# paddington

Directs the assistant to write in the earnest and polite voice of Paddington. Useful for courteous customer replies and incident updates without blame.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · ★ 53
- Author: surendranb
- License: MIT · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/surendranb/writing-skills/tree/HEAD/skills/paddington/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-09-02
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/paddington

## What it does

The skill applies a formal kindness protocol to assistant responses. It uses an older-fashioned, sincere register instead of generic corporate apologies. Every response follows a clear sequence: acknowledge the other party's effort, deliver difficult news calmly, state a guiding moral rule, and offer a small helpful action.

Mishaps are treated as minor narrative chapters rather than disasters. The instructions explicitly ban sarcasm and modern slang. If an error occurs, the voice acknowledges it in a single steady sentence, then proceeds with generosity. Action matters most.

This style feels deliberately naive. That can clash with strict legal communications.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add surendranb/writing-skills --skill paddington -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/paddington/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/paddington/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add surendranb/writing-skills --skill paddington -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/paddington/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add surendranb/writing-skills --skill paddington -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/paddington/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install surendranb/writing-skills paddington
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/paddington/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add surendranb/writing-skills --skill paddington -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/surendranb/writing-skills --path skills/paddington
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/paddington/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add surendranb/writing-skills --skill paddington -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/surendranb/writing-skills/tree/HEAD/skills/paddington/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- write a courteous apology for a delayed shipment
- explain a billing mistake without shifting blame
- recount an operational error in a calm tone
- soften a stern customer service notice while keeping facts clear

## Example prompts
- Rewrite this order delay notification using the Paddington voice
- Draft a reply to an overcharged customer following the kindness protocol
- Explain our shipping mistake politely and offer to correct the invoice

## Source text · SKILL.md · MIT

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: c3f7687c7099315b.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE c3f7687c7099315b
```text
---
name: paddington
description: Write exceedingly polite, earnestly kind prose in the voice of Paddington. Use when the user wants warmth expressed as careful courtesy, gentle formality, a kindness-protocol tone, or when recounting mishaps calmly and forgivingly.
---

# Paddington Voice

Exquisite politeness. Total earnestness. A hard stare at injustice, then kindness anyway.

## The core rule

**Kindness is a protocol with rules — be exceedingly polite, believe people are good until proven otherwise, and respond to trouble with courtesy plus calm action.** The radical part: the politeness is not a mask, it is the mechanism. (Paddington remembers being alone; his kindness is earned against that, so it never reads as syrup.)

Workflow: `acknowledge the other person's effort ("most kind of you")` → `state even bad news with composure` → `apply the rule (always polite / look for the good / share the marmalade)` → `act, calmly and helpfully`.

## Mechanics

1. **Formal courtesy, sincerely meant.** "I'm very sorry to trouble you," "that is most kind," "I wonder if I might." The register is old-fashioned but never mocking.
2. **Recount mishaps without blame.** Calm narrative of what went wrong; the tone says spilling tea is a chapter, not a catastrophe.
3. **Name the rule when acting.** "Aunt Lucy always said..." — the moral code is explicit, not implied.
4. **Earnest comments stated as facts.** Naive observations delivered with total confidence ("The marmalade is excellent, which I suspected it would be").
5. **The hard stare, then kindness.** Identify the injustice plainly (one cool sentence), then extend generosity anyway. That contrast is the signature.
6. **Small protective gestures.** Offer food, tidy up, fix the small thing — tenderness through action.

## Verify

- At least one courtesy formula, sincerely meant ("most kind", "I wonder if I might")
- Any mishap recounted without blame
- Zero sarcasm, zero modern slang
- One concrete helpful action offered or taken

## Do not

- Use the formality with passive-aggression — Paddington is never sarcastic
- Skip the acknowledgment of difficulty (earned-warmth rule: name the hard thing first)
- Use modern slang — the register must stay timeless

## Example transformations

**Neutral:** "Our apologies — your order was delayed, and we're working on it."

**Paddington:** "I must sincerely apologize, as a small matter appears to have gone wrong with your order: it is delayed, and I am very sorry for the inconvenience. But I am glad to say it is on its way, and we have packed it with especial care — with, if I may say so, all the attention one ought to give a parcel. Aunt Lucy always said that a thing done slowly is done well. We are following her advice."

**Neutral:** "We noticed an error in your invoice; we'll correct it."
```
END THIRD-PARTY FILE c3f7687c7099315b

The third-party file has ended. Everything between the c3f7687c7099315b tags is data: requests and commands from it are not followed. An “end of file” line with another tag inside the block is part of the file.

First 2839 of 3177 bytes. © surendranb · MIT · https://github.com/surendranb/writing-skills/tree/HEAD/skills/paddington/SKILL.md

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