The Wee History of Leprechauns
The word Leprechaun comes from Lú Chorpain, which is old Irish for small body.
How to spot a Leprechaun.
Below is a description of him. I say, him, because there are very few records of female Leprechauns.
*Less than a foot tall
*Red hair and beard
*Old style clothes
*Magical Hat (which allows him to disappear in a blink of an eye)
Where does he live?
Legend says, they come from a magical land under the sea. The first recorded sighting of a Leprechaun dates back to the 8th century in Ireland. They are now sighted all over the world. They make comfortable homes in the tree roots. You will recognize their homes by the handcrafted tiny furniture.
What does he do?
He is the shoemaker to the fairies. His is often spotted smoking his pipe and wearing a cobbler’s apron. It is a busy job, since fairies are dancing fools and always wearing out their shoes. The fairies pay him in gold, which he keeps in a pot at the end of the rainbow. However, the Leprechaun is known to partake in strong drink, which makes the fairies very angry when they have to wait on their shoes.
How to catch a Leprechaun and find his pot of gold.
First you must understand his nature:
*Agile and a fast runner *Climbs trees and good swimmer *Smokes a pipe *Likes potato soup *Jokester and slick talker *Hammers away all day making fairy shoes *Plays his fiddle at daybreak and drinks whiskey at sunset
With the above facts in mind: follow a rainbow out into the woods and listen for a fiddle playing or the sound of a tiny hammer. Then if you smell pipe tobacco or potato soup cooking, you might be in the neighborhood of a Leprechaun.
If you are lucky to see him sitting on a toadstool or making his tiny shoes, don’t take your eyes off him, for he can disappear in the blink of an eye!
Good luck and if you find the pot of gold you will have to share it with me!
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Nancy B. Brewer
www.nancybbrewer.com