Which way round should I add two numbers?

NARRATOR: Hello Snoot.

Having a snack?

What ARE you eating?

SNOOT: (ALIEN LANGUAGE)

NARRATOR: Space grubs and astro bugs?!

Lovely… All part of a balanced alien diet, I suppose?

SNOOT: Mmm.

NARRATOR: That does look like quite a lot of snacks.

How many do you need?

SNOOT: (ALIEN LANGUAGE)

NARRATOR: 8 a day?

If you say so.

Let’s see if you’ve got enough.

Why don’t you start by counting up the astro bugs?

1… 2… 3.

Then the space grubs.

That’s 1… 2… 3… 4… 5.

Now all you need to do is add 3 to 5, which makes 4… 5… 6… 7… 8 all together.

FIN: (ALIEN LANGUAGE)

NARRATOR: Oh, hello Fin.

FIN: (ALIEN LANGUAGE)

NARRATOR: You think grubs should always be counted before bugs?

OK, if that’s how you want to do it.

Let’s count the space grubs first.

1… 2… 3… 4… 5.

Then the astro bugs.

1… 2… 3.

Now take 5 and add 3 and what do you get?

6… 7… 8 again!

SNOOT: (ALIEN LANGUAGE)

NARRATOR: That’s right Snoot, it’s exactly the same as what you had before.

The fact is, it doesn’t matter which way round you count these cosmic creepy crawlies, the answer will always be the same.

BOTH: Aha!

NARRATOR: That’s how it works when you add up numbers.

It doesn’t matter which order you put them in, the answer will always be the same.

FIN: Yum yum yum…

(LAUGHING)

NARRATOR: Fin, that wasn’t very nice.

(BURPING)