The Pot of Gold E:221
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with this fun folktale about a man who comes upon a leprechaun in a cabbage field, and immediately he demands the leprechaun to show him where his pot of gold is hidden. But when he agrees to show him, it turns out it is. not going to be as easy as he thought to retrieve this treasure, because of course, leprechauns can be very cunning and crafty. An episode from storytelling podcast, Journey with Story, for kids ages 4-10. (duration-8 minutes)
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The Pot of Gold
Episode 221
March 16, 2023
Do you know what holiday we are going to celebrate in many parts of the world tomorrow – that is March 17th? Here is a clue – people wear green and they even might decorate cakes and cookies with green icing. Oh, and some people even go out hunting for leprechauns?
Yes, I am sure you know – we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on March 17th He is the patron saint of Ireland, but you don’t need to be Irish to celebrate this day – many people all over the world like to dress up in green and tell stories about leprechauns because many people think they have a little bit of Irish in them. And as I have told you before St. Patrick was actually born in Scotland, not Ireland. And he brought Christianity to the ancient Irish people who found it very easy to believe in another world they could not see, because of course, they already believed in the fairy world that could not be seen. Well, today’s story is about a man who meets up with a leprechaun and is determined to make the leprechaun give him his pot of gold. Let’s see how that goes….
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Let’s take a journey with The Pot of Gold.
One fine spring morning, when Liam O’Toole was walking down the lane, he heard a strange hammering sound – tap-tap-tap.
“Now wherever is that coming from?” he wondered. And he peered over the fence into a cabbage field and what did he see but a wee man in a pointy hat and a leather apron, sitting cross-legged, mending a shoe.
Liam could hardly believe his luck, because he knew as well as everyone else around that if you find a leprechaun, he must tell you where his pot of gold is hidden.
“Now is my chance at last to be rich,” Liam said to himself. “ I just need to keep calm and never let him out of my sight so he won’t escape from me.”
Gently, Liam pushed open the gate. At once the leprechaun stopped. His hammering. “I think it’s going to rain,” he said. “Will you be hurrying off to take the shortcut through the other field so you don’t get wet and catch a chill?”
“No, no, no need for that. Sure there’s not a cloud in the sky, I don’t think it will be raining today,” answered Liam, knowing full well the leprechaun was trying to trick him.
“Well, in that case,” continued the leprechaun, I’d thank you to be sure and shut the gate so I don’t get a draft.”
But again, Liam was wise to the leprechaun’s craftiness and had no intention of turning around.
“Now that I have found you, you have to tell me where your pot of gold is,” he said.
“Now, now, don’t be so hasty,” replied the leprechaun with a frown. “I will take you to my pot of gold soon enough, but you can’t walk far in those old worn out boot of yours. Why don’t I make you a new pair before we set off?
Liam reached down and poked the leprechaun, “I don’t need any new boots,” he snapped.
“Stop your poking,” squealed the leprechaun as he kicked and wriggled and walloped Liam with his tiny hammer. “Leave me alone of I’ll have no breath for telling you where it is.”
“Then promise me now that you will show me at once and none of your shenanigans,” said Liam, and the little old man agreed.
Then up he stood, straightened his hat and set off across the cabbage field at such a pace that Liam had to hurry to keep up with him. When they reached the middle of the field, the leprechaun stopped and pointed at a cabbage.
“Here it is,”he said. “All of my life’s treasure – all my precious gold is buried under here. You just need to dig it up.”
Liam could barely conceal his excitement at the thought of laying his hands on all this gold.
“Now, the only thing is,” muttered the leprechaun,” you’ll be needing a spade, won’t you?”
At once Liam’s excitement fizzled away for he knew the leprechaun was quite right. Without a spade, he could never dig up his treasure, but if he went home to fetch one, then he’d never be able to find this cabbage again. Suddenly, he had an idea.
He untied the red handkerchief from his neck and wrapped it around the cabbage.
“Now, promise me you won’t touch this handkerchief while I go home to fetch a spade,” he said sternly.
“Me? Touch your handkerchief? Of course not, I’ll not lay a finger on it you can be sure of that,” said the leprechaung as he lit up his pipe. “You can trust me.”
So Liam hurried off home to fetch a spade. On the way back up the lane, he thought of all the wonderful things he could buy with this pot of gold. He laughed to himself at the thought of never having to do another day’s work in his life.
But when he reached the field he stopped at the gate and stared…and stared….hardly believing his eyes, for every single cabbage as far as you could see was tied with a red handkerchief.
Liam’s heart sank. The crafty leprechaun was nowhere now to be seen, but from far, far way came the sound of a tin chuckle and tap-tap-tap.
Oh dear – can you imagine how disappointed Liam was to see how that leprechaun tricked him. He was a very clever leprechaun wasn’t he, because you might have noticed- he managed to trick Liam without ever breaking his promise of not touching his handkerchief. Do you feel sorry for Liam or perhaps you think it served him right because he was a bit mean to the leprechaun?
Well, now you know what you have to do if you catch sight of a leprechaun this St. Patrick’s Day – just don’t let him out of your sight! Good luck and Happy St. Patrick’s Day.
Cheerio then, join me next time for Journey with Story.
