Jane’s broken clock
Jane loved her old wall clock. It was a gift from her grandfather, who had passed away a few years ago. The clock had a wooden frame, a glass face, and a brass pendulum. It made a soothing ticking sound and chimed every hour. Jane liked to watch the clock and listen to its music. It reminded her of her grandfather and his stories.
But one day, the clock stopped working. Jane noticed that the hands were not moving and the pendulum was still. She tried to wind the clock, but it did not help. She checked the batteries, but they were fine. She tapped the glass, but nothing happened. She was puzzled and sad. She wondered what was wrong with her clock.
She decided to take the clock to the clockmaker. She had seen his shop in the town center, next to the bakery. It had a sign that said “Clocks and Watches Repaired Here”. She thought he might be able to fix her clock.
She carefully wrapped the clock in a cloth and put it in a bag. She walked to the bus stop and waited for the bus. She hoped the clockmaker was open and friendly.
She arrived at the town center and found the clockmaker’s shop. She entered the shop and saw a man sitting behind a counter. He had a magnifying glass on his eye and a screwdriver in his hand. He was working on a watch. He looked up and smiled.
“Hello, young lady. What can I do for you?” he asked.
“Hello, sir. I have a problem with my clock. It’s not working. Can you please take a look at it?” Jane asked.
“Sure, let me see it. What kind of clock is it?” the clockmaker asked.
“It’s a wall clock. It was a gift from my grandfather. He gave it to me before he died. It’s very special to me,” Jane said.
“I see. Well, let’s see what’s wrong with it. Put it on the table and I’ll examine it,” the clockmaker said.
Jane unwrapped the clock and placed it on the table. The clockmaker took off his magnifying glass and picked up the clock. He inspected it carefully. He opened the back and looked inside. He shook his head.
“I’m afraid your clock is broken. The mechanism is damaged. It needs to be replaced,” he said.
“Can you fix it?” Jane asked.
“I can, but it will cost you. The mechanism is not cheap. It’s a rare and old model. I don’t have it in stock. I’ll have to order it from a supplier. It will take some time and money,” the clockmaker said.
“How much will it cost?” Jane asked.
“Well, let me see. The mechanism will cost about 50 pounds, plus the shipping and handling. The labor will cost another 20 pounds. So, the total will be 70 pounds. Do you have that much money?” the clockmaker asked.
Jane gasped. She did not have that much money. She only had 10 pounds in her pocket. She had saved it from her allowance. She wanted to buy a new book. She felt tears in her eyes.
“I don’t have that much money. I only have 10 pounds. I can’t afford to fix my clock. What will I do?” she cried.
The clockmaker saw her tears and felt sorry for her. He remembered his own childhood, when he had a broken toy that he could not fix. He knew how she felt. He decided to help her.
“Don’t cry, young lady. I have an idea. How about this: I’ll fix your clock for free, if you help me with my work. I have a lot of clocks and watches to repair, and I could use some help. You can help me clean, polish, and test them. What do you say?” he offered.
Jane wiped her tears and looked at him. She was surprised and grateful. She thought it was a fair deal. She liked clocks and watches. She wanted to learn more about them. She nodded.
“Really? You’ll fix my clock for free, if I help you with your work? Thank you, sir. Thank you so much. I’ll do my best to help you. What do I have to do?” she asked.
“Great. I’m glad you agree. You have to do a few things. First, you have to clean the clocks and watches with a cloth and a brush. Then, you have to polish them with a polish and a rag. Then, you have to test them with a stopwatch and a ruler. You have to make sure they are accurate and working. Do you think you can do that?”