Hazel and the Gnomes

Hazel and the Gnomes - Hazel Rodd (Anne T. Bunphy Elementary School - 3rd Grade)

I set off in the woods. There was a trail of sparkles. I didn’t want to get off the main trail,  but I was really curious. I walked along the trail until the sparkle path went a different way. I  followed the path until I saw a tree with lots of mushrooms gathered in a circle around it. There  was a hole in the tree, shaped like a door. 

I said, "Hello, does anybody live here?” 

A tiny voice replied, “Yes, somebody lives here! Excuse me, can I please have some  privacy? I'm taking a shower.” 

“Oh I’m terribly sorry,” I said in amazement. I waited there for a couple of minutes. And  then a little gnome came out of the doorway and said, “Hey why are you still here?” My mouth  dropped. 

“I was just admiring your beautiful mushrooms!” 

“Well we just planted the mushrooms, and mushrooms are very common.” “Not in the city,” I replied. “I was taking a walk in the woods. My dad said I couldn’t play  video games. That’s why I'm here”. 

“What's a video games?” the gnome asked. 

“It’s sort of where you play a game on a TV. Never mind,” I said. I looked down at my  watch. It had already been twenty minutes! 

“OMG, I better get home!” 

I ran all the way to my house. I was out of breath. 

“Why did you take so long?” my dad said. 

“Sorry dad, I was looking at some beautiful mushrooms.” 

“Ok,” my dad said, “Why don’t you go ask your mother If you can help her with  anything. 

“Ok,” I said. 

The next morning I woke up, I jumped out of bed, I got my clothes on and ran  downstairs and ran outside into the woods. 

I followed the little sparkle path and came to the tree surrounded by mushrooms.  “Hello? Is anybody home?” I said. 

“Of course somebody is home! Are you the girl who was talking about video games,  whatever that is?” 

“Yeah, and by the way, my name is Hazel.” 

“I love hazelnuts! They’re my favorite food!” the gnome said. 

“Would you like to come see my house?” 

“What’s a house?” the gnome said. 

“A place you live in. You live in a tree, and the tree is your house,” I said to the gnome. I started walking back with the little gnome. “Do you want me to carry you?” I asked  hoping he’d say yes, because I wanted to snuggle with him. 

“No of course not!” 

“Ok,” I said.

We finally got to my house. We walked in the back door. I said, “Be quiet, watch out for  the mouse traps.” 

We slowly and quietly walked up the stairs. We got into my room, and SNAP! “OMG, are  you okay?!” He started yanking, and I said, “Don’t yank at it, I’ll get you out.” I pulled down the  other side of the mouse trap. His leg got free, but it was bleeding. I looked around my room. I  found a tissue box, there was only one more tissue left. I dabbed at the blood. It stopped  bleeding. Then I heard a knock at the door. “Come in,” I said, as I hid the gnome under my bed.  It was my dad. 

“Why are you up so early?” 

“I, um, went outside to get some fresh air and take a little walk,” I said suspiciously. “Ok,” my dad said, “but next time don't go out so early, you need to tell us first.” He closed the door. I said "phew.” The gnome came out from under my bed. “That was a  close one,” he said. “And what is this wooden thing?” 

“It’s a bed, you sleep in it.” 

“Oh I have one of those things.” 

“There’s nothing much to see in my house,” I said. 

“And by the way, what was that thing that ate my leg?” said the gnome. 

“It’s called a mouse trap. I told you before to be careful around them.” 

“OK next time I’ll be careful.” 

“Let’s go downstairs so I can get you back to your tree.” 

“It's a home,” the gnome said. 

“Right,” I said. “Now let's go downstairs.” 

We went downstairs. 

“Now I have to carry you.” I said. 

“Come on!” he said in an annoyed way. 

I picked him up and put him under my shirt. 

“Is there something in your shirt?” my dad said. 

“No, mom forgot to iron it so it’s pretty wrinkly.” 

“I can iron it for you.” 

“No it’s okay. I want to take a walk.” 

“I thought you already took a walk,” my dad said. 

“It can’t hurt to go twice.” 

“Ok.” 

I went outside. I said, “Do you want me to walk you to your house?” The gnome started  walking. I said, “Where are you going?" He was going back into the woods. We followed the  sparkled path that led to his house. Then we followed another sparkle path that led to a tree  surrounded by ferns. 

The little gnome said, “Are you home, Gayle?” 

“Yes I’m home, honey. Do you want to come in for some blueberries and tea?” “No thanks, can I show you something fascinating?” 

She stepped out and her tiny mouth dropped. 

“Is that a human?” 

“Yes, it’s a human, one of the rarest beings.”

“We actually aren't that rare. There’s actually over 8 or 9 billion humans in the world,” I  said. 

Both of their tiny mouths dropped. 

“It's true,” I said. 

“Would you like to see the human’s house?” the gnome asked. 

“What's a house?” Gayle asked. 

“It’s a place where you live. Take this tree, for example, it’s your home,” the gnome  said. 

“You're so smart,” Gayle said. He blushed. 

“Do you want to go for a walk?” Gayle asked. 

“Is it okay if I bring the human along with us?” 

“Sure,” Gayle said. 

“By the way, my name is Hazel,” I said.  

“OK, Hazel.” 

“My name is Charles.” the gnome said to me.