(The man and his dog arrived back home after an evening walk.  The man switched on the light in the living room.  The light flashed momentarily and the room went back to darkness again. )

Man:  Damn!  The bulb has gone!

His Dog:  What happened, Master?

M:  We have to change the bulb, Richie.  This time it is an LED light.  Look, Richie, these are the new type of light which use less energy and last longer.  It means we can save on electricity, and do not have to change the bulb as often as before!

HD:  Sounds brilliant!  And we are saving the environment at the same time!

M:  What?  –Ah, that is right, too.  How do you know that kind of thing, Richie?  Did the Government give you a treat to learn that?

HD:  I am not a Government’s poodle, Master!  I am not any poodle at all, actually.  I am a proud mixed breed!  Anyway, it is just common sense.

M:  Oh, is it?

HD:  Of course.

(The man finished changing the bulb and the two of them settled cosily in the living room.)

M:  Hey, Richie, have I told you about the fuss caused by the old fuse?

HD:  Fuse?  No, Master.  I have heard about a lot of fusses in your life but not about the fuse one.

M:  Alright.  Let me tell you, Richie.  You will realise the benefits of LED lights even better when you hear this story.

HD:  Will I?  Yes, please, Master!

M:  Well, it all started just like today.  Again, it was when I was renting that little old flat in London.  One evening I came home and switched the light on, it flashed and soon went off.  I changed the bulb, obviously, like today.  But the light has not come back on!

HD:  You were sure, of course, the second bulb was brand new, I hope?

M:  I double-checked that.  Actually, I tried a few new bulbs in turn just in case!  The light did not come back on any of the occasions.  Naturally, my next thought was a fuse.  A fuse is blown quite often when an old bulb goes.  I tried other lights in the flat.  Bathroom, kitchen…. No.  There was no light.  It seemed I was right about the fuse.

Then I looked into the cupboard where the fuse box was situated.  The red sign on the box showed it was ON!  Strange….  “It is rather unlikely”, I thought, “but possibly, possibly this is the power cut, which happened suddenly somehow…without any notice”.  You know, Richie, they usually notify you before the power has to be cut.  None such had been issued.

I opened the fridge door and saw the light was on inside!  I looked nervously at my computer then.  It looked alright.  I tried to start it, and it started normally.  Umm….  This meant it was not the power cut.  I looked out to see my neighbours’ windows, and some lights were actually on.  If it was a power cut, everybody else in the block should have been affected as well.

Then I remembered that usually there were several subordinate fuses other than the main one, each of which controlled different parts of the electricity in a home.  Sometimes only one of those is blown, even when the main fuse is working.  It seemed all the appliances were OK but the room lights were all gone.  “Only the fuse of the latter must have been blown”, I thought.  “Well, I can just flick this particular fuse back on!”

I must explain to you here, Richie.  When a fuse is blown, either the main or the subordinate one, its switch literally flicks off and you can see it.  All you have to do is flick the affected fuse back on manually.  This solves the problem.  Simple.

HD:  But it was not as simple as that, I suppose.

M:  Exactly.  I had to find the individual fuses.  Normally these are inside the fuse box itself and you can find them by opening it.  I went back to the fuse box and tried to open it one way or other.  I could not!  I could not just open the box.  It would not open in any way.  It was a solid box without any hinge or knob!

It was very strange.  There on the box, all I could see were several objects in the shape of long bars sitting along with one another beside the main fuse switch.  I examined these carefully.  There were no switches or buttons attached to them.  No sign or instruction either.  I came to the conclusion that none of the bars could be moved or detached, or, just like the box itself, opened…by hand at least by an armature.

HD:  Quite a pawful.

M:  Yeah….  I had never seen or heard of such a strange fuse box.  I looked around the flat to see if there was any other fuse box somewhere else.  I opened every cupboard, crouched down or climbed a stepladder, searching.  Nothing.  No other fuse box.

I admit I am not an engineer type, Richie.  Perhaps one of my friends knew better than I, I thought.  I made a few calls to friends and asked their opinion.  No one had one.  After listening to my story, all of them said they had never seen such a strange fuse box.  What they knew was exactly the same as I did.

By then the time had passed.  It was approaching midnight and I was tired.  Gradually the fact sunk into my mind.  I could not fix it myself.  I had to call an electrician.  Until then, I had no light in the flat!

It was not an easy case of changing the bulb or flicking back the fuse after all.  The case needed a professional.  Of course, as a tenant, I was not responsible for paying the electrician.  But that was not the point!  If I asked my landlord, who was permanently busy, it would take ages to be fixed.  I had to act myself.  I had no idea, though, whom to call.  Even if I managed to find an electrician to call, the likelihood was he could not come straight away with such a short notice.  Without light, I could hardly do anything in my flat!

HD:  Surely you had a torch or a table lamp, Master?

M:  I did have a small torch, which I had been using during these examinations.  But I had no table lamp.  It was a tiny flat, Richie, and a really basic living.  I was struggling financially at the time!

HD:  You always are.

M:  What?

HD:  Nothing.  Just I am the dog who is down to earth.  Actually, come to think of it, all dogs are.

M:  …??

…Now, I could hear the footsteps from above.  The man above me was still up and about.  I felt a bit sorry for him but what the neighbours were for unless we helped each other on such occasions?  He might not fix my fuse, but his flat had the same layout as mine, being directly above, he might know something about the fuses in this building better than I, who was a relative new comer, or he might have some good idea to share.

HD:  “Two muzzles are better than one”, they say.

M:  Two heads, Richie!  “Two heads are better than one.”  But otherwise you are right.

I walked up the stairs and knocked his door.  Thankfully, he answered the door rather genially.  I sheepishly told him the situation and asked him if his fuse system was the same.  He invited me in to have a look.  No.  The fuse box was completely different.  His looked newer and much modern.  It allowed you to open it and there were subordinate fuse switches inside, which could be flicked by hand, as the one I had known before.  “I see.  Yours is new.  I suppose the one in my flat is from the different decade”, I muttered.  “Oh, is it?  It should be the same as we are in the same block.  Let me have a look”.  Saying that, he put on his dressing gown.  And to my surprise, he kindly offered to come down with me to have a look despite the late hour.  He looked confident and trustworthy.  He did know much more about the electricity than I did and could explain what was going on.  After the careful examination and several trials, however, he declared he had no idea what to do, and it certainly was the job for an expert.  He said sorry but it was quite understandable.  The fuse box in my flat looked ancient.  I was more than grateful for his kindness regardless the result.  I could not do anything until the morning anyway.  I thanked him heartily and he left.

HD:  Good boy, your neighbour!

M:  Well, he rather was!

I dug up a candle from the bottom of my drawer and lit it, feeling tired.  I got ready for bed using the torch and the candle and went to sleep, thinking, “Oh, well, I will handle it in the morning, whatever it is!”

The next morning, my task was to look for an electrician who was nearby, did not cost much and above all, who could come as soon as possible.  I could get dressed, perhaps cook or wash myself under the candle light but certainly not work!

First, I telephoned around my friends and acquaintances asking if they knew an electrician whom they used regularly or who had good reputation.  The internet or phone directory search was out of question, for there was no way of knowing if they were good or genuine.  You remember the cowboy builder story, I think, Richie?

HD:  Yes, I do.  The dog learns from experiences.

M:  Of course…you do.

Well, some friends had suggestions. I tried calling these numbers one by one.  Some did not answer at all and some were just answering machines.  I left a few messages on those to call me back, but still soldiered on.  Eventually, the 6th recipient of my call answered.   He said he could come but, quite naturally, not on the day.  “I am very busy now.  I can come to you next week”, he said.  It was Wednesday, Richie.  I could not wait so long!  I called 7 more.  One said he was not available for several days and another said for a few weeks…!  Others were answering machines as before.

When I started panicking, a friend telephoned me.  He said he remembered that one of his friends once told him about a nice electrician and he could ask him the man’s contact number.  “Thank you!” I said.  “Please try and let me know”.

I wished this particular friend of his would answer the phone and this particular electrician would do the same!  20 minutes later, my friend duly called me.  He said he caught his friend and was given the electrician’s number to call.  Great!  I thanked him a lot.

HD:  A friend in need is a friend indeed!

M:  Exactly, Richie!  Well done!

HD:  And we say, “A friend in need is a hound indeed”.

M:  Oh, do you?

Now, this electrician, please may he be there for me and answer my call immediately!

Fortunately, the man answered the call straight away.  I introduced myself, mentioning the name of my friend’s friend as I had been instructed.  Hearing the name, he readily said he was available the next day.  Wonderful!

I had to bath, cook and eat under the candle light another day, but I knew that was the best and the quickest after what I had experienced by then.  Above all, the electrician knew exactly what I was talking about and how to fix it.  He said that an old fuse like the one in my flat had no switch to flick it on or off.  The long bars were in fact the plugs which contained wires, thus made up the fuses, and individual fuse had to be detached and opened by an expert.  It required a change of wire inside.  It was not the matter of flicking switches like the modern fuses.  “I did not know there still were some around in this day”, he added.

HD:  What a curiosity!

M:  Well, it did look ancient, I have told you!

There I was spending another evening under the candle light and…

HD:   (Cheerfully) I am sure you enjoyed it, Master!

M:  What?  Why?

HD:  Because it must have been like having an extra Christmas!!  I envy you!

M:  Oh, Richie…you really are a happy soul!

Anyway, the next day the man came, a pleasant man.  He tried light switches in my flat, saw the fuse box and then detached one of the long bars from there.  He opened it with his tool and changed the wire inside to the new one he had brought with him.  I was watching his skilful work, somewhat impressed.  Then I asked him the question I had wanted to ask.  “Do I have to call you, perhaps, to do this every time a fuse is blown?”  “Yes”, he replied.  “This is our job.  You cannot do it yourself”.

Really?  I have to call an electrician whenever a fuse is blown!  Oh, my God!  “I have never heard of such a fuse”, I said.  “Normally, we can just flick the switch back and forth, can’t we?”  “Yes, if it is a modern fuse.  But you know, this is an old one”.  What a nuisance!  And a fuse is blown now and again, Richie!

HD:  Yes, I witnessed it today.

M:  There you are.

The electrician declared.  “I strongly advise you or your landlord, that the fuse box should be replaced to a new system in accordance with the present safety regulations!”  Then he continued.  “Apart from that, there must be another problem in this flat.  I have to find it out”.  “Another problem?”  I asked with a slight shock.  “Yes.  There must be something, which consumes a lot of electricity but is not working properly.  I must find it, otherwise it keeps causing problems.  Can you think of anything?”  “Um…no”, was my reply.  With a serious face of a professional, he started looking around the flat.  I followed him.  “Why did you say that?” asked I.  “Because that was the thing which blew the fuse off!” said he.  “I see”, I said to myself.  Rather belatedly I understood the whole situation.  Something was wrong from the start, which caused the accident.  The fuse was blown as a result.

Now he and I were in the bathroom.  He looked at the ventilator and said.  “This looks very old.  Does it work properly?”  “I think so.  I use it every day.  It is connected to the light switch in this room and switched on in conjunction with the light”, I explained to him.  “Hmmm….  Let us see….”  He switched the light on and the ventilator started making a lot of noise as it always did.  Hearing the noise, I told him.  “You see, it makes quite a noise!”  “It does make a noise”, he replied, “but it is not working at all”.  “What?”  “This ventilator has not been working for some time.  It does not ventilate.  Just makes a noise.  I have to disconnect this.  I hope you do not mind”.  He opened the case and showed me the inside.  It had collected a huge amount of dust.  “This is the culprit”, he said, disconnecting it.  “This affected the fuse and broke the system!”

HD:  Gosh!

M: Well, I did not mind the ventilator.  There were windows and I could open the door.  But I did mind the antiquated fuse.  His advice was:  “tell your landlord that both the ventilator and fuse are out of date with very old installations.  Ask him to replace them for you and for his own sake.  Otherwise letting this flat itself becomes legally questionable.  On safety grounds”.

HD:  Great heavens!  Did you tell your landlord?

M:  Yes, I did.

HD:  And he replaced them?

M:  No.  At least as far as I know.  I just got out before any more trouble happened.  I was horrified!

HD:  Umm….  You humans say, “You get what you pay for”.

M:  That’s right, Richie.  I chose the flat because the rent was cheap!

HD:  Or we canines say, “Puppy wise, pound foolish”.

M:  Do you?