Read the first part of the story.

Nico and the Gnome

Nico stood outside in the chilly morning air and took a good look at his new back garden. It was a large space with towering trees and flower beds. There were little nooks and private corners but no large patches of grass. So, no football games here. Maybe hide-and-seek?

Of course, he would need to find some new friends to play with first.

Nico’s dog, Boots, was exploring the garden, and Nico could see her tail wagging in delight in the distance. As Nico walked towards her, he saw Boots suddenly sit and then lie down, as if obeying a command. As he got closer, Nico saw that Boots was staring at a little figure that looked like a garden statue.

‘Oh. Hello!’ said the figure, who was not a statue. Nico stood frozen as he realised that it was a little man.