TRUDIES TIT-BITS
THE GARDEN GNOME
The children were very pleased when daddy brought home a garden gnome. He was a cheerful gnome with a smiling face. His hat and his jacket were red and his trousers were green. He had red, pointed shoes on his feet. he had a long white beard and his eyes were a very bright blue. he stood in the back garden at the edge of the grass.
The children ran out before breakfast to say "hello" to him and they often ra out at bedtime to say "good-night." The children grew very fond of him. Jane washed his face when it got dirty and Janet gave him a twig for a walking stick.
The gnome never stopped smiling not even when it rained. He smiled all the time especially when a robin perched on his hat and sang.
One day the girls were eating strawberries in the garden close by the gnome. They were called in for a time as a visitor had arrived, but when they came back Jane looked down at her plate in amazement.
"Janet, when mum called us in I had four strawberries on my plate, four really big ones and now, look there are only three!" Where could it have gone? Jane stared in bewilderment at her plate.
"Oh my goodness!" exclaimed Janet, "I left three on my plate and now I only have two, were on earth could they have gone. Do you think a bird could have ate them?"
Jane shook her head, "I don't think so , a bird would have just pecked at them but who else could it have been?" mused Jane. Together the girls looked round the garden, then Jane let out a squeal. "Janet, look at the gnome, he's smiling more than ever and just look at his mouth?" There was a red stain round his mouth and his smile grew even bigger. "I do believe you ate them, didn't you gnome?"
Then to the surprise of both girls the gnome replied. "Yes I did, you see they looked so delicious and you never bothered to offer me any, I just couldn't resist them. I hope you don't mind?"
"Of course we don't mind." said Janet. We didn't know that you could eat or talk . In fact we thought you were just well... plaster."
"Oh yes, I can walk and talk and do lots of other things," said the gnome. but I keep still and quiet when there are grown ups about."
The girls just sat there for a few seconds , it was hard to believe that their garden gnome could talk and walk just like a real person. "Will you be able to talk to us again? Asked the girls eventually.
"Yes, of course I will, but it will have to be when we are alone." After that the gnome often talked to the girls and they found him very useful too. If they were shelling the peas for their mother the gnome loved to help them. And he was terrific at finding lost balls or even marbles. His eyes were very sharp. In fact he was like magic when he had to turn himself back to plaster . The sound of a step or a voice and he froze in a twinkling. The girls became quite used to this and after a whilethey stopped being surprised when it happened.
One day when the girls went out to greet him they found him very excited. "Hurry girls, look in the garden next door." They looked over the hedge and they saw another garden gnome, this time with a pipe in his mouth and a spade in his hand.
"His name is Jeremy," said their gnome. "We had a long talk last night and I think we are going to become best friends."
That night after Janet and Jane had gone to bed, they tip-toed to the window and peeped through the curtains. They could see the two gnomes talking together through a hole in the hedge.
"I am so glad they like each other so much." said Jane, as they climbed back into bed. "It will be so nice for them to play together when everyone is asleep and to talk about whatever it is gnomes talk about."
