Herminie Templeton Kavanagh

“ He passed through the village and had almost reached the Ballymore crossroads when he spied just ahead of him a slim, bare-footed little girl, trudging wearily along and carrying in her clasped arms a pair of brogues almost as heavy as herself.
“It's Bridgeen Daley,” he muttered. “The kind Lord look down on that houseful of motherless children.” Father Cassidy reined in his horse beside her. “Is that you, Bridgeen?” he called. “Come here, asthore. Oh, I see, ye've been to Neddy Hagan's to get yer father's brogues mended. ”

“ And then, with faces close, the two talked earnestly about many important things—how willingly Bridgeen must obey her father; how carefull she must be to keep the stirabout from burning in the morning; but, above all, how watchful she must be to keep her brother Jamesy away from the fire. The colleen promised faithfully not to forget. And so they talked on lovingly, happily together.
At last the mother said: “It is the children's bedtime, and you must be my own brave daughter and go to them. Keep well in your mind what I have said; be cheerful and contented, for we are not separated. ”

“ Stealthily and still half afraid, she tiptoed her way over to the shallow ditch which ran about the enchanted place and, with many a shuddering glance, stepped slowly down. There was nothing there save Mayflowers, ivy and daisies. ”

“ He may ask for love and beauty;
Sure they always ask for wealth;
Much good in love or beauty ——
Huh! I'd rather have me health.
Tick, tack, tickety, tack ——
He sprang to his feet, shaking his tiny hammer at Bridgeen. ““What's the worruld comin' to,” he shouted fiercely, “whin one of your age comes gallopin' and cavortin' over the fields to torture out of a poor ould man the favor of three wishes, you young r-r-rob-ber?”
“No, no, Misther Leprechaun, not that at all,” Bridgeen hurried to say. “I don't want to force yer honor to do anything. I came only to beg from you one little wish. ”

“ You don't know what a terrible thing it is to be without your mother, Leprechaun, do you?”
“I don't,” he answered, wiping his eyes with the corner of his apron. “I never had a mother, but I can aymagine. I wish I could bring her to ye, acushla, but it's beyant me power, I'm sorry to say. Ye see, she's a blessed sperrit up in Heaven and we fairies are only onblessed sperrits down here, ye undherstand; an' it's little the likes of her'd have to do with the likes of us. ”

“ On your way home do you be looking carefully under the hedge as you go along, and who knows you may meet up with the leprechaun. Do you know what the leprechaun is, Bridgeen?”
“Yis, sir—I mane, yer riverence—he's the sly, fairy cobbler that sits undher a twig makin' shoes for the Little People; and if ye can only find him and kape yer eye on him the while, it's three grand wishes he'll give ye to buy his freedom.”
“True for you, Bridgeen, but remember what a cunning trickster the lad is; if he can beguile you to take your eyes from him for a second, he's gone forever ”

“ At first it's little heed the child gave to the bird, for the priest's last words had raised a solemn wonder in her mind, for now, after what Father Cassidy had said, there could be no danger in asking from the fairy cobbler the favor of three wishes. Neither could it be wrong for one to search for the little fairy ”

“ Isn't it that ayther? Out with it! Spake up!” he encouraged.
Bridgeen nervously plaited the corner of her apron in her fingers and answered: “It isn't any of thim things I want at all, at all,” she hesitated. Then, boldly, “Of course I need a white veil and wreath and dress for my confirmation to-morrow.”
“Oh, my! Oh, my!” broke in the leprechaun. “The wreath and the veil and the purty white dhress! Oh, dear! Oh, dear!”
“Still,” Bridgeen continued, “it isn't for thim I came to ask you.”
“Tare an ages, what is it, thin? Ye're makin' me narvous! I niver saw such a quare little colleen!” ”

“ AND who could blame the busy mothers for their feverish perturbation! Wasn't the archbishop himself—not the bishop, mind you, but the archbishop—coming down on the morrow to the humble village chapel to give confirmation to the children. Don't be talkin'! Wasn't Father Cassidy the clever man entirely to get such an honor for Ballinderg? ”