The Noisy One

Paul was a man who liked to talk. He lived in a small apartment in the city with many other people. Every day, Paul talked in a loud voice. He talked in the morning. He talked in the evening. He talked when people were exhausted. He even talked when people were trying to watch television. People in the house called him “the noisy one’’ because he was never quiet.

Paul liked to talk, but he also liked something else. He liked to have the last word. When someone spoke to him, he always spoke again. When someone said, “Please be quiet,” Paul said, “I am quiet!” He always needed to say something more.

One morning, Paul went to the small shop near his house. He wanted some bread. Many people were waiting in a line. The shop was very quiet. People did not talk. They only waited.

Paul did not like quiet places. He walked into the shop and said, in a very loud voice, “Hello, everyone! Good morning!” People looked at him, but Paul did not stop. He said, “It is a fine day! Don’t you think so?”

When the shop worker said, “Next, please,” two people moved. But Paul spoke very fast and very loud. “I am next!” he said. “I am always next.” The worker looked tired, but she gave him the bread.

Later, Paul went to work. He worked in a small office. The office was usually a quiet place. People worked on computers. People spoke in soft voices. But Paul spoke loudly. When his boss said, “Paul, please speak more quietly,” he said, “I am not loud. I am OK. I am happy!” He spoke again before the boss could say anything more.

After work, Paul went home. Some neighbours were standing in the hall. They wanted to have a small meeting. They wanted to speak about noise. When Paul arrived, he already knew what they wanted to say. He said, “Yes, yes, I know. You want to talk about noise. We can talk.”

Mrs Brown, an older woman, said, “Paul, we—”
But Paul spoke fast again. “Yes, I know. You think I am too loud.”

Mr Lee tried to speak. “We just want—”
Paul did not let him finish. “I know! I know everything,” he said.

The neighbours looked tired. They could not speak. Paul always had the last word.

Then something happened. Suddenly, the lights in the hall went off. Everything was dark. No one could see anything. It was very quiet.

Paul said, “What is happening?” but no one answered. People were thinking. They needed to find the problem.

Mrs Brown spoke in a soft voice. “Please stay calm. We need to find the electricity box. One person speaks at a time.”

For the first time, Paul stayed quiet. He needed help. He could not see. He listened to the others. He followed their voices. Together, they found the box, and Mr Lee opened it. Soon, the lights came back.

Everyone looked at Paul. He felt bad. He said in a quiet voice, “I am sorry. I speak too much. I do not let you speak.”

Mrs Brown smiled. “It is OK, Paul. Just listen more.”

Paul nodded. “I will try,” he said.

From that day, Paul still talked, but not so loud, and not always last.

📒 Key vocabulary

• exhausted – very tired
• the last word – when a person must speak again at the end of a conversation
• spoke (speak, spoke, spoken) – to say something
• boss – a person of authority in a workplace
• hall – a long space inside a building
• meeting – a time when people come together to talk about important matters
• calm – not angry, not afraid
• electricity – the power that makes lights and machines work
• nodded (nod, nodded, nodded) – to move your head to show agreement

🤔 Comprehension quiz

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