Barry was a man who loved rules. He loved signs that said ‘No Parking’, queues that were perfectly straight, and instructions that were clear. He believed that if everyone just followed the rules, the world would be a much better, and much quieter, place.
One Tuesday afternoon, Barry went to the supermarket. His mission was simple: buy one potato. He needed just one to complete his famous ‘Bangers and Mash’ recipe for dinner.
He found the potato bin. It was huge, filled with brown potatoes. And next to it was a sign. Barry loved signs. This one read: ‘PLEASE USE THE TONGS PROVIDED.’
“Excellent,” Barry said to himself. “A sensible rule for hygiene.” He picked up the large metal tongs. They were a bit rusty and made a loud CLACK sound when he squeezed them.
Barry aimed the tongs at a perfect, medium-sized potato. He squeezed. CLACK. The tongs slipped right off the round surface. The potato didn’t move.
“Hmm,” Barry said. He tried again. CLACK-CLACK. This time, he managed to grab the potato, but as he lifted it, the tongs slipped and the potato went flying through the air. It landed with a soft thud in the ‘Reduced to Clear’ bread basket.
A little old woman standing next to him tutted. “Just use your hands, dear. Everyone does.”
Barry was horrified. “But the sign, madam! The sign says to use the tongs. It’s the rule.”
The woman shrugged and picked up a potato with her bare hand, dropping it into her basket. She gave Barry a look that said ‘silly man’ and walked away.
Barry felt his face get hot. This was a matter of principle. He would use the tongs. He selected a new potato target. He concentrated like a surgeon performing a heart operation. He leaned over the bin, his tongue poking out of the corner of his mouth.
CLACK… CLACK-CLACK-CLACK-SMACK!
The potato shot out of the tongs, hit a bag of carrots, and rolled under a stand of cabbage.
This was becoming a battle of wills between a man and a root vegetable. Barry was sweating. He tried a new technique, using the tongs like a shovel to push a potato against the side of the bin to get a better grip.
CLACK-SCRAPE-CLACK.
Success! He had it! He lifted the captured potato high in the air like a trophy. “Aha!” he cried.
Just then, a store manager appeared. He did not look happy.
“Sir,” the manager said, pointing to a small, hidden sign at the bottom of the bin. “It also says ‘DO NOT DIG IN THE POTATO BIN’.”
Barry looked down. The bin looked like a badger had been looking for its dinner. Potatoes were scattered everywhere.
“But… the primary sign…” Barry stammered, still holding the potato aloft with the trembling tongs. “The rule was to use the tongs!”
The manager sighed. “The rule is to be sensible, sir. The tongs are for people who want to use them. You clearly have a special relationship with this particular potato. Just take it. Please.”
Barry looked at the potato in the tongs. He looked at the messy bin. He looked at the manager’ tired face.
Slowly, he lowered the potato into his basket. He didn’t use his hands. That would be breaking a different rule he’d just made up for himself. He walked to the checkout, paid for his single potato, and left.
That evening, as he ate his delicious Bangers and Mash, Barry decided that some rules were, perhaps, a little bit silly. But he still felt a small sense of pride. He had won. And he’d used the tongs.
Vocabulary Notes
Tongs (noun)
Meaning: A tool with two long arms that are joined at one end, used for picking up and holding things. They are often used in cooking.
Example: “‘PLEASE USE THE TONGS PROVIDED.’… He picked up the large metal tongs.”
Similar words: Tweezers (very small tongs for plucking hairs or picking up tiny objects), Pliers (a tool used for gripping and bending, often used by mechanics), Salad Tongs (larger, often plastic or wooden tongs for serving salad).
To tut (verb)
Meaning: To make a short, sharp sound (a “tut”) by sucking your tongue against the top of your mouth. This sound is used to show you disapprove of something or feel sorry about something.
Example: “A little old woman standing next to him tutted. ‘Just use your hands, dear.’”
Similar words: To click your tongue (has the same meaning), to sigh (to let out a long, deep breath showing disappointment or tiredness), to disapprove (the general meaning, but not the specific sound).
Principle (noun)
Meaning: A basic truth, belief, or rule that guides your behaviour and helps you know what is right and wrong.
Example: “Barry felt his face get hot. This was a matter of principle.”
Similar words: A belief, a value, a standard, a code (as in a ‘moral code’).
To stammer (verb)
Meaning: To speak with sudden, involuntary pauses and repetitions of sounds, usually because you are nervous, embarrassed, or excited.
Example: “‘But… the primary sign…’ Barry stammered, still holding the potato aloft.”
Similar words: To stutter (very similar to stammer), to hesitate (to pause before saying or doing something), to falter (to speak in a way that shows you are unsure).
Aloft (adverb)
Meaning: High up in the air; overhead.
Example: “He lifted the captured potato high in the air… ‘Aha!’ he cried. Just then, a store manager appeared… Barry stammered, still holding the potato aloft.”
Similar words: Upheld (held up), Above (in a higher position), Overhead (directly above one’s head).
Story written by DeepSeek AI.
Image created by aimagicx AI.
Reading Short Stories/Content for English Learners 
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