Creative Stories about Clay Garden Gnomes

Gnomes are mythical underground creatures in the European folklore. They look like midget elders with long beards and pointed hats usually in red color. According to the folklore, gnomes act like “gardeners” at night by doing garden chores like weeding, digging, and planting. During the day, however, they stay under the ground in order to hide from the other creatures of the world. They also collect riches and hide them in their dwellings. There are different creative stories about the clay garden gnomes and all of them stir our imagination, which keeps this folklore alive and profitable, as well.

Gnomes are cited in children’s books, especially those that are European in nature. This attests that they are really part of the culture. Some books feature gnomes that are very kind and keeps the garden safe and in order. Other modern literature pieces have utilized the gnomes as villains and sometimes, as plain garden dwellers that dominate the area like pests. In the Harry Potter novel series, for example, the gnomes in the garden of the Weasley family are evicted from the garden occasionally and they call this process “de-gnoming”. The characters also play with these creatures brutally as if they were real pests.

On the other hand, there are also real stories about clay garden gnomes. Not that they are real, but imaginative people and those who can also be called pranksters in this case, have established an organization for the benefit of the gnomes. One is called the Italian Garden Gnome Liberation Front that discourages oppressive gardening by liberating enslaved gnomes. True enough, some people, probably the supporters, do gnome hunting by which gnomes are kidnapped and are brought anywhere in the world. They take pictures of the gnomes and send them back to the original “enslaver” to let them see the “good life” that they have being not a slave anymore.