Myths And Mysteries
The big tree rose from the end of their garden like a tower. It was too big, they wanted it gone. Little did they know, the lure this tree had on their neighbors.
They searched for their little girl frantically until the hours turned into days and the days turned into weeks. Suddenly, a black trash bag appeared in their yard. What it was hiding had to be seen to be believed.
Peter
For Peter Hoyne, life had never been so good. He had just moved into his new home with his beautiful wife and daughter. He was killing it at work and his health was at an all-time high.
Life was good and he was soaking up every second of it. But as with all things in life, nothing lasts forever and his good times were soon to come to a devastating halt.
The Tree
When Peter and his family first moved into the house, everything was perfect - apart from their yard. It was big but there was a big tree at the end of the garden that obscured their view and cast a huge shadow over their house.
Some people might have loved it but Peter and his wife viewed it as an eyesore. So, he chopped it down, thinking nothing of it. Boy, was he wrong!
Tree Stump
Peter left a big tree stump where the huge tree used to be at the desperate plea of his young daughter who loved trees and nature. She didn’t want him to cut it down at all, and she wasn’t the only one.
It was just like any other Saturday morning until Peter and his wife found out their daughter was missing. They entered the young girl’s room in the morning to find it empty. Hysteria and panic swallowed the loving parents whole. It was the beginning of the most terrifying journey of their lives.
Calling For Help
Peter and his family were new to the area and the neighborhood. There was no way she could have made any friends since they moved here. Or at least, they thought there wasn’t.
They immediately called the authorities and reported their daughter missing. They searched day in and day out for days but there was no sign of her. Then something strange started happening.
Missing Food
The first time they heard the strange noise, they didn’t make much of it. They figured it was just the leaves and trees blowing in the wind.
But when food began to go missing, Peter and his wife concluded that they had a mouse infestation. It was the last thing they needed at an already difficult time. But they were wrong.
Mouse Traps
Peter and his wife set out mouse traps and continued with their day which involved setting up an online forum for help with their missing daughter. They also needed to raise funds to help look for her.
After days of searching without any luck, the cops couldn’t continue to devote their time to finding her. Carrying out a search was a hefty operation that cost a lot. And unfortunately for Peter and his wife, their time was running out. Then they noticed something in their daughter’s room.
Another Missing Item
All her favorite dolls were missing. Peter and his wife could have sworn that they were still there only two days ago. They looked frantically all over her room, searching for the dolls they knew they’d seen.
They looked at eachother, hopelessly confused. The dolls were gone. Was it the mice? Were they stealing her toys? Peter grabbed another mouse trap and set up three in her room. Then something even stranger came into view.
Interrupted
Just as Peter was placing the traps around her room, he noticed something odd in the distance from her window. Her window pointed out towards the end of their garden which was covered in trees.
A plastic bag was poking out from between the shrubs. It was in the area that he had cut down the huge tree. Curious, Peter dropped what he was doing and walked out to investigate. What he’d find would leave him trembling.
Plastic Bag
He wondered if the black trash bag had somehow blown free from the pile around the corner but when he got close, he realized that wasn’t the case at all.
The black plastic bag was sitting on top of the big tree stump. It sat perfectly still and wrapped all the way around it. Someone had definitely put this here. Without another thought, he reached out his hand and grabbed it.v
A Tiny House
Peter lifted the bag to find a tiny roof with wooden shingles atop the tree stump. Then he looked closer and realized something incredible.
The big tree stump had been completely remodelled. It had a wooden door and windows. It even had a small garden with flowers and decorations carved into the walls. But what was more shocking was what lay inside.
His Little Girl
Peter lifted opened the tiny door and fell back in shock as the view of his missing girl came into focus. She sat in the tiny house, playing with her dolls that went missing two days ago.
Peter looked around and saw a mini chair, rug, table and lamp. The miniature house was entirely kitted out. He grabbed his little girl and gave her a huge hug as tears fell down his cheek. It had been two weeks since he last saw her. What happened?
A Woman
Just as Peter set her down, a woman appeared from behind the bushes. “Ah you’re here! We meet at last. I’m sure your daughter has told you all about me”. Confused, Peter looked at his daughter and then back to her.
“No, what’s going on here?”, he demanded. The woman was surprised to hear Peter’s brash reaction. She explained that she was a neighbor and that she and his daughter had been undertaking this project to turn their tree stump into a little gnome home. The plastic bag was to keep the new roof dry.
Telling Lies
She explained to him that his daughter said she asked you and her mum and you both said it was fine. We have been out here building this thing for two weeks! But how did she not know she was reported missing?
She had no idea the girl they were talking about was his daughter. In fact, as far as she knew, she wasn’t missing at all. She thought she was still going home after they played together - and she was to Peter’s shock.
She Never Left
Peter later found out that his daughter used the cat flap in the door to come in and out of the house to eat and sleep. No wonder there were strange noises and new food and toys going missing everyday. It wasn’t a mouse, it was his daughter! Peter expressed his thanks to the woman and told his little girl never to do that again!
However, hundreds of miles away, there was another gnome incident that had an entire community screaming at the town hall.
Nature Lovers
The residents of Overland Park, Kansas loved the fact there was a large park in their area.
The winding paved trails were perfect for strollers, joggers, or any kind of pedestrian. For years, it was the normal greens and browns of nature. However, one day, an unexpected splash of color appeared out of nowhere.
Strange Door
There, nestled in the nook of a large oak was a small, bright red door.
The gold detailing and sparkling moss that completed the surprise addition was something out of a fairy tale. There was no question it was a door for fairy folk. However, a week later, something else appeared.
A Bit Of Fairy Dust
This one wasn’t a simple door.
It was an attachment to the side of a tree, fixed in place with strong twine. The creation gave the illusion that it was a front porch for some sort of magic creature. As the weeks turned into months, more and more creations popped up around the park.
More Appearing
Most were of modest size – nothing that would interfere with the trail or flora.
But it wasn’t just the mysterious appearance of the tiny architecture that was amazing. Word spread quickly and more and more people started to come to the park – wanting to explore the winding trails to see what wonderful things they could spot. However, no good deed goes unpunished.
The Creator
It turned out the public gifts were being put up by a woman named Robyn Frampton.
She would make the models in her home and then install them in the middle of the night. Despite making sure not to disturb the surrounding nature, she also made a point to put up signs not to touch the pieces – just look and enjoy. The local government, however, didn’t like it at all.
Forced To Stop
With the threat of heavy fines, she was forced to take everything down.
The magic of Overland Park was gone. It wasn’t just the children that were heartbroken, many adults voiced their displeasure that the tiny doors and houses weren’t harming anything. But when the truth behind the installations came to light, the residents couldn’t believe it.
The Reason Why
Frampton explained in an interview that making the fairy and gnome homes was how she got through a very messy divorce. It reconnected her with nature and, more importantly, with her community.
Every bunch of moss, sprinkle of glitter, and scrap of wood had healed her and brought life back to the park. But the town hall didn’t care at all. It didn’t take long for the residents to stand up and scream at the top of their lungs.
Pushing Back
The first step was a stream of calls to local officials – explaining that the gnome homes didn’t hurt anyone.
When that was ignored, everyone banned together to start a petition. It wasn’t just their town that loved it, there were people from other towns and cities coming into see it for themselves.
Giving In
In a world where money talks, the last detail finally got the official’s attention – a.k.a tourist money. Even if it was just a little, the chance for more bucks was enough for them to give the green light.
Frampton was allowed to go back to her nightly installments – under a few rules of course.
Sharing With The World
It wasn’t just the small town that ended up feeling the magic of Frampton’s creations.
Years later, she wrote a book on her crafts and how others could make the things to add a bit of magic back in their lives. What do you think? Should there be one park like this in every town?