Ben and Me: An Astonishing Life of Benjamin Franklin by His Good Mouse Amos

Ben forgives Amos’s printing errors, so Amos relaxes his criticism of Ben’s maxims. However, he hates Ben’s enthusiasm for electricity. When Amos asks him to stop his experiments, Ben accuses Amos of lacking “vision.” Ben buys a machine that produces electrical currents and decides to give an exhibition. On the day of the exhibition, he goes to have his hair curled, and while he’s gone, Amos notices several “grave mistakes” in Ben’s setup. He “correct[s]” them but has leftover wires and copper plates, which he deposits on one of the chairs. When Ben demonstrates electricity’s power, he turns the machine’s knob, and the governor leaps into the air. His movement shifts one of the copper plates into his wife’s lap. She is shocked, as is the fire chief. Though Amos calls the day a failure, Ben is pleased with what he learned.

Ben wonders if lightning and electricity are the same thing, and he aims to harness it. He believes most people lack a scientific mind with which to observe such phenomena calmly, and he resolves to investigate the nature of lightning, installing metal rods on his house.