Jackob the Builder Knight

Jackob loved the squeaky swings and the super-fast slide at the park, but his favourite place was the giant sandpit. The sand was warm and gritty under his fingers, perfect for building. Today, he was building the best castle ever, with tall wobbly towers and a moat made from gum leaves.

Suddenly, his friends Mia and Leo bounced over, kicking up little puffs of sand. "Jackob! We're putting on a play!" said Mia. "You have to be the knight! You're the best at pretending!" Leo added, "The knight has to say three very important, very brave lines to scare away the dragon."

Jackob puffed out his chest. A knight! But when he tried to remember the lines, they wiggled away like worms in his brain. "I am Sir Jackob, the Brave! I will guard this... this... thingy!" he mumbled, kicking the sand. The words just wouldn't stick. He felt his brave knight feeling start to shrink into a wobbly, worried feeling.

Just then, his mum called from the bench, "Try building your words, love! One at a time, again and again." Jackob had an idea. He found three smooth leaves. He placed the first one down. "I am Sir Jackob, the Brave!" He placed down the second. "I will guard this castle!" He placed down the third, and the silly last line popped into his head. "Go away, you big green pickle!" He did it over and over, building his lines like a wall, until they felt strong and steady in his mind.

When Mia the dragon let out a mighty "ROAR!", Jackob didn't feel wobbly at all. He stood tall, pictured his three leaf-blocks, and shouted his lines perfectly. Everyone cheered! Jackob learned that remembering things was a bit like building a castle. You just had to do it one piece at a time, and soon you'd have something amazing and strong.