TRAPPING LEPRECHAUNS

The faerie sign was abundant at our house Sunday morning.

Hannah, Tommy and Esther each designed a new trap of their own during the afternoon on St. Patrick’s Day.

The only common denominator in each was the bait. Everyone knows that Leprechauns have a weakness for gold, alcohol, old shoes and tobacco; not necessarily in that order. We were totally out of gold, but we had the rest. Hannah and Esther tried a combination of beer and old shoes. Tommy took a more simple approach.

Here’s Esther’s idea. We cut a hole in the bucket’s lid and glued tissue over it. The grass disguises the danger. As long as our friend doesn’t wonder about the whole “grass covered bucket under the table” thing, we’d be set. Esther thought the decorated signs might help with that.

Tommy’s trap uses a trigger that is released when the bait is lifted. From the size of the “cage” you can see that we were counting on North American Leprechauns being really, really small.

You’ll notice the flour we sprinkled around. We hoped they’d track through it even if they didn’t go for the bait.

Hannah built her trap outside in the ground. She dug a good size hole and rigged an elaborate trigger. I worried a bit that she’d catch the neighbor’s cat during the night.

When Esther went to check Sunday morning her trap was sprung. The beer was down in the bucket and the shoe was missing. You can see that something left what looks like small boot tracks in the flour. She and Tommy noticed it tracked across the table and other kitchen surfaces.

Tommy’s bait had been drunk. More tracks.

Hannah found the flour covered shoe from Esther’s trap outside in hers. There was also a well smoked small cigar. Sure Leprechaun sign, that. Who else would be smoking in such a hole in the middle of the night?

Everyone was excited. Not as excited as we’d been if we’d ended up with that pot of gold, but pretty excited, none the less.

Esther was less enthused as she went to bed tonight. She’s worried about waking up with her hair tied in knots…or worse yet, to the headboard. You see, we put water in the beer bottle she used for bait. (I didn’t want to risk loosing good beer to the wee folk. You understand.) She knows that’s got to make a Leprechaun mad.

I told her that her hair would be fine.



She wanted to know how I was so sure.

I didn’t tell her.