The gnomes had been at work. They had been digging up the garden and the place was a mess. Henry, the gardener, was fed up of chasing them. They would run into the hedges and bushes, and hide. He could hear them laughing and chuckling but it was very difficult to get them out.
Henry would spend the whole day making the place beautiful and every night these fellows would undo all his effort. It was really very exasperating. And Princess Arabella wanted the garden to be picture perfect!
Henry decided to tell someone in the palace about the gnomes. He went to the back door but the cook was too busy to listen to him. “Besides, the gnomes are not my business!” the cook announced.
Henry ran into the chief groom and began to tell him his woes.
“Do they attack horses too?” asked the groom. “No,” said Henry.
“In that case, you’ll have to tell someone else about this!” said the groom, walking away.
The butler had just opened the door. Henry thought he would be the right man to speak to. So, he ran up to the door and began to tell him all about the gnomes.
The butler looked down his long nose and said, “Gnomes? I’m afraid they cannot be allowed inside the palace!” He firmly shut the door. Henry was at his wits’ end. How could he get rid of those pesky gnomes? They were simply not letting him work in peace.
Suddenly, a carriage drove up to the door and doctor Goodly got down. He had come to give some medicine to the King for his cold. Henry ran up and bowed to the doctor. “Well, my good man, how is the royal garden?” said the cheerful doctor. “Bad, sir!” said Henry, “I think His Majesty’s cold must be because of an allergy!”
The doctor stopped. “Allergy? How?”
“Well, sir, it’s those gnomes in the garden. They’re a pesky lot. Perhaps the King’s cold is because he’s allergic to them,” said Henry cleverly.
The doctor went in looking very thoughtful. He examined the King and spoke to Arabella about the allergy. She was very upset. The next day, a few men arrived in the garden. All the gnomes were collected in a large basket and removed to a forest far away. Henry was delighted. Now the Princess would have a beautiful garden!
