The Leprechaun's Gold — An Irish Fairy Tale About the Return of the Rainbow

Deep in the green hills of Ireland, where mists touch the grass and the air is filled with the scent of flowers, lived two friends — Fiona and Connor. They loved hiking the hills, searching for clovers, and watching vibrant rainbows. But one day, something strange happened: the sky was covered with gray clouds, and the rainbows disappeared.

"This is very odd," said Fiona. "Rainbows always appeared after the rain." Connor nodded, "Maybe we'll find the answer on the leprechauns' hill?" Everyone knew that it was there that these little wizards lived, known for their tricks and treasures.

As they climbed the hill, a real leprechaun appeared before them. He was small, with a red beard and a green hat. In his hands, he held a shovel. "What brings you here, children?" he asked, squinting his eyes. "We're looking for the rainbow," Fiona replied. The leprechaun frowned, "The rainbow has disappeared because my magic has weakened. If you help me bring it back, I will give you a clue to my gold."

The children were delighted and agreed. "To bring back the rainbow, you must complete three tasks," said the leprechaun, rubbing his hands together. "They are not easy, but I believe you can do it."

The first task was to find the colors for the rainbow. The leprechaun explained that the colors were hidden in the flowers growing at the base of the hill. The children ran there and saw bright poppies, cornflowers, daisies, and other flowers. "But how do we collect them?" asked Connor. Fiona had an idea: "We need to pick one petal of each color." When they collected the petals, the leprechaun used his magic to transform them into glowing light. "Well done," he praised. "But that's not enough yet."

The second task was more difficult. The leprechaun said that they needed to find the source of light that would illuminate their colors. "At the top of the hill, there is a stone with a hole through which a sunbeam passes," he explained. The children climbed up and found this stone. But the sky was still covered with clouds. "We need to disperse them," said Connor. They began jumping, shouting, and waving their arms until the clouds slowly started to dissipate. A sunbeam broke through the clouds and shone through the stone, lighting up the colors.

The third task was the most important. "The rainbow won't appear without water," said the leprechaun. "But the stream below has dried up." The children ran to the stream and saw that its bed was blocked by stones. Connor and Fiona began removing them, working together. When the last stone was removed, the water flowed down again, and the sunbeam and the colors formed the first rainbow in the sky. It was a magical sight.

"You did it!" exclaimed the leprechaun, beaming with joy. "Now the rainbow has returned, and you have earned my clue." He winked and said, "Look for my gold where the rainbow begins." The children ran to the base of the rainbow and found a small pot filled with gold coins. But alongside the gold was another gift — a crystal that shimmered with all the colors of the rainbow.

"This is for you," said the leprechaun, appearing beside them. "The crystal will bring you luck, and the gold will help your village."

Returning home, Fiona and Connor told everyone about their adventure. The rainbow now shone after every rain, and the children never forgot the kindness and cleverness of the leprechaun, who showed them that magic is the unity of nature and friendship.