(Happy music)

In animation, different homes in a city, suburbs and countryside appear.

A title appears on a hill. It reads: TVOKids and ABC presents. Big Words, Small Stories

Children say, BIG WORDS, SMALL STORIES.

A title reads: Balancing Act. Written by Brendan Luno

A child’s voice says, BALANCING ACT

Davey sits at a table. He has black hair and glasses. He wears a yellow striped shirt. Davey pours a box of cereal into a bowl. Only one piece of cereal comes out.

Abigail asks, NOT HUNGRY, DAVEY?

Abigail is a dog with black ears.

Davey says, THERE WAS PLENTY IN THE BOX YESTERDAY.

Davey shakes the box. A pile of cereal falls into his bowl.

Nani Ji asks, ARE YOU GOING TO EAT ALL THAT?

Nani Ji has curly grey hair. She wears a yellow top and a green skirt. She sits at the table next to Judy in a high chair. Judy has black hair pulled into a ponytail.

Davey says, NO. IT WAS AN ACCIDENT, AND IT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN AGAIN.

Abigail asks, YOU'RE GIVING UP CEREAL?!

(Small giggle)

Abigail says, MORE FOR ME!

Abigail tosses a piece of cereal in her mouth.

Davey says, NO. I'M GOING TO BUILD A SPECIAL MACHINE THAT WILL DELIVER THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF CEREAL EVERY TIME!

Abigail says, OR YOU COULD JUST EAT IT OUT OF THE BOX LIKE I DO.

Nani Ji says, ABIGAIL!

Abigail says, JUST KIDDING.

(Music playing)

Davey has a pile of toys and a bicycle.

Abigail says, WOW! FOR A TINY HOUSE, WE SURE HAVE A LOT OF STUFF!

Davey says, WHICH WILL HELP ME BUILD THIS AWESOME MACHINE!

Davey holds a drawing in a notebook. He balances a skateboard and beachball on a rocking chair.

Abigail says, UH, DAVEY? THAT LOOKS REALLY... REALLY... PRECARIOUS.

Creatures pop up.

A pink double decker bus drives by.

Creatures shout, PRECARIOUS!

The Sprinkle Fairy flies in, holding a wand. She has tall grey hair and glasses. She is dressed in purple.

Text reads: Precarious

Sprinkle Fairy says, PRECARIOUS MEANS SOMETHING THAT ISN'T SECURE OR HELD IN PLACE FIRMLY. YOU KNOW, LIKE THE WAY THAT BEACH BALL AND SKATEBOARD ARE BALANCED ON THE ROCKING CHAIR.

Davey says, IT HAS TO BE BALANCED JUST RIGHT FOR IT TO WORK OR I WON'T GET THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF CEREAL.

(Tinkling sounds)

Sprinkle Fairy’s wand sparkles.

Sprinkle Fairy says, OOPS! GOTTA GO. I LEFT SOME CRYSTAL BALLS BALANCED PRECARIOUSLY AT THE WORD FACTORY! IF THEY TUMBLE AND CRUMBLE, ALL MY WORDS WILL BE A JUMBLE! TOODLES!

Sprinkle Fairy flies away.

(Music playing)

Three tiny creatures run to a drawer. One climbs in and falls over.

(Squeaking)

A ball bounces and hits the drawer, knocking it shut.

Davey moves a trombone.

(Creaking)

Davey says, IT NEEDS SOME OIL.

Abigail says, AND I NEED A SNACK. WATCHING YOU WORK MAKES ME NERVOUS, AND WHEN I'M NERVOUS, I GET HUNGRY.

Davey slides the trombone.

Davey says, PERFECT!

Davey ties the trombone to a string.

Abigail asks, WHERE DOES THE CEREAL FIT IN?

Davey says, MY MOUTH.

Abigail says, VERY FUNNY.

(Music playing)

The creatures tie a string to the drawer. The other end of the string is attached to a toy car.

(Revving sound)

The toy car drives forward. It is jerked back by the string.

Davey sets up a row of dominos.

Nani Ji says, IT LOOKS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING, DAVEY!

Nani Ji whispers, WHAT IS IT?

Judy says, I WANNA PLAY TOO!

(Music playing)

Judy runs forward and steps on a rope.

(Groans)

Davey says, CAREFUL! IT'S VERY PRECARIOUS!

Text appears: Precarious

(Music playing)

One creature stands on the other’s head and tries to pull open the door. The drawer opens and they topple over. The third creature looks out and smiles.

Davey puts a cereal box wrapped in string on a table.

Davey cries, FINISHED!

(Trumpets)

Strings and ropes are connected to toys and furniture around the room.

Abigail says, INCREDIBLE!

Judy asks, WHAT DOES IT DO?

Davey says, SIMPLE! HERE, I'LL SHOW YOU...

The drawing in the notebook moves. A drawing of a toy dinosaur moves forward.

Davey says, GO, T-REX! INTO THE BUCKET.

The bucket lowers, pulling a string attached to a disco ball on the ceiling.

Davey says, PULLS THE STRING. THAT STARTS THE DISCO BALL!

The disco ball spins. It pulls a string.

Davey says, NOW THE BICYCLE WHEEL'S TURNING, IT SETS OFF THE SPRING THAT STARTS THE DOMINO CHAIN!

The dominos fall and hit a button on a vacuum cleaner. The vacuum is on a skateboard.

Davey says, THE VACUUM FIRES UP AND THE TROMBONE PLAYS!

(Trombone sound)

The vacuum’s hose is attached to the trombone. Air from the trombone moves the beach ball on the skateboard balanced on the rocking chair.

Davey says, THE ROCKING CHAIR ROCKS, THE SKATEBOARD TILTS AND THE BALL FLIES OUT! THERE GOES THE TAPE MEASURE!

A tape measure lowers.

Davey says, IT HITS THE SLINGSHOT WHICH FIRES THE BASEBALL OFF THE TRAMPOLINE, ONTO THE CEREAL BOX!

The cereal box tilts over a bowl.

Davey says, IT POURS THE RIGHT AMOUNT BEFORE THE RUBBER BANDS PULL IT BACK! COOL, HUH?

Abigail says, SO, THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NO CHANCE THAT ANYTHING CAN GO WRONG.

Davey says, IT MIGHT LOOK PRECARIOUS BUT I'VE PLANNED IT ALL OUT AND THOUGHT OF EVERY POSSIBLE PROBLEM.

A front door opens.

Davey says, EXCEPT THAT.

Mom comes in, holding a briefcase.

Mom says, HEY! I FINISHED WORK EARLY SO—

Mom steps forward and hits a string.

Davey cries, NOOO!

The rocking chair tilts and the beach ball goes flying.

(Music playing)

(Gasps)

The baseball is launched into the disco ball. The bicycle rolls forward and out the door.

(Crashing sound)

The T-Rex falls into the bucket. The hose on the trombone comes loose.

(Vacuum cleaner sounds)

(Trombone sounds)

The vacuum cleaner begins sucking up dominos. It shoots dominos out onto a mini trampoline. The dominos hit the cereal box and it flies to a railing on the second storey of the house.

(Fearful moans)

Abigail says, NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL PRECARIOUS.

Text reads: Precarious

The cereal box wobbles and tilts. Cereal pours out onto Davey’s head.

Abigail asks, IS THAT THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF CEREAL?

Judy cries, YAY! CEREAL!

Abigail says, I TOLD YOU, YOU SHOULD JUST EAT IT OUT OF THE BOX!

(All laughing)

(Music playing)

Credits read: Produced in Association with tvokids
Executive Producer TVOKids Marney Malabar
Production Executive TVOKids Kirsten Hurd
Produced with the assistance of The Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Executive Producer ABC Jan Stradling