The little guy on your box of Lucky Charms is cute with his rosy cheeks and his big toothy grin. As he describes each tiny marshmallow treat he charms you into believing he must be a friendly little fellow, someone you could really have some fun with. But beware! For beneath that charm and lilting Irish brogue lies the heart of an evil trickster.
Leprechauns are most often portrayed as fun-loving mischief-makers who spend their days cobbling shoes and guarding pots of gold. In their off hours they enjoy a hearty flask of Irish whiskey and a rousing Irish reel. In short, they work hard all day and then play even harder into the wee hours of the morning.
It’s said that if you’re ever able to capture a leprechaun he must then grant you three wishes and, of course, everyone’s first wish is always for that elusive pot of gold. But have you ever heard of anyone collecting? Of course not. In fact, more often than not, the unfortunate human being who manages to trap a leprechaun is driven utterly insane by the evil trickster’s manipulations.
First, it’s extremely difficult to catch a Leprechaun. They’re tiny, fast and slippery as eels. And when you do manage to catch one you must keep your eyes on him at all times. Glance away, even for a second, and he disappears, which is exactly what happened to one poor lass who thought she’d bested a leprechaun.
Clutching her captive in the palm of her hand she forced him to lead her to his pot of gold. Using his magical abilities the leprechaun made a loud buzzing sound in the girl’s ears and shouted at her, “Look out! We’re being followed by a swarm of bees!” When the girl turned to look the leprechaun disappeared and she was left to forever wander the meadow, certain she was mere steps away from the pot of gold.
Some years later a farmer managed to catch a leprechaun and knowing about his magical ability to disappear kept his eye on the prankster all the way until they reached the spot where the pot of gold was buried. There, in the middle of the forest, under this particular bush, the farmer would find the treasure, said the leprechaun. As the forest was filled with thousands of similar bushes the farmer tied a red ribbon around the exact shrub, released the leprechaun, and ran home to fetch his shovel.
Upon returning just minutes later he found that every bush in the forest was tied with a red ribbon. The farmer spent the rest of his life digging, and digging, and digging as he slowly went insane.
So trap them if you must but never try to come between a leprechaun and his pot of gold. They may look cute and soft as marshmallows, but inside their hearts are cold as stone.
