Grandfather: Sure kiddo, which one would you like to hear?
Jack: Tell me a new story, one you haven't mentioned before.
Grandfather: Well, let me think..... Have I ever told you the story about the leprechaun that duped me?
Jack: No! Tell me that one!
Grandfather: Well it all started like any other day. It was harvest time. I was out in the field, checking the crops, when I heard a clacking sound coming from behind some of the hedges. It startled me! I almost jumped out of my boots! I decided to slowly and stealthily sneak up on the noise to see what was creating it. Can you guess what I found?
Jack: What was it grandpa? Was it a leprechaun?
Grandfather: It was! I couldn't believe my eyes! He was sitting in a pot made out of pure gold! I had always heard stories about them, but I had never actually seen one in person! I asked him what he was doing and he replied, "That's none of your business, move along!" I was shocked and a little irritated at his response. I decided to snatch him up and take the pot for myself. As soon as I grabbed him, he began to wriggle his way loose. I had a good grip though, he wasn't going anywhere. During the scuffle I knocked the pot over and it shattered to pieces. Now, I was angry. Leprechauns are notorious for stashing gold in different places so I knew he had to have more somewhere. I squeezed him a little tighter and told him to take me to his stash of gold! He seemed frightened, and immediately agreed to take me to it.
Jack: Did you find it grandpa? Did he show you where his stash of gold was hidden?
Grandfather: Slow down, Jack. There's more to the story. Now, I've always heard that once you spot a leprechaun, you can't take your eyes off of them or they'll escape. The whole trip I kept my eyes on him. There wasn't a chance I was going to let him get away. We finally made it to a clearing when he said, "We're here." It was a field of nothing but large yellow flowers. The leprechaun pointed to one of the larger flowers and said, "Dig under that flower and you'll find my stash of gold." It was then that I realized, in all the anger and excitement, I forgot a shovel. I tied my red handkerchief around the flower, so I would remember which one it was under. I made the leprechaun promise he wouldn't remove it while I returned home to grab a shovel. He agreed, so I hurried home. When I returned, the handkerchief was gone, and the leprechaun was nowhere to be found.
Jack: Well grandpa, why didn't you dig under all the flowers until you found the gold?
Grandfather: Oh, Jack. There were hundreds of those flowers in that field. It would've taken me weeks. Also, I no longer trusted the leprechaun at this point. For all I know, he could've made the whole story up and lied about the stash of gold as well.
Jack: I'm sorry grandfather.
Grandfather: It's alright, Jack. I was angry for awhile, but I eventually got over it. One thing I did learn though, you can't trust a leprechaun!
Author's Note: This week I read some of the Celtic Fairy Tales. This particular story is based on one of the tales, The Field of Boliauns. In the original story there is a man that comes across a leprechaun in his field during harvest. The leprechaun has a pot of beer that he brewed, and when the man snatched up the leprechaun he spilt all of the beer. In his anger, the man demands to be taken to the place the leprechaun stashes his money. The leprechaun leads him, and the man keeps his eyes on the leprechaun the whole time so he doesn't escape. When they get to a field of Boliauns, a type of flower, the leprechaun points him to one he claims his money is buried under. The man realizes he forgot his spade and decides to return home to fetch it. He ties a red garter around the Boliaun and asks the leprechaun not to remove it, the leprechaun agrees. When he returns, the red garter is gone. There are too many Boliauns for him to dig them all up. He returns home and cursed the leprechaun every time he thought about what had happened. From the reading you can tell that my story is mostly the same, but with a few tweaks here and there to make it a little easier to understand for a reader in today's world. I also decided to have the setting as a grandpa telling his grandson a story about when he was younger. Was the grandfather telling a true story he witnessed, or was he just entertaining his grandson? You decide.
Bibliography: Celtic Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs (1892).
