Gned the Knowledgeable Gnome, being a garden
gnome, was no taller than a blade of grass. His friends
called him knowledgeable because his house was among
the roots of a large oak tree in the garden of some Big
People, and he had learned quite a bit about the huge,
mysterious beings. Others called him foolish. A gnome
fears being seen by a Big Person more than just about
anything, and Gned had some very exciting adventures.
Gned roamed the vast lands of his garden almost
everyday. Of course, when you are only two inches tall,
your vast lands aren’t terribly impressive to bigger folk;
but Gned knew his lawns and flowerbeds as well as an
Indian knows his plains and forests, and loved them as
well, too. The Big People’s house, which just happened
to be in the middle of Gned’s garden, was a lovely place
with sparkling windows and cheery red shutters. The Big
People who lived there were lovely folk, too, even if they
lumbered about in a huge, clumsy way. They planted
flowers every spring and kept fairly good guard against
the garden slugs that Gned was sometimes forced to
combat. (Or so he said. There were rumors that he
simply turned and fled, but some people will say
anything.) The Big People watered the garden when it
was dry and pruned the bushes when they grew too wild.
Gned approved. Of course, once there was an
unforgettable instance of hot tea leaves being poured out
a window, but Gned put the mishap down to stupidity
rather than supposing that his Big People would play at
besieged-castle. Yes, Gned was a happy gnome as sole
possessor of the vast lands of his garden. Until it
appeared. It was a fine, spring morning and Gned
hummed happily as he walked the perimeter of the
petunia bed. He carried a stout twig that he called his
Anti-Ant stick over his shoulder. Ants can be very, very
bothersome: ready to steal just about anything, and quite
dangerous in their hordes. On this fine morning, however,
Gned felt ...
Copyright © 1994 - 2009 All Rights
Reserved
No part of this web site may be copied or
reproduced without prior written consent.
Designed by O'Flaherty Productions
Website created and edited by Tim O'Flaherty
www.oflahertyproductions.com
|
"The Dragon"
A summers haze hung over the garden. It was a beautiful garden with green
lawns, full flower beds, and numerous trees spreading their blessed shade. At the
roots of one tree there was a round door; A very little round door. And on this
morning the door slowly inched open. A nose peeked out, and then the tip of a
beard and then-- a garden gnome! Gned by name, and a happy gnome by nature,
as the knowledgeable owner of his vast lands, known to the Big People of the Big
House, merely as "the gardens!"
Gned breathed a contented sigh. It was midsummer, but the Big People's rain-
makers (black columns that popped out of the ground in the middle of the night,
indeed!) kept the grass green. The roses were a breathtaking display. True, there
was a rather large disturbance there, in the middle of the lawn that was indeed an
eyesore. The Big People had been working there and they had stacks of lumber of
the most mind boggling proportions. Gned did not like his garden so disturbed,
but he had long ago learned that Big People will do exactly as they like with no
mind for those only the height of a blade of grass.
With a last wary glance at this construction site Gned went in to have his morning
tea. If he were quick he might be out for his daily inspection of the garden before
the heat became unbearable.
So it was that not an hour later Gned trod through the grass, his green pointed hat
rising only to the tips of the grass blades and hiding him quite effectively. Clutched
in one hand he carried a stout twig, for reasons which would be quite obvious
were you a mere three inches tall and had to defend yourself againt roaming ant
hoards!
All seemed well at first as Gned patrolled the edges of the flowerbeds. The mulch
in the beds, however, gave Gned pause, for it was disturbed in a peculiar,
undulating line. But a knowledgeable gnome will always allow that he couldn't
know everything that might go on in his vast lands...
( to be continued here at Gned's site)