The Story: Football-Tetja vs. the Púkar
A Crisp Afternoon in Reykjavík
It was a bright, crisp afternoon in Reykjavík, and the Icelandic national football team was practicing on a lush green field surrounded by majestic mountains. The players were in high spirits, passing the ball and preparing for their next big match.
The Púkar Appear
Suddenly, the sky darkened, and a swirl of red smoke appeared out of nowhere! From the smoke stepped the mischievous Púkar, their eyes glowing with mischief and their laughter echoing across the field. “We’ve heard you’re good at football,” said the leader of the Púkar. “But can you beat us in a special match? To score points, you’ll need to count forwards and backwards! If you fail, we’ll take over your field forever!” The players exchanged nervous glances. Counting forwards and backwards while playing football? That sounded impossible!
Enter Football-Tetja
Just as they began to lose hope, a familiar voice called out from the sidelines. “Don’t worry, I’m here to help!” It was John the Football-Tetja, the legendary expert in football and math, glowing with confidence, Tetja stepped onto the field. “With teamwork and math skills, we can defeat the Púkar!”
The Match Begins
The Púkar set up a magical scoreboard, The whistle blew, and the match began. The Icelandic team scored the first goal, but the Púkar leader raised a hand and said, “Wait! To keep that point, you must count forwards from1 to 5!” The players hesitated, but Tetja rallied them. “Let’s count together! 1, 2, 3, 4, 5!” The point stayed on the scoreboard, and the Púkar grumbled. The Púkar scored next and challenged the team. “Count backwards from 5 to 1, or lose a point!” Tetja led the team: “5, 4, 3, 2, 1!” The scoreboard stayed even.
The Challenges Intensify
The game grew more intense as the Púkar added more tricks. “Count forwards from 11 to 20 to keep your next goal!” they challenged. The players and Tetja worked together with the crowd joining in: “11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20!” The Púkar groaned but couldn’t take the point away. Tetja and the players worked together to solve every challenge. The children watching from the stands joined in, counting aloud to help their team. “6, 7, 8, 9, 10” and “10, 9, 8, 7, 6” echoed across the field.
The Final Challenge
The score was tied with only seconds left. The Púkar tried one last trick. “Count backwards from 20 to 11, or you lose the game!” Tetja smiled and turned to the players and the crowd. “Let’s do this together!” “20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11!” they all shouted in unison.The whistle blew, and the scoreboard lit up: Iceland Wins! The Púkar vanished in a puff of red smoke, muttering, “Next time, we’ll make it harder!” The Icelandic players lifted Tetja onto their shoulders, cheering. “Thank you, Tetja! We couldn’t have done it without you—and math!” Tetja smiled and said, “Remember, math is not just useful—it’s fun! See you all at the next adventure!”