A
leprechaun is an Irish fairy. He looks like a small, old man (about 2 feet
tall), often dressed like a shoemaker, with a cocked hat and a leather
apron. According to legend, leprechauns are aloof and unfriendly, live
alone, and pass the time making shoes...they also possess a hidden pot
of gold. Treasure hunters can often track down a leprechaun by following
the rainbow to its end. If caught, he can be forced to reveal the whereabouts
of his treasure, but the captor must keep their eyes on him every second.
If the captor's eyes leave the leprechaun (and he often tricks them into
looking away), he vanishes and all hopes of finding the treasure are lost.
The name leprechaun comes from the Irish "Leith
bhroyan" or "Leith phroyan" meaning "one shoemaker", as he is usually seen
working on only one shoe. He is erroneously called the "fairy shoemaker",
for he has made shoes for the fairies non-stop for centuries. He is also
very rich and he covets his wealth. He is of a much smaller stature, he
is uglier, older, and of a more tempermental nature than his fairy counterparts.
And, he is almost always a male of the species.
