Ah, March. Month of wind and rain; kites and (sometimes) Easter; Spring and…leprechauns? That’s right, Leprechauns. Short, pot-bellied, under-appreciated industrious workers who like the taste of their own brew and the sound of their own hammer.
Many a-folk try to catch the Leprechaun, but most fail. Nevertheless, don’t lose heart, for with the right info and a bit of manual dexterity, you can become a successful Leprechaun hunter!
Now, before you begin, there’s one thing you should know: there are actually two kinds of these magical little sprites, Leprechauns and Cluricauns. Leprechauns are the ones who dress in green, wear aprons, and hide gold. The Cluricaun would never be caught in an apron, wears shiny shoes with silver buckles, and is nearly always a bit loopy from the brew. He doesn’t know where any money is, doesn’t carry any on his person, and prefers to be caught so that he can wreak havoc and play practical jokes.
The Leprechaun is the one you want, trust me. Now in preparation of your Leprechaun hunting, you will need some supplies. First, get two shiny pennies. Not dull, shiny. Then get a cardboard box, paint it green, get some green tissue paper and a net. Oh, and an old shoe. You can’t forget the shoe (and it must be in need of repair).
Next: Set the green box on the ground. Put the old shoe inside of it, cover the opening with the green tissue, and then lay the pennies on top. Put the trap next to some tree’s or bushes, disguising it so that it blends in with the surroundings. Okay, here’s the tricky part. You must hide somewhere the Leprechaun will not see you, but close enough you can quickly nab him.
Okay, now that you’re hiding, wait for the Leprechaun to come. When he sees the money, he’ll try to get it, and fall through the tissue paper; he’ll then become preoccupied with the old shoe. The worse the condition of the shoe, the more he’ll concentrate on it. This is your chance; you must throw a net over the box and quickly seal it so the Leprechaun can’t push under the bottom and escape.
There is another option for catching a Leprechaun, but it requires a bit more of a patient person. Set up the same trap, but instead of putting a shoe inside of the box, put some tasty brew. Wait for the leprechaun to drink it and get comfortable before you spring the trap.
Okay, now you have your Leprechaun, assuming he didn’t kick you in the shins or box your ears and get away. This is the time to be most careful. He will have two pouches on his belt. One has a silver coin in it, and one has a gold coin.
If you must get something in return for his freedom-other than the location of his pot ‘o gold-get the silver coin. It will return to you every time it’s spent.
The Leprechaun will be sly in offering you the gold coin, telling you it’s of more worth than the silver. DON’T believe this! The gold coin is a trap to get him free. Soon after you take this coin it will turn to stone, but only, of course, after the Leprechaun is long gone.
So now that you have all the tools to catch a Leprechaun, get at it. No one has ever successfully caught a Leprechaun, nor become rich from Leprechaun hunting. Lucky for you, there’s a first time for everything.
Good Luck!
