Cheeks is a very naughty gnome who lives in a little girl’s backyard. He’s always digging holes in the ground, scaring the birds away, and eating all the vegetables. But he gets away with it all because he’s SO cute!
But something he wants, more than anything else in the world, is a cookie. He’s seen the little girl eat them, a dozen at a time, and she’s always so happy while she has them. He wants to be that happy!
The next day, when the little girl comes out, Cheeks puffs out his cheeks, and fluffs up his hat, making sure he looks as cute as he can possibly be. But she eats the whole packet while glaring at him! When she goes inside, he gathers the cookie crumbs, and eats them slowly, relishing their buttery taste. When he looks up, the little girl is watching him, arms crossed, eyes narrowed. Cheeks quickly scurries to his burrow, hoping for more luck next time.
The next day, he puts on another show, batting his lashes and showing off his dimples. But the little girl eats all the cookies again! And all the crumbs! But Cheeks isn’t a quitter. He wants a cookie more than ever before. So, he vows to try again.
The next day…
He waits…
And waits…
And waits…
But the little girl doesn’t come. The sun starts to go down. But still, she doesn’t come. Finally, Cheeks gives up, his cute eyes tearing, and his cute lips trembling.
The next day, Cheeks sulks in his burrow, not feeling very naughty. But then he hears the little girl crying. He watches her searching the ground, weeping for her bracelet. He imagines that she feels just as sad as him. So he darts through the vegetables, and he hops over the holes. He even asks the birds for help. And then finally, he sees beads glinting in the grass. The little girl’s eyes light up when he points them out, and before he knows it, his mouth is full! With a cookie! He can’t believe it! He doesn’t look cute at all! He’s all rumbled and jumbled! Why did she give him a cookie?
And then he realizes, he’s not getting the cookie because he’s cute. He’s getting it because he was nice. He helped the little girl without expecting anything in return. So from that day on, Cheeks stops being naughty and starts being nice. He stops digging holes, makes friends with the birds, and shares the vegetables with the other gnomes. Every day, the little girl gives him a cookie, and she doesn’t care at all about whether he looks cute or not!
Tasneem Dairywala 