| g a leprechaun is tricky, and I don't actually know | | | | kindness by granting a wish. |
| anyone that has been successful. But, you might be | | | | Bad Boy Leprechauns |
| the one that finds the four-leaf clover, the pot of gold, | | | | Be aware that there are two types of these illusive |
| and nabs a leprechaun for your own! | | | | chaps -- leprechauns and cluricauns. A clurican |
| Legend has it that leprechauns are aged men, dressed | | | | dresses in stylish apparel and wears a designer cap. |
| in green, and make beautiful shoes for other Irish spirits. | | | | He sports shoes with gold laces, large silver buckles, |
| The next time you pass by a cobbler's shop, look | | | | and wears light blue stockings. You won't see him |
| closely, because he might just be a leprechaun. They | | | | working, but you will find that he is almost drunk and |
| tend to be hard workers, but avoid humans because | | | | cheerful. He has no money and no idea where the |
| they believe them to be foolish and greedy creatures. | | | | gold treasure is buried, so don't try to catch this |
| How leprechauns came to be, I can't say. There is no | | | | empty-handed trickster. |
| mention about female leprechauns in the Irish legend, | | | | A cluricaun steals or borrows almost anything, wants |
| so how they came to be — well, your guess is | | | | only to party and create mayhem in your house at |
| as good as mine! | | | | night. He'll raid your kitchen, and after dinner he will |
| How to Identify a Leprechaun | | | | harness your horse or dog to happily ride away. |
| All leprechauns dress in old-fashioned green clothing, | | | | Leprechauns don't subscribe to this type of behavior, |
| wear a red cap, leather apron with many pockets, and | | | | but it has been suggested that cluricauns might just be |
| shoes with buckles. They love to smoke their clay | | | | leprechauns on drunken sprees. |
| pipes, and they can often be intoxicated from | | | | How to Trap a Leprechaun |
| home-brewed concoctions. But, they never become | | | | You can make a leprechaun trap easily from items |
| so drunk that they lose sight of their mischievous tricks. | | | | found around your house. All you need is a net, |
| In addition to cobbling, leprechauns also guard ancient | | | | cardboard box, green paint, green tissue paper, some |
| treasures. You see, when the Danish trampled through | | | | shiny pennies and an old shoe. Paint the cardboard |
| Ireland, they left their treasures of gold behind. The | | | | box green and put an old shoe inside. Cover the |
| leprechauns gathered the gold and buried it in pots. | | | | opening of the top of the box with the green tissue |
| Rainbows show where the pots of gold are hidden. In | | | | paper, and lay the pennies on the tissue paper. You |
| the Leprechaun's efforts to guard the gold, they spend | | | | can use chocolate coins wrapped in gold paper to |
| a lot of time moving the pots from one place to | | | | attract their attention, if you want. |
| another to keep it hidden from the tell-tale end of | | | | Now, put the trap near some trees or hedges. Make |
| rainbows. | | | | sure the trap blends in with its surroundings. You see, |
| Leprechauns carry two leather pouches. In one pouch | | | | leprechauns are greedy and look gold to steal. When a |
| there is a magical silver shilling, that returns to his pouch | | | | leprechaun sees the coins, he'll try to collect them. |
| each time it's spent. In the other pouch, he keeps a | | | | When he steps on the tissue paper, it will tear and he'll |
| gold coin, and uses it to bribe his way out of trouble. | | | | fall into the box. Quickly throw the net over the hole in |
| Many have accepted his offering of a gold coin, but | | | | the box! |
| once in your hand it turns into a stone. But, if you do a | | | | I don't think anyone has caught a leprechaun yet, but |
| good deed for leprechaun, he will reward your | | | | there's got to be a first time. Right? |