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Patrick, Leprechaun by choice.

On my way into town to get the weekly shopping I ran into my old friend Patrick. Patrick is an old Leprechaun that according to his story he has done and seen about everything there is to be seen and done in this world. I like Patrick he always has a cheerful smile on his face and with his tales of his life he amuses me quite often when we meet he has one really annoying problem he is always playing tricks on one at the most unexpected moment. Patrick tells me that he was not always a Leprechaun once he was a young Irish boy trying to make a living in this hard world. It seems that he changed lives with a Leprechaun who thought that it would be better for him the Leprechaun to be a human.

This took place in Ireland some one hundred and fifty years ago. The original Leprechaun is long dead but Patrick as a Leprechaun will live for many a long year. Patrick met the Leprechaun who had just lost all of his gold and he smiled at the Leprechauns tears of woe. “You would not be so happy if it was you that had lost all of his gold.” “Why?” said Patrick to the Leprechaun. If it was me that had lost my gold I would go to England, I hear that in London Town the streets are paved with gold.” The Leprechaun sobbed even more “I cannot go to England I am always very sick if I have to travel by boat. It was then that Patrick had this idea. “You are a Leprechaun and I am a young Irish boy; you can work magic why do we not just change lives? You become me and I will become you.”  “So be it. Said the Leprechaun and the two of them changed lives Patrick became the Leprechaun and the Leprechaun became a young Irish boy. The two of them parted company and went each on his way.

The Leprechaun married and had three healthy children. A boy and two girls he lived a normal life and died at the age of sixty-nine. Patrick who is now a Leprechaun roamed the world doing what Leprechauns do best he was a Jack-of-all-trades. At home he had learned from his father how to repair shoes and how to mend the roof in fact he was a good all round workman. As a Leprechaun he could work simple magic spells and whatever work he did he did it well. There were no complaints and Patrick worked not only well but he charged less than most workers would for his jobs of work that he did. Patrick was all in all a well-liked Leprechaun that had one yes just one drawback he loved to play practical jokes. No one was safe from him. He has played many a trick on me but as an easy going type of person I take his jokes all in good part but sometimes even I get angry with him.

One of Patrick’s favourite jokes takes place on the motorways. Lorries suddenly turn into horse and carts and the drivers think that they have had a daydream or something. This is very dangerous and I asked him to leave the traffic on the motorways in peace. Patrick now concentrates more on the little folk with his practical jokes and the Fairies and Pixies got together to play one big joke on Patrick in the hopes that this will cure him of his mischievous ways. Many a plan was made but all seemed to be hopeless and Patrick got worse in his behaviour. Then Moonafee had an idea let us turn Patrick into a pig then he cannot tease us and we can fatten him up. The Fairies all thought that this was an excellent idea and would perhaps teach Patrick a lesson that he so well deserved. On seeing Patrick the Fairies all pointed their magic wands at him and spoke in the old tongue. Let him be a pig. Whoosh Patrick turned into a fat pig and ran about the floor of the woods grunting and complaining as only pigs can complain.

The Fairies true to their words fed him on all kinds of foods and in a couple of months he was just one big fat pig. Patrick now a pig eats anything and everything that was set before him. He got so fat that he could hardly move. One day as I was going through the woods I saw Patrick he was so big that he could hardly move. I then had pity on him and asked the Fairies not to feed him so much. If you do he will burst and you will all be sorry. On hearing my words the Fairies had a talk and decided to turn him back into a Leprechaun again. Out came the magic wands and with a shower of sparks Patrick the pig was turned back into Patrick the Leprechaun. “Patrick,” Moonafee said. “If you play any more tricks on the little folk you will be turned back into a pig and will roam the woods for ever more.” Patrick had learned his lesson and from that day on he became a steady Leprechaun that helped any and everyone.