We use an automated stone grinder for crushing lentils and making batter for dishes in South India (”idly” and “dosa” analogous to pancakes for those of you who are unaware.). It is essentially a electrical spinning contraption with two grinding stones in the middle which roll in the vessel as the vessel itself spins. (This is not a technical one. Just a small tech talk to get into the mischief. Essentially you need a bit of technical expertise to commit this crime, such as knowing when she won’t be watching, or muffling the sounds caused by creating a bigger ruckus so that these sounds get muffled!!). So my addition to the “contraption” is an ‘automated well water fetcher(essentially a mug!)’. So keep a vessel full of water on ground level. Attach a smaller vessel or tumbler to a cotton thread which can hold the weight of the vessel without snapping. Run the thread through the lid holder of the spinning contraption. So it acts like an axle which spins the thread. Make sure that the ‘axle’ is slippery! (simple! wet it with water). In every spin (which is literally in a microsecond) the thread slips from the ‘axle’ due to the wetness on the lid holder. And hence the tumbler tips down. As the lid completes the spin (You are imagining a ’spin’ in slow motion i hope!) it catches hold of the thread and hence pulling back the tumbler. run the tumbler thread arrangement through wherever you want (grills,windows, door handles, locks. The more the merrier. The more the more noisier! I run it through my balcony grill’s lock which is made of steel(!!) so imagine the sound effect for every spin. Locking , unlocking! (Screech scratch!) Amazing. Wake up the neighbours. Startle a bird. Anger a dog and so on. Best of all you get a fuming mom!) And so the thread runs.(slip slap)[Noise of thread slipping the spinning lid handle.. produces a good amount of volume as the thread is held taut!]
(Screech scratch) [the lock!]
(Groan creak) [a wooden door that creaks noisily] (Thank god I got such a door in the near vicinity)
(ding dong) the tumbler hitting against the vessel on ground level remember. [it doesn't fetch water.. that was a lie. It is a "noise maker"]
So you have :Screech slap ding groan scratch slip creak dong all at the same time! (Hard to imagine. Try to. Or try doing this the next time you get a chance)
WOW! You get the effect of an entire workshop in your house while everybody wonders what is going on! Your mom comes tunning to the “point of noise” to “investigate”. You shield your contraption from view. Act innocent. Talk loud. Sing. Shout. Divert. Show a rare flower in the distance. Make the dogs yelp to override the din.
But essentially you succeed.Top ten mischief acts, Place 10 goes to The Noise Making Contraption. ( Mom looks forward to it everytime she prepares batter! It gives her a chance for a friendly scold. She has never told me so. But I know!)
Look out for #9 soon!
