Chapter 4 — Tom Starts Work

After college 🎓, Tom gets his first job 💼 in Rulevania. He works in a small office 🏢 in the capital city 🌆. On his first day, his manager 👨‍💼 says, “Workers must arrive five minutes early ⏰. They mustn’t open the window 🪟 before 10 a.m. They have to check their shoes 👞 before they check their email 💻. They can drink coffee ☕, but only after they smile at the clock 🕒🙂. They can’t use blue pens 🖊️ on Mondays. They should keep a biscuit 🍪 in their bag 🎒 for emergencies 🚨.” Tom wants to ask, “What kind of emergency needs a biscuit?” 🤔 but he stays quiet. In Rulevania, workers have to learn first 📚 and ask later.

Questions for the reader:

1. What must workers do before they check their email?

2. When can workers drink coffee?

3. What should workers keep in their bag?

The office rules are not the only strange rules 😅. At meetings 👥, workers must stand for the first minute ⬆️. They mustn’t say, “That is impossible.” ❌ They should say, “We can try.” 👍 At lunch 🍽️, they have to eat one green thing 🥗 before dessert 🍰. New workers can’t leave the building 🚪 alone in the first week 📅. On Fridays, everyone must clap 👏 when the printer 🖨️ works well. One day, Tom sees all the workers clap at the printer, and he almost laughs 😂 again. But now he knows Rulevania better. You must be careful ⚠️, but you can also enjoy the strange little rules 🙂.

Questions for the reader:

1. What must workers do for the first minute of a meeting?

2. What do workers have to eat before dessert?

3. Why do people clap on Fridays?