The Gnome Babies and the Iron Teapot

M frees gnomes via the white-robed elder.

The Gnome Babies and the Iron Teapot

Clusters of gnome babies dwell inside a massive iron teapot. Under normal circumstances, they may only venture into the long-anticipated garden by abiding by the rules laid down by the faeries.

Some gnome babies bear iron gifts forged inside the iron teapot. They line up in neat, identical rows, as though cast from the same mould, planning to present these offerings to a faery on its first birthday.

A number of faeries grow perplexed and muse to themselves: Why do they refuse to work and find a way out of the iron teapot on their own?

One little gnome baby goes by the name of M. Having heard tales of sweet-scented birds and blossoming flowers in the garden, he constantly dreams of paying the place a visit. Fed up with the stale, suffocating air trapped inside the iron teapot, he thinks of nothing but currying favour with the faeries every single waking moment. Most importantly, his affection is never genuine; he sees the faeries solely as a means to escape the cramped iron teapot.

On an unremarkable day, M collects iron and stashes scrap steel in secret as he always does, when abrupt gusts tear through the space and a faery materialises before him. The faery leans close and murmurs a few words into his ear.

From that day onward, M abandons all efforts to ingratiate himself and devotes his time to acquiring new knowledge instead.

As days go by, the rest of the gnome babies come to harbour deep resentment toward M. Their friction eventually erupts into open conflict, and M puts forward a proposal: “If we can rooftop lid(pry) open the lid atop the teapot, I will claim victory!”

The other gnome babies readily consent: “That is a wonderful proposition!”

They dance, sing and chant incantations without pause, yet the heavy rooftop lid stays firmly shut.

When it falls to M’s turn to attempt the task, he says: “You have all overlooked that we must first seek counsel from the white-robed elder who dwells above.” He offers sincere prayers, and drawing on the wisdom he has amassed alongside assistance from faeries dispatched by the white-robed elder, he constructs an iron catapult cart. A single launch of cast iron hurls the rooftop lid wide open!

All onlookers gape in stunned astonishment, but their king is overcome with jealousy of M’s prowess and issues orders to hunt him down.

Heartbroken and in tears, M takes shelter beneath a brier bush. He picks up an enchanted paintbrush and draws a white-armoured knight who overthrows the tyrannical king—a deed once considered outrageous and treasonous by every ordinary gnome baby. With the king dethroned, all gnome babies awaken to their own free will. One by one, they clamber out through the open rooftop lid and set out to seek their cherished garden.

The faery marking its first birthday murmurs gently: “This is the most precious birthday gift I could ever ask for, for they have recovered their remembrance of the white-robed elder and attained true wisdom.”