Ekin vs Yicheng vs Arlo
The Games Day
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The Games Day
Tap Next to start the games →
Chapter One · 1 of 16
After school, Ekin, Yicheng and Arlo met in the playground at PS 139, and the sun was warm, and the playground was empty, and the three friends decided to have a Games Day, because a Games Day is the best way to spend an afternoon with your friends. They had been waiting all week for a sunny afternoon, because a Games Day needs sunshine, and the sun was shining just for them.
Chapter One · 2 of 16
They agreed to play three games, and each boy would choose one game, and the boy who won the most games would be the champion of the day, and Ekin chose the sprint, Yicheng chose the ball toss, and Arlo chose the puzzle race, because each boy chose the game he loved best. Ekin loved running, Yicheng loved throwing, and Arlo loved thinking, and each boy was sure that his own game was the best game of all.
Chapter One · 3 of 16
The first game was the sprint, a very fast, short race from one end of the playground to the other, and the three boys lined up at the starting line, and Arlo said, ready, steady, go, and they all ran as fast as they could. The playground was long, and the finish line was far away, and the three boys ran with all their strength, because a sprint is a race that you run with your whole body.
Chapter One · 4 of 16
Yicheng ran like the wind, and his legs moved so fast that Ekin could hardly see them, and Yicheng won the sprint, crossing the finish line first, and Ekin came second, and Arlo came third, and Yicheng smiled, because he was the fastest runner of the three. Yicheng's hair flew back as he ran, and his feet hardly touched the ground, and Ekin thought that Yicheng ran like a deer, fast and light and free.
Chapter One · 5 of 16
Ekin clapped for Yicheng, because a good friend claps when his friend wins, and Ekin said that next time he would run faster, and Yicheng said that Ekin was a very good runner too, because a race is only fun when everyone tries their best. Arlo came third, and he clapped too, because Arlo was a good sport, and a good sport claps for the winner, even when the winner is not him.
Chapter One · 6 of 16
The second game was the ball toss, and Arlo drew a big target on the wall with chalk, a circle with a red middle, and each boy would throw three balls at the target, and the boy who hit the target the most times would win the game. The target was big, with rings of blue and white and red, and the red middle was the smallest ring, and the smallest ring is the hardest ring to hit.
Chapter One · 7 of 16
Yicheng threw first, and he threw three balls, and one ball hit the target, and the other two balls flew past it, and Yicheng laughed, because throwing a ball at a target is harder than it looks, and even a fast runner can miss. Yicheng's second ball hit the wall, and his third ball flew over the fence, and Yicheng laughed, because a ball that flies over the fence is a ball that wants to travel.
Chapter One · 8 of 16
Arlo threw next, and he threw three balls, and one ball hit the target, and the other two balls flew past it, and Arlo smiled, because one hit was a good throw, and a good throw deserves a smile. Arlo's first ball missed, and his second ball missed, and his third ball hit the red middle, and Arlo cheered, because the last ball is the ball that matters most.
Chapter One · 9 of 16
Ekin threw last, and he took a deep breath, and he aimed very carefully at the red middle, and he threw three balls, and all three balls hit the target, and Ekin won the ball toss, and his friends cheered, because three hits out of three is a wonderful throw. Ekin's balls flew straight and true, one, two, three, and the crowd of two friends cheered, because three hits in a row is a throw that you remember.
Chapter One · 10 of 16
The third game was the puzzle race, and Arlo put a jigsaw puzzle on the table, a puzzle with one hundred pieces, and the boy who finished the puzzle first would win, and Arlo smiled, because a puzzle is a game for people who think before they move. The puzzle showed a picture of a castle, with a blue sky and green grass, and the pieces were small and many, and the boys looked at them, because a puzzle with one hundred pieces is a big puzzle.
Chapter One · 11 of 16
Arlo sorted the pieces by colour, first the blue sky pieces, then the green grass pieces, and he worked fast and calmly, and Ekin and Yicheng worked fast too, but Arlo's pieces went together like magic, because a good plan makes a puzzle easy. Ekin worked on the castle walls, and Yicheng worked on the sky, and Arlo worked on everything at once, because Arlo's plan was to build the edges first, and edges are the bones of a puzzle.
Chapter One · 12 of 16
Arlo put the last piece in place, and he finished the puzzle first, and Arlo won the puzzle race, and Ekin finished second, and Yicheng finished third, and Arlo smiled, because a puzzle race is the best race for a boy who loves to think. Arlo's puzzle was finished, and the castle stood tall and proud, and Ekin's castle was almost finished, and Yicheng's castle was half finished, and the race was over.
Chapter One · 13 of 16
They counted the wins, and Yicheng had won the sprint, and Ekin had won the ball toss, and Arlo had won the puzzle race, and each boy had won one game, so the score was a tie, and a tie means that nobody wins and nobody loses. They wrote the score in the dust with a stick, Yicheng one, Ekin one, Arlo one, and the score looked like a perfect tie, because one, one, one is the fairest score there is.
Chapter One · 14 of 16
The three friends looked at each other, and they all said the same thing at the same time, we need one more game, and they laughed, because a tie is a good reason for one more game, and one more game is the best part of a Games Day. They jumped up and down, because one more game meant one more chance to win, and one more chance is all a boy needs to dream of being the champion.
Chapter One · 15 of 16
Arlo said, let us play chess, because chess is a game where the best thinker wins, and Ekin nodded, because he loved chess too, and Yicheng smiled, because a chess final would be a wonderful way to end the day. Arlo set up the chess board on the table, and the pieces shone in the sun, and Ekin looked at the board, because a chess board is a battlefield, and a battlefield is a place for brave thinkers.
Chapter One · 16 of 16
But then Yicheng looked at his watch, and he said that he had to go home, because his family was waiting for him, and he wished Ekin and Arlo good luck, and he ran off, and the final would be Ekin against Arlo, just the two of them. Yicheng waved one last time, and he ran home, and Ekin and Arlo watched him go, because a friend who leaves early is a friend you will see tomorrow, and tomorrow is not far away.
Chapter Two · 1 of 15
Ekin and Arlo sat down at the chess board in the classroom, and Arlo set up the pieces very carefully, the white pieces on one side and the black pieces on the other, and Ekin took the black pieces, because Arlo had won the puzzle race, and the winner chooses first. The classroom was quiet, and the sun came through the window, and the chess board sat on the table like a small world, waiting for its kings and queens.
Chapter Two · 2 of 15
Arlo moved first, and he moved his pawn two squares forward, and Ekin moved his pawn too, and the game began, and the classroom was very quiet, because a chess game needs silence, and silence helps you think. Ekin's pawn moved two squares, and Arlo's pawn moved two squares, and the pawns faced each other, like two soldiers meeting on a battlefield.
Chapter Two · 3 of 15
Ekin moved his knight, and Arlo moved his bishop, and the pieces moved back and forth across the board, and Ekin thought hard before every move, because a chess player who thinks before he moves is a chess player who is hard to beat. Ekin's knight jumped over a pawn, and Arlo's bishop slid across the board, and the pieces danced, because chess pieces dance when good players move them.
Chapter Two · 4 of 15
Arlo had taught Ekin a new strategy, a clever plan for how to win a game, and Ekin remembered it, and he moved his rook to the side, just like Arlo had shown him, and Arlo smiled, because a student who remembers his lesson is a good student. Arlo had taught Ekin the strategy last week, in chess class, and Ekin had practiced it every day, because a strategy that you practice is a strategy that you own.
Chapter Two · 5 of 15
The game went on for a long time, and Ekin took Arlo's knight, and Arlo took Ekin's bishop, and the board grew emptier and emptier, and both boys looked at the board for a long time, because a long game is a game that makes you think the hardest. The clock on the wall ticked, and the boys thought, and thought, and thought, and the game went on, because a long game is a game where every move matters.
Chapter Two · 6 of 15
Ekin stayed calm and thought carefully, and then he saw it, a clever move, his rook and his bishop working together to trap Arlo's king, and he moved his rook with a steady hand, and the whole room held its breath, because Ekin had found the winning move. Arlo's king was trapped, and there was nowhere for it to go, and Ekin held his breath, because a winning move is a move that makes your heart beat fast.
Chapter Two · 7 of 15
Arlo looked at the board, and he saw that there was no escape, and he smiled, and he tipped over his king, because tipping over your king is the way you say you lose, and Arlo was a good loser, and a good loser is a good friend. Arlo's king lay on its side, and the game was over, and Arlo smiled, because losing a good game is still a good game, and a good game is worth playing.
Chapter Two · 8 of 15
Ekin won the final, and the teacher brought out the prize, a shining suit of diamond armor, the world's best armor, and Ekin put it on, and it sparkled in the sun, and Arlo shook Ekin's hand, because a handshake after a game is the best way to say well played. The armor was silver and shining, with a helmet and a shield, and Ekin put it on, and it fit him perfectly, because the world's best armor fits the world's best player.
Chapter Two · 9 of 15
Arlo said that Ekin had played very well, and that Ekin's new strategy was a clever one, and Ekin smiled, because a compliment from a champion is the best compliment there is, and Arlo was a champion too, because he had won the diamond trophy. Ekin stood tall in his armor, and he felt like a knight, because a boy in shining armor is a knight, and a knight is a hero.
Chapter Two · 10 of 15
Ekin was the champion of the day, because he had won the ball toss and the chess final, and Arlo said that Ekin deserved the armor, because Ekin had played his best, and a champion is a boy who plays his best. Arlo clapped for Ekin, and Ekin clapped for Arlo, because both boys had played their best, and playing your best is what makes a champion.
Chapter Two · 11 of 15
They promised to practice together, because a promise to practice together is a promise to get better together, and they would practice every week, and next year they would play again, and next year Ekin would be even stronger. They shook hands on it, and the promise was made, and a promise between friends is a promise that must be kept, and Ekin and Arlo always keep their promises.
Chapter Two · 12 of 15
They packed up the chess board together, putting the pieces back in the box one by one, the white pieces first, then the black pieces, and Ekin put the last piece in the box, because the last piece is the most important piece to put away. The pieces clicked as they went into the box, and the board was empty again, and Ekin looked at the empty board, because an empty board is a board that is waiting for the next game.
Chapter Two · 13 of 15
They walked home together, and Ekin wore his shining armor, and they talked about the games, and Ekin said that the sprint was the fastest game, and Arlo said that the puzzle was the cleverest game, and they both agreed that the chess final was the best game of all. Ekin's armor clinked as he walked, and the sun shone on it, and people smiled at the boy in armor, because a boy in shining armor is a wonderful sight.
Chapter Two · 14 of 15
Ekin said that today was the best Games Day, because playing with your friends is better than winning alone, and Arlo nodded, because he felt the same way, and a day with a friend is a day that you remember. Arlo waved goodbye at the corner, and Ekin waved back, and they both smiled, because a day with a friend is a day that ends with a smile.
Chapter Two · 15 of 15
When Ekin got home, he showed his dad the world's best armor, and he told him about the Games Day, and he told him about the sprint and the ball toss and the puzzle and the chess final, and his dad smiled, because a boy who tells his dad about his day is a boy who had a very good day. His dad looked at the armor, and he said that it was the finest armor he had ever seen, and Ekin agreed, because the world's best armor is the finest armor there is.