The Book of the Courtier

Look Around First

Leo has a big story.

It has a roaring dragon.

Leo can’t wait to tell it.

He runs into the library.

It is very quiet in there.

Leo roars his dragon story.

Everyone looks up.

Leo’s face gets hot.

So Leo stops.

He looks around.

He thinks, Where am I? In the library.

Who is here? People reading.

Is it roar time? Not now.

Look around. Then say it.

Leo keeps his story safe inside.

Later he goes to the park.

He looks around.

Big grass. Lots of kids. Everyone is running.

Now it is roar time!

Leo tells the dragon story as loud as he can.

Look around. Then say it.

Leo is still Leo. His story is still great. It just needed the right place.

Say it with me. Look around. Then say it.

A note for the grown-up

For the grown-up reading aloud: This comes from The Book of the Courtier, an old Italian dialogue, where one speaker says a person should check the place, the people and the moment before acting or speaking, and tells of a man who bored a lady he had just met with sword talk. The idea is meant as good manners, not as a reason to quiet your child. A soft “look around?” is enough when they forget, and saying sorry is a fine ending.

Watch Me, Watch Me

Mia builds a tower.

She builds it slow.

She builds it careful.

Next to her, Sam builds one too.

Sam shouts, Watch me!

He shouts it again. And again.

He says it’s so easy.

He isn’t even looking at his blocks.

Wobble, wobble.

Crash!

Sam’s tower falls.

Mia’s tower stays up.

Kids come over to look at it.

Nobody says a word to Mia.

Mia smiles. She did not shout.

Do it well. No need to shout.

Did Mia try hard? Yes, a lot!

She practised every day.

It is fine to say so.

Mia says, I practised a lot.

That is not bragging. That is just true.

Do it well. No need to shout.

Now it’s your turn.

Pick one thing you can do.

Do it well.

Say it with me. Do it well. No need to shout.

A note for the grown-up

For the grown-up reading aloud: In The Book of the Courtier, a speaker says people like calm skill more than loud boasting, and he mocks men who brag. The fuller adult idea is subtler: faking carelessness counts as showing off too, and the same speaker is challenged on whether hiding effort is a kind of deceit. This primer keeps only the simple part. Practising is good, saying you practised is honest, and your child does not need to hide their work.

Honey on the Spoon

Nina draws a horse.

It has too many legs.

Her friend Omar looks at it.

Another kid says, Perfect!

Nina feels good.

But now she doesn’t know about the legs.

Omar says something else.

He says, I love your horse’s mane.

He says, It has too many legs, though.

He says, Want to count them with me?

Nina counts. One, two, three, four, five, six!

Nina laughs. She fixes the horse.

When Nina is sick, medicine tastes bad.

Mom puts honey on the spoon.

The medicine still works.

True words can taste bad too.

Say the true thing. Make it sweet.

Sweet does not mean a fib.

Sweet means kind.

A good friend says what is true, and says it kindly.

Next time, find the true thing.

Then find the kind way.

Say it with me. Say the true thing. Make it sweet.

A note for the grown-up

For the grown-up reading aloud: This comes from The Book of the Courtier, where a speaker says an honest adviser can coat hard truths like a doctor who sweetens the rim of a cup of bitter medicine for a sick child. The book’s setting is a ruler’s court, so the fuller idea is about telling people with power what they don’t want to hear. Here it is scaled to friends. Take care it doesn’t become permission to say every hard thing at any moment. It is about helping, and about timing and kindness.

Is It Funny for Them Too?

Tess loves to make people laugh.

She makes a funny face.

Everyone laughs.

She does a silly walk.

Everyone laughs.

She looks at their faces.

Big smiles. Happy eyes.

Is it funny for them too?

Yes! Today it is.

Then Ben drops his ice cream.

Splat.

Ben’s face crumples.

Tess starts a joke about the splat.

Ben does not laugh.

His eyes get wet.

Tess sees.

The joke made it worse.

So Tess stops.

Is it funny for them too?

Not right now.

She sits down next to Ben.

She shares her cone.

She waits.

Later Ben smiles a little.

Now Tess makes a funny face.

And Ben laughs, and Tess laughs.

Silly is good. Jokes are good.

Check the face first.

Say it with me. Is it funny for them too?

A note for the grown-up

For the grown-up reading aloud: In The Book of the Courtier, a speaker on jokes says that a joke can deepen the pain of someone who is already suffering. He also warns against mocking the very poor or the very wicked, and against jokes at the expense of a woman’s reputation; this primer keeps only the first rule. Jokes themselves are praised there, so the point is to check the other person’s face, not to stop joking.