and pop out of their sockets. Duck Guy's head explodes. The book Red Guy is holding keeps growing and growing, and is eventually big enough to devour him whole. Red Guy disappears into the pages. Lights flash before his eyes. Words swim around endlessly, and he briefly sees a skinny yellow figure shelving some books. He screams monotonously,

"Ahhh..."

The three friends wake up in their sitting room. All the books on their shelves are lying on the floor. Just then, the TV flickers to life again. Duck Guy says,

"Look, our show's on!"

THE END