by Raymond Alexander Kukkee

Created on: March 05, 2011

      Green and Gold

Orchyd, the chief  leprechaun  tapped on the great wooden door of the sleeping chamber.
“Wake up,  wake up!”  He tapped loudly and blew on his golden trumpet.  Not a sound but snoring was heard from within.
“Wake up, young leprechauns, the snow is melted!  ‘Tis  spring,  the awakening of the green! There are great tasks to be completed!  The ferns in the glen where we play must grow quickly, and crocuses and daffodils must be encouraged to bloom brightly! Dandelions  must be ready to chat with fairies, and daffodils must  smile the colour of gold  to brighten the glen for all, shall they not?"

The little leprechauns yawned,  and  the door creaked loudly  as it opened.  
“‘Tis about time, lads!” Porridge awaits!” They gathered at the stumpy table to eat the steaming porridge.
“ Onelych, my son, to you falls a worthy  task!   The pot on the mantle, that old pot, ‘tis full of coins, solid gold every one.  It  cannot be emptied, no matter how many coins are taken, so hide it wisely amongst the new ferns, or better yet, under the mossy oak stump in the glen”.
 “You must guard it well  at all times.  'Tis our only treasure, never to be seen,  for humans fiercely  lust after gold.  Beware, for should one catch you by the heel on St. Patrick’s Day,  you must relinquish the pot of gold. That would indeed be a sorry day for all leprechauns .”
“Yes Father”. Onelych looked at his brothers with an air of superiority.

 Orchyd  handed  a small tin pot to Gullibet, the middle son.
“And to you, my Gullibet,  falls the second  most important task of all”
“But father, this pot is but tin and without top!” Gullibet eyed it warily.  
“My son, your task is to drop these coins of lead  on pathways to lure greedy humans to your hidden pot.  As they reach out to seize it from you, you shall go invisible to  whisk it away right before their very eyes.  If they curse and swear at the Almighty,  bite their ankle  to teach those  rascals  a lesson”.
Gullibet grinned mischievously. “Yes, father”.
 
“And to you, my dear son Tiddlywch, falls the most important task of all” Father said, handing him a single  coin of copper.  
“Do I not get a pot of gold, father?”  Tiddlywch asked, looking around the room. The other two leprechauns snickered, for there was not another pot of gold to be seen.
“‘Tis  naught but a simple  penny, Father!”
“To you falls the magic penny,  lad. When you drop it in the path of a poor widow, being an astute and worthy human, she shall pick it up, and turn it  to solid  gold.”
“But there is only one small coin, Father”.
“All you need is charity, for when  you give to the poor, you shall always have another.”
“Then I have the best task by far, Father”.  Tiddlywch smiled wisely.
“Then let’s get to it, lads, spring is greening!”

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