The Unlucky Leprechaun

I am underneath a bridge in Ireland with many other leprechauns, where great lush green shamrocks, and some four leaves lay. Only the most curious humans can come here, if they follow a rainbow, on the rare days one is here, but only the people with the kindest hearts. Not many know about us, but I am happy here, with my friend Luigi. Lugi adjusts his green hat over his ginger hair, while I gnaw on a chocolate coin.
“Well, I’m going out,” I say.
“Alright mate, see you later Florian!” he says. I go for a stroll and pass a black cat I call Lucky. I pull out a fish from my shamrocked hat, and pet her head, she purrs gratefully. I look out at the river that is magically clear. I know people say black cats are bad luck, but they really are not any different from any other cat.
Small flowers are in between blades of grass, and vibrant pink magnolia trees have bloomed. I see many pass by without a second thought, hurrying to and throw- if only they could see the magic in it all, just the prettiness of nature. We leprechauns are supposed to help people, like guardian angels, so I go towards a market to see if anyone will need help. I wait awhile, sitting on a short wall, watching the horses go by, until I see a woman with brown hair carrying a bag full of meat from the butcher and bread from a baker.
In the process, I watch as she drops some coins, I see them rolling across the lot. Naturally, I swoop down off the wall and go to the rolling coins, to gather them up. As I do so however, I see a penny flat on the cobble near a small shining puddle, and it intrigues me, causing me to leave the other coins and pick it up. It is very shiny and it was made this year, 1869.
The penny is heads down, a bad omen, but unlike the rest of leprechauns I do not believe in superstitions much. This one however, feels dangerous to pick up, like it is calling my name, ‘Florian, Florian, if you pick me up you can keep me Florian.’ So I pick it up, wondering whether or not I should stash it. I know it would be the wrong thing to do, but- I hear the women shout, “Thie’f! It’s a sh’ort thief!”
I look around bewildered, and realize she is talking about me, “Wha’- no,” I say startled. The second she yelled I wanted to give her the penny, I hold out my hand for her to collect it, and then I will scoop up the rest. But instead, a man who could only be her husband comes, snatches the money out of my hand, sends it flying again and tells me to, ‘scram!’
I have never, in all my years, met a scene so awful, from my own doing. I go back to the others a bit down, but try to hide it. None of them know what had occurred, and how could they? When they see me though, they act differently, can tell something is off.
“Is everything alright?" Luigi says finally, a while later. “You seem a bit down, even after eating shamrock soup, your favorite!” Shamrock soup always makes leprechauns feel happy when down, but I did not feel any difference.
“I-I was called a thief, someone thought I was going to steal her money,” I say with a lump in my throat.
“Hey, it’s okay, you were just trying to help, but she took it the wrong way. I know you were just trying to help.”
“Yeah, but- I thought about perhaps taking a penny.” It feels like I cannot speak, and I start to cry, “the shamrock soup did not help either.” Now he truly looks taken aback.
“You are unlucky Florian, e-even your tears aren’t golden anymore.” He looks both scared, and a little sad. I have heard about leprechauns becoming unlucky and getting banished, never have I heard of them being lucky again, but I can hardly believe it has happened to me!
“S-surley not,” I splutter.
“Look for yourself,” Luigi holds up an emerald plated mirror for me to see the shamrock on my hat wilted, and my tears without color, my green eyes, and brown hair. I take the mirror from him and put it in my pocket.
“Thanks Luigi,” I whisper embarrassed. He walks away, but when I try to follow him he backs up. “What?” I ask, but he keeps on walking, speeding up. Why is he avoiding me, my best friend?! I go back to the others, but they react even worse.
“What did I do!” I yell.
“You know what you did,” they reply. “Well, at least now that you're unlucky . . .” They are acting like I have got typhoid or scarlet fever!
“I’m sorry Florian, but you’ve been banished . . . mate.” I am so mad at them, Luigi only has that to say?
“We can’t have unlucky leprechauns around here,” says one of my twin sister’s friends. I take one last glance at my sister Paddie, who is crying slightly, and then turn to walk away. I walk until I find myself at an orphanage, and stop, seeing a girl with shiny blonde hair crying on the side. It appears to be recess time, but she is sitting alone clutching her knees up to her chest.
“What is wrong?” I ask softly, wishing I could get past the closed gates. The girl looks around the age of anywhere from seven to nine. She looks up seeing me at the gate.
The girl wipes her eyes and asks timidly, “And who are you?”
“My name is Florian,” I say gently.
“Mine's Nellie, or Natile. They say I shouldn’t be happy, I will not get adopted being so childish, that it is annoying, they- they call me Smelly Nellie or Annoying Nat.”
“Well I think you are very pretty, and quite kind.” She smiles, but soon stops as the other kids approach.
“Who is this Smelly Nellie?” a girl asks, with her hands on her hips.
"Couldn't find any friends so you decided to talk to this short, odd man,” sneered a boy, as I stand at three feet and Natile four.
“I may be short, but at least I treat her with kindness,” I say. The boy trembles slightly, and the light brown haired girl's face contorts into a look of astonishment.
She sticks out her tongue and says, “Let’s go Jack,” pulling the younger boy with her.
“Thank you,” Nellie whispers.
“No problem, and I got kicked out from my friends and family because I am unlucky now.”
“How so?” she asks, curiosity peeking. “You have a shamrock on your hat.”
“Yes, but it is wilting, and is not lucky anymore.” I tell her the story of how they thought me a thief.
“And you think they are right Florian? You think you’re a thief?”
“Well I am, aren't I?” I am perplexed. “Of course I am they- they deem me one, and so I am.”
“Listen to yourself, just because they determined you a thief does not make you one. You thought about stealing, but knew it was wrong, not just because of the consequences, but because you have a good heart. Don’t be so hard on yourself-” The school instructor called out for her to come in. “I have to go, bye!”
Natile scurries away, her pretty hair gleaming in the sun. “Smart girl she is,” I say to myself, but the fact still remains, I am cursed- cursed by an old magic that makes sure evil does not get too much power. I discover, as I go down the path, dead broke, and rest in between two buildings, one covered in thick ivy, that isolation takes away motivation too.
The next day it is raining, and when I ask a rather annoyed woman when it is supposed to stop she gives me a glare. “It’s relentless British weather hooligan, does it look like it will stop any time soon?” Perhaps she is annoyed to be kept in the rain, as she goes into a cozy little building with tea in stock.
I crave tea, and without any magic, hunger sets in. I go down to the almost overflowing river and catch a couple fish, leaving one in the shed where I find Lucky, as that is where she goes where it rains. I stay for a while, and then walk some more. I come across a young, dirty leprechaun, scared, cold, soaked, and shivering. “Why are you here chap?”
“I-I was cast out, b-banished for s-stealing a shilling.”
“I too was,” I say, looking at his clover, a bit different than my shamrock as he is from a different group, “for I stole a penny,” I say sadly.
“Well at least you took less than me.”
“Wait a minute, what is your name?”
“Philip, Philip Jr.” answers the sprout.
“Come to more shelter Philip,” I say, letting him step farther under a store roof. I use Luigi’s emerald mirror to let him use his hat to wipe his face, and pull a stick from his hair. I catch a glimpse of my reflection and see that I am not much better off, drenched to the skin. After I let him ring out his hat, after filling it with rain water I take a better look at myself in the mirror. I am unkempt, my shoes muddy, my eyes have lost their glimmer, and eyebags heavy.
I let young Philip stay underneath the shelter while I catch him some raw brown trout. It is the best I can do, and I can not let the young chap starve. I think on what Nellie said, “just because they determined you a thief does not make you one.” And yet, when I thought about stealing it was enough to make the old magic work- to make me cursed.
We sleep there for the night and in the morning I check at the orphanage for Nellie, but there are no children, and I understand why when I go back and it rains more. After a whole week of rain I want nothing more than for the relentless rain to stop, Philip is tired of it too, we are getting very cold and wet. Eventually though, the rain stops, and I take little Phil with me to see the orphanage, to see Natile. He feels a bit like my own son now, and it is like I am taking him to make a new friend.
“Who is this?" Natile asks, surprised.
Philip looks at me and tightens his loose grip on my hand, I nod. “I’m Philip.”
“Yes, I found Philip here, as well.”
“About that,” she says with a sort of sad, but also beaming smile on her face, “I was thinking we could go down to the library. That is- I am good at reading and was wondering if maybe we could find a book with a way to break the curse.”
“Brilliant!” Philip exclaims while beaming at her. He turns to me and says, “I think I like her already.”
“What about the orphanage? Your school?”
“You’ve apparently lost track of time,” she tells me. “Because it is already Saturday, Saturday! On Saturday, after our morning chores we get more free time, and we can go down town as long as a teacher is with us.”
“Well that’s great!”
“Yeah, real swell Nellie!” Philp adds. He blushes, and I realize he looks up to both me and her, in different ways, but before me he was banished alone. Perhaps the curse is not all bad- it has brought us together.
“I was thinking we could look through the books, to see if we find anything about how to break the curse!”
“Brilliant,” I say. We set off downtown to the library, a warm cozy place, but small too. We look through the children's books to see if we can find anything, as not all people believe in these things, they think leprechauns are fantasy. We found only two books with leprechauns, but nothing about breaking a curse- not a leprechaun one.
By the time it is 3 o’clock we stop for Nellie to go with her teacher and have Afternoon Tea. I let Philip go with them, and I start to pace up and down the street in front of the shops. I stop in surprise as I see a short woman wearing green approach me coming up the street, she has brown hair, it is her. “Florian,” she says, golden tears trickling down her wet checks. “Florian please, I need you to come back.”
It is my twin sister Paddie, she is wearing a dress and looks so young. “Paddie,” I say a bit sternly. “How can I when they banished me and will not let me come back?”
“I didn’t want you to leave.”
“Alas, you did not protest either.”
“I did, but not loudly, not until I saw you actually leave. Please, I do not care if your tears are not golden, it is not like they were ever made out of actual gold, just the color. More of a yellow with some sparkle really.”
I feel an emotional stab, “I am sorry, but Paddie, I can not go back until I find a way to get my luck back.”
She looks concerned, but is actually more doubtful, she says, “Okay,” and then turns away, hurrying back down the street. I must find that book I think to myself, and it better exist. I hurry back into the library, the librarian looking curious, yet she does not question my clothes. I go toward the fantasy stories and read the backs, while also looking at the front covers. By the time Natile comes back with Philip, and the instructor, she is smiling and looks like she is ready to tackle anything. The librarian says the instructor can go, but she responds in a whisper, “The boy seems alright, but- the man, the weird clothes-”
“Trust me, they are safe with me, I have seen this type of bunch before, and they are very helpful, friendly- perfectly harmless.” The teacher hesitates, but nods, and goes out of the library.
“Thank you,” I say, sighing in relief.
“You’re welcome, and I know you are a leprechaun, you are very nice indeed.” I am shocked, but she adds in response, “I’ve been here all my life, wise beyond my years.” So I continue to rifle through the books, not finding much, but realize there is an ancient looking section, and wonder if it is actually real, and the books labeled fantasy are not just thought that, they are, the librarian knew about me afterall.
“Is this section actually real,” I ask her.
“Yes, yes it is, that is the section with ancient books of forgotten magic, or magic that is no longer understood.”
“Does it- does it have any books about curses?” I ask with a shining hope. She just nods, and I dig in, the others joining me, as I help them with some of the bigger words. It is not until we get to the last four books that my hope starts to waver.
Picking up the third-to-last book I hear Natile call out, “I found it! I found it, over here! On the floor crammed between the wall and the wooden bookshelf.” I drop the book I am holding in shock, but it does not fall fast, it merely glides down softly like a sheet of paper, magic.
I run over to where she and Philp are now sitting on the floor. I take the book and look at it. There is a pale cracked golden design with texture on the cracked brown front, and on the back the pattern is in a rainbow ombre. A single green clover shines on the front, from magic, and I open it, to begin reading aloud.
“‘There is an old leprechaun magic, in which all leprechauns should know. And in this book is how to break it. If a leprechaun has become unlucky they get banished and have no magic. So how do they become unbanished? Well many have forgotten’ . . .” I read the rest and Philip gasps in surprise.
“So that is how? We need to find that big, glowing, four leaf clover?"
“It appears so,” I say. I take the book, check it out, and the three of us set off, the librarian smiling softly, wishing us luck. We go to the hills and the middle of the woods, somehow knowing where to go. About a statute mile into the woods, by which I am carrying Little Philip on my shoulders, we see a light yellow-green glow and just turn toward each other smiling, Philip giggles in delight.
I let Philip down, and he runs toward it as Nellie chases him. I walk to them slowly, then, look down. I realize that I am so fortunate to have met these two young people, even if I had to get cursed to do so, but my heart does ache to join my twin.
There are two beautiful enchanted looking trees, one pink, one blue, and a daffodil poking out of the ground, I glance at the book and say what it states, “I need help four leaf.” It was believed to be enchanted by a wizard, but I do not think a wizard would even be as good to give a second chance, perhaps this gift could only be from God. The big four leaf clover, the sun set orange, it is bigger than a flower and opens up, there is a white candlestick laying in the middle. “Only will you be uncursed if you take this candle, dip it into the dirty river, not the clean and take it to a Priest to light, but you have already been forgiven. You always had, especially the way you, Florian, have helped others. Even when it would have been easier to just walk past.” The Clover speaks in a kind, mysterious voice.
I take the candle and step back, for Philp to step forward as it closes. “I need help, Four leaf,” he says. It unfurls, which the clover only does for people who are not just wanting something for themselves, to prevent the wrong people getting unbanished. But nothing is inside it.
He starts to cry, and as Natile is going to hug him she says, "Florian! Philip! Your tears.” I look closer and sure enough, they are golden.
“But . . . how?” I wonder.
“Philip, did you actually mean to steal, or actually think about stealing?” Natile asks gently. He shakes his head.
“Nothing is in the clover because you were never cursed Philip! You just assumed and ran away, fearing the worst. The clover still opened, because you are kind, but you do not need to break any magical curse.” I say.
So I go to the dirty river, dip the candle in, and then wet, seeming impossible to light, go to a priest. He does not question, or assume, he just lights it with a smile as the flame dances. I watch as the dirt is burned away, Philip and Natile watch too. I realize that I was forgiven automatically, even when I did not earn it, but this, finding more than I had ever imagined- and working to get out of the rut the curse, is what led me to this moment.
I cry tears, golden tears, not because I am sad, but because I am happy and grateful. I bring Natile back to the orphanage, she is more bold now than I would have first thought. I hug Philp Good-bye, but know I will see him again soon, watch him run as the sun sets, and I turn to Lucky’s shed. I almost forgot about the old library book I still clutch. I decide that I will return it tomorrow, as the library is already shut. I have not gone back yet, I will tomorrow morning, but I am not ready yet, not quite ready to tell them my decision.
When I wake up Lucky is huddled with me and purring. I am a bit stiff, but slept with her somewhat dirty blanket, what can I say? I am humble. I go to the library to return the book and the librarian smiles, “So you found the clover?” she asks kindly.
I nod, “How did you know?”
“My husband. He is a Priest, and he says you went to him with a white candle. Very meaningful, and you made his day, seeing the difference it made to you.” I smile and then turn out of the library. As I am going to the place I once called home, the place I had been banished from, under the bridge, and then I see Natile.
“Natile!” I call out. She is happy, excited, and waves coming toward me with a young woman beside her. “Who is this?” I ask.
“This is my older sister, she has just adopted me! She couldn't for a while, but is finally old enough.”
“Congrats!” I say happy for her.
“I know I do not owe you anything, but I feel like I do,” she says thinking. “How about I get you a cup of tea? Is that ok Elizabeth?” She is gorgeous, maybe even prettier than Natile, with long smooth red hair and a pretty smile.
“Of course, that would be splendid to do for Florian, as my sister has told me how nice you are.”
“Perhaps Afternoon Tea?” I propose.
“That would be lovely."
“Bye!” Natile shouts as I walk away toward the bridge. I pass through, seeing the others looking at me. They are just stunned, silent.
“You want proof that I am not cursed? Well, let me see. My shamrock is not drooping, my eyes have a shine, and-” I say pulling out the candle, “I found a book, it told me how to break the curse, just trace this candle for magic and it will be detected.
Paddie runs to me. “I am so glad to have you back!”
“Me too, but I do not think anyone else here believed in me . . .” I take a pause and find Luigi with my eyes, “not even you Luigi.” He reddens and looks to the floor, quiet. “I am sorry, but I can not stay here.”
Luigi hastily looks up, “What?”
“You guys banished me when I was in a rut, I would have helped you Luigi but you did not even come to find me, only Paddie did.” She smiles, hugging me. I take a breath and make my final decision. “I will visit some, but cannot stay here.” I turn to leave, but feel inside my coat pocket. “And by the way Luigi, here is your mirror back, thanks for it.”
I set off down the road, all of them watching me. I am dirt broke but will find a job, for now however, I shall go for some Afternoon Tea, and later on I become Philp’s Godfather.