*Everyone welcomes a courteous person. They are liked wherever they go Courtesy begets courtesy.  It was a busy morning as usual. There were many people going up and coming down a big business complex in Bangalore. A young man parked his car outside and entered the building. He straightaway went to the lift man and ordered. `Take me to the fifth floor.’ The lift man was not pleased with his order. He demanded that the young man say `Pleas’. But the man refused to say `Please’ and again ordered him. `Take me to the fifth floor.’ The lift man lost his cool. He grabbed the young man by his collar and threw him out.  The Young man straightaway went to police station and filed a complaint against the lift man. The lift man was certainly punished for throwing the man out of the lift. All this could have been avoided if the young man was polite enough to say `please.’ `Please’ and `thank you’ is some of the expressions that make it easy for us to communicate with others.  We live in society. We have to interact with others necessarily. If interaction with others has to be sooth, we need to be courteous. Courtesy is the good grace of behavior that respects people. It is like a cushion that takes all the pushes and frictions and absorbs all hats is rough and irritating. It is like the air in the tube id a wheel. It takes all the bumps and jerks and makes riding smooth.  We should learn to be polite. If we are courteous, we can see the effect on others. If you went to ask someone for something, ask for it very politely. Few people can refuse us when we say `please’. Moreover they will feel very happy when they hear polite expressions like 1please’ and 1thank you’. When someone asks us for help, if we cannot do so, we should be polite in communicating the same. Others will take it in the right spirit.  We make friends or enemies by the way we speak. A person who is polite will make many friends. Such a person will be liked and admired. We can comfort a sad person by speaking to him with care and love. On the other hand, a person who is rude and impolite will make enemies. Learn to control yourself and make things pleasant through courtesy.  As students, learn the art of being courteous right from your first day in school. If you want a book, try to say `please give me you book.’ If you want a doubt clarified, say, `kindly tell me if this is true.’ The person will be happy to help you.  Courtesies sweeten life. AG Gardiner, a writer of international repute, says courtesies are like lubricants, lubricants make the machine run smoothly. Courtesies make our life a smooth affair. Learn to speak to people gently and courteously. Be polite to your parents, teachers, friends and even strangers. Everyone will be polite to you in return. Courtesies make you world a happier one.