why does harris dance around the stove when he is cooking scrambled eggs ?

Harris would keep burning himself on the pan and dance around,

Whenever he went near the pan he burned himself, and then he would drop everything and dance round the stove, flicking his fingers about and cursing the things. Indeed, every time George and I looked round at him he was sure to be performing this feat. We thought at first that it was a necessary part of the culinary arrangements. ch 11