My kids are setting a trap for a leprechaun tonight. Seems Noah was told by a classmate that if you succeed, the leprechaun will reward you by leaving a treat. Huh. This must be a Midwestern leprechaun thing, 'cause it's news to me. And I'm nearly 100% Irish, with green eyes and everything. I was raised in upstate New York, but the leprechauns there must be slackers – too busy recovering from their annual festivities to be bothered with such things, figuring that the Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus will make up for their oversight.
But I digress.
See if you can follow this:
"I'm tying dental floss across this (a black, plastic kettle), and putting Holly's Chucky Cheese token in it. To bait him,” Noah explains. “He'll think it's real gold. We'll tie the dental floss to Holly's watch strap, which is wrapped around this,” he says, gesturing to the plastic packaging left over from a toy, “and then when he goes for the gold it'll come down on him, trapping him in the pot!” Yay. Poor little leprechaun. I wonder if I have a duty to warn?
“We'll need some back-up traps. We need like five traps if we're really gonna catch one,” Noah adds. Yes, I decide. Warning is good.
“How do we set back-up traps?” Little Holly inquires. I alert my husband and we put our heads together. Nothing spectacular happens, but we figure we at least have a few errands to run. We need to buy things. I've been instructed to buy dental floss, because Noah believes they’ll need more than the 500 feet remaining in the dispenser. I hear the kids whispering, and catch words like “net” and “Saran Wrap.”
“If he's still there by morning we'll get a BMW,” Noah adds, “because then he might give us gold.” Oh. Okay. I guess we'll have to rob a bank while we're out hunting for dental floss and the sort of things a leprechaun might leave if he's able to escape the trap. For Pete's sake. A BMW! This must be one of those nouveau riche leprechauns. Oh, brother. So what, prey tell, do leprechauns leave behind?
“Ellie trapped one and she got green necklaces. Do you think it'll work, Mommy?”
Yeah, sure. I'll get right on it. Wish me luck. Oh – and thanks a lot, Ellie, whoever you are.
(note: this was originally posted to this site 3/16/07)
–Jennifer DuBose, M.S., C.A.S. has been a Clinical Member of The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy(AAMFT) since 1995. Got a question or concern you’d like her to address? Nothing is off limits. If you’re a parent and it’s on your mind, chances are you’re not alone. Don’t suffer the wonders. Send your questions to parentingisntforsissies@hotmail.com. Your name and other identifying information will be kept strictly confidential.