Leprechaun Traps

Even though we don't really celebrate St. Patrick's Day in our house, Jamie and Clare came home from school on Monday and Tuesday with ideas of setting "leprechaun traps" throughout the house. Jamie hoped that he would be able to catch a "real live leprechaun" (reporting that one of his classmates claimed he has a friend who caught one), and Clare sincerely hoped that, if they did not catch a leprechaun, they might at least catch some chocolate coins.

Jamie set about last night with his traps. His most elaborate trap involved placing a fake coin in the bottom of a tall cup. He then leaned a ladder against the cup and placed a sign on the outside that read: "Gold inside!" The sign would entice the leprechaun to climb the ladder, then he would fall into the cup attempting to reach the coin. Another piece of paper acted as a cover so the leprechaun could not escape. Genius! As Jamie set his traps, he worried in all seriousness that he "hoped the leprechauns knew English." I assured him that, to the best of my knowledge, leprechauns were typically Irish folk and did indeed know English.

Alas, that tricky leprechaun (or "Lucky the Crafty Leprechaun" as his mocking return note read) got the best of the kids. He not only took Jamie's coin, but was able to escape the trap and vanish again. He was kind enough, however, to leave some chocolate coins around the house, which did appease the leprechaun-hunters.