When we were quite cross at missing the noon train from Rossan,
quite tired of the car's jolting, somewhat vexed even at the mare's
continued enjoyment of her 'iligant load,' Barney appeased us all by
singing, in a delightful, mellow voice, a fairy song called the
'Leprehaun,'* This personage, you must know, if you haven't a large
acquaintance among Irish fairies, is a tricksy fellow in a green
coat and scarlet cap, with brave shoe buckles on his wee brogues.
You will catch him sometimes, if the 'glamour' is on you, under a
burdock leaf or a thorn bush, and he is always making or mending a
shoe. He commonly has a little purse about him, which, if you are
quick enough, you can snatch; and a wonderful purse it is, for
whatever you spend, there is always money to be found in it. Truth
to tell, nobody has yet succeeded in being quicker than Master
Leprehaun, though many have offered to fill his cruiskeen with
'mountain dew,' of which Irish fairies are passionately fond.
* By Patrick W. Joyce.
'In a shady nook, one moonlight night,
A leprehaun I spied;
With scarlet cap and coat of green,
A cruiskeen by his side.
'Twas tick, tack, tick, his hammer went,
Upon a weeny shoe;
And I laughed to think of his purse of gold;
But the fairy was laughing too!
With tip-toe step and beating heart,
Quite softly I drew nigh:
There was mischief in his merry face,
A twinkle in his eye.
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