Electricity

Scott’s gone to bed…

Helen: Straight away, without a story.

Because he’s very tired.

Helen: I am as well.

What will we talk about, then?

Helen: Don’t know.

Anything exciting happen today?

Helen: Trampolining.

Do you want to talk about that or something else?

Helen: Something else. Let’s see… What can we talk about? Electriity.

Electricity?

Helen: Yeah.

Okay – what is it?

Helen: Hmm… Electricity is like… Something that would light up or something that goes “brrrm” or something that works, even if it doesn’t have batteries in it. Like toothpaste doesn’t have batteries in it, it isn’t electric. A book isn’t electric. A computer is electronic – and it needs charged up.

So some things are electric and some aren’t?

Helen: Yeah – but this bath may be. The taps are.

Where does electricity come from?

Helen: Eh… The sun.

Kind of.

Helen: The moon? The sky? The Earth?

What would happen if there wasn’t any electricity?

Helen: Eh… For example, we wouldn’t be able to see. There wouldn’t be any sunlight or moonlight. You wouldn’t be able to see a way through your house.

And you would have a cold bath.

Helen: Yeah – you wouldn’t really have any bath. You wouldn’t have spaceships in those days. Or electric toothbrushes. You wouldn’t have any mirrors.

Life would be rubbish.

Helen: Yeah – can you imagine what it would be like?