The One Great Gnome

The One Great Gnome — page 7 — a potting shed She had never seen one in person but she had read about them in her mother’s magazines Farmers used them to store supplies and to grow plants in early spring when it was still too cold outside There was a door on one end and Sarah pulled at the handle As the door opened it groaned as if it had rusted in place but Sarah opened it just enough so she could climb inside She knew her mother wouldn’t like her playing near the broken glass so she was glad her mother had already gone to work Sarah looked around No doubt about it It was a potting shed There were ceramic planters all over the floor mostly broken an old twisted shovel and even what looked like some very old packages of seeds Sarah picked up a silver stake with a handle on it It reminded her of a tiny sword and still looked sharp It had two stars and a moon carved into its side Maybe it was a weeding tool She put it back on the ground There was a rickety counter in one corner of the shed It was mostly covered with dirt and some broken glass but Sarah noticed something on top half-buried in dirt She gently lifted off some pieces of glass and brushed it clean It was a small oval-shaped picture frame no bigger than the palm of her hand She rubbed the front of it against her jeans and looked at it It was a photograph of two people standing in front of a house Sarah looked carefully and noticed that the house looked just like her house except new The man was dressed like a farmer with overalls and tall boots and his face was covered with a big bushy black beard But even through all that hair Sarah could see he had a kind face The 7

The One Great Gnome — page 8 — woman next to him was probably his wife She had her hair pulled back tightly and wore a simple dress with an apron It reminded Sarah of one of her favorite books Little House on the Prairie Sarah turned the frame over and saw some handwriting on the back It was written in cursive and was very loopy like the way her grandmother wrote when she sent Sarah letters It was hard to make out Sarah squinted like she did when she was trying to concentrate really hard Otis Gregory Grimwald and Lavenia Sally Grimwald she read You don’t hear names like that every day Sarah thought they must have been the people who built the farm Her house had been their house and this potting shed was probably where Lavenia started the plants from seeds Sarah tucked the frame into the soft pocket of her sweatshirt Her mom and dad would love to see this Sarah was just turning to leave when something caught her eye It looked like a little gray shoe that was sticking out from under an overturned planter Sarah carefully lifted the planter and laid it aside The shoe was part of a statue It looked like a little elf or gnome made out of stone He was about three feet tall and dressed in a suit and on his head was a pointed hat Sarah had seen these in her mother’s books They were garden statues that people put in their yards for good luck Why hello there said Sarah as she carefully stood him up You don’t look too happy do you she asked as she wiped the dust off of his face with her sleeve She was right 8

The One Great Gnome — page 9 — The statue was not smiling like the ones she had seen in the books His face looked like he was worried or scared I bet you just don’t like being in this cold place she said as she bent down and picked him up He was a lot heavier than she expected Sarah squeezed through the door with her prize and carried him back to the house Her dad was now setting up the furniture in the living room What do you have there he asked wiping his sweaty brow with his sleeve Sarah held up the statue for him to see Ewww Not a very happy looking fellow he said making a face to match the statue’s Where did you fi nd him He was in the old potting shed said Sarah I’m going to put him in my room Sarah’s father laughed Are you sure you want that in your room he said Maybe we can put him out in the front yard to scare away the wolves Dad There are no wolves in Connecticut snapped Sarah although she wasn’t too sure She looked at his little face again I think he just needs a friend Sarah’s dad smiled and rubbed the top of her head Sure kiddo go ahead 9

The One Great Gnome — page 10 — CHAPTER 2 Vesper of Oglinoth Sarah looked around her room to try to find a place for the statue It was still just a sea of boxes Sarah decided to lay the statue on her bed as she started to clean up As she hung up her clothes and emptied her boxes Sarah talked to her new friend She told him about Lily her old school and how she wanted to be a writer like her father when she grew up When the last box was emptied and put out in the hallway Sarah looked around It looked just like her old room but a lot bigger and neater too Sarah knew it wouldn’t stay like that for long She picked up the statue and placed him on her dresser by the mirror No that’s not right she said Then she picked him up again and put him by her nightstand That looks better she said I think you’ll like it here Sarah even turned him so he could face the window Just then she noticed something she had not seen before On the side of the statue there was a carved scabbard or sheath Sarah recognized this from her book The Three Musketeers it was where people kept daggers or swords 10

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