It Pays To Be Honest
And You’ll Sleep Better Too

Nuff, an eight-year-old boy who is in second grade, can’t get enough of the Adventures of Ethnos card game. In fact, it’s the greatest role-playing game this side of the galaxy. Of course like so many of his friends, Nuff is always on the hunt for the all-powerful Yehoti card. In addition to being the most powerful card in the game, Yehoti is an extremely rare card as well. In this adventure Nuff learns that returning something once lost, pays to be honest.

Like most days, Nuff stashes his Adventures of Ethnos card deck inside his backpack. Throwing the backpack on his shoulder he heads for the bus stop. Once on the bus he pulls out his newest Hekuba card and shows it to his friends Frank and Irwin. Not to be out done, Frank and Irwin both pull out an Obelia card. Thinking they were going to one up each other, they breakout laughing.

Morning classes goes by pretty quick and before Nuff knows it the recess bell rings. Jumping from his seat he dashes for the classroom door and heads off for the playground. Joining all the guys, and of course Sophia the second grade tomboy and Emily, the friends all breakout their Adventures of Ethnos card desks and the battle begins.

Sophia plays her Narkis card, followed by David playing his Echo card, only to be out battled by Nuff playing his Saba card. To everyone’s surprise Nuff’s victory dance doesn’t last long as Emily drops her Talus card. Being an Adventures of Ethnos newbie, none of the friends can believe that Emily has such a rare game card. As the end of recess bell rings, Emily is smiling and cherishing her first Adventures of Ethnos victory.

After school Nuff decided to stop off at the neighborhood park on his way home. Nothing seems to relax a stressed out second grader more than the swings, slides, and monkey bars at the park. On this particular day the park was empty and Nuff had all the equipment to himself. There were no lines and no waiting at any of his usual play stations. He could immediately jump from one station to the next.

Before long Nuff was worn ragged playing in the park. Using the last of his strength he climbs to the highest slide in the park and dives down it head first; only to come crashing out at the bottom creating a cloud of dust and dirt. As the dust and dirt settles, Nuff see an all-powerful Yehoti game card lying right before his eyes. With a look of disbelief on his face, Nuff’s eyeballs pop out of their sockets. He quickly looks around to see if anyone is watching him. With nobody insight, Nuff stashes the Yehoti card in his backpack and hightails it home in record setting time.

That night, Nuff sleeps like a baby. Peaceful and with a giant grin on his face, dreaming about how lucky he was to find such a treasure!  Nuff can’t wait to show his new card to all his friends at school!

Having rested and re-energized overnight, Nuff excitedly runs to school the next morning ready to brag to all his friends about the new card he has! When he arrives in class though, there’s already a buzz about a new kid at school, someone that Nuff does not know, who has recently lost his Yehoti card – the exact same all-powerful Yehoti card Nuff just found in the park the day before! Could it be that Nuff found this new kid’s card? It couldn’t be, could it? Not wanting to lose his newfound Yehoti card, Nuff doesn’t tell anyone that he himself recently acquired the same card that went missing and the new kid is searching for.

Ring, Ring, Ring!!!! The recess bell sounds off! Nuff quickly puts away his things and runs out to the playground with all the other kids. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees the new kids slowly shuffling around behind everyone with a sad look on his face. Out on the playground, Nuff is running around with his friends having a great time… and then he sees the new kid… sitting by himself… teary eyed and upset… and Nuff knows why.

That evening, knowing that someone at school lost their prized Adventures of Ethnos game card, the guilt overwhelms Nuff and he cannot sleep. Tossing and turning all night long thinking about how he would feel if he had lost a Yehoti card, Nuff decides that he must come clean.

The following day at school Nuff goes in search of a kid he does not know that has lost something that was surely near and dear to his heart. Finding the owner of the lost Adventures of Ethnos card during recess, Nuff introduces himself and returns the card to its rightful owner after acknowledging that he found it in the park.

The new kid, Edward, is overjoyed that his most prized possession has been found and returned! Seeing the happiness and how overwhelmed Edward is, Nuff feels an immediate weight lifted off his shoulders. Grateful to get his card back, Edward gives Nuff one of his duplicate Phoenix promo-cards. A card one can only gtet at the Adventures of Ethnos World Tournament Convention. A total stranger has rewarded Nuff for being honest for returning what he found, when knowing who had lost it.

Nuff can’t believe he’s been given something so prized by someone he just met. The boys quickly become friends and Nuff invites Edward to join the entire gang for a Adventures of Ethnos battle on the playground. As the battle raged on Edward dropped his Yehoti card to a chorus of OOH’s and AAH’s. Nuff looked over at him and winked, allowing his new friend to take all the glory and his first Adventures of Ethnos victory, while saving his own recently gifted promo–card for another day.

It Pays To Be Honest

Having learned how rewarding honesty can be, Nuff walks side-by-side with his new friend towards the neighborhood park after the school day ends. That evening, as his parents take him to bed, his mom asks him, “So Nuff, what did you learn today.” After some thought and without any hesitation, “It pays to be… H O N E S T!” Nuff said.

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Reviews

“A great book on the virtue of honesty! Appeals to kids who are into card games and collectibles as well.” — Crystal

“I enjoyed this book and while the message about honesty is paramount, what I thought was really clever was the way the author embedded the message within the story. Intertwining the message in a story surrounding a popular game made this a very relatable. I think a lot of children would understand the dilemma being faced, and the associated feelings. Very cute story!” — Amanda Chittenden

“A great story that teaches an important lesson about being honest! Following Nuff and a new card game he and his friends are playing, the story is engaging, with fun illustrations and a good message!” — Alison M