انتقام کوتوله های حیاط فصل 17

Revenge of the Lawn Gnomes - Chapter 17

“Joe, you’re right!” my father declared. “The gnomes aren’t out there.”

He believed me! Finally! I jumped up and shot a fist into the air. “Yes!” I cheered.

Dad wiped at the moist glass pane with his pajama sleeve and squinted out the window again.

“See, Dad! See!” I cried happily. “I was telling the truth. I wasn’t joking.”

“Hmmm. Deer-lilah’s not there, either,” he said softly.

“What?” I gasped, feeling my stomach churn. “No. The deer is there! I saw it!”

“Hold on a minute,” Dad murmured. “Ahhh. There she is. She was hidden in the fog. And the gnomes! There they are! They’re right there, too. They were hidden in the fog. See?” I stared out the window. Two pointy hats broke through the mist. The two gnomes stood dark and still, in their places beside the deer.

“Noooooo!” I moaned. “I know they weren’t there. I’m not playing tricks, Dad. I’m not!” “Fog can do funny things,” Dad said. “One time I was driving through a real pea soup of a fog. I spotted something strange through the windshield. It was shiny and round and it sort of hovered in the air. Oh, boy, I thought. A UFO! A flying saucer! I couldn’t believe it!” Dad patted me on the back. “Well, my UFO turned out to be a silver balloon tied to a parking meter. Now, Joe. Back to this gnome problem.” Dad’s face turned stern. “I don’t want to hear any more crazy stories. They’re only lawn ornaments. Nothing more. Okay? Not another word. Promise?” What choice did I have? “Promise,” I muttered.

Then I dragged myself up the stairs to bed.

What a horrible day—and night. My father thinks I’m a liar. Our tomatoes are ruined. And Moose isn’t allowed to hang out with me anymore.

What else could possibly go wrong?

I woke up the following morning with a heavy feeling in my stomach. As if I had swallowed a bowl of cement.

All I could think about were the gnomes.

Those horrible gnomes. They were destroying my summer. They were destroying my life!

Forget about them, Joe, I told myself. Just forget about them.

Anyway, today had to be better than yesterday. It sure couldn’t be worse.

I peered out my bedroom window. All traces of the fog had been burned away by a bright yellow sun. Buster slept peacefully in the grass, his long white rope snaking through the garden.

I glanced over at the McCalls’ house. Maybe Moose is outside helping his dad in the garden, I thought.

I leaned farther out the window to get a better look.

“Oh, noooo!” I moaned. “No!”