Get absorbed in SpongeBob's Twitter tale

SpongeBob SquarePants is diving into new waters this week -- the Twitter-verse.

"The Ice Race Cometh: A Twitter-Tale," which will run Tuesday through Friday on Twitter, marks the first time an original "SpongeBob" story has been created for the social networking site. The tale concocted by the show's writers begins with a tweet from Bikini Bottom Action News about an anonymous "wealthy entrepreneur" offering 1 million clams to the winner of The Bikini Bottom Great Sleigh Race. That sets off a flood of trash-tweeting by everyone from The Absorbent One himself to his pet snail, Gary (let's hope that his tweets involve more than his usual "meow"), as they get ready for the big race.

The "Twitter-tale" serves as a prequel to "Frozen Face Off," a new SpongeBob episode premiering July 15 at 8 p.m. on Nickelodeon in which the sleigh race takes place. Obstacles along the way include another doomed-for-failure attempt by Plankton to steal the Krabby Patty Formula and threats from a menacing snow mollusk.

SpongeBob is no stranger to cyberspace. More than 25 million fans have friended him on Facebook, topping even The Beatles and President Barack Obama. How do you like them Krabby Patties?