09x04 - Galimoto

[bunniefuu]

♪ Reading rainbow ♪

♪ Butterfly in the sky ♪

♪ I can go twice as high ♪

♪ Take a look ♪

♪ It's in a book ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ I can go anywhere ♪

♪ Friends to know ♪

♪ And ways to grow ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ I can be anything ♪

♪ Take a look ♪

♪ It's in a book ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ Reading rainbow ♪

Hi.

I love fiddling
with pipe cleaners.

You can be really
creative with them.

They're easy to use,
and with a few twists and turns,

You can make
just about anything.

Ha ha ha!

Pretty good, huh?

Pipe cleaners are soft
and fuzzy on the outside,

But the reason
they're so flexible

Is that on the inside
they're made of wire.

Wire bends and curls,

But it's also

Amazingly strong,

Which is why so many things
are made of wire.

As you can see,
wire is almost everywhere.

People all over
the world use it.

In this book,

An african boy builds something
out of wire that's very clever.

It's called galimoto.

Kondi opened an old shoebox,

And inside were his things.

There was a Kn*fe kondi
had made from a tin can

And a dancing man he had made
from dried cornstalks.

In kondi's box,

There were also
some scraps of wire

He had been saving
for something special.

"I shall make a galimoto,"

Kondi told his brother ufulu.

"Ha," ufulu laughed,

"A boy with only 7 years
cannot make such a toy.

You don't have enough wire."

"I will get enough wire."

Kondi took his Kn*fe

And went to the home
of his friend gift.

"I want your wires,"
kondi told gift.

"I'll give you
my Kn*fe for them."

"Why do you want the wires?"
Gift asked.

"I want to make a galimoto,"
kondi answered.

Gift took wires
from his box of things

And gave them to kondi.

"That's not enough wire
for a galimoto,"

Gift told his friend.

"I will find enough wire."

Kondi put his wires into a bag

And took them to
his uncle's shop.

"I want the wires on your
old packing boxes.

They would make
a fine galimoto."

"So you want to make
a galimoto?

"The son of my brother
is clever.

Take the wires."

[Grinding]

Kondi could hear the grinders
at the flour mill.

Many women with babies
tied on their backs

Waited in the hot sun.

Kondi squeezed
through the crowd.

The women began
yelling angrily,

"You cannot go there!"

"I have no maize to grind.

I only want wires
for a galimoto."

The miller shrugged.

"There are some wires out back.
Take those and go."

In the back of the mill,

Kondi found
some very thin wires

Wrapped in red and yellow
and green plastic.

"I can scrape the coating off,"
kondi thought.

Kondi passed
some young children

Playing on an ant hill.

One was munde, the small sister
of his friend gift.

She had a fine,
long piece of wire,

Which she stuck into the dirt.

"Little friend, you cannot
catch an ant that way.

With some water and a stick,
we will fool them."

Kondi poured water
around one hole.

"They will think the rains
have begun," kondi explained.

Then he stuck a stick
down the hole.

Gently he pulled it out,
and on the end was a large ant.

"Ha ha! My stick is better
than a wire

"For catching ants.

You may have the stick,
and I'll take the wire."

Kondi took his wires
to the shade

Of the red flame trees
in his village.

Kondi sorted his wires.

There were thick pieces
and thin pieces.

Some were long,
and some were short.

Kondi banged the bent ones
with a stone

To straighten them.

Ththick wires made the frame.

He wrapped the very thinnest
wires at the joints

To hold the galimoto together.

"My galimoto will be
a pickup truck,"

Kondi decided.

His brothers and sisters
admired his work.

"So you found enough wire,"
ufulu said.

"Yes," kondi agreed.

"Let the moon be bright for us
to play and sing tonight."

Kondi could hear his friends
singing in the distance,

Calling him to play.

He carefully guided
his galimoto

Over the dusty path.

"Galimoto!" Someone cheered,

And one by one,
kondi's friends formed

A line behind him.

"Eeeee!

"Galimoto!

"Galimoto!

"Galimoto!

Galimoto!"
They began to chant.

[Children laughing]

Kondi saw the shadow
of his galimoto

Cast by the moonlight
racing alongside.

"It's a fine galimoto,"
he thought proudly,

"And perhaps tomorrow
I shall make my galimoto

"Into...an ambulance

"Or an airplane

"Or...ha ha ha!

"A helicopter.

Ha ha ha!"

Ha ha ha!

Kondi would have a great time
with this piece of wire,

Though it is kind of wild.

It seems to have a mind
of its own and moves all over.

Whew!

There is an artist
in santa fe, new mexico,

Who tames wire and knows
how to whip it into shape.

My name is eleanor mckay,

And I make sculptures
out of wire.

I never, ever thought that I
would be making wire sculptures.

I just picked up a piece of wire
and started bending it.

I use very simple tools--
wire cutters

And needle-nose pliers
and my hands.

It is like drawing,
drawing in space.

The nature of wire
is like a spring.

It is kind of an ornery medium.

I sometimes feel like
I'm really wrestling with it,

Turning it and bending it

And having to crimp it
really hard.

I have to tame it,
and it controls me.

There becomes a relationship
between me and the wire.

This is going to be
an armadillo.

It will be three-dimensional.

I like to use one piece of wire.

I have to bend it and tie it

And make knots in it,

And while I'm doing that,
it turns the wire all around.

I think, "there is no way
this will look like I want it."

I just keep on making it,
and somehow it comes out.

When I'm done bending,
twisting, and shaking them,

They're still plain steel, gray.

I think they need more color,
so I like to paint them.

The colors are very bright,

Very rich.

They make the sculpture
stand out more.

They become alive and fun.

With all the bending
and wrestling with the wire,

When I'm done,
I'm always happy with it,

Whether it is a rooster,
armadillo, or person

Or even just a leaf.

Whew!

This is remarkable.

I feel like I'm sailing
up a mountain,

And in a way, I am.

I'm on the sandia peak tramway
in albuquerque, new mexico,

And the car I'm in
is hanging on a wire.

Look at this view!

There are two track wires
for the car to ride on.

Between them, a haul cable
pulls the car up and down.

This is what
the haul cable looks like,

And this is the inside.

It is a bunch of smaller wires,

Each no bigger than
kondi might have used,

But when these strands
are twisted together,

They form a cable strong enough

To haul this tramway car
up and down the mountain.

For most, riding
in a tramcar like this

And putting such trust
in a piece of wire

Is a once-in-a-lifetime
experience.

But for some,

Trusting a wire is
something they do every day.

They put their lives
on the line.

Ladies and gentlemen,
children of all ages,

Ringling brothers

And barnum & bailey
circus presents

The first family of high wire--
the quiros.

My name is angel quiros,

And my family and I
walk the high wire.

[Applause]

There is no net
to catch you if you fall,

So you must
concentrate completely

And always keep
your eye on the wire.

When you walk the wire,
your life depends on the wire.

There is nothing else
beneath your feet.

The wire is all you have.

The sword fight
is very hard to do.

You must watch the sword

As well as keep
your eye on the wire.

You know how high up you are.

Sometimes you feel afraid.

If you work well,

The wire will not let you down.

The wire is the width
of your thumb,

And it feels hard,
like a pipe, beneath your feet.

It is tightly strung,

But it bounces.

You must work hard
to keep balanced.

Concentration is crucial
on the wire.

Every time you go up,

You must give 1oo%.

That can be hard when you hear
the audience shout.

Many high-wire artists
perform with their families.

Because you must
practice so much

And trust each other totally,
working with family is best.

We practice many hours a day,

But even so,
we can make a mistake.

We learn how to catch ourselves
and swing on the wire

And repeat the performance right
the next time.

[Drum roll]

Your life depends
on your partners,

So you must
trust them completely.

You must also
believe in yourself,

And you must trust the wire.

[Applauding]

Look!

Look!

Watch your step.

It is spectacular up here.

It looks like we're
on top of the world.

It must have been difficult
to build this tramway,

But it was worth it.

Luckily, not all projects
are so difficult.

Here are books
with simpler ideas,

But you don't have to
take my word for it.

Hi. I'm jessica hullings.

Look at this.

That's the title
of the book I read.

It gives fun ideas
on how to make things.

Know how to make
a dancing frog?

Find green paper,

Eight paper fasteners,
a scissor, and a hole puncher.

It is easy to make,

And the frog really dances.

The pictures are really good.
They show exactly what to do.

"The noisemaker"
is a funny story.

A little boy makes
his own noisemaker.

The noises you can make
will be funny.

Try it.

Time's up for this story
and for me.

Remember this book

The next time you're looking
for something to do.

Hi. I'm chris guiles.

If you like to make things
and read a great book,

The little pigs' puppet book
is for you.

It's about brothers--charles,
ralph, and bertram.

It's a rainy day.

They decide to put on
a puppet show.

They make puppets.
Each has a different idea.

They have to write the script,

Make the stage,

Paint the scenery.

Of course, they won't forget
the refreshments.

It's a lot of work,

But the brothers
really enjoyed it.

I think it would be
a lot of fun,

So the next time you're bored,

Pick up the little pigs'
puppet book.

Hi. I'm caroline chang.

If you're feeling
you have nothing to do,

Read my first activity book.

It's a great way to keep busy.

It has a lot of activities,

Like making jewelry from pasta.

What about turning
eggs into faces?

Try your hand at making
puppets out of envelopes

And lanterns out of melons.

Each activity has
easy steps to follow.

Color photographs show
exactly what to do.

My favorite activity
was potato printing.

Can you believe
I made this with a potato?

Learn how in this book.

There is something so satisfying
about crafting things by hand,

And no matter what you make,

Half the fun is choosing
your material,

So for today,
I'll stick to wire.

See you next time.

Today's reading rainbow
books are...

Galimoto
by karen lynn williams,

Illustrated by catherine stock,

Published by lothrop, lee
& shepard books.

Look at this
by harlow rockwell,

Published by aladdin.

The little pigs' puppet book
by n. Cameron watson,

Published by little,
brown and co.

My first activity book
by angela wilkes,

Published by alfred a. Knopf.

Funding for
reading rainbow