Rose has gotten obsessed with leprechauns. At school they taught her to call them leps or L’s, so as not to draw their attention. Do you know leprechauns play tricks on you and steal your cattle? For a week, Rose couldn’t stop telling stories about leprechauns, singing songs that leprechauns like, and being afraid leprechauns would get her. I explained that no leprechaun could get past me and hurt my little girl, but she still looked a tiny bit doubtful and refused to go upstairs by herself.

You’d think a child afraid of leprechauns would not try to get one, but Rose very much wanted to make a leprechaun catcher. She and David got shoe boxes and decorated them with shamrocks, rainbows, and gold. Then they threw in some real money, as bait I guess. Rose propped hers up with a toothpick and checked it regularly. Checking it was a new chance to scare herself.

Well, she checked it after school on St. Patrick’s Day and there was a leprechaun! No, I’m teasing you. But a leprechaun had been there. There were sparkly shamrocks making a trail to the window. The leprechaun had left her a card and some green candy. The card said it wanted to stay and play but had to get home.

You could see the fear dropping off her like a veil. “Oh,” she said, “The leprechaun likes me. It’s my friend.” And she told everyone.