Angel Rodgers is a young boy who lives in a big city. His
parents, Mr. and Mrs. Rodgers have important jobs that require them to move a
lot and so making friends has always been difficult for Angel and sleeping in
new bedrooms sometimes frightening. One special day Mr. and Mrs. Rodgers took
Angel to a toy store.
“Today you can pick out one new toy.” Said Mr. Rodgers.
“Because today is your birthday,” Mrs. Rodgers said. With a
smile from ear to ear, Angel ran through the aisles looking at all the
different kinds of toys he might want. First he looked at the action figures
but all of them were too stiff or too complex. Angel ran into the next aisle
and found boxes of building blocks. But the building blocks took too long to
build and he knew he would get bored before he could even begin to play.
Angel ran into the next aisle and saw foam swords and
plastic shields like the ones knights wore in the books his mother and father
would read to him before bedtime. Then
Angel had an idea. If he had a suit of armor like King Arthur then maybe, just
maybe, he wouldn’t be afraid of the dark after his parents left. Angel quickly
grabbed a foam sword and a plastic shield and was about to run back to his
parents when he saw the store manager walking toward him with s stuffed bear in
his hand.
“Hello, Young man.” Said the manager just as Mr. and Mrs.
Rodgers found their son.
“Sorry,” Mr. Rodgers said to the store manager. “Our son is
a bit excited to be in your store today.”
“Is that so?” The Manager said.
“Yes, today is our little Angel’s birthday.” Said Mrs.
Rodgers. Angel could not stop looking at the stuffed bear in the store
manager’s hand. He looked old and dusty with short brown hair and large black
eyes.
“Well it looks to me like you want to be a knight.” The
Store Manager said. Angel nodded his head and smiled.
“Yes, yes Sir.” Said Angel. The manager knelt down on one
knee before Angel and presented him with the teddy bear.
“Every knight needs a best friend and companion.” Said the
Manager placed the teddy bear in Angel’s hands. “His name is Horace and he’s
the only one of his kind.”
Angel gave Horace a hug.
“Thank you.” Angel said.
“Yes, thank you very much.” Said Mr. Rodgers to the Store
Manager.
“Come along, Angel. We still have much to do on your special
day.” Said Mrs. Rodgers.
That night, after cake and presents, Mr. and Mrs. Rodgers
read Angel a bedtime story about King Arthur and his noble knights. Mrs.
Rodgers turned on the nightlight next to Angel’s bed before giving him a good
night kiss.
“Sleep tight little man,” said Mr. Rodgers as he tucked
Angel and Horace into bed. As Mr. and Mrs. Rodgers left, closing the door
behind them Angel reached under his bed and pulled out his sword and shield.
“Nothing is going to get us tonight, Horace.” Angel said
closing his eyes.
Later that night a rumbling in the room woke Angel.
“Nope, not here.” Came the soft voice of someone near
Angel’s dresser.
“Oh no, not again,” Angel whimpered while throwing the
covers over his head. “Please, please go away.” He cried.
“Don’t worry.” Horace whispered. Angel turned and screamed
until Horace covered his mouth.
“If you scream it will know we’re awake.” Horace explained.
“Now stay here, I need to get something from under the bed.” Horace let go of
Angel and slid out from under the covers and dropped onto the floor. Rolling
under the bed he searched while the creature making the noise near the drawer
continued to search for something particular.
“EUREKA!” Horace shouted while jumping out from under the
bed. Angel pulled back the covers and saw Horace standing next to the bed with
his own sword and shield in hand. Angel looked at his dresser and saw a Gnome
with a tall red hat looking back at him. In the Gnome’s hand, one of Angel’s
socks.
“That’s his sock, Gnome!” Shouted Horace.
“Nope, I found it. It’s mine now!” The Gnome said running
like the wind around Angel’s room. Horace jumped on the dresser and the bed, on
the floor and the toy chest but the Gnome was too fast.
“Stop him Horace, stop him!” Angel shouted. Horace threw his
shield which bounced off the closet door, the dresser and the toy chest before
knocking the Gnome on the floor. Horace leapt atop the Gnome and grabbed
Angel’s sock.
“You shouldn't take things that don’t belong to you.” Said
Horace.
“The sock is mine!” Cried the Gnome. “Mine, mine, mine,
mine.” The Gnome tried to wrestle the sock away from Horace but neither of them
was willing to let it go.
“Wait!” shouted Angel. “Mr. Gnome, why are you trying to
take my sock?” Asked Angel.
“The king of Gnomes sent me to take socks.” Said the Gnome.
“But you’re taking a sock and not the pair.” Said Angel.
“Why only take one?”
“Because we only need one at a time.” Said the Gnome. Horace
shook his head.
“Gnomes. They make no sense.” Huffed Horace.
“Mr. Gnome, if I give you my sock will you promise not to
come back to my room and scare me?” Asked Angel. The gnome looked between
Horace and Angel then huffed.
“Okay.” Sighed the Gnome.
“Where do you live, Mr. Gnome?” Angel asked.
“Just outside Apple Tree forest in the deep garden with my
other brothers and sisters.” Said the Gnome.
“You can go home Mr. Gnome.” Said Angel. The Gnome jumped in
the air, happy as can be before running past Horace and Angel and sliding under
the bed.
“He ran under my bed.” Said Angel.
“Yeah, he went home.” Horace said picking up his shield.
“But how does he get to his home from under my bed?” Asked
Angel. Horace stretched and yawned and climbed back into bed.
“The only way to get to Gnome garden is through Apple Tree
forest and the only way to get to Apple Tree forest is through a closet or
underneath a bed. Everyone knows that.” Said Horace.
Angel climbed back into bed next to Horace and pondered what
Horace had said.
“What’s it like in Apple Tree forest?” Asked Angel.
“There are trees as tall as the sky with colorful apples and
beautiful butterflies. The smell of honey in every tree and everyone is happy
and free.” Smiled Horace.
“It sounds nice,” said Angel.
“It is nice.” Said Horace closing his eyes.
“Do you think that maybe I can see it?” Asked Angel. Horace
sat up and jumped off the bed.
“Horace?” Asked Angel, curious as to what he was doing.
Horace reached under the bed and pulled out a white permission slip and handed
it to Angel.
“I’m not allowed to take you anywhere unless your parents
give you permission.” Smiled Horace.
