Leprechaun in Late Winter by Mary Pope Osborne Read Free Book Online

our magic. Do you understand?”
    “I do, yes,” breathed Augusta.
    “Our stories were passed down for centuries in the old language of Ireland. But as the old language was replaced with English, the stories began to fade away,” Queen Aine said.
    “Go home now with your friends, human child. Go back, for our sake. Seek out the old storytellers, and ask them to tell you the tales of my people. Learn the old language. Read the old manuscripts. Write our stories down and share them before they are lost completely. Share them with all the people of Ireland and all the world. Will you do that for us? Will you use your gifts to tell our stories and restore our dignity?”
    Augusta’s eyes shone. “Yes,” she said, “yes, I will, yes.”
    “Good. Then I will send you all swiftly home,” said Queen Aine. She beckoned to a small dancer,who stepped forward with a tiny silver chalice.
    “Sip the honey nectar of the Shee,” said the High Queen. She took the chalice and held it out to Augusta. Augusta took a sip.
    A second later, Jack felt cold wind and rain. He and Annie were standing on the bank of the river. Augusta was standing beside them. She was her normal size again.

“W ell,
that
was simple and direct,” said Annie.
    “Yeah.…” Jack felt dazed.
    Augusta looked at Jack and Annie. “I saw them,” she said, her eyes wide. “I finally saw the Shee. I really saw them!” She burst out laughing. Her laughter was so full of joy that Jack and Annie started laughing, too.
    “I saw them! I saw them!” Augusta kept repeating. “I saw the Shee! And now I have important things to do!”
    “Yes, you do,” said Annie.
    “I must learn the old language! And I must start gathering stories at once, that’s what Queen Aine told me!” said Augusta. “I can’t wait to visit the old storytellers! There’s Mary Sheridan and Biddy Early, too! I’ll start with Mary! Let’s go see her right now! Hurry! Will you come with me? Hurry!”
    “Sure,” said Annie, “but just a second.” She turned to Jack. “What about Willy?”
    “Who’s Willy?” asked Augusta.
    “A friend of ours,” said Jack, looking around. “He said he’d wait for us. But where was he going to wait? Willy!”
    “Willy!” called Annie.
    “I guess he’s still somewhere on the other side of the river …,” said Jack.
    “That’s too bad,” said Annie.
    “Yeah,” said Jack.
    “Come, let us go see Mary now!” said Augusta, grabbing Annie’s hand and pulling her along.
    Jack looked around for Willy one last time. Hewas sad about not seeing the leprechaun again. But he was a little relieved, too. He knew they couldn’t keep their part of the deal: teaching Willy how to play the magic whistle.
    “Come on, Jack!” cried Augusta.
    Jack followed the two girls through the wet meadow, over the stone wall, down the dirt lane, and across the muddy field to Mary Sheridan’s cottage.
    “Mary! Mary!” Augusta called. She dashed ahead of Jack and Annie. She didn’t even stop to knock. She threw open the door to the cottage. “Oh!” she said, freezing in her tracks.
    Jack and Annie caught up with Augusta and looked inside.
    Mary was sitting in front of her fire. Next to her was a small man wearing a green jacket and a three-cornered red cap with a white feather.
    “Willy!” cried Annie.
    Annie and Jack hurried past Augusta into the cottage.
    “You’re here!” said Jack.
    “Of course! I said I’d wait for you!” said the leprechaun. “I see you found your dear friend and brought her home. Good work!”
    Augusta stood in the doorway, gaping at Willy. “Who are
you?”
she asked.
    “Name’s Willy. Just plain Willy,” said the leprechaun. “I usually leave before you visit Mary. But now that you’ve seen the Shee, I suppose there’s no point hiding from you anymore.”

    “Are—are you real?” asked Augusta.
    “Who knows?” said the leprechaun. “Maybe
I’m
real and you’re
not
! Depends on which one of us is asking the