The Irish leprechaun book - Mary Feehan

Leprechauns are supposed to know where there is buried treasure and they guard this secret very well. However they can usually be found at the end of a rainbow and if you manage to catch one then you must hold him very firmly and never, ever, for one second, take your eyes off him because in the blink of an eye he can disappear and will use every trick he knows to escape.;He always carries a small purse with two coins in it. One of these is magical no matter how often it is spent another takes its place. Because humans discovered this secret the Leprechaun, if caught, usually hands over the other coin and while the human is examining the coin the Leprechaun escapes.;The Leprechaun's main job is shoemaking and he is tolerated by all the other fairies because, after a few nights of dancing, even the strongest shoes wear out and so the services of the Leprechaun are essential!;This collection contains stories and poems by Lady Wilde, T. Crofton Croker, Robert Dwyer Joyce, William Allingham and Michael Scott.