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"By all means, come in!" said the startled gnome, "Goodness me, a human; and a frozen one at that!" He paused for a moment, stared intently into Morris's eyes, then continued "What on earth were you thinking, dressed like this and walking about during a blizzard? You are lucky indeed to have found me here."

As he spoke, he fussed about shutting the door to the outside and dusting the snow from Morris. He sighed and disappeared into another room up above, returning with blankets and a furry rug.

"Let's put these on you, then I'll stoke up the stove."

He had a kind smile and a wonderfully enthusiastic voice.

The room was surprisingly large. Even though Morris could use none of the furniture, he found the floor and the rug comfortable enough.

"I cannot thank you enough," Morris spoke with a croaky voice. "You have surely saved my life."

"Aah well, if that is so, then glad I am," replied the little man. "You know it's wonderful to be of use, and it's even more wonderful to be visited. Jolly good indeed, I must write this all down."

The gnome grabbed a pen and began to write. As he wrote he continued to talk. "Do you have a name?" he asked his unexpected guest.

"Morris is my name." replied Morris.

"I have a name," replied the gnome excitedly. "Would you like to hear it?"

"I would be honoured,” replied Morris.

"My name," continued the little man with great importance, "Is Magnus Brainsparkle." He paused for a moment and looked over at Morris to see if he was suitably impressed, and then continued.

"I gave the name to myself, you know, last Christmas. It was a present."

Morris smiled and replied, "It is without doubt, the best name I have ever heard. In fact it’s brilliant.”

Magnus beamed broadly and continued, "You must stay Morris. Not that you have a lot of choice, the weather being as it is. I'm sure you were meant to be here anyway, these things usually follow a pattern you know. I do believe you are by no means an ordinary human. In fact..."

He paused for a moment and stared at Morris, he then walked around sniffing the air. Then closed his eyes and continued to speak,

"You’re not human at all. Magic; yes magic. Oh this is wonderful, I must write this down."

He sat down again and continued to write.

Morris was both startled and impressed.

"How can you possibly tell that I’m not human?" he asked.

Magnus lifted his head and continued.

"You could not have survived that snow storm with those flimsy clothes for any length of time, as there is no village or any kind of human shelter for miles in any direction. You also don't smell human, nor do you have the look of a human in your eyes. They are far more open, less guarded; like those of an animal. I am a gnome, and as such, have a sense for these things, especially in my case. I am a man of science, nature and doctors. A philosopher, dedicated to truth and the honest observation of this most magnificent world."

He pointed to a small sphere, painted in greens, browns and blues that hung from the roof on a thin piece of twine.

"This," he continued," is a model of the world, round as an apple. Did you know that?"

Morris moved over and took a close look.

"How do you know its round?" he questioned.

Magnus smiled and continued. "A human would immediately have called me stupid and pointed out that the world is flat. But not you, you have an open mind. The world is round, and I can prove it, but first I must prepare you some food, and you must rest. A tired hungry mind is like a wet book, very difficult to write in!"