انتقام کوتوله های حیاط فصل 13

Revenge of the Lawn Gnomes - Chapter 13

Should I tell Mom and Dad what I heard? I wondered as we ate dinner that night.

“How was everyone’s day?” Dad asked cheerfully. He spooned some peas onto his dinner plate.

They’ll never believe me.

“Heidi and I rode our bikes to the pool,” Mindy piped up. She arranged a mound of tuna casserole on her plate into a neat square. Then she flicked a stray pea away. “But she got a cramp in her leg, so we mostly sunbathed.” I have to tell.

“I heard something really weird this afternoon,” I burst out. “Really, really weird.” “You interrupted me!” Mindy said sharply. She blotted her mouth carefully with her napkin.

“But this is important!” I exclaimed. I started shredding my napkin nervously. “I was in the front yard. All alone. And I heard whispers.” I made my voice low and gruff. “The voices said, ‘Not funny, Joe. Not funny.’ I don’t know who it was. Nobody was there. I… uh… think it was the gnomes.” Mom banged her glass of lemonade down on the table. “Enough with these gnome jokes!” she declared. “No one thinks they’re funny, Joe.” “But it’s true!” I cried, crushing my shredded napkin into a ball. “I heard the voices!” Mindy uttered a scornful laugh. “You are so lame,” she said. “Please pass the bread, Dad.” “Sure, honey,” Dad replied, handing her the wooden tray of dinner rolls.

And that was the end of that.

After dinner, Dad suggested that we water the tomatoes.

“Okay,” I replied with a shrug. Anything to get out of the house.

“Want me to get the Bug Be Gone?” I asked as we stepped outside.

“No! No!” he gasped. His face turned ghostly pale.

“What’s wrong, Dad? What is it?”

He pointed silently at the tomato patch.

“Ohhh,” I moaned. “Oh, no!”

Our beautiful red tomatoes had been crushed, mangled, and maimed—seeds and pulpy red tomato flesh everywhere.

Dad stared openmouthed, his hands balled into fists. “Who would do such a terrible thing?” he sighed.

My heart began to throb. My pulse raced.

I knew the truth. And now everyone would have to believe me.

“The gnomes did it, Dad!” I grabbed the sleeve of his shirt and began tugging him to the front yard. “You’ll see. I’ll prove it!” “Joe, let go of me. This is no time for jokes. Don’t you realize that we’re out of the garden show? We’ve lost our chance for a blue ribbon! Or any ribbon, for that matter.” “You have to believe me, Dad. Come on.” I held tightly onto Dad’s sleeve. And I wouldn’t let go.

As I dragged him out front, I wondered what we would find.

Blood-red tomato juice smeared all over their ugly faces?

Squishy pulp hanging from their tiny fat fingers?

Hundreds of seeds stuck to their creepy little feet?

We approached the gnomes.

My eyes narrowed on the hideous creatures.

And finally we stood right before them.

And I couldn’t believe what we found.