In what is either a decidedly teenage prank or the beginning of a low-budget horror film, Ivybridge, England, resident Marcela Telehanicova looked out her window on June 1 to see that her home had been invaded by an army of 107 gnomes marching in military formation.
Police investigating the incident have yet to ascertain whether gnomes were moved from other local gardens. A nearby shop that sells such figurines has reported no missing merchandise.
Despite her alarmed Facebook post, Telehanicova was actually delighted.
“I was in hysterics, I found it really funny,” she told the Plymouth Herald.
It’s the best, most bizarre thing that has ever happened to me. I don’t know who did it but I would love to know, I would love to shake their hand and say “Well done, you made me laugh.” … I think there were some duplicates, there were seven of one kind. I reported them to the police, saying “Look, if somebody says they’ve got 100 gnomes missing and they’re in my front garden, I’m the one who’s going to get questioned.” The police took them away, but they said if after 28 days nobody has claimed them I can have them back. Somebody said I should sell them for charity. I’ll have to think about it.
Of course, this will never come to pass. The gnomes, being both sentient and magical, will soon scurry out of police custody and wreak mischief elsewhere in the countryside. They may have little legs, but they clearly get around.
Photo via Son of Groucho/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)