Although they have no association with St. Patrick himself, the mischievous fairy folk called leprechauns are a well-known symbol of Ireland and St. Patrick’s Day. What is the leprechauns’ traditional occupation?
A) Gardening B) Goldsmithing C) Shoemaking ü D) Tinkering
Leprechauns are the shoemakers for the fairies, and can be found by listening for the tap-tap-tap of their hammers. If you catch a leprechaun, you can make him give you his gold, but this is more easily said than done, for he is notoriously devious. Take your eyes off him for but a second and he will vanish — and he has many tricks to divert your gaze. Leprechauns feature in St. Patrick’s Day parades everywhere. In Chicago, they contribute to the celebrations by turning the river green for several hours each year in honor of the day.
