Once upon a time, in a magical garden, there lived a group of mischievous fairies. They loved to play pranks and have fun, especially on the garden gnomes who lived there. One day, the fairies decided to play a trick on the gnomes by painting their patio in the brightest and boldest colors they could find.

The gnomes were not happy when they saw their once beautiful patio looking like a rainbow exploded on it. They knew that the fairies were behind it and decided to teach them a lesson. The gnomes started by building a partition around their patio to separate it from the rest of the garden. They used a notch to create an offset, which would make it difficult for the fairies to get in.

Next, the gnomes added a pergola to their patio, but instead of using normal posts, they used big penny-shaped pedistals. The nosing of each pedestal was decorated with intricate carvings and the gnomes made sure to paint each one in a different color.

The fairies were determined to get into the gnomes' patio, so they came up with a plan. They created an outrigger made of a panel, which they attached to a long pier. They then floated the outrigger to the gnomes' patio and climbed up to the top.

However, the gnomes were one step ahead of the fairies. They had made the notch in the offset much wider than it appeared, causing the outrigger to tip over and the fairies to fall into the gnomes' patio.

The gnomes then surrounded the fairies and scolded them for their mischievous behavior. But instead of being angry, the gnomes and fairies started to laugh. They realized that they had been silly and that they could have fun together without playing tricks on each other.

And so, the gnomes and fairies became good friends and spent many happy days playing together in the magical garden. From that day on, the gnomes' patio remained the most colorful and lively place in the garden, and the fairies never played a prank on the gnomes again.

Reflections

1. Why did the fairies paint the gnomes' patio in bright colors?
2. How did the gnomes try to keep the fairies out of their patio?
3. What was the fairies' plan to get into the gnomes' patio?
4. What happened when the fairies tried to use the outrigger to get into the gnomes' patio?
5. How did the gnomes and fairies become friends?
6. Can you think of a different way the gnomes could have taught the fairies a lesson?
7. What do you think the gnomes and fairies did together in the magical garden?
8. If you were a gnome or a fairy, which one would you be and why?
9. Do you think it's okay to play pranks on people? Why or why not?
10. What lesson can we learn from the story of the Rainbow Patio and the Mischievous Fairies?