Leprechaun Gold

Last week I was in a local Albertson’s store. The Mega Bucks (lottery) guys were near the machine handing out dollar bills to encourage people to play the quick pick lottery.
Now I am NOT a gambler but. .. it was their money. . .so why not?
As I stood in line one of the Lottery guys was handing out gold coins. They were larger than a 50 cent piece and HEAVY, bright colored gold. There was a Leprechaun on one side and the word Raffle on the other, this was to advertise the Oregon Raffle being held on St. Patty’s day.
The guy gave me 3 coins and I squealed that they would be perfect for the grandchildren, he asked how many do I have and I told him 6 right now so he gave me 3 more coins.
Cool. . . . .dumped them in the purse went on my merry way.

Time passes




Last Saturday Daughter Cam and I decide to take Kentucky, Korban & Joy on a hike at Champoeg Park. Nice day, picnic and fresh air. I told her about the coins and asked her to play along with me.
I started telling the kids while eating our picnic, how we were going on a foto safari to take pictures of where The Wee People (Goblins & Brownies & Fairies) live, out in the forest. And even though Leprechauns don’t live in the forest, it’s been said they hide their gold there at the base of fallen down trees.
They had just watched the movie Spiderwick so the whole Goblin/Brownies scene was fresh in their minds.

The stage was set.
Off we went. . .Cam had Joy on a backpack, while the boys were walking. We saw lots of things on the way, broken tree limbs covered with moss that looked like dragon heads,









doorways into trees where goblins live. . . .
















.miniature trails (rabbit/raccoon paths) through the briar patches where the Brownies live.

I walked ahead and found a tree that had fallen and the rangers had chainsaw’d it in half to clear the trail. I tried to throw the coin into the hollow of the tree but it fell into the pile of sawdust at the base.
THEN
The boys saw where I was standing and ran up. . . . I told them, “this is the kind of tree Leprechauns use to hide their gold in. (I pointed at the opposite side of the trail) “Is there some in there?”
No, they said, nothing in there. . .
“Maybe it is on this side” I stepped away from the stump I had thrown the coin into. They looked inside and of course saw nothing. . .then Korban looked down and said
“I see it. . .I see the gold!” Kentucky looked down too and both of them had eyes that were as large as the coin.












“Why don’t you pick it up?” I said. . . .
They both responded with “NOOOOOO!” too scared. I mentioned they might want to ask please of the Leprechaun to take his gold. And they both did a quick. . “Please can we have the gold?” and Kentucky picked it up. He handed it to Korban but he said “NOOOOO” and backed away. He didn’t want to touch it. So we gave it to Joy who held onto her coin the whole hike.

Further down the trail I found another broken tree and while Cam again distracted the boys I laid the next coin in the grooves of the bark. While doing this a blackberry vine grabbed my coat sleeve, at the same moment the boys saw where I was and ran up to me.
In character I started calling out “He got me, He got, he doesn’t want me to touch his gold” as I pulled and pulled at my sleeve where the vine was hooked.
The boys ran right up to the log and immediately Kentucky grabbed the coin, BUT somehow. . . .the coin had wedged itself down into the bark and would not come out. (I swear I did not push it into the bark).
Kentucky “He won’t let me have it either!”
Cam “Maybe you have to ask nicely again to have the gold”
Kentucky & Korban together “Please can we have your gold?”
At this same moment I had unhooked the vine from my sleeve and dropped it down on Kentucky (his head was turned away from me). . .it dropped on his head, slid down by his ear and hooked onto his shoulder. Needless to say he JUMPED and screamed.
That is when Korban reached up and grabbed the coin and it came easily free for him.

It goes without saying that Cam and I were hurting. . .trying not to crack up at the scene.

We had one more coin to find so that each of them would have their own Leprechaun gold. And without much more drama we found the last one. But as we continued on the trail we would run into other hikers/walkers. With no prompting by Cam nor I. . .Kentucky would run up to people and tell them. . .
“We found Leprechaun gold!” and show them his coin. If the people were young (20somethings) they would just respond with “Wow, that’s cool”
But if the hikers were older and obviously parents or grandparents they totally got into talking with Kentucky and asking where did he find the gold and was there more?

We told the boys to put their coin in their pockets, they had cargo pants on with Velcro closed knee pockets. We didn’t want to drop the coin and have the Leprechaun take back what we had asked nicely for.

As we got back to the car the fun did not end. . . .We were all buckled up and driving out of the park when Kentucky reached into his pocket and took out his coin. . “I still have my gold, Korban, do you still have yours?” When Korban reached into his pocket he pulled out a dollar bill…???? Kentucky was shocked and then angry that his coin hadn’t turned into Real Money. Korban dug into his pocket again and pulled out a quarter. This really got Kentucky upset and we had to tell him that maybe the Leprechaun would change the gold coin into real money at a different time for him. But having the Gold coin was special all by itself. Korban found his gold coin in his OTHER pocket. Both Cam and I have no idea how he had real money in the pocket. Magic?

This day trip was so special. The imagination of a child is one to nuture, grow and watch, for it brings out the best in a person no matter what their age. To experience the wonder and joys of the world around us, and believe in the simple touch of Magic, I for one have become richer because of it.

I hope the Leprechaun leaves a gold coin somewhere for you to discover.