You may have seen little ceramic or plastic creatures with pointed hats and beards in the gardens around your neighborhood. those tiny, humanlooking figures are called garden gnomes.
gnomes were first shown in european mythology. their attributes are different depending on the story and the storytellers, gnomes are consistently described as having humanlike features. they also live underground. myths about gnomes say they can walk through solid earth as easily as humans move through air. in several countries, people have reported seeing real gnomes.
today, garden gnomes are used for decoration. they originated in germany during the 1800s. they became popular with gardeners around the world. some myths say that they come to life and care for gardens when no one is around. their magic powers the flowers bloom and the leaves change color.
people sometimes steal gnomes and attempt to "return them to the wild." they say the gnomes should not be forced to work in gardens. the "kidnapped" gnomes are often taken on trips around the world. they are photographed at famous landmarks. the pictures are sent to their owners. this traveling gnome prank has been used in movies and video games.

t. t

choose the sentence that best connects paragraphs 3 and 4 of the passage.

a. in 2008, a 53-year-old frenchman was accused of stealing 170 garden gnomes.
b. the garden gnome liberation front has offices in france, italy, and london.
c. italy's garden gnome liberation organization owns the european gnome sanctuary.
d. as gnomes became more popular, they also became the victims of pranks.