Leprechauns...In
Ireland, stories are told of a Lubrican or Leprechaun, that is kind
of a fairy spirit who is very cross and cranky. They are very small
old men who live in secret places and are rich beyond measure. It
is said that if you catch a Leprechaun, he will give you all his gold.
But that is not easy to do, as they are crafty and sneaky and good
at telling lies and will trick their captor to free themselves. Even
if you take you eyes off them for only a moment, they will escape
or vanish. Ireland is a land of rain and sunshine which creates beautiful
rainbows. Leprechauns love color and frequently work nearby them.
This is why it is said that you may find a pot of gold at the end
of a rainbow. But the crafty Leprechaun will outsmart you, for the
closer you get to the rainbow, the more it will elude you. It's a
very odd thing that these strange little men need to work at all,
but work they do. All day long they make the most exquisite tiny little
shoes for the Fairies. The Leprechauns use miniature hammers and nails
and love to whistle while they work. This is how they are caught,
as they concentrate so hard on their work they don't hear the big
people sneak up on them. If you hear faint whistling and tinkering
sounds, it's probably a Leprechaun. One of the favorite tricks Leprechauns
like to play on humans is to switch the road signs around, causing
people to become lost. If you ever find yourself lost in the countryside
of Ireland, you will probably hear the laughter of a Leprechaun. But
not to worry, because wherever you end up, it will be a beautiful
place.