It was a sunny day when Kenny found his one thousandth four-leaf clover.  He
read in a book that anyone who collected one thousand four-leaf clovers would get
to catch a Leprechaun.  He placed them all in a shoebox and wished as hard
as he could.  Suddenly, a little green man appeared.  He was no bigger than
a finger, and was wearing a green suit and a large green hat.  Kenny knew he
wasn't sleeping, since it was only 9:00 in the morning! 
Suddenly Kenny pounced like a cat and he caught the Leprechaun!  Holding
it in his hand, Kenny smiled.

  Then the Leprechaun spoke.
"So ye caught me," he said in his thick Irish accent,” and I guess you'll
be a-wantin' me t'tell thee where is me gold?"
Kenny smiled wide and nodded."Well," replied the Leprechaun,"ye can go on a'wishin'.  I'll nay be
a-tellin'ye a thing."

   Kenny's mouth opened to an 'o' of surprise.  When he recovered from his
shock, he said,"What?"
The Leprechaun looked scornful.
    "Ye heard me.  I'll nay be tellin' ye a thing."
    "But you have to," Kenny said,” The book says you have to."
    "Aye, maybe it does, but that book was written by humans, nay by
Leprechauns.   Aside from witch, I'm nay your ordinary Leprechaun."

   Well Kenny thought, I can at least find out something about him.  As
Kenny tied a red string of yarn around the Leprechaun's neck, (the book
having said red yarn would enchant the leprechaun, so he couldn't get
away), he asked him his name.
    "Spike," came the angry reply.
    "Well Spike, I'm going to take you with me everywhere, and I'm not going
to untie you until you tell me where your gold is."
    "Then, lad, we're in for a long day."

    Kenny walked outside with spike in his shirt pocket.  Kenny's mom yelled
out the door at him.
    "Kenny, don't forget to put your new bike in the garage."
    Kenny sighed.  "Yeah mom, ok."  Then speaking lower he said."Yeah, ok, later."
Suddenly Spike laughed.  Kenny looked at him. 
    "Why did you laugh?" Kenny asked.
    "At your foolishness, lad."

   Kenny didn't know what that meant, but shrugged and walked on.
Suddenly, at the same time, Kenny's friend, John waved at him and Kenny's
dog, Pharoh leaped up on him.  Kenny waved at his friend and then shoved his
dog away.
    "Stupid dog,” he muttered. 
Suddenly Spiked laughed again.
    "Now what are you laughing at?"
    "For me to know lad, and for you to find out."

   Kenny didn't get it, but he was getting curious.  He walked back into
the house and asked what he was going to get for lunch on his birthday, in
two days.
His mom sighed.  "Cheeseburgers, I think."
Kenny balked.  "Cheeseburgers?!  I wanted chili dogs!"
"I know Kenny, but chili is a lot of work, so I thought, since you’re
having friends over anyway..."
 Kenny interrupted.  "But I want chili dogs.  You promised I could have
whatever I wanted on my birthday!"
    "Ok Kenny, fine.  Whatever you want."
Kenny walked into the living room and Spike laughed again.
    "Now what?"  Kenny asked.
    "Laughin' at ye foolishness my boy, that's all."
    "Look, I want to know why you always laugh."

   Spike looked serious for a moment.  "Take me into your room."
Kenny walked into his room and sat on the bed.
    "If ye release me, I'll tell ye why I laughed."
Curious, Kenny untied the red yarn from Spike's neck.  The Leprechaun
Leaped in the air and did a little dance.  "Thank ye me lad.  Thank ye ever
so much.  I'll be a goin' now."

"Wait," Kenny said,” you promised..."
    "Ah yes,” the Leprechaun said,” the promise.  Well lad the thing ye must
always remember is that when ye do something bad, ye are always caught.  Ye
will always pay a price.  Maybe not now, but some day ye will pay.  So I
laughed when ye refused to put ye new bike in the garage.  Because of ye
disobedience, thieves have just stolen it."
    Kenny bolted up.  "WHAT?"
    "Sit."
    Kenny sat.
    "The second time I laughed was when ye waved at ye friend, and shoved
away ye dog.  That was arrogance.  Ye friend likes ye for only what ye can
give him.  Ye dog likes ye for who ye are.  And the third time was for your
greed.  For on thy birthday ye will wake up with the flu and ye friends and
family will enjoy thy chilidogs, while ye eat crackers."
    With that Spike bowed, and disappeared.

   All the things Spike said were true and came to pass.  Kenny still loves
four leaf clovers, but never has more than a few at a time.  He hasn't seen
a Leprechaun since that day, and hopes he never will.

THE END