Ireland's National Fairy the leprechaun is often brought into the limelight on St.Patrick'sDay; yet there is quite a bit of mystery surrounding this little elf.

Leprechauns are about 3 feet tall and proportionately built (they're not dwarves). They dress plainly & carry two coins with them - one magic replenishing coin that will always return to the purse after it's spent, & one dummy coin that will turn into a rock once the leprechaun has given it away. Leprechauns are solitary, anti-social & hard-working - often found behind bushes or trees smoking pipes or making shoes.

There is another side to leprechauns. In spite of their surly dispositions they can also be generous to those who do them good turns. They may repay a kind deed with a replenishing coin, some gold, or wishes.

There isn't any mention of female leprechauns in traditional Irish legend, so there are different theories as to how they come about. Perhaps they are defective offspring of other fairies, or maybe they're the products of unions between fairies & humans.

Some magic is involved in catching a leprechaun! :) We can make a special magic magnifying glass that will surely help! From poster board, cut out two shamrock shapes. Cut away the middle of each cutout, leaving only the shamrock outline. Sandwich green cellophane between the shamrock outlines and trim. Now you can look through these magic glasses for a better view!