It wasn't my fault that I slipped on the banana peel, skidded fifty feet down the hall, and landed squarely on the ankle of the school's MVP of the year - for all team sports. The leprechaun did it. Alright, I did some of it, but not on purpose. It was all his fault.
Oh, you're wondering what I'm talking about? Let me tell you from the beginning.
Two weeks earlier:
"Hey, Tim! Are you going on the class camping trip?" asked a tall, lanky high-schooler.
"Wouldn't miss it for the world, Doug," Tim replied enthusiastically.
"I wouldn't either. I heard that we're going on a treasure hunt - for real treasure," said Doug.
"I'm not sure if it's real or not. It's an old legend about a leprechaun who emigrated with some Irish settlers," Tim thought to himself. Out loud, he just said "yeah." then hurried to class.
The night before the trip, despite his skepticism, Tim got online. He looked up the legend, including all associated maps.
"A leprechaun by the name of Lord Fitzpatrick is rumored to have hidden a large stash of gold, as well as several magical items, somewhere in the O'Flannigan woods. Unfortunately, no evidence has ever been found to prove or disprove this tale, which is well over a century old."
"Yeah, yeah," he said, skimming over the rest of the text, which included a description of the magical items, and the rest of the tale, including a supposed romance with an American fairy princess.
"It's a good story, but I've heard it a million times," thought Tim, as he scrolled down to the maps.
After printing every map of the area that was available, Tim shut off the computer, then packed his gear.
"I can't believe we're actually here for three days!" Doug exclaimed, as he helped Tim set up the tent. A few minutes later, they threw in their packs and sleeping bags.
"I've got maps of the area, I thought we'd go on our own treasure hunt tonight, before anyone else has a chance to find it," Tim whispered to his friend.
"Sorry, I'm out. You heard Mr. Wasson say that anyone caught wandering around alone, or leaving the campsite without permission, would be sent home immediately? I don't want to miss out on this," Doug said earnestly.
"Oh, right... you had enough trouble getting permission to come," said Tim, remembering that Doug's parents tended to be on the protective side.
"Exactly - and if I mess up, I won't get another chance. Especially if I'm sent home for taking risks," Doug replied sadly.
"I'm going alone then. There'll be a full moon, and if that treasure exists, I'll find it. I don't believe in the leprechaun bit, but sometimes these old legends have a grain of truth. It might be that one of those settlers was rich, and hid something valuable out here," whispered Tim.
"I'll cover for you," offered Doug.
"Thanks, buddy," replied Tim.
After the hotdogs, hamburgers, and roasted marshmallows were devoured, it was time for ghost stories. Then it was time to begin the serious business of getting enough sleep to get an early start on the next day.
But Tim had no intention of sleeping. Using his LED headlamp, he kept busy in the privacy of his sleeping bag, looking at the maps until the camp was asleep.
"I have a feeling it's at this spot between the creek and the old well. There's supposed to be the ruins of a blacksmith's forge there. See, there's a rough four leaf clover pattern if you draw lines from the major landmarks. And the old forge is right in the middle. People consider horseshoes lucky, so it's as good a spot as any," Tim whispered to Doug before he slipped out.
"Lucky me, lucky she. May it be, that one and one will soon make three," sang a leprechaun happily.
As he hummed his little tune over and over, he gathered up dry wood. Soon the happy little man had a roaring fire going in the old forge.
"Now for a few gold coins to make a special gift for the wee one," he said, doing a little jig. "Gold hidden, you are bidden, come forth!"
A massive pot, full of gold coins, appeared in front of him. It was easily large enough to hold a baby elephant.
Lord Fitzpatrick snapped his fingers, then appeared atop the pot. He took a handful of coins, then snapped his fingers again. He was instantly transported to the forge.
Tim heard a melodic singing as he made his way through the woods, but couldn't catch the words. It became louder, and more distinct as he approached the ruins of the old forge.
He slowed down, being careful not to step on the numerous twigs and dead leaves. As he approached the clearing, he gasped.
"That pot is almost as big as my room," Tim thought with awe. Then he noticed the tiny man amongst the ruins, working with a little hammer.
"Lucky me, lucky she. May it be, that one and one will soon make three," sang the little man as he worked. His green jacket had golden highlights thanks to the flames in the forge.
"According to the old legends, if I catch him I get three wishes," thought Tim.
"How can I get him? I never believed leprechauns existed, let alone that I should bring along something to help me catch one... I wonder if I could use my pack? He's small enough to fit. No, he'd never fall for that, I'll have to think of something else" whispered the still awestruck boy. He then dumped his pack, to make an inventory of the items at his disposal.
"Chepi my love, would you rather have a rattle or a wee dreamcatcher for the baby?" the leprechaun called out, as he looked towards Tim.
The boy froze, not daring to move a muscle. The little man listened for a moment, and when he didn't get a reply, he strolled towards the woods, humming the same happy tune.
Tim waited, and the tiny man stopped momentarily to look at the full moon. The boy grabbed his pack and hid behind a rotten log, several feet to the left of the contents of the now empty pack. To his amazement, the leprechaun's path took him only inches away from the log.
"What's that mess?" asked Lord Fitzpatrick, as he stopped to look at the emergency kit, candy bars, and rope.
In that second, Tim had the pack over him, and in the next scooped him in, and closed the flap. Then he went over to his supplies, and shoved in the candy bars through a small opening. The kit went in the smaller compartment, and he used the rope to guarantee that the bag stayed shut.
To be continued:
Describe what you see:
I see a person about to step on a banana peel.
Describe what you feel:
I feel like this might not be an accident. Maybe that banana peel was put there to make someone fall.