Barry was an electrician. He was a good electrician, but he was also a very, very careful man. He believed that everything in life needed a risk assessment form. Before he made a cup of tea, he would check if the kettle cord was frayed. Before he walked downstairs, he would test the handrail for stability.

One Tuesday, Barry had a new customer. Her name was Brenda. Brenda lived in a small, very cluttered house. Her problem was simple. “The lights in my kitchen keep flickering, Barry. It’s very spooky.”

Barry nodded seriously. He opened his large toolbox. Inside, next to his screwdrivers and wire-cutters, were his special safety equipment: a hard hat, a high-visibility vest, and a pair of protective goggles.

Brenda looked at the hard hat. “For kitchen lights?” she asked.

“Safety first, Brenda,” said Barry, putting it on. “You can’t be too careful.”

He walked into the kitchen. The lights were, indeed, flickering. Flicker, flicker, pop. Flicker, flicker, pop.

Barry took out his voltage tester. He checked the light switch. It beeped quietly. “Perfectly safe,” he muttered.

He then decided he needed to check the plug socket. He got down on his hands and knees. He put on his goggles. He slowly, carefully, crawled towards the wall. Under the kitchen table he went. Suddenly, BANG! Barry hit his head on the underside of the table.

“Ouch!” he cried. Thankfully, he was wearing his hard hat.

He finally reached the socket. He tested it. It was also fine. Barry was confused. He stood up, scratching his head. Then he saw it. On the counter was a very old, very shiny kettle. It was plugged in.

“Brenda,” Barry said. “Does the flickering happen at a specific time?”

Brenda thought for a moment. “Well, now that you mention it, it always happens when I’m about to make a cup of tea.”

Barry pointed a dramatic finger at the kettle. “The suspect!” he announced.

He decided to perform a test. “Brenda, please plug in the kettle.”

Brenda plugged it in. Nothing happened. The lights were steady.

“Now,” said Barry, feeling like a detective, “turn the kettle on.”

Brenda pressed the switch on the kettle. Immediately, the kitchen lights went crazy. Flicker, FLICKER, POP! They dimmed almost to darkness. The kettle began to hum, but it was a strange, struggling hum.

Barry marched over. “Aha! The kettle is faulty. It’s using too much power. It’s drawing all the electricity from the lights! It’s a power-hungry monster!”

Just then, something even stranger happened. The struggling hum from the kettle changed. It became a tune. A weak, wobbly, electrical version of the song ‘Happy Birthday’.

Barry and Brenda stared at the kettle.

The kettle sang: “Haaaappy biiiirthday to youuuu…”

Barry took off his hard hat and goggles. He was in shock. “Your kettle… it’s singing.”

“I know!” said Brenda, clapping her hands. “It’s never done that before! It must be because of your marvellous electrical presence, Barry!”

Barry did not think it was marvellous. He thought it was a serious electrical fault. He quickly unplugged the singing kettle. The kitchen lights immediately became bright and steady again. The room was silent.

“The circuit is now stable,” Barry said, breathing a sigh of relief. “The problem is solved. You need a new kettle.”

Brenda looked a little sad. “Oh. But I liked that kettle. It had character.”

Barry packed his toolbox very quickly. He gave Brenda his bill. Then, he walked to his van, got in, and drove away. He decided that some jobs were too strange, even for a very careful electrician.

And from that day on, whenever he made a cup of tea at home, he looked at his own, very quiet, very safe kettle and felt a sense of peace.

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Vocabulary Notes

Flickering (verb)
Meaning: To burn or shine with an unsteady light; to go on and off quickly and irregularly.
Example: “The lights in my kitchen keep flickering, Barry. It’s very spooky.” and “The kitchen lights went crazy. Flicker, FLICKER, POP!”
Similar words: Fluttering, blinking, glitching, sputtering.

Faulty (adjective)
Meaning: Not working correctly; having a defect or problem.
Example: “Aha! The kettle is faulty. It’s using too much power.”
Similar words: Broken, defective, malfunctioning, not working.

Cluttered (adjective)
Meaning: Filled with a messy collection of things; untidy.
Example: “Brenda lived in a small, very cluttered house.”
Similar words: Untidy, messy, chaotic, jam-packed.
Opposite: Tidy, neat, minimalist, organised.

Stability (noun) / Stable (adjective)
Meaning: The quality of being steady, secure, and not likely to change or fail.
Example (Stability): “Before he walked downstairs, he would test the handrail for stability.”
Example (Stable): “The circuit is now stable,” Barry said, breathing a sigh of relief.
Similar words: Steadiness, security, strength, reliability.
Opposite: Instability, unsteadiness, weakness.

Dramatic (adjective)
Meaning: Sudden, striking, and intended to create a strong effect. It can also relate to theatre or drama.
Example: “Barry pointed a dramatic finger at the kettle. ‘The suspect!’ he announced.” (Here, it means he made a big, noticeable gesture, as if he were an actor in a play.)
Similar words: Theatrical, striking, noticeable, exaggerated.

Story written by DeepSeek AI.

Image created by 1min.AI.

CC Music: Drifting at 432 Hz – Unicorn Heads.

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