Dreamful Bedtime Stories
Dreamful Bedtime Stories
The Legend of the Leprechaun
Snuggle up with the lore of a figure who embodies both mischief and magic, nestled between good and evil spirits in ancient Irish mythology—the leprechaun. So, snuggle up in your blankets and have sweet dreams.
The music in this episode is Tranquility Sphere by Francis Wells.
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Dreamful is produced and hosted by Jordan Blair. Edited by Katie Sokolovska. Theme song by Joshua Snodgrass. Cover art by Jordan Blair. ©️ Dreamful LLC
Welcome to Dreamful Podcast bedtime stories for slumber. In this bonus episode I will be telling the legend of the leprechaun. So snuggle up in your blankets and have sweet dreams, thank you.
Speaker 1:Every mythology has its good and evil spirits, some worshipped out of adoration, others out of fear. Between the good and the wicked, there often exists a being that is neither entirely noble nor wholly malicious. Such a figure may act generously one moment and mischievously the next, kind of out of whim, troublesome out of caprice, troublesome out of caprice. Such a being is the Leprechaun of Ireland, a remnant of the country's ancient mythology. His origins are humble. His father is said to be an evil spirit and his mother a wayward fairy. By nature, he is a mischief-maker, the Irish equivalent of Puck. He is a tiny figure, standing about three feet tall and dressed in a red jacket or coat, red breeches buckled at the knee, gray or black stockings and a cocked hat perched atop his small aged face. Around his neck he wears an Elizabethan ruff with lace frills at the wrists. However, on the stormy western coasts where the Atlantic winds bring near-constant rain, he replaces these with a rough overcoat. Unless you spot the cocked hat, you might walk right past a leprechaun without even realizing it. In different country districts, the dress of the leprechaun also varies. In northern counties he wears the uniform of some British infantry regiments a red coat and white breeches, but instead of a cap, he wears a broad-brimmed, high-pointed hat. He wears a broad-brimmed, high-pointed hat and, after doing some trick more than usually mischievous, his favorite position is to poise himself on the extreme point of his hat, standing at the top of a wall or on a house, feet in the air, then laugh heartily and disappear. In Tipperary, he wears an antique slash jacket of red with peaks all round and a jockey cap, also sporting a sword which he uses as a magic wand, also sporting a sword which he uses as a magic wand. In Carrie, the leprechaun is a fat, pursy little fellow whose jolly round face rivals in redness. The cutaway jacket he wears that always has seven rows of seven buttons in each row, though what use they are has never been determined, since his jacket is never buttoned, nor indeed can it be but falls away from a shirt invariably white as the snow when, in full dress, he wears a helmet several sizes too large for him, but in general, prudently discards this article of headgear as having a tendency to render him conspicuous in a country where helmets are obsolete, and wraps his head in a handkerchief that he ties over his ears.
Speaker 1:The Leprechaun of Monaghan is a little dandy being gorgeously arrayed in a swallow-tailed evening coat of red with a green vest, white breeches, black stockings and shoes that shine like a looking glass. His hat is a long cone without a brim and is usually set jauntily on one side of his curly head. When greatly provoked, he will sometimes take vengeance by suddenly ducking and poking the sharp point of his hat into the eye of the offender. Such conduct is, however, exceptional, as he commonly contents himself with soundly abusing those at whom he has taken offense, was soundly abusing those at whom he has taken offense. The objects of his anger, hearing his voice, were seeing nothing of this person.
Speaker 1:One of the most marked peculiarities of the leprechaun family is their intense hatred of schools and schoolmasters, arising perhaps from the ridicule of them by teachers who affect to disbelieve in the existence of the leprechaun and thus insult him. He does not even like to remain in the neighborhood where a national school has been established, and as such schools are now numerous in Ireland, the leprechauns are becoming scarce. The few that remain must have a hard time keeping soul and body together, for nowhere do they now receive any attention at mealtimes, nor is the anxiety to see one by any means so great as in the childhood of men still living Then to catch a leprechaun was certain fortune to him, who had the wit to hold the mischief-maker captive until demands for wealth are complied with. In Claire and Galway leprechauns are known for their fondness for riding animals sheeps, goats or even dogs until the creatures are exhausted. If a farmer finds his livestock weary in the morning, he knows a leprechaun has taken a long journey overnight. Beyond this, they are credited with all manner of household mischief making pots boil over or refuse to boil at all, stealing food, knocking over furniture and even tossing things onto the floor. At worst, if enraged, they might set fire to the thatch of a cottage and cackle as the inhabitants rush to extinguish the flames. That said, the leprechaun can also be loyal. If he attaches himself to a family, especially one of the real old stock, he will remain with them for generations, moving with them from castle to cottage. Unless insulted or neglected, he prefers food given willingly. It is one old, clear tale warns he will take offense if fed leftovers. One night a family set aside scraps from the dog's meal for their household leprechaun. That night they heard him bustling in the cellar, causing a great commotion, and by morning all the wine in their barrels was gone, replaced with seawater. It was his revenge for their insult.
Speaker 1:Catching a leprechaun is a rare event, but if you succeed, he must tell you where his gold is hidden. However, you must never take your eyes off him. For the moment you do, you will vanish. You can only catch a leprechaun when he's sitting down, and the only time he sits is to mend his shoes. He runs about so much that he wears them out. He runs about so much that he wears them out. So when he stops, you must sneak up quietly and grab him. Then demand his gold. But beware if you look away, even for a second, he'll disappear and you'll never see him again.
Speaker 1:One such tale is that of Michael O'Doherty, who sought a leprechaun for a full year. One morning, after dozing under a hedge, he spotted one sitting in the grass mending his shoes, Quiet as a cat. Michael crept up and caught the tiny trickster. Give me your gold, he demanded. I have no gold, the leprechaun insisted. Then give me your magic purse. Michael was not so lucky. Just as the leprechaun was about to reveal the location of his treasure, a horrible screech sounded overhead. A horrible screech sounded overhead. Says, preserve us. What was that? Michael exclaimed, looking up. In that split second the leprechaun was gone, his laugh ringing through the air. Michael never found the gold and he died poor.
Speaker 1:The leprechaun is known to carry a magic purse containing a single enchanted shilling. No matter how often the shilling is spent, another appears in its place. One man, dennis O'Brien of Tipperary, spent a year searching for a leprechaun. When he finally caught one, the little trickster offered him the magic purse in exchange for his freedom. Overjoyed, dennis took the purse and ran straight to Miss Clooney's tavern. Drinks for all. He cried, I'll never work another day in my life. After treating the whole pub to rounds of whiskey, dennis reached into his purse for another shilling but found nothing. A leprechaun had tricked him, giving him a purse identical to the magic one, but without the charm. Miss Clooney, furious that Dennis had no way to pay, hit him over the head with a bottle and the other patrons beat him senseless. A constable soon arrived, mistaking Dennis for a thief and dragged him off to jail After serving thirty days of hard labor. Dennis vowed no more chasing leprechauns they're too clever for the likes of me. And from that day forward you never searched for fairy gold again.
Speaker 1:Every mythology has its good and evil spirits, some worshipped out of adoration, others out of fear. Between the good and the wicked, there often exists a being that is neither entirely noble nor wholly malicious. Such a figure may act generously one moment and mischievously the next, kind of out of whim, troublesome, out of caprice. Such a being is the Leprechaun of Ireland, a remnant of the country's ancient mythology. His origins are humble. His father is said to be an evil spirit and his mother a wayward fairy. By nature, he is a mischief maker, the Irish equivalent of Puck. He is a tiny figure, standing about three feet tall and dressed in a red jacket or coat, red breeches buckled at the knee, gray or black stockings and a cocked hat perched atop his small aged face. Around his neck he wears an Elizabethan ruff with lace frills at the wrists with lace frills at the wrists. However, on the stormy western coasts where the Atlantic winds bring near constant rain, he replaces these with a rough overcoat. Unless you spot the cocked hat, you might walk right past a leprechaun without even realizing it. In different country districts, the dress of the leprechaun also varies. In northern counties he wears the uniform of some British infantry regiments, a red coat and white breeches, but instead of a cap he wears a broad-brimmed, high-pointed hat and, after doing some trick more than usually mischievous, his favorite position is to poise himself on the extreme point of his hat, standing at the top of a wall or on a house, feet in the air, then laugh heartily and disappear. In Tipperary he wears an antique slash jacket of red with peaks all round and a jockey cap, also sporting a sword, which he uses as a magic wand In Carrie.
Speaker 1:The leprechaun is a fat, percy little fellow whose jolly round face rivals in redness. The cutaway jacket he wears that always has seven rows of seven buttons in each row the what use they are has never been determined, since his jacket is never buttoned, nor indeed can it be but falls away from a shirt invariably white as the snow. When, in full dress, he wears a helmet several sizes too large for him, but in general prudently discards this article of headgear as having a tendency to render him conspicuous in a country where helmets are obsolete, and wraps his head in a handkerchief that he ties over his ears. The Leprechaun of Monaghan is a little dandy being gorgeously arrayed in a swallow-tailed evening coat of red with a green vest, white breeches, black stockings and shoes that shine like a looking glass. His hat is a long cone without a brim and is usually set jauntily on one side of his curly head. When greatly provoked, he will sometimes take vengeance by suddenly ducking and poking the sharp point of his hat into the eye of the offender. Offender Such conduct is, however, exceptional, as he commonly contents himself with soundly abusing those at whom he has taken offense, the objects of his anger, hearing his voice but seeing nothing of this person.
Speaker 1:One of the most marked peculiarities of the leprechaun family is their intense hatred of schools and schoolmasters, arising perhaps from the ridicule of them by teachers who affect to disbelieve in the existence of the leprechaun and thus insult him. He does not even like to remain in the neighborhood where a national school has been established, and as such schools are now numerous in Ireland. The leprechauns are becoming scarce. The few that remain must have a hard time keeping soul and body together, for nowhere do they now receive any attention at mealtimes, nor is the anxiety to see one by any means so great as in the childhood of men still living then. To catch a leprechaun was certain fortune to him who had the wit to hold the mischief-maker captive until demands for wealth were complied with.
Speaker 1:In Claire and Galway, leprechauns are known for their fondness for riding animals sheeps, goats or even dogs until the creatures are exhausted. If a farmer finds his livestock weary in the morning, he knows a leprechaun has taken a long journey overnight. Beyond this, they are credited with all manner of household mischief making pots boil over or refuse to boil at all, stealing food, knocking over furniture and even tossing things onto the floor. At worst, if enraged, they might set fire to the thatch of a cottage and cackle as the inhabitants rush to extinguish the flames. That said, the leprechaun can also be loyal. If he attaches himself to a family, especially one of the real old stock, he will remain with them for generations, moving with them from castle to cottage. Unless insulted or neglected, he prefers food given willingly and, as one old, clear tale warns, he will take offense if fed leftovers. One night a family set aside scraps from the dog's meal for their household leprechaun. That night they heard him bustling in the cellar, causing a great commotion, and by morning all the wine in their barrels was gone, replaced with seawater. It was his revenge for their insult. It was his revenge for their insult.
Speaker 1:Catching a leprechaun is a rare event, but if you succeed, he must tell you where his gold is hidden. However, you must never take your eyes off him for the moment you do, he will vanish. You can only catch a leprechaun when he's sitting down, and the only time he sits is to mend his shoes. He runs about so much that he wears them out. So when he stops, you must sneak up quietly and grab him, then demand his gold. But beware if you look away even for a second, he'll disappear and you'll never see him again.
Speaker 1:One such tale is that of Michael Adorte, who sought a leprechaun for a full year. One morning, after dozing under a hedge, he spotted one sitting in the grass mending his shoes, quiet as a cat. Michael crept up and caught the tiny trickster. Give me your gold, he demanded. I have no gold, the leprechaun insisted. Then give me your magic purse. Michael was not so lucky. Just as the leprechaun was about to reveal the location of his treasure, a horrible screech sounded overhead Say's, preserve us. What was that? Michael exclaimed, looking up. In that split second, the leprechaun was gone, his laugh ringing through the air. Michael never found the gold and he died poor. And he died poor.
Speaker 1:The leprechaun is known to carry a magic purse containing a single enchanted shilling. No matter how often the shilling is spent, another appears in its place. One man, dennis O'Brien of Tipperary, spent years searching for a leprechaun. When he finally caught one, the little trickster offered him the magic purse in exchange for his freedom. Magic purse in exchange for his freedom. Overjoyed, dennis took the purse and ran straight to Miss Clooney's tavern. Drinks for all. He cried. I'll never work another day in my life. After treating the whole pub to rounds of whiskey, dennis reached into his purse for another shilling but found nothing. A leprechaun had tricked him, giving him a purse identical to the magic one, but without the charm. Miss Clooney, furious that Dennis had no way to pay, hit him over the head with a bottle and the other patrons beat him senseless. A constable soon arrived, mistaking Dennis for a thief and dragged him off to jail. After serving 30 days of hard labor, Dennis vowed no more chasing leprechauns they're too clever for the likes of me and from that day forward he never no-transcript.
