The “wee
folk” fascinate us. Elves, leprechauns, nixies, pixies, fairies, sprites—the
tiny creatures who were especially prominent in the folklore of the Celtic
nations: Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and
Britain before it went Anglo-Saxon. “The Treasure at the End of the Rainbow,” is
a story about a leprechaun, though, as with most modern stories about such
creatures, it is revisionist and plays with the tradition themes, descriptions,
and plots found in such stories.
The
origin of it was a tale I read in fourth or fifth grade. The old legend is that
if you capture a leprechaun, he (or she, though it seems like most leprechauns
were male) had to tell you where he had hidden his treasure. But be
careful: they are consummate tricksters.
In the story I remember, a young boy captures one of the wee folk and he takes him to a tree at the base of which the leprechaun’s gold is buried. The boy must fetcht
a shovel. He ties a handkerchief around the tree so he will know it and makes
the leprechaun swear he will not remove the handkerchief. Smilingly, the
creature agrees. The young man goes, returns with the shovel, and finds, to his
dismay, that every tree in the wood has a handkerchief tied around it. The
leprechaun has triumphed through trickery.
In
my story, there is trickery on both sides.
 |
| Caffara |
Caffara
is a leprechaun hunter. She tracks the wee folk in the hope of capturing one
and forcing him to give her his treasure. She is skillful, locates a handsome
young man named Neven (I found some good Irish names), dances with him, invites
him up to her room, and enjoys passionate embrace with him. He wakes up to find
himself handcuffed to the bed. Caffara informs him what has happened and on his chest places a
stone taken from the Lair of Morrigan. Morrigan was an evil Celtic goddess who
waged war on the elves. Neven cannot breath, admits he is a leprechaun, and
promises he will give her treasure if she frees him. She does so and reminds him
that if he breaks his promise Morrigan will devour his soul.
He
gives her an address. She frees him. She goes to the address the next day and finds it an obstetrics clinic. She wonders if the treasure
is hidden there or buried under it. A few days later, she finds she is
pregnant. Neven has betrayed her. Morrigan will get his soul, and she finds
satisfaction in this—but what will she do now? She gives birth to a boy and immigrates
to Canada, where she finds a job and lives as a single mother. Her place in
life does not allow her to date; remarriage seems too complex, so she raises
her child.
Her son,
Colm, acts in a play his six-grade class puts on. Someone from a video
production company offers to hire him for an advertisement campaign. He is photogenic.
Soon he is in more ads and in TV commercials. He lands minor roles on television
and then in films. By the time he is sixteen, he is a child star making a lot
of money. Caffara finally has money and leisure. She returns to her native Ireland,
where Colm is filming. She goes to where she somehow knows she will find
someone she wants to see.
Neven is
where she thinks he will be. She apologizes for being a bounty hunter and a “predatory
woman.” The following exchange takes place.
“So your definition of
treasure has changed?”
“Yes. Colm would like to meet
you. I said I’d try to find you while I was over here.”
“I would very much like to
meet him.”
“We’ll arrange it. Maybe”—and
she got tears in her eyes—“we can even pick up where we left off—that is, if
you’re interested in taking up with a predatory female.”
“I thought you were a
beautiful woman. You are still.”
“A little deserved suffering
helps out, I think. At least it did for me.”
Grace
comes. The wee folk are still tricksters. But they are also, under the layers of
wiliness and scheming, good, benevolent, and forgiving.
The
story appeared in Modern Day Fairy Tales,
which has closed. I have to laugh: if I
republished all the stories I printed in journals that are now defunct, I could
have a second career! Maybe I will do just that. But if you want to read one of
my stories about the elven folk, click on this link for Chantwood Magazine. Despite outwards appearances, elves are not the nicest or kindest beings who popular the universe.
Be sure to read my latest novella, The Court of the Sovereign King.
For more titles, visit my Writer's Page.
Nurture your imagination.
Happy reading.
