~KRANDLEKEEP~
The Wisconsin Gnomelore Database
"The rock will be thrown right back at you by the gnomes."
From There Be Hodags, by C.A. McAllister:
The most well-known modern gnomes within Wisconsin folklore are the gnomes of Fifield, who are said to dwell in the forest near the haunted Holy Cross Road. These gnomes appear much like the stereotypical garden gnome, with pointed ears, long white beards, and pointy red hats. They are one of the largest types of gnome in Wisconsin, sometimes described as being between three and four feet tall. Even when the gnomes are not seen outright, people in the area report feelings of being watched, and witness a rustling in the leaves that appears to follow them as they move.
The gnomes of Fifield can be provoked by throwing a rock into their forest. This will cause the gnomes to either curse the thrower with misfortune, or (more commonly) throw the rock right back. The Fifield gnomes, like many of the different gnomes of Wisconsin, can also be befriended through offerings, with Fifield gnomes especially preferring offerings of shiny rocks and candy.
While the Fifield gnome is not said to be explicitly a cross between European and Native American little people, they seem to share memetic DNA with both kinds of little people, having an appearance clearly deriving from European gnomes and lutins, and having certain behaviors (like rock throwing, living in trees, and accepting offerings of food) that are commonly found in various Native American little people.
From Supernatural Dares of the Midwest, by Chad Lewis:
A less specific phenomenon is the overwhelming, uncomfortable feeling that overcomes those who wander through the land. Normally, non-psychic people suddenly experience the sensation that something is not right with the area... almost as though they are not wanted there. Others sense that they are not alone and feel as though they are being watched by some unseen force.
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Directly next to the train tracks is a small patch of wooded area where most of the gnome sightings have taken place. Most people visit the area at night, and when they arrive they immediately hear rustling coming from the wooded area. Thinking that it is nothing more than a common Wisconsin animal, most people are not alarmed. However, as the noises progress, their interest peaks a bit as they start to make out the black outlines of something small moving quickly among the trees. What sets these sightings apart from other gnome encounters is the apparent interaction between the witnesses and the supernatural creatures. The dare states that if you approach the wooded area and grab a rock from the train tracks and hurl it into the woods, the rock will be thrown right back at you by the gnomes who are occupying the mini forest. Several brave rock throwers have actually caught a glimpse of the gnomes and report the creatures' physical characteristics to match the more popular view of gnomes...being 2-4 feet tall with pointed ears and some type of odd garb as they stealthily move throughout the underbrush. The origin of the rock throwing remains unknown, but most likely it started when someone tried to rouse whatever was in the woods from its hiding place--only to have the rock thrown right back at them.
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