The Little Good Gnome
In old, old days there lived on the forest's edge and beside a pretty lake, a gnome called Teimko. He had a short plump body, bandy legs, and he dressed in the brightest of colours and sported a long pointed cap on his head, with a tiny flower dangling from its tip. Indeed, he thought himself to be very, very clever. He liked to spend his time in the nearby village and prided on being a great deal smarter than human beings. Teimko was particularly friendly with the miller named Polky, whom he tried to outwit whenever he got a chance to do so. One fine day, as both were strolling down the hilly meadow, the dwarf said to his friend, "You claim to have a very intelligent mind. Now, can you make me a bridge over the brook yonder? But neither wood, nor stone, nor metal can you use to build it." Polky thought for a while and scratched his head. He observed that the stream was quite narrow. So he lowered himself over it, face downwards, his feet on one bank and the hands-on the other. "Here's your bridge, Teimko, not of wood, nor stone, nor metal. Come on, just walk over it," said the miller looking up the corner of his eyes.
The moment the dwarf was on his back, he shook him off and the little fellow tumbled into the water with a splash. Teimko was determined to outdo the miller when the very next opportunity came. Once there was feasting at the village chief's house on the occasion of his daughter's marriage. As Polky was very popular for his jovial character and enjoyed such social gatherings, the naughty gnome thought it a good idea to prevent him from attending it. "Dear Friend," he said, going up to him, "Promise me, you'll do me a favour. I would trust no one else." "I promise," replied Polky, a little flattered by the dwarf's words. "This evening I've got an important engagement. Would you mind standing guard over my door, while I'm away? As you know, there are sackfuls of gold and silver in my house. You should not leave the door till I return," said Teimko, with much concern. "But where are you going, by the way?" asked his friend. "To the wedding feast." "But I, too, wouldn't like to miss it!" said Polky, who had completely forgotten about the invitation. "But you've promised, haven't you?" Polky stood silent. "So, see you then and on no account should you leave my door," said the gnome, with much emphasis, and pranced off, happy that this time he had the better of the miller. It did not take long for Polky to realize that he had been tricked by Teimko. He thought and thought and finally had a bright idea. Taking the door off its hinges, he put it on his back and hastened away. In that manner, he entered the happy wedding party to everyone's amusement. Teimko, who was thoroughly enjoying himself, rushed to him and shouted angrily, "You've broken your promise. Didn't you give me your word that you wouldn't leave my door alone even for a single instant during my absence?" "Well, my dear, neither have I," replied Polky, with a smile.
"Here's your door and here I am, both together!" Teimko had to acknowledge that his friend was smarter and gave him a good shake of the hands. It so happened that one day the miller was in great need of money. He knew the dwarf had a lot of wealth that he had once entrusted to his custody. It would do him no harm if he managed to get some of his riches for himself, he thought. Through the forest, he came whistling a merry tune and sat on the bank of the lake in front of the gnome's hut. The moment he heard his heavy footsteps and croak like a hum, he leaned down and began gulping the water of the lake. "You must be dying of thirst," remarked the dwarf. "Come in, I'll give you a very refreshing drink of pure grape juice." "No, I'm not drinking the water to quench my thirst, but I want to drink the entire lake dry. You see it is like this, Teimko. Whenever I want to go somewhere, this lake comes in my way. I've no boat to cross it and I'm forced to take the longer route. That steals most of my precious time. You know, I'm a busy man. Besides, I'm really anxious that one day or the other someone will drown in it. Therefore I've decided to drink all the water and get rid of the lake once for all," replied Polky and, leaning forward, began lapping the water once again. The gnome's face turned sad. "Please don't do such a thing," he pleaded. "I love the pretty lake and can't live without it. If you don't drink it dry, I'll give you some gold pieces to make yourself a handy boat." "Do you really mean it? But I'll need quite a large amount of your gold for all the trouble I've suffered on account of the pretty wretched lake of yours.
Better make haste, I can wait no longer," said the villager, pretending to be impatient. Teimko hurried into his house as fast as his bandy little legs could carry him. For he was really afraid that the miller might drink the lake dry before he got back. But the lake was, of course, still there playing in the sun when he returned. Polky danced his way home with quite a heavy sack on his back. One night a gale blew the roof off Teimko's house. He needed help to put a new one. He naturally approached Polky and promised him to fill his hat with silver. "Your money is rather heavy," said the clever man, after the work was done, "and my one and only hat is rather old. Better I rest it on a stump, while you fill it, lest it gave way." So the dwarf began to pour the money, as his friend held the hat over the stump. "You hat seems to hold a lot!" said he, as he finished emptying the third bag of silver. The fourth bag, at last, filled it to the brim. "Your head must be quite large and so is your hat! You must be really wise, then," said Teimko, rather sorry to lose so much of his wealth. But the miller, bidding goodbye, walked home with a merry heart, happy that the simple Simon did not know that there was a hole in his hat and the stump he had chosen was hollow to the root. Little Teimko never stopped boasting about his strength. One day, Polky thought of teaching him a lesson and proposed a contest.
"Let's begin by breaking a stone with fingers," suggested the gnome, proudly displaying his thick knotty hands. He picked up a white cobblestone. Polky, too, found one and slipped it in his pocket. Teimko squeezed it with all his might till tears began to trickle down his face. But the stone did not even crack. "Don't laugh, you too won't fare better," he said to his friend. The miller pretended to draw out the stone from his pocket and taking a deep breath, squeezed it in his hand. Some drops of water did trickle down from between his fingers. He opened his fist and displayed a white creamy substance. "You see," he said with a flair, "I've not only broken but crushed the stone into a paste." Luckily, that morning, he had slipped some cheese into his pocket for lunch. "It seems you're a magician!" exclaimed Teimko. "I'm no magician," laughed Polky. "It's just that I'm stronger than you." "Now, how about throwing a stone? I can lance it farther than anyone in the village," boasted the dwarf. Picking up a stone, he hurled it high into the air and it fell indeed very, very far off. "Now try beating me in this," challenged Polky jubilantly. He picked up a stone, tossed and balanced it a couple of times, then as a bird darted past them, he pretended to throw it with all his strength. "There, see that. Now we can't even find the spot where it fell. Such was its speed," he said. The gnome looked on in utter amazement. In fact, he had glimpsed something moving rapidly in the air and getting lost in the clouds. Gathering himself up, he said, "You may be a wizard, but I bet you can't throw this axe of mine any farther than I can."
The miller took the axe and pretended to feel its weight. "Okay, now just watch, Teimko. I'll throw it right up into the sky and lodge it on that grey patch of cloud." "Then I'll never be able to get it back from there," cried the gnome. "Well, indeed you might not recover it. Not unless the cloud bursts with the impact and your blessed axe comes down with hailstones," said Polky, getting ready to hurl it. "Stop, please don't throw it. I've got just one precious tool left with me," begged Teimko and snatched it from his friend's hand. "Now I'm really convinced that you're a wizard." "You're wrong once again, Teimko," laughed his friend. "I'm neither a wizard nor a magician. I'm just stronger than you are, that's it. You've got to admit it now." Teimko at last did admit. From that day onwards he turned into a very humble little gnome and boasted no more. Years rolled by. Teimko had become old and no one knew his age. One day, he was not to be seen. The whole hamlet looked for him everywhere but failed to find him. His many-hued dress, the long red cap with a flower dangling from its tip, and the sackfuls of gold and silver were all there in his hut. But the wee little gnome had disappeared mysteriously as he had appeared one day on the shore of the pretty little lake. The townsfolk wondered and still are wondering whether he was stupid in his wisdom or wise in his stupidity, the dwarf who had befriended them once upon a time. The saddest of them was the miller.
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